In our previous teaching we are able to study The antichrists, the antichrist spirit and The Antichrist Man, and we are able to see everything about The Antichrist. Now, having see that there remain one more personality, this will be the Antichrist Companion, that will work along with him during the Great Tribulation, he will even be the one that will tell the world to worship the Antichrist and his image. He is called the false prophet (Rev 19:30)
The details given about the False Prophet are few. However, if we understand the patterns and motivations that the Bible reveals about the class of people called "false prophets," we will be better equipped to recognize the general mold that the end-time False Prophet will fit. So i will like to lay a foundation on who a prophet is and on false prophets generally, because there are lot of them put there, especially now that we are in the end of time, after which we go into the teaching on the false prophet proper.
Who is a Prophet?
Because of the way "prophet" is commonly used, there is a misconception that its basic definition is "someone who foretells the future," but this definition is too narrow. Prophet is better defined as "one who speaks for another." A true prophet of God, then, is a person who speaks for God, delivering a message that God has ordained him to give. In Exodus 7:1 , God tells Moses that Aaron, his brother, would be his (Moses') prophet, even as Moses was God's prophet. Because of Moses' unbelief in God's ability to speak through him, God would speak to Moses, who would tell Aaron what to say to others—Pharaoh in particular (verse 2). It is the function of speaking for another, rather than the miracles they performed or their foretelling of what would befall Egypt, which defined Moses and Aaron as prophets.
Frequently, the words a prophet spoke on God's behalf were, in fact, foretelling what would happen later. However, the prophet's essential role was to speak for God, regardless of whether he did any predicting of the future. A prophet expresses the will of God in words, and sometimes he uses signs to back up what he says and to demonstrate God's power behind it. In a similar way, a false prophet also may not be in the business of foretelling the future.
The False Prophets
"False prophets will rise…" (Matthew 24:24).
The emergence of false prophets is a vital sign to the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The elect of Jesus days were so curious to know what shall be the signs of His coming (Matt 24:3-5) and His first statement was "Take heed that no man deceive you". So, it is sure and certain that deception and deceivers will be a great tool in the hand of the devil in the last days which is now. Unfortunately, the christians of this last generation are so at ease in Babylon, they are not ready to test every Spirit, they are not taking heed as Christ warned us in order not to be a victim of this great deception that has already reached its peak in our age.
Since, the days of Paul the apostles, the false prophets and false christs had started to emerge. The bad news is that many of the "very elect" (let him that readeth understand) of God are in the bondage and prisons of these false prophets that appear in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
The end time is prophesied to be full of deceptions (Matthew 24:11) , and the elect will not be totally immune to having the wool pulled over their eyes ( Matthew 24:24 ; Mark 13:22). It will take careful evaluation to see through the façade and to recognize Satan's servants for what they are , rather than what they appear to be ( II Corinthians 11:14-15 ).
Both Testaments describe false prophets, and Peter, John, and Jesus Christ specifically warn of false prophets that affect church members.
A false prophet is simply someone who speaks for another but falsely. False prophets either speak for the wrong god, or they claim to have heard from the true God but do not accurately represent Him or His words. At the very least, they speak out of their own human hearts, but more likely, the "god" they are speaking for is really a demon or Satan.
It is true that, if a prophet foretells something that fails to come to pass, he is a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:20-22 ), but foretelling the future correctly is not the determining factor when looking at false prophets. The real issue is whether one who claims to be representing God and speaking for Him, is doing so accurately or falsely. A prophet may accurately predict an event or demonstrate supernatural power, but if he is leading people away from the true worship of the true God, he is a false prophet.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15-20).
The shepherds were always clothed with the sheep’s wool because it was one of the benefits of shepherding. All leaders within the Church, whether they are True or false, are called shepherds. With that in mind, we need to understand that Jesus is giving us a teaching which helps us discern and expose the false ones.
"Beware of false prophets… inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15).
Ravenous wolves characterizes leaders who are hungry for flesh. The flesh is the opposite of true spiritual understanding. It is the biblical picture of thriving on error. The flesh is an attitude in the soul which eventually manifests or ends up being a captivating realm of false concepts. False prophets use false concepts to entice the sheep out of true spiritual safety, which automatically exposes them to the wild beasts of the field. Of course, the irony of this intensifies as we realize that the wild beasts of the field are the carnivorous leaders of God’s people —the very leaders who were supposed to protect them.
These wolf-like leaders love to get the Church out of the spirit (protection) and into false experiences and new doctrines (vulnerability). They may even do it by confessing just the opposite, "You must let go, get out of the flesh, and into the Spirit."
Wolves are Natural Carnivorous Animal. The wolves do this by instinct and are not even aware that what they are doing could be wrong. After all, they are carnivores. Devouring flesh comes naturally to them. Wolves cannot be satisfied with a good spiritual meal from the Word of God by itself — they are compelled to feast on an admixture of flesh. Limiting their ministry to the Revelation of Christ really does not satisfy them. There are many leaders in the Body of Christ who fit this description and Jesus gives us the means to discern them. Christ’s teaching is the fortified wall that s made available for our protection against their false doctrines.
The word for "false" comes from the Greek word "pseudo." The meaning of this word portrays the idea of something which isn’t real, something counterfeit, a falsehood, a lie, or a deception. We use pseudo in our everyday language to convey the concepts of false, bogus, and phony. A false prophet is a pseudo prophet who speaks a counterfeit spiritual message and portrays a pseudo-image of Christ. They may not be genuine godly leaders within the body of Christ, nonetheless, they are recognized as leaders within the setting of the Christian Church.
Leaders under the influence of anticrist spirit lead people into wrong doctrines and wrong attitudes. Some false leaders may be aware of this while others may not. But the result of following their teachings will still be the same.
The Bible shows us this through simple parabolic language — false shepherds lead a flock of sheep astray through false teachings. Through these words, "deception, seduction, and lead astray," the Bible paints a picture of sheep who are led astray and scattered on the mountains without proper leaders.
When they are alone on the mountains or in the wilderness, they are left to themselves and eat anything they find. They are exposed to the wild, carnivorous beasts of the field. This is symbolic of the dangers of little ones who follow false teachings.
When the disciples asked Jesus about the signs of the last days, the first thing He mentioned was deception. He told them to "take heed." This means "to watch out, beware, keep your eyes peeled, and don’t be so naïve." Why? False christs are going to make their way into leadership and high places of honor among God’s people. And they are not coming to aid the Church into a deeper understanding of Jesus. They are coming into the fold to deceive the elect and lead them into false concepts of Christ. We must understand that the Devil wants to be seen as more like Christ than he wants to be seen unlike Him. He doesn’t want to be exposed as the destroyer. He wants to be known as the god of amazing signs and wonders.
The message of a false prophet is contrasted in Deut. 13:3-4 with loving the true God with all of our heart and soul (life), walking after Him, fearing Him, keeping His commandments, obeying His voice, serving Him, and holding fast to Him. These elements indicate what God wants His people to be focused on, helping to define whether a man claiming to speak for God is truly doing so or not.
Verse 4 mentions obeying God's voice and keeping His
commandments . This is a regular theme with God's true prophets: They always have God's law undergirding their messages. When the Old Testament prophets were sent to warn or inform Israel and Judah, they always pointed out the grievous ways in which the people had transgressed God's law.
False prophets, on the other hand, will not hold the moral line that God requires. Lamentations 2:14 says that the false prophets "have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions." False prophets will not connect the dots between the sinfulness of a nation and national calamity. They instead focus on something other than God's standard of righteousness.
This same principle appears in Isaiah 8:19-20 . Both houses of Israel were guilty of seeking out mediums and wizards for spiritual guidance, and God's response is very telling: And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. God gives us a standard by which to measure the words of a prophet, pastor or any minister of God, it is the Law and Testimony—His Word. If the prophet's message contradicts what is already established as God's Word, it is evidence that he lacks spiritual understanding. If his words do not line up with God's law and testimony, he is not speaking the truth.
In summary, the hallmark of a true prophet is his upholding of the Word of God, while false prophets dodge moral teaching and instead preach a message that appeals to the masses. Teachings that people want to hear (especially prosperity, leadership, financial breakthrough, relationship, business, blessings and e.t.c). Yes, they are good but why will some church now specialise in that only as if thats the only doctrine in the Bible. They know what they are doing but the sheep are ignorant because they won't sit down with the Word of God to study for themselves.
If the Word of God tells us to take heed and to beware in the last days then why don’t we do it? Why do we go on as if this Scripture doesn’t apply to us? We seem to think that the leaders will do it for us. But the leaders, in many cases, lack discernment. In fact, in some cases, the leaders are the ones who approve of false teachings. Why don’t we test our doctrines and beliefs? Why are these Scriptures in the Bible? Are we to ignore them and assume that we, of all people, cannot be deceived?
No, it’s time to sharpen up the Sword of the Spirit — the revelation of Jesus Christ — and be on guard. It would be better for us to be on guard than to remain ignorant of God’s Living Word. "See, I have told you beforehand" (Matthew 24:25). Jesus didn’t say there would be just a few deceivers in the last days. He said there would be many. "For many shall come… and shall deceive many." This indicates that deception in the latter times is going to be common. There won’t be just a few isolated cases. It will be all around us.
God's truth is abhorrent to the natural mind (Romans 8:7 ), and thus it is quite common for God's prophets to be persecuted, hated and even killed while the false prophets enjoy widespread popularity and support. The current trend of outcome-based churches serves as a good example. Their leaders preach a widely popular message, and thousands of people follow them. Yet, Jesus says in Luke 6:26 , "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Popularity is not a good measurement of
God's pleasure with a leader!
Jesus Christ, the Almighty God Himself, when he came to the World, he only had about 120 true followers when His ministry ended (Acts 1:15). This was not due to failure on His part, but because His message could be wholeheartedly believed only by those whose minds God had already prepared to accept it.
All this so called "Purpose-Driven" church leaders will not preach the unadulterated Word of God because they know it is divisive. They will not preach or teach the 100% Word of God because they know it would thwart their goals of a large followers and a large income. They wont even mention the message of the hour, the Rapture and the coming of the Lord, their messages do not involve repentance, sound doctrine that will make ready their members for the Rapture, rather they focus on messages that will keep their members focus more on earthly things as if Jesus Christ is coming no more. Their messages do not remind people of their moral responsibilities to God and others, and thus if they claim to speak for God or say that God sent them, we can know from biblical patterns that they are. Their large churches, as amazing as they might seem, are not accurate indicators of God's involvement or blessing. If you find yourself in such gathering or church, then thats Babylon and the only solution is to come of out of her and come unto Zion, lest you shall partake in her punishment.
Revelation 18:4-5
[4]And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
[5]For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
You can read our teachings on the Mystery Babylon HERE.
The Only Safeguard In This End Time
Before we move further, i will quickly talk on the only safeguard we are given by God to guard our spirit and soul in order not to miss the greatest promise in the Bible, the last stage of our redemption, which is the promise of Immortality i.e the redemption of our bodies.
We just read on the false prophets and teachers which are now out there deceiving many Christians with their seductive and lying words, giving them what they themselves want to hear. But for the sake of those that are truly hungry and thirsty for the Truth and Truth alone, i mean the elect and the saints of God (The Wise Virgins) that are tired of Babylon, i have no choice than to make this known to them.
So, whats this safeguard?
I will be taking this series from a book of one the greatest revivalist, Ellen G. White.
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8;20.
The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God's work, the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true, that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.
Those who endeavor to obey ALL the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test, Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?
Before His crucifixion, the Saviour explained to His disciples that He was to be put to death, and to rise again from the tomb; and angels were present to impress His words on minds and hearts. But the disciples were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke, and they could not tolerate the thought that He in whom all their hopes centered should suffer an ignominious death. The words which they needed to remember were banished from their minds; and when the time of trial came, it found them unprepared. The death of Jesus as fully destroyed their hopes as if He had not forewarned them. So in the prophecies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened to the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed. Satan watches to catch away every impression that would make them wise unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them unready.
When God sends to men warnings so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the message. The fearful judgments denounced against the worship of the beast and his image, Rev. 14:9-11 should lead all to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn what the mark of the beast is, and how they are to avoid receiving it. But the masses of the people turn away their ears from hearing the truth, and are turned unto fables. The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” That time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love.
But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines, and the basis of all reforms ( Are you part of this Sons of God).
The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority,—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain “Thus saith the Lord” in its support.
Satan is constantly endeavoring to attract attention to man in the place of God. He leads the people to look to bishops, to pastors, to professors of theology, as their guides, instead of searching the Scriptures to learn their duty for themselves. Then, by controlling the minds of these leaders, he can influence the multitudes according to his will.
I think few words is enough for the wise..
THE FALSE PROPHET
Now, we know by now that the Antichrist is the most important personality during the Great Tribulation, whereas there remain one more important personage, and this The False Prophet. He is the Companion of the Antichrist.
Two beasts are described in Revelation chapter 13, one from the sea (vs. 1) and one from the land (vs. 11). The beast that rise from the sea (signifying People or multitudes, Rev 17:15) is the Antichrist while the one that rise from the land (a nation or a location) is the False Prophet. So, for us to understand in details Who This False Prophet is, we have to start by quoting scriptures that spaek about this personage.
Revelation 19:20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Back to Revelation 13, and we will read the section starting in verse 11 all the way down through verse 18 so that we can get the whole context here.
Revelation 13:11-18 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is six hundred and sixty-six
In our next teaching we will be going into thr teaching of This False Prophet in details. We want to see who he is, where he will come from and what he say do.
Dominalti For CHRIST
On Behalf of End Time Hub!!!
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