Over the centuries since Jesus’s death and resurrection, there have been countless imposters, who have claimed to know details about the future they could not possibly know. False prophets are nothing new, and they will become increasingly prevalent and destructive in the End Times. Jesus warned us about these individuals in His Olivet Discourse. In Matthew 24:11 He said, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”
In Matters 10:16 and Luke 10:3, Jesus warned His followers about “wolves” who would be openly hostile to the Gospel. But in Matthew 7 He presents a more subtle threat – wolves disguised as sheep. “Beware of false prophets,who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matte 7:15). These are false prophets who infiltrate the Church and lead people astray.
Jesus warned that false prophets would deceive many people in the Last Days, but we don’t have to fall for their schemes. The Bible provides many warning signs and practical ways we can respond to false teachings.
Signs of a False Prophet
- False prophets make predictions that do not come true
- False prophets perform miraculous signs and wonders
- False prophets may claim to be Jesus
- False prophets may have an unbiblical lifestyle
- False prophets may deny Jesus’s indentity
- False prophets teachings will lead people away from the Lord
There are 22 attributes of False Teachers 2 Peter 2:1-19
I will name a few:
1. They are ignorant
2.They come in secret
3. They are full of adultery
4. They are greedy
5. They prey on new believers
6. They talk a lot but say nothing
7. They do not want to be under anyone’s authority
8. They make grandiose promises but never deliver
9. They use alluring thoughts to provoke attention from their audience
10. They speak more evil than good.
If you are thinking you can’t fall for these tactics of the False Prophets. I met a young lady the other day. She had just moved here and began coming to my church.
Speaking to her she brought up the topic and said she was in a “cult.” She began telling me, that a friend from work invited her to a meeting. She said she was instantly hooked. The false teacher was very convincing and before too long she was giving him 30% of her income and that it was mandatory that everyone spent 30 hours a month serving the his “church.” I was amazed that people would even do that. But she said she felt like she was under some sort of trace. She felt like she would never fall for something like this but she did.
I urge you to search the internet for “Bible verses for identifying false prophets.”
If a pastor, teacher, priest or any others matches any of the criteria, God’s Word calls the a false prophet – a wolf in sheep’s clothing. We should not be surprised when we encounter such people. “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. So, it no great thing if ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15), it takes discernment to see beneath the mask of an imposter, but that discernment can be cultivated by studying God’s Word and abiding in its truth.
From Pity to Praise 