BACKGROUND FOR THE BIBLE PASSAGES Session 77: Prophecy What might the future hold in store for me and my loved ones? This is a legitimate question that intelligent, caring people cannot help but ponder. Our interest in the future is natural and can be expressed on different levels. Sometimes, we are just curious. Will I finally pass biology this year? What kind of job will I have in ten years? Who will I marry? Other times, we contemplate deeper issues. Where is history taking humanity? Will the world ever come to an end, and how will it happen? What will happen to me after I die? Any insights we can receive about these events will certainly have a profound effect on the decisions we make and the lives we lead. It is important that the sources we turn to for guidance about the future be absolutely trustworthy. The world is filled with people who claim to have inside information about what lies ahead, but are they reliable? Fortune-tellers, psychics, and other such soothsayers have exploited our urge to know the future. They have often accumulated great wealth at others expense, despite the fact that their track record is quite unimpressive. Simple common sense ought to be enough to judge the lack of trustworthiness in their predictions. What about the people who claim to be modern day prophets? They assert that God has given them special revelations about future events. They claim to have God s message for the modern age. Is it possible that what they say is true? How can we sort through it all? Are there guidelines to help us make wise decisions about what to believe? The answer is yes! God s Word gives us standards we can use to judge the worthiness of any prophetic claim. These standards can be expressed as a series of questions that need to be asked. In this session, we will take a close look at those guiding questions so we can better distinguish between true and false prophets. As far as knowing the future is concerned, we need to remember that God has already told us all we need to know for our spiritual well-being. It is recorded in the Bible! As for the rest of it, God wants us to trust Him. Deuteronomy 13:1-4 God s prophets are loyal to Him. The first question that needs to be addressed when evaluating a prophetic message is, Is the prophet commissioned by God? In other words, is there evidence that God has called the prophet into the ministry? Granted, it may be difficult to determine someone s calling with absolute certainty, but a person s lifestyle will say a lot. It is reasonable to expect a true prophet to be a person of integrity. He should exemplify high moral standards. Most of all, whatever the specific content of his message, it should have the effect of honoring God. A true prophet s intention was always to bring people back to a right relationship with God. This is the theme of Moses words in this focal passage. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminded Israel about how God delivered them out of bondage in Egypt and about the covenant God made with them at Sinai. Moses reviewed all the things God had instructed them to do and encouraged them to obey God s commandments faithfully. In this passage, Moses gave specific instructions on how Israel should respond to someone who claims to bring a divine message. Moses introduced his teachings with the phrase, If a prophet... arises among you. The assumption in these words is that other prophets would certainly come forward. In fact, the existence of prophets in Israel reached as far back as the time of Abraham (Gen. 20:7). In the Old Testament, the main term for prophet meant proclaimer or forthteller. A prophet was seen as a spokesman for God before the people. In the specific case of this passage, the prophet later proves to be false. Moses also described this prophet as someone who has dreams, a reference to a way God sometimes communicated (Num. 12:6). In Israel s later history, dreamer of dreams would develop a negative connotation because of its frequent association with false prophets. Moses is very specific that the false prophets would come from the people of Israel themselves and not from some pagan society. These false prophets will predict sign[s] and wonder[s]. These are supernatural actions intended to give the prophet credibility. A sign would be an event foretold by the prophet to confirm
the truth of his message. A wonder would be a miracle intended to prove the prophet s power and authority. Moses taught that the false prophets will actually be able to make the signs and wonders come to pass. However, as awe-inspiring as these events may be, the prophet is still to be rejected if he teaches the people to worship gods other than Jehovah. This admonition is the heart and soul of Moses instructions about false prophets in this Scripture passage. It does not matter what amazing stunts a prophet can perform; it is his loyalty to the true God that counts. If a prophet is not faithful to God in his words and deeds, then he has not been commissioned by God. Moses assertion that the false prophet will actually be able to perform signs and wonders raised a question that needed to be addressed. Why would God allow a false prophet to appear so powerful and authoritative? The answer was that God would be testing His people s loyalty. God wanted to see the depth of their love for Him. The expression with all your heart and all your soul is the same as that found in the Shema, Israel s traditional affirmation of faith (Deut. 6:4-5). Israel s love of God and loyalty to His teachings were to be the hallmarks of their national identity. Moses concluded this passage with a strong encouragement to remain committed to God. The people of Israel were encouraged to follow and fear, listen and obey, worship and be faithful. The principle that Moses taught the Israelites about discerning a false prophet is still valid today. It does not matter that someone is a powerful speaker, has an amazing personality, or a charismatic presence. It only matters that his lifestyle and message reflect his commitment to God and his desire to lead others into a close, abiding relationship with God. Deuteronomy 18:15-19 God s prophets speak the words of God. Two more questions that need to be answered when considering the credibility of prophesy are Is the prophecy consistent with Scripture? and Does the prophecy benefit people spiritually? We have already discussed the fact that a true prophet acts as a spokesperson for God to the people. The words the prophet speaks are accepted as the words of God Himself. Part of the very nature of God is the fact that He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). God does not contradict Himself. God would not say Do not lie in the Ten Commandments and then tell someone that it is all right to lie on a job application. In the same way, a true prophecy will not contradict the written Word of God. It is also true that prophecies are meant to help people. Even the harsh, turn or burn prophecies are meant to move people back to a right, loving relationship with God. In the same way, a true prophecy will not encourage people to do things which will hamper their spiritual growth or interfere with their relationship with God. In this passage, Moses returned to the topic of prophets and prophecy. Moses emphasized the importance of the words the prophets speak and our responsibility to pay attention to their message. Moses taught that God will raise up for you a prophet like me. Scripture does not specify the exact identity of this prophet. Biblical scholars have proposed a variety of interpretations concerning him. Some do not think that Moses was referring to any specific future prophet, but that he meant the sending of prophets in general, the succession of men God would raise up for Israel s guidance. Others believe that Moses did have a specific person in mind, perhaps even a reference to the Messiah. In any case, this prophet would be like Moses in the sense that he would act as mediator between God and the people. He would reveal God s truth with faithfulness and accuracy just like Moses did. This future prophet would come from among your own brothers just as the false prophets did in the previous focal passage. God s people were not to be influenced by their pagan neighbors in any way. Moses taught that God s people must listen to him. This prophet s mandate would be from God. The Israelites were obligated to pay attention to his message and to obey. They would be held accountable for failing to do so. Moses reminded the people that they had begged for a mediator to act as go-between for them and God at the foot of Mt. Horeb (Sinai) on the day they gathered to receive the law. God s awesome presence was overwhelming and terrifying. They feared that it would destroy them. Moses also reminded them that God had been very pleased to hear their request. He selected a prophet (Moses) from among them that day and would send future prophets in the spirit of that same request.
When God spoke about the prophet that He would choose, He promised, I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. We see from this promise that the prophets received a word from God. We learn from the rest of Scripture that God used many means to fulfill His promise. He gave His word to the prophets through direct declarations, visions, dreams, or divine appearances. Frequently, the prophets do not specify how they received God s message. They simply said that the word of the Lord came to them (Isa. 38:4; Jer. 1:4; Ezek. 1:3; Hos. 1:1). We also see that the prophets spoke the word they received. They only spoke what God instructed them to say, but they held nothing back. With regard to the messages they carried, the prophets were not all-knowing, but they were all-telling. Some revealed God s word through the act of preaching, some through symbolic actions in dramatic, living parables, and some conveyed their message through writing. God warned that He will hold accountable anyone who does not hear and obey the prophets voice. The prophets authority is so great that to disobey them is equal to disobeying God. The people were to give the prophets words the utmost respect and unfailing obedience. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 God s prophets words always come to pass. The final question that needs to be considered when deciding whether someone is an authentic prophet or a false one is, Do the prophet s words come true? When we accept the fact that a true prophet speaks the words of God, then it is not only reasonable but necessary that whatever the prophet predicts must come to pass. To rationalize the accuracy of a prophet s predictions away would diminish his role as a spokesperson for God. To water down his message would make the prophet s function among God s people indistinguishable from any ordinary layperson. It is imperative that a prophet s predictions come true exactly as he said, for by definition, the prophet s words are the words of God. This requirement is so important that it is the acid test of authenticity. Whatever conclusions we may draw from the answers to the previous three questions, a negative response to this question seals the judgment. The person under consideration is a false prophet, and his message is unreliable. Considering all of this, one might wonder why this standard for judging false prophets is not the only one used. After all, it seems so straightforward, so cut-and-dried, that the three previous questions surely have been rendered pointless. Yet, despite all its obvious merits and strength, this test can be a difficult one to apply. First, it assumes that a definite prediction has been made. Even a casual reading from one of the prophets in the Bible reveals a great deal of material that is not predictive in nature. Second, there are often long lapses in time between a prophecy and its fulfillment. These lapses can last longer than the lifetime of the prophet under consideration (Mic. 3:12). Many true prophets will only be vindicated at the end of time. Third, some prophetic predictions are conditional. Their fulfillment depends on the hearer s response (Jonah 3:4-5). Fourth, prophecies often have more than one fulfillment. There can be several partial fulfillments with one ultimate, complete fulfillment. The references to the Day of the Lo r d in more than one prophecy are good examples of this (Obad. 15; Joel 1:15; 2:1; Zeph. 1:7,14). Fifth, some prophecies have more than one application in more than one context. The prediction that Christ would be born of a virgin (Matt. 1:23) also had a fulfillment in a different context and application in Isaiah s day (Isa. 8:3). In this focal passage, Moses concluded his message about the coming prophet with a stern warning to anyone who would presume to speak a message for God without His authority. Such a person must be put to death. God refers to someone who dares to speak in My name. To dare implies either a foolishness that is beyond comprehension or an arrogance that is beyond belief. It carries the connotation that no intelligent, sane person would even consider such behavior. Two kinds of false prophets are described, one proclaims a false message in God s name and another who promotes a false god. The false prophet must face the ultimate penalty for his presumption. He will be treated the same as a blasphemer. He will be put to death. Since the office of prophet was endowed by God with such authority, it was held in the highest esteem. If false prophets did not need to be feared, the implication is that true prophets did merit fear and respect. The authority a prophet carried and the respect he required created a great potential for abuse. To maintain the integrity
of the calling, God subjected false prophets to the severest of penalties. Since the penalty for being a false prophet was so serious, the people wanted to ensure that it was administered justly. Therefore, they wanted a simple, clear standard by which to judge. God responded to their desire with the guideline about fulfillment of predictions or not. A prophet s credibility must be earned by the accuracy of his words (1 Sam. 3:19-20). The guidelines that God gave to the people of Israel to evaluate the trustworthiness and reliability of prophecy are just as valid for us today. By applying those guidelines to the biblical writings, we discover that we can trust those prophecies because of their truthfulness, consistency, and the benefit they provide us. We also find that we can use those guidelines to help us discover the truthfulness of prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled, such as the return of Christ.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGES Session 77: Prophecy Deuteronomy 13:1-4 1 If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2 and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, Let us follow other gods, which you have not known, and let us worship them, 3 do not listen to that prophet s words or to that dreamer. For the Lo r d your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lo r d your God with all your heart and all your soul. 4 You must follow the Lo r d your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him. Deuteronomy 18:15-22 15 The Lo r d your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. 16 This is what you requested from the Lo r d your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, Let us not continue to hear the voice of the Lo r d our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die! 17 Then the Lo r d said to me, They have spoken well. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he speaks in My name. 20 But the prophet who dares to speak in My name a message I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods that prophet must die. 21 You may say to yourself, How can we recognize a message the Lo r d has not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaks in the Lo r d s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lo r d has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB, and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
EXPLORING THE BIBLE DAILY 77 Write Deuteronomy 13:1-3 in the space below and memorize this week: Read these Scripture passages each day this week. Respond to each passage by jotting down questions and insights you may have. Day 1 - Deuteronomy 13:1-3 Day 2 - Deuteronomy 13:4 Day 3 - Deuteronomy 18:15 Day 4 - Deuteronomy 18:16 Day 5 - Deuteronomy 18:17-18 Day 6 - Deuteronomy 18:19-20 Day 7 - Deuteronomy 18:21-22
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PROPHECY? Session 77 Read each statement below and record your responses. When it comes to studying prophecy, how would you describe your enthusiasm or lack of enthusiasm? Most people during the days of the great Old Testament prophets did not truly follow the words of the prophets. Today, we see many followers of Jesus also not following what He taught. Do you see a parallel between Christians of today and most of the Hebrew people who lived at the time of Jesus birth? If so, what lessons can be learned? What do you think makes a prophet a false prophet? What makes a prophet a true prophet? Write out your definition of prophet. Why do you think many biblical prophecies have yet to be fulfilled? 2007 LifeWay Press. Fuel2: Owning Your Faith, Volume 7. Permission granted to reproduce this item for church use only. Published in the United States of America.