SUPER-KEYS FOR DISTINGUISHING

VARIOUS TYPES OF FALSE-PROPHETS

by Venerable Dr I. U. Ibeme
Website: http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo
Click Here For PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre

“False-prophecy has become rampant in the Church and the world today so
much so that many now mistake it to be true prophetic ministry.”

False prophecy is dangerous for the false prophets and for those who believe and follow
them.

Mark 13:22-23
(22) For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to
seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
(23) But take heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Jeremiah 5:29-31
(29) SHALL I NOT PUNISH FOR THESE THINGS? says the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged
on such a nation as this?
(30) An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land;
(31) The PROPHETS prophesy falsely, and the PRIESTS bear rule by their own power; and my
PEOPLE love to have it so: and what will you do in the end?

Ezekiel 14:9-11
(9) And IF THE PROPHET IS DECEIVED when he has spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived
that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will DESTROY HIM FROM THE
MIDST OF MY PEOPLE Israel.
(10) And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: THE PUNISHMENT OF THE PROPHET
SHALL BE EVEN AS THE PUNISHMENT OF HIM THAT INQUIRED OF HIM;
(11) That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be defiled any more with all
their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, SAYS THE LORD
GOD.

EVERY CHRISTIAN WHO IS INDWELLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IS

“PROPHETIC” OR POTENTIALLY A PROPHET.
Every Spirit-filled believer in Christ has been given the same Spirit of Prophecy
by which all Prophets have ever prophesied and will always prophesy by. The
Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit was not for some few believers to prophecy but
was granted on all believers to prophesy (Act 2:17-18). Christians need to know that every
true testimony and preaching of Jesus by believers is actually done by the Spirit of Prophecy
(Rev 19:10). The Nicene Creed declares the Universal Church’s belief in the Holy Spirit as
the Lord Who “has spoken through the Prophets.”

Although the Pentecostal movement of today seeks to drive people to only speak in tongues,
but in the Ancient Church, the Apostles who were the first to speak in tongues sought to
earnestly drive people “rather that you may prophesy” and “be eager to prophesy”
much more than speaking in tongues, because prophesying is more beneficial than speaking
in tongues! (1Cor 14:1-6, 39). The Apostles also hoped that “you all may prophesy one
by one” for the edification of all (1Cor 14:31).
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Therefore, every Christian must not only watch against others becoming false prophets but
must also watch against himself or herself becoming one of the false prophets, false teachers
or false brethren (Gal 2:4; 2Pet 2:1-3; Jud 4).

I. What does Prophesying mean?

The words (Heb= ‫נבא‬nâbâ' or Grk=προφητεία prophēteia) translated “PROPHESYING”
in the Scriptures mean PREDICTING and PROCLAIMING inspired by The Holy Spirit or another
spirit –
1. Divinely inspired (oracular) PREDICTING to FORE-TELL God’s plans as well as oracular
PROCLAIMING to FORTH-TELL God’s ways (didactic oracles) or
2. Demonically inspired (oracular) PREDICTING to FORTUNE-TELL mundane events as well as
oracular PROCLAIMING to FORTUNE-TELL mundane matters (data oracles).

True prophets forth-tell divine truth to PERSUADE people to PLEASE God and
fore-tell plans to PREPARE people to be ready for God, but they DO NOT
fortune-tell to soothsay human curiosities to PLEASE people.

Prophecy, soothsaying, augury and fortune-telling are wonders well known to be performed
truly by the means of divine GIFT, but also falsely by the divining ART and deceptive
TRICK. From 1Kin 22, Jer 23 and Ezek 14:3-10, we learn that although Prophecy is an
insightful and wonderful phenomenon, yet it could become delusive and
destructive. True and False prophets are persons who cogently (unlike lunatics) “SEE and
SPEAK by ANOTHER SPIRIT (Holy/Divine Spirit for True Prophets, or evil/demonic
spirits for False Prophets)”.
 Amongst those called Prophets, there are True Prophets/SEERS who
PROBE/search by divine revelation usually given by the Holy Spirit,
but there are also False Prophets/MEDIUMS who PROBE/search by
occultist divination often claimed to be from the Holy Spirit.
 Both True and False Prophets could PROBE (or search) to
PROGNOSTICATE or PREDICT to FORE-TELL DATA-ORACLES on
things that happen about us, but only true Prophets FORTH-TELL
DIVINE- ORACLES on what God is saying to us about His mind for the
hour.

True PROPHETIC SPIRITUAL GIFT always prophesies divine oracles FOR/FROM God’s
mind, and never soothsays and fortune-tells for/from human motives and desires or
for/from demonic powers and manipulations. True prophecy declares what God will (or will
not) do, because of His favour or fury, giving God’s reason for His favour or fury, as well as
God’s instruction on how to obtain more favour or incur more fury. True prophetic burden
is the inspiration to declare divine truth desired and confirmed by God.

The focus of soothsayers, fortune-tellers, and pseudo-prophets are limited to only DATA-
ORACLES to either decipher past events or prognosticate trivial carnalities desired and
confirmed by their clients and familiar spirits. False Prophets usually thump up their
occultist and ungodly DIVINATION-DATA ORACLES to subtly validate themselves; they do
not go further to give DIVINE-DIDACTIC ORACLES that declare biblical spiritualities
desired and confirmed by God.
 True prophets operate the prophetic powers with godly commitment and are divinely
empowered, while false prophets operate their prophetic powers without godly
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 commitment and are either POWERFUL DECEIVERS (Deut 13:1-5) or
POWERLESS PRETENDERS (Deut 18:21-22).
 The first step in distinguishing prophets – whether those who claim to be prophets
have prophetic powers or not – is to establish whether their predictive prophecies
(fore-telling of data-oracles and even fortune-telling of demonic oracles) are
FACTUAL or come to pass (Deut 18:21-22). This is easy but not very critical.
 The next step in establishing whether those who have proven prophetic powers are
true fore-telling and forth-telling prophets of God or false fortune-telling prophets
for their own PROFIT and for the devil, by their FRUIT – godly conduct and biblical
preaching (Deut 13:1-5). This is most critical but not so easy, even for the elect
(Mat 24:24; 2Thes 2:8-14).
 True prophets minister their prophetic powers with divine burden as authorised by
God. They are God’s oracles who PREACH (tell-forth) to people what God commands
them to do (Deut 18:18-19).
 False-prophets operate their prophetic powers with deception, divination,
profiteering and soothsaying. They pretend to work or speak for God but have
no divine burden or authorisation (Deut 18:20).
(See https://www.facebook.com/notes/ifechukwu-ibeme/use-of-the-gift-of-prophecy-in-
the-church/343503679046527)

II. Beware of False-Prophets!

There shall always be False Prophets because there are True Prophets who
they try to fake. It is not possible to rightly distinguish False from True
Prophets by criticism based on personal suspicion, personal preference, and
popular opinions; except you could test/judge spiritualities (1Cor 2:15; 1Thes
5:21) by either inspired spiritual perception (if you are gifted with
Discernment of Spirits Act 8:21-23; 16:16-18; 1Cor 12:10) or by Scriptural
examination (if you are grounded in knowledge of the Truth Jer 29:8; Matt
7:15-16; 1John 4:1).

False-prophecy has become rampant in the Church and the world today so much so that
many now mistake it to be true prophetic ministry because many have no knowledge of true
prophecy. Nowadays, when we say beware of false-prophets it sounds as if we mean beware
of true prophets! FALSE-PROPHETS are perverted pretentious prophets like Balaam
(Num 31:16) and Barjesus (Act 13:6), who mingle their prophecies with divination and
soothsaying in order to deceive and defraud their gullibly obsessed disciples whose
delusion, disease and desperation they exploit to mislead many to destructive errors and
heresies. False-prophets usually claim to be “Christs” when they boast about the powerful
Anointing (i.e. Christ-ing) on their person for the behalf of those under their ministry.

Matthew 7:13-16
(13) Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to
destruction, and many there be who go in there:
(14) Because narrow is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be
that find it.
(15) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves.
(16) You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Matthew 24:5, 11, 24-25

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(5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
…….
(11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
…….
(24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
(25) Behold, I have told you before.

Luke 21:8
(8) And he said, Take heed that you be not deceived: for many shall come in my name [i.e.
come as ministers of Christ], saying, I am Christ [i.e. I am Anointed]; and the time draws near: go not
therefore after them.

It is both interesting and intriguing to notice that in the Old Testament, the
Law commands that prophetic signs and messages are TO BE BELIEVED
PRIMA FACIE WITHOUT QUESTION (Deut 18:19; 1Chron 20:20) since
Israelites lacked discerning Grace and the Holy Spirit. But when the message
turns out to contradict the Law or the sign fails to be proven, the Prophet is to
be summarily executed by the nation as a State (Deut 13:5; 18:20) else God
would destroy both prophet and the followers (Ezek 4:9-10). Whereas in the
New Testament, which provides discerning Grace and the Holy Spirit for all it
is more intricate and less gory. Christ and His Apostles strictly admonish that
prophetic signs and messages should NOT BE BELIEVED PRIMA FACIE UNTIL
AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN TESTED AND ADJUDGED to be of God and the
prophet/prophetess found to be using his/her Prophetic Gift according to
morals of Spiritual Fruit and messages of Scriptural Truth (Mat 7:15-16; Mar
13:21-23; Act 17:11; 1Cor 14:21; 1John 4:1). Under the Gospel, false prophets are
not to be executed by the congregation (since the Church is not the State) but
are under eternal condemnation and should be excommunicated (Jude 11-14).

FROM SIMPLE AND PLAIN BIBLICAL REVELATION, WE COULD CLEARLY

DISTINGUISH CATEGORIES OF FALSE-PROPHETS WHO MISGUIDE GOD’S
PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH:

A FALSE PROPHET is one who uses prophecy to deceive or one who uses
deception to prophesy.
Because of their corrupt minds and love of money and fame, False-Prophets, False
Teachers and False Brethren degrade grace and godliness to mean licentiousness and
love of money (1Tim 6:3-12; Jude 1:4); they operate their spiritual power “simonically” for
money and fame mixed with bitterness and bondage (Act 8:9-24). The Scripture
teaches that False-Prophets are sinful MANIPULATORS who are either POWERFUL
DECEIVERS (Deut 13:5; Matt 7:15-23) or POWERLESS PRETENDERS (Deut 18:18-
22). Prophecy is false (pseudo) prophecy when it is DEGRADED by deception
and delusion, contamination and commercialisation or DISGUISED by
pretension. Prophecy is also false when it comes from occultist DIVINATION.
False prophets do soothsaying of fortune oracles rather than forth-telling of
divine oracles.

1. Falsified/Degraded: “PROPHETIC Spiritual GIFT” (Jer 14:13-15; 23:9-32)

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 i. Those with the PROPHETIC SPIRITUAL GIFT could become FALSE-
PROPHETS because they CONTAMINATE and misuse their ministry with
ungodly motives and methods:
 with soothing presumption like Hananiah son of Azzur (Jer 28)

 with soothing delusion like Zedekiah son of Kanaanah (1Kin 22)

 with magical divination and deception like Elymas Barjesus (Acts

13:6-12).

 with sensuality and lasciviousness like Jezebel of Thyatira (Rev

2:20).

ii. Those with the PROPHETIC SPIRITUAL GIFT could degrade their prophetic
ministry to SOOTHSAYING (Josh 13:22) and DIVINATION (Mic 3:11)
because they COMMERCIALIZE and peddle (2Cor 2:17) their ministry for
selfish profiteering purposes and for the pleasure of their clients: like
Balaam son of Beor (Num 22-24; 31:16; 2Pet 2:15-16; Rev 2:14).

2. Fake/Disguised: “PROPHETIC Pretended TITLE”

PROPHETIC PRETENDED TITLE is empty claim and perversion of prophetic office
maintained by deceptive MIMICRY of prophetic ministration and mannerisms (Jude 1:4,
11-13) like the Seven Sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-17).

3. False/Occultist Divination: “PROPHETIC Satanic POWERS”

PROPHETIC SATANIC POWERS could masquerade or DISGUISE (2Cor 11:13-15) their
evil powers as if they were “Christian” Prophetic Gift; thus they deceive the rulers and
peoples of the world, bamboozling and amazing everyone with disguised occultist
miraculous signs and wonders to aggrandise and enrich themselves, like that of:
 the “sorcery empowered” Simon Magus of Samaria (Acts 8:9-24)

 and the “Python empowered” Soothsayer Maid of Philippi (Acts 16:16-20)

 and ultimately the “Satan empowered” Antichrist Beast and its False-Prophet
(Rev 13:11-17; 16:13-14).

III. Beware of Obsession with Prognosticating Divination

“Prophets”!!
The high prevalence of false-prophets and false teachers derives from the pit of hell which
has unleashed mass curiosity for mythical fables, itching ear carnality and obsession for
divination and signs on the people of the world (Matt 12:39; 2Tim 4:3-4).
 Are you (or intending to be) one of these forms of false-prophets?
 Are you able to discern any such false-prophets?
 Are you seeking for prophets or soothsayers who will fascinate you with private data
oracles that give temporal personal information or a deceptive stunt or
captivation sign rather than furnish you with didactic divine oracles that give eternal
biblical admonition?

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Today, some Christians have suddenly become obsessed with crave to consult
prognosticators, diviners and soothsayers instead of desire to learn and obey God’s Word
and conform to God’s programme and His good pleasure (Rom 12:1-2; Col 1:10).

All Christians have the Holy Spirit with which they were born of God and by which they are
indwelled by God, therefore true Christians should have the witness or leading of the Holy
Spirit in them through which they know God’s will personally and do not need to consult
prophets but the Scriptures (Rom 8:14-16; 1John 2:20, 27). Christian prophets should speak
God’s mind NOT theirs or others, when God sends them NOT when they wish or when
people require them to prophesy.

The necessity on the Church is to believe, preach and teach the saving Gospel of Christ as
witnessed to by the Apostles in the Scriptures in order to fulfil biblical prophecies that
please God. The Church is neither to produce new self-serving and self-pleasing
“prophecies” (Gal 1:6-10) nor are Christians meant to obsessively consult prophets as the
Gentiles curiously consult diviners and soothsayers.

If people don't love to live the truth then they are at risk of boarding a wrecking ship (2Thes
2:8-14; 1Tim 1:19)!

The "eye opening" questions are these:

 Which type of prophetic revelation are people looking for: the divine-oracles of God’s
purpose and will in the Bible or data-oracles of events and human desires outside the
Bible?
 Were the Apostles prophesying as "prophetic" soothsayers do in the Church today?
 Were the Apostles being consulted as we consult "prophetic" Ifa diviners and
“prophetic” Afa diviners and “prophetic” Boka diviners that are getting the Church
addicted to their manipulative “prophetic” menu today?
 Is our faith about temporal soothing and intimidating words by
prognosticating/data-oracular prophets or is it about the eternally saving truth
of the Gospel by admonishing/divine-oracular prophets?
 Do signs and wonders bring illuminating truth for eternal salvation or do they
bring amazing stunts for temporal attention?
 Why have we left the Gospel proclamation and instruction of God’s Word to look
for so called “prophecies” of events prognostication and divination?
 What is this folly of deluded blindness and destructive curiosity that has obsessed the
postmodern Church?

What did Jesus tell us to look for?

 We are to look for truth unto spiritual salvation not look for auguries for
temporal solutions?
 We are to look for eternal truth settled forever in heaven for eternal salvation into the
Kingdom of heaven not temporal soothsaying solution for the kingdoms of this
world?
 We are to look for the eternal saving truth not become DELUDED (like the
Thessalonians in 2Thes 2:11) or BEWITCHED (like the Galatians in Gal 3:1) and
DECEIVED (as in the End Times Luk 21:8; 2Tim 3:14) to believe falsehood and
fallacies?

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2Thessalonians 2:9-12
(9) The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by THE POWER OF SATAN. He will use
every kind of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonders,
(10) and every type of evil to deceive those who are dying, THOSE WHO REFUSED TO LOVE THE
TRUTH THAT WOULD SAVE THEM.
(11) For this reason, GOD WILL SEND THEM A POWERFUL DELUSION so that they will believe
the lie.
(12) Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness WILL BE
CONDEMNED.

Galatians 1:6-9
(6) I am astonished that YOU ARE SO QUICKLY DESERTING THE ONE WHO CALLED YOU BY
THE GRACE OF CHRIST TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT GOSPEL,
(7) which is not really another one. To be sure, there are certain people who are troubling you and
want to distort the gospel about Christ.
(8) But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we
proclaimed to you, let that person be condemned!
(9) WHAT WE HAVE TOLD YOU IN THE PAST I AM NOW TELLING YOU AGAIN: If anyone
proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that person be condemned!

Galatians 3:1
(1) O FOOLISH GALATIANS, WHO HAS BEWITCHED YOU, that you should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been openly set forth, crucified among you?

IV. Be Mindful to Pray!!!

Pray for those with True Prophetic Spiritual Gift to escape the danger of falsifying and
adulterating their Gifts because of selfishness, insincerity and delusion.
Pray for all elect believers that they would seek and receive God’s mercy and help to
discern, expose and resists all falsehood and deception in the Church.

Please SHARE this with your friends; you could save a soul!

Updated August 10, 2017

by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme
Copyright © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
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