Matthew 24:24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. NKJV
One of my greatest concerns is that we not be deceived by false prophets. What is the difference between a prophet and a false prophet? A prophet “forth tells” a Word from Our Heavenly Father whereas a false prophet “foretells” the future. Foretelling means to describe something before it happens. We must be cautious about attempting to foretell the future and instead seek Our Heavenly Father for instruction to prepare for whatever HE shows us individually or corporately.
I remember the book “88 Reasons for Christ’s Return in 1988”. He was wrong. I remember the various prophetic ministries expounding on Christian television that the Apocalypse was to happen immediately. This was in the 1970’s and 1980’s. They were wrong. Ultimately, we must label them false prophets. The older I get, the less I know.
Each of us needs to hear Our Heavenly Father individually. Those young in THE LORD rely on the “fathers” to steer them in the right direction. I have written much on the economic issues surrounding us. History suggests that we are on a collision course with a severe economic event. Wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill provide me with that conclusion. I must believe that Our Heavenly Father has provided the venue to expound the warnings. I do not view the warning as being “prophetic” just as I don’t view the conclusion that if I head north on Interstate 35 I will arrive in Minneapolis as being prophetic. It is simply a conclusion based on knowledge and experience. However, the conclusion does not account for unexpected events such as a snowstorm closing down the Interstate.
A prophet’s word starts out with “Thus says THE LORD” in some manner. The prophet indicates that he is simply speaking what he is hearing from Our Heavenly Father. This is different from a mature writer warning us of a potential disaster or event that MAY come. It is up to each of us to watch over our actions in response to what we hear and want to believe. Those that keep us always focused on the future may be detrimental to the here and now. If you are always waiting for some event to happen and you are no longer being a blessing in the here and now, you may be being deceived. Love operates in the “now” and people need to be ministered to now, not later when some future event has been predicted.
Jesus warned us of the subtlety of false prophets and their cunningness to tickle our ears with certain promises we all want to hear. It is my understanding that the Apostle John lived 101 years and his last words were to Love one another. They weren’t to warn us of any impending destruction. Love should be our focus.