If we are going to study, judge or practice prophecy of any kind -- whether the manifestation of prophecy, or the ministry of a prophet, or "personal prophecy", or "corporate prophecy" -- we must be very sure that we understand the limits God has placed on prophecy. Once we understand these, we can do what is necessary to make sure that what we do and what we teach is in agreement with the whole counsel of God on this subject. If we fail to do this, we run the risk of disobeying God in our ignorance, much like David did when he tried to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem without first checking God's instructions for moving the Ark, with deadly consequences for one of the movers. (II Samuel 6:1-19; I Chronicles 13:1-14; 15:1 - 16:43.)
While there are many warnings in scripture regarding prophecy, there are four in particular that we need to be particularly aware of.
1. A prophet must never entice God's people to worship other gods.
2. A prophet must never speak in the name of another god.
3. A prophet must never speak a word in God's name that God has not commanded him to speak.
4. A prophet must never prophesy falsely.
Let's examine each of these restrictions from God's Word, so that we can understand them clearly.
1. A prophet must never entice God's people to worship other gods.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5.
13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
The point of this passage is very simple: God's people are not to listen to any prophet who encourages them to worship any other god. Under the Law, the prophet who did this was to be put to death.
Several important things should be noted about this instruction.
* This prohibition was not limited to a prophet's prophecies, but included his every word.
Even if he was not prophesying, if he enticed God's people to worship other gods, he was not to be listened to any more -- even when he was prophesying! -- and he was to be put to death.
* No judgment is made in this passage about whether the prophet was a true prophet of God or a false prophet.
That was irrelevant. If he enticed God's people to worship another god, he was to be put to death without regard to whether or not he was a true prophet of God.
Could a genuine prophet of God do such a thing? Although there is no record of such an occurrence in the Bible, Balaam, son of Beor, a genuine prophet of God, did something very similar. When he was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel, he prophesied faithfully and truthfully what God said, blessing Israel instead of cursing them. But when it looked like he would lose the reward he had been promised if he would curse Israel, he devised a stratagem by which he could curse Israel indirectly, and so collect the reward. He advised Balak to use the women of Moab to entice the Israelites to join them in the worship of the gods of Moab, thus bringing the wrath of God upon Israel. (Numbers 25:1-3; 31:14-16.)
Balaam's ungodly counsel was not evidence that his previous prophesies were not from God. It was, however, evidence that he had turned his back on God. And we should note that once he did this, the Word of the Lord never came by him again.
* Prophets were not being singled out here for special punishment; instead, it was forbidden to single them out for special protection.
Prophets were not the only ones forbidden to entice others to worship other gods. Every single Israelite was under the same prohibition, and faced the same penalty for disobedience.
Deuteronomy 13:6-18.
13:6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
13:7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
13:8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
13:9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
13:10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13:11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
13:12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
13:13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
13:14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
13:15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
13:16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.
13:17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;
13:18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.
God did not single out prophets for special punishment in this instance. Any individual Israelite, and even any Israelite city, was to be put to death if they disobeyed this instruction. No exception was to be made for a prophet -- even if he was able to confirm his words by signs and miracles!
* This commandment applied not only to the worship of different gods, but to the worship of the True God in different forms as well.
The golden calf in Israel was an example of what today is called by theologians "re-imaging God." This idol was introduced to Israel on two separate occasions: during the time of Moses, while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God, and again hundreds of years later, during the time of Jeroboam, just after Israel and Judah split into two separate kingdoms. In each instance, it was introduced as "...the gods who brought thee out of Egypt." (Exodus 32:8; I Kings 12:28.) This seems to imply that the golden calf was not introduced as a new god, but as a new way of representing the True God, who had, in fact, brought Israel out of Egypt. This seems to be confirmed by the following observations:
* The golden calf was given no name of its own.
* The golden calf seems to have had no history or characteristics of its own.
* The golden calf seemed to require no introduction or explanation to the Israelites.
* Although new methods of worship were introduced both times to accompany the introduction of the calf, no open departure from the worship of God seems to have been intended -- only innovations in worship.
Indeed, God seems to have treated golden calf worship differently than He did other forms of idolatry. Although He made it very clear each time it was introduced that He was not at all pleased with its introduction or worship, and although He made it very clear, when He judged Israel for its idolatry, that He was judging it for its golden calf worship as well, He treated the worship of Baal, a Phoenician god introduced by King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, as something far more serious, far more evil, and took ruthless action to stamp it out.
God sent many prophets to Israel during its apostasy. Not one of those chosen to speak for God was a worshipper of the golden calf. While God did go so far as to anoint Jehu, who turned out to be a golden calf worshipper, as king over Israel, there is not so much as one record in scripture of a golden calf worshipper being appointed by God to be His prophet. Even this "moderate" form of idolatry -- "re-imaging" God rather than completely forsaking Him -- appears to have disqualified a man from serving as a spokesman for God. This example should send a strong message and warning to those of us faced with evaluating prophets and prophecy in our own day and time.
How seriously did Israel take God's instruction on this? The Book of Judges bears sad witness against their faithfulness to God with respect to this command. When the tribe of Dan turned aside to worship idols, the rest of Israel did nothing. (Judges 17, 18.) Yet, when a concubine was brutally raped and murdered by men of the tribe of Benjamin, the other tribes of Israel mobilized for war, demanded that the murderers be handed over to them for punishment, and, when the Benjamites refused, wiped out all of them except six hundred who managed to escape. For the honor of a woman the Israelites were willing to wage a civil war. For the honor of God -- even in the face of this explicit commandment in the Law -- they were willing to do nothing.
2. A prophet must never speak in the name of another god.
Deuteronomy 18:20.
18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
This sounds very much like the previous restriction, but in fact it is very different. The previous restriction applied to all Israelites. This restriction applied only to those who spoke in the name of the Lord. Specifically, this instruction restricted who the prophet was allowed to speak for.
There are several things we need to note about this instruction.
* This prohibition deals specifically with who you speak for when you prophesy.
Who are you speaking for when you prophesy? There are at least three possible answers to this question: you can speak in the name of God, you can speak in your own name, or you can speak in the name of another god. This prohibition deals specifically with the last case.
* This instruction applied not to every word spoken by the prophet, but only to those words that were part of his prophecy.
Speaking on behalf of another god outside of prophecy would fall under the category of enticing people to worship another god, but would not fall under this prohibition.
* If the prophet failed this condition, he, not just his prophecy, was to be rejected, and the prophet punished.
While it is popular today to argue that the prophecy of a prophet should be judged separately from the prophet, and that the prophecy may fail God's test without reflecting on the prophet, there is no indication of such a distinction in judgment here. Clearly it is the prophet who was on trial. His prophecy was evidence either for or against him.
3. A prophet must never speak a word in God's name that God has not commanded him to speak..
Deuteronomy 18:20.
18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
We need to pay close attention to several things here.
* This instruction deals specifically with prophecy spoken in God's name.
It is important that we note that this prohibition is limited to words spoken in the name of the Lord. This means that any message purporting to be from God to man is included in this restriction!
It is equally important for us to realize that prophecy that is not done in the name of the Lord is exempt from this restriction. This distinction will become very important as we study the manifestation of prophecy, and the differences in the restrictions regarding it and words spoken in the name of the Lord.
* A prophet prophesying in God's name is strictly limited to prophesying at God's command.
A prophet of God, prophesying in God's name, prophesies not by permission, but by commandment. This flies in the face of current teaching about prophecy, but this is the consistent teaching of scripture.
Exodus 7:1-2.
7:1 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
7:2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
A prophet is required not only to speak only what God commands, but must also speak all that God commands. That's a very tall order.
If a prophet is required by God to prophesy only what God commands him to prophesy, then any time he gives a message purporting to be from God without first being commanded by God to give it, he has sinned already. Those listening to his message may have no way of knowing that he has sinned, but the sin has already occurred.
* Presumptive prophesy is defined here.
It is in this verse that presumptuous prophesying is defined. Presumptuous prophesying is deciding on your own, apart from a direct commandment from God for you to speak, that you will speak a message from God. This verse clearly forbids that.
* The prophet, not just the prophesy, are on trial.
It is popular today in prophetic circles to separate the judgment of the prophecy from the judgment of the prophet. This verse, though, clearly indicates that the two are to be judged together. When the prophecy is on trial, so also is the prophet. Nowhere in God's word is this pattern changed.
* Who is to enforce this law is made clear by who is given responsibility to judge the prophet for wrongdoing.
The responsibility for judging the prophet for wrongdoing is given to the people of Israel, i.e., God's people. Nowhere in scripture is this responsibility ever taken away from the people of God. When the Israelites failed to judge false prophets, God had His prophets make the judgment; yet this did not absolve the people of their responsibility.
* The context: absolute obedience required by prophets of God.
The context of this verse is especially interesting: God required the people to be obedient to His prophets. In particular, they were to obey the "prophet like unto [Moses]."
Deuteronomy 18:18-19.
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require [it] of him.
Disobedience to a prophet speaking by revelation from God was disobedience to God Himself, and was dealt with accordingly.
I Kings 20:35-37.
35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded [him].
Judging a prophet in Israel, then, was no academic matter. It was a matter of finding out who you were required to obey, and who you were absolutely not supposed to obey.
* The real issue: speaking lies in the name of the Lord.
In Zechariah 13, we are given a future example of this verse being literally obeyed. In this passage also, we are given the reason for the severity of God's instruction, the real issue in God's sight.
Zechariah 6:2-6.
2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, [that] I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
3 And it shall come to pass, [that] when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
4 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
5 But he shall say, I [am] no prophet, I [am] an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
6 And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends.
In this passage, the issue raised by false prophecy is this: someone has spoken lies in the name of the Lord. In plain English, he is telling lies and signing God's name to them!
* No exception for "fleshly" mistakes.
Today it is popular to excuse inaccurate prophecies as "fleshly mistakes." This is fleshly logic, and has no foundation in scripture, here or elsewhere! In Jeremiah, we are told quite pointedly that God judges prophets who prophesy from their own hearts as lying prophets.
Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
Jeremiah 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, [and] not out of the mouth of the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:26 How long shall [this] be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, [they are] prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
Ezekiel 13:17 Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
We should note that in the verse we are studying, no provision is made for distinguishing between fleshly mistakes and prophecies from evil spirits. The judgment is the same, regardless of the source.
4. A prophet must never prophesy falsely or inaccurately.
It is important for us to note that this is not given as a commandment; rather, it is given as a means by which five-senses men and women could recognize which were the true prophets of God, and which were the impostors.
It is argued today in prophetic circles that this standard of absolute perfection in prophecy is "humanly impossible" to meet, and that no one would dare prophesy knowing that one mistake could end his ministry -- not to mention his life. But that's the whole point! Only prophets who met God's "humanly impossible" standard of absolute perfection in prophecy was to be recognized as a genuine prophet of God. All others were branded as false prophets by their fleshly errors and lying prophecies.
Finally, no distinction is made in this verse between "personal prophecy" and "corporate prophecy." No such distinction is made in scripture. As best I can tell, this is a fleshly, five-senses distinction, and has no bearing whatsoever on the subject of prophecy and how it is to be judged.