True Prophetic Ministry vs False Prophetic Ministry

Since the beginning of true prophetic ministry, there has been a challenge from the false prophetic ministry. The clash continues in our time, and the divide will get even greater in the days ahead. This teaching will examine Biblical examples of these two ministries in order to help us discern the real from the false. Some believers may not be false prophets, but they have started down the pathway of the false prophetic ministry. With repentance, the Lord can help them back on the right path, and use them powerfully in the true prophetic ministry. The Lord is kind and gracious, and it is His will to redeem and restore. This process begins with embracing truth, and humbling ourselves before the Lord.

The Way of Balaam 

Jude speaks prophetically to the end-time church, when he spoke of ungodly men creeping into the church.  He states that these men have “ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.” (Jude 1:11 KJV) 

Balaam had a gift to hear from the Lord and could even prophesy accurately. Therefore it would have been extremely difficult to discern the darkness that was in his heart. He had the love of money in his heart, and also the desire to be known and have a high status among men (Numbers 22). Balaam never embraced the crucified life like Moses had, so Balaam was given over to his self-will. This is one of the biggest problems in the church today, and it is why Jesus said many false prophets would arise (Matthew 24:11). Some of these rising false prophets could have chosen the way of the cross, and had their self-life stripped away; so that Christ could have His pure prophetic voice heard through them. Sadly, many will choose the way of Balaam; and cave in to the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  

The pride of life will corrupt the prophetic vessel, if they pursue ministry before this deadly evil has been dealt with by the cross. I know from experience that this process takes years, and in my case, well over a decade. Messengers will spend years of solitude, being unknown, being rejected, and not being allowed to minister. This is called being under the hand of the Lord. This is healthy, and it is a purification process that the Lord will take messengers through. Prophets will go through a similar process.

Just because one is a messenger, does not mean they are a prophet also; although most messengers are prophets. There are some messengers who are “prophet-like” but do not have prophetic dreams and visions. For example, a messenger may be primarily called to apostolic ministry and have characteristics like a prophet. Sometimes the leadership gifts of Jesus manifest differently through different leaders. We must focus on Jesus the leader manifesting through the person so we can recognize the proper ministry. Focusing on prophetic experiences or gifts of the Spirit can throw off our discernment if we are not careful. The five leadership gifts shown in Ephesians Chapter 4 are for perfecting and maturing believers. They are not based on visions, dreams, or gifts of the Spirit.

Balaam heard God according to the desire of his own heart and went with the princes because his heart wanted honor. There are prophetic ministries in the church who desire the honor of being known among believers and leaders. They want to fit in and be accepted. When this desire controls you, corruption creeps in to your prophetic words. The prophetic minister will “tone down” the word and make it sound better. From there, the minister will start to cater to the desires of leaders and believers. If they give exciting prophetic words, then they will get invited to speak and minister. This will then open doors at other ministries, and their influence can grow.

The Balaam prophets learn to stay away from any controversial prophetic words. They stay away from prophesying about the coming tribulation, the falling away, the coming Antichrist, the judgment of God, and calamities that will come if there is not sufficient repentance. These disciples of Balaam do this so that they can get invited into the main-stream charismatic conference circles. They do it for recognition. Keep in mind they still have a prophetic gift, and they still sound really good. 

However the testimony of Jesus will be absent from their prophesying. Their words will lack an inward revealing of Christ in believers. These prophetic ministers may prophecy about the things of God, but the eternal will and plan of God will be missing. The main function of the prophetic ministry is to bring forth Christ in a believer, until Christ is living through that person unto the measure of the stature of the mature man of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13). The main calling of a prophet is not to stand in front of people and demonstrate a prophetic gift. It’s the unveiling and revealing of the person of Jesus Christ! This is a major indicator in discerning Christ’s prophets from self-commissioned Balaam prophets. 

By choosing to prophesy what will only help their influence and reputation, these Balaam prophets turn off the voice of God. Balaam heard God tell him not to go with the men, then he turned God’s voice off, and suddenly heard God tell him to go with the men. That’s how it begins. Only repentance can open the prophet’s ears to the voice of God once again. Vessels who shut their ears to the Lord in order to cater to people, are at great risk of falling away. They open themselves up to receiving visions and other revelations from demons. 

The way of Balaam also involves performing ministry for money (or prophesying for hire). Jesus never charged for meetings, and told His disciples to minister for free (Matthew 10:7-8). I personally know of prophetic ministers (well-known in America) who would not come and do a meeting unless an amount of $5,000-$15,000 was given to them. I was associated with a ministry who had three prophets come and minister at different times, and I know how much they required to be paid before they would come. This is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, but an Americanized gospel.

Jesus trusted His father to provide for His ministry. He went where the Father sent Him. True prophets go where the Lord sends them, not where they are offered money to minister. The Lord will provide finances through offerings for their ministry. When prophets choose locations to minister based on money, they are no longer serving their Master, but rather the god of money. They are then corrupted, and they cease in being a powerful prophetic voice of the Lord. Even though these ministers may have an abundance of prophetic revelations, they will lack the fire and burden of the Lord.

We must be able to discern the prophetic ministry of Balaam in these times. Many could be led astray or have their spiritual growth hindered. Many in the church are currently supporting prophetic ministries that the Lord is not supporting. The error of Balaam would not be able to continue in the church if believers didn’t support it financially. 

““I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;” (Revelation 2:2 NKJV)

Just as the church at Ephesus tested and judged those who claimed they were apostles, so should the current church scrutinize and examine those who are claiming the prophetic ministry. Jesus commended the church for doing so, because it will keep us free from the deception of wolves. False prophets will arise and deceive many in our times. We must judge the prophetic to determine if they are holding to the standard found in the scriptures (John 7:24). The scriptures will keep us from error and deception. 

“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.” (I Corinthians 14:29 NKJV)

Instead of fighting for Jesus and contending for His way, Balaam prophets focus on justifying themselves and their calling. Christ is second place, their prophetic ministry is first. Unless Balaam prophets repent, they may end up as false prophets; and they may suffer the same fate as Balaam in the days ahead (Numbers 31:8).

True from False

“And we still toil unto weariness [for our living], working hard with our own hands. When men revile us [wound us with an accursed sting], we bless them. When we are persecuted, we take it patiently and endure it. When we are slandered and defamed, we [try to] answer softly and bring comfort. We have been made and are now the rubbish and filth of the world [the offscouring of all things, the scum of the earth].” (1 Corinthians 4:12-13 AMPC)

True apostolic/prophetic ministry will not be allowed, by the Lord, to become exalted. The church in America has made many prophets famous, just as the 400 prophets were accepted and famous among God’s people in the days of Micaiah (1 Kings 22). 

The prophets that tell the people what they want to hear will be sought after and well known among the church in our age, just as they were in the last age. Some of these get the chief seats in the church, and their ministries are exalted by Christian media. Everyone knows who they are, and their words are seen everywhere. However, ‘their words’ carry no substance, for they are non-transforming. The true prophet will reveal Christ and His will. They will call Christ forth in a person, and lift Christ up. When you are listening to their prophetic preaching, a heavy and impacting burden from the Lord comes upon you.

Most all prophets in the New and Old Testaments were hated and persecuted because they only spoke those words that the Lord wanted spoken to His people. They did not add any prophetic “fluff” to the words. Jesus tells us how His true prophets are treated so we will not be in any confusion: 

“Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23, 26 NKJV)

According to Jesus, the false prophets always got good treatment by the people of God. They were famous and well-liked. The people of God reviled and treated the real prophets as evil. Jesus speaks this to His church in the New Testament so we will understand that this has not changed. It is just as relevant today as it was in the times of the Old Testament. 

If the goal of a prophet is to be well-known, well-liked, and accepted by the mainstream charismatic church; they will never become the Lord’s prophet. They will only attain to the ‘people’s prophet’. True prophets and apostles will obey the Lord and seek His vision for the church, regardless of their popularity or financial success. They seek the popularity of Heaven through faith and obedience, instead of popularity on the earth in this present age. 

False Prophecy

Hananiah the prophet is a good example of what we are discussing. He gave a corporate prophetic word stating that the nation would have restoration, the leadership would be brought back from exile, and the control of a foreign nation would be broken (Jeremiah 28:1-4). In other words, “We are going to have peace, and everything is going to be okay.” Shortly after Hananiah gave that prophecy, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah and told him that Hananiah’s word was false. Jeremiah then confronted the prophet with the true word of the Lord:

“Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD.’ ” So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.” (Jeremiah 28:15-17 NKJV)

We are entering into a time in which false prophecies like this will no longer be tolerated by the Lord. As the Lord restores the true prophetic ministry, the authority of the old prophetic ministry will be restored (Revelation 11). The Lord will reveal to the true prophets, which prophets are giving false prophecies. The true prophets will stand against those prophets giving false prophecies, just as Jeremiah did with Hananiah. God will destroy the certain prophets who are destroying God’s temple (the church) with false prophecies (1 Corinthians 3:16-17), just as he did Hananiah.

The Bible says Hananiah was a prophet who prophesied falsely, not a false prophet. The Lord did not tell him to prophecy, but he wanted to ‘come up’ with a word so that his prophetic ministry would have importance in the nation. However, his false prophecy made the people of God trust in a lie. Obviously the Lord does not want His people believing a lie, and going into deception.

Anything prophesied against the will of God, even if it involves positive spiritual things, is rebellion against the Lord. For example: if the Lord has said war is coming to America as a form of judgement, and a prophet gives a word saying that awakening is coming to America; that prophet has just taught rebellion against the Lord. Hananiah should be a warning to the modern prophetic ministry.

The Holy Spirit gives us great insight into the prophetic ministry and prophecy with the following scripture. The Holy Spirit has never rescinded it, but rather He added to it in the New Testament with the Ephesians Chapter 4 mandate. Most of the error taught in the current church is from men changing what the scriptures say, and creating a doctrine based on the traditions of men.

“The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms—of war and disaster and pestilence. As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent.”” (Jeremiah 28:8-9 NKJV)

Peace and Safety Prophets

The Holy Spirit tells us that in the latter days, right before great tribulation, there will be a prophetic outcry of peace and safety (1 Thessalonians 5:3). A prophetic voice has been arising in America that has been declaring peace and safety is coming! This voice is saying that things are going to get better and better, and that everything will be okay. “America will have peace and revival,” the voice declares. Jeremiah, a true prophet of the Lord, battled this same false voice sowing confusion in his day:

“Then I said, “ Alas, Lord GOD! Surely You have completely deceived and misled this people and Jerusalem, [for the prophets represented You as] saying [to Your people], ‘You will have peace,’ but [in fact] a sword reaches to their throat.”” (Jeremiah 4:10 AMP)

The false prophetic voice released a sound of ‘peace,’ when in reality God was not sending peace. The Lord, in His mercy, sent Jeremiah to warn the people of what was coming if they did not repent from idolatry, murder, and sexual immorality. However the majority of the nation did not repent. They allowed a false prophetic voice to arise, which told them God loved them; and that He was going to bless the nation because they were His people. “God has a destiny for us,” they would exclaim. This prophecy of peace kept the people excited. But if we can hear it, Jeremiah is still speaking:

“They have lied about and denied the LORD By saying, “It is not He [who speaks through His prophets]; Misfortune and evil shall not come on us, Nor will we see war or famine. The prophets are like the wind [their prophecy will not come to pass], And the word [of God] is not in them. In this manner it will be done to them [as they prophesied, not to us].”” “Therefore, thus says the LORD God of hosts, “Because you [people] have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words a fire in your mouth [Jeremiah] And this people wood, and My words will consume them. Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from far away, O house of Israel,” says the LORD. “It is a mighty and enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Whose words you do not comprehend.” Jeremiah 5:12-15 AMP

“The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love [to have] it so! But what will you do when the end comes?” Jeremiah 5:31 AMP

““For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for [unfair] gain; And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals deceitfully. They have treated superficially the [bloody] broken wound of My people, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ When there is no peace.

I have set watchmen (prophets) over you, Saying, ‘Listen and pay attention to the [warning] sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’” (Jeremiah 6:13-14, 17 AMP)

America is in the same situation that Judah was in during the time of Jeremiah. I will not speak for other nations, because I do not want to overstep my sphere of authority. I have grown up in the American church, and the Lord has spoken to me in regards to the American church. We must be careful to only stay within the boundaries of our assigned area. I do not not have the authority to speak to other nations, although the Lord may speak to people in other nations through some of the points I am making. 

Many in the American church have been listening to the same false voice saying ‘peace, peace.’ But truly there is no peace. The Lord in His great mercy has given us many decades to repent. He has sent various revivals and moves of the Holy Spirit, yet we did not repent. Like Judah, we were entrusted with a great light. And like Judah we turned from our first love, for the love of other things. There has been a lot of prayer in America, but very little repentance. Prayer without repentance is dead, just like faith without works is dead.

The Lord is moved by repentance, and it must be a national repentance (including repentance from the leaders of the nation). The nation is currently more divided than ever. Jesus said that a nation divided against itself will be brought to desolation (Matthew 12:25). The words of The Prophet Jesus Christ, will come to pass in America regardless of what any other prophetic voices are saying. Jesus is right, and His words will not fall to the ground. If Jesus’ words don’t come to pass, then He is a liar and a false prophet, and I can assure you that He is not. So if Jesus’ words are going to come to pass, that means all the prophets who are saying that America will have peace; are prophesying falsely. 

Just as in the time of Jeremiah, the righteous and fair Judge brought for judgment against His own people when they refused to repent. So will it be with America in the coming days. Christians are still worshiping idols, and we have not repented from murdering babies that are in the womb. In the Lord’s mercy and love, He will send judgment to stop these wicked acts, so that we might turn our hearts back to Him and His ways. The Lord sent war to His own people as a judgment, and America is close to the same situation that Israel found itself in. God would not be a God of mercy and justice if He does not put an end to the mass killing of the unborn. Since we have not acted, we have forced Him to act.

I believe the Lord is saying that America is on the verge of civil war, and that it will be followed by invasion. I believe that as these things happen, the Lord will build His church, and revival will occur in certain areas of refuge. I do believe America will suffer great loss, great tribulation, and go through some very difficult and dark times. I also believe that America will survive, and she will repent and turn to the Lord. We need to prepare now for what is coming. 

My belief of this judgment coming to America in the form of conflict and war, is based upon knowing the ways of God. The entire Bible gives us great insight to know Him as the Judge, and how He has always judged nations. Because He is righteous and fair, He will distribute judgment to each nation equally and justly. Plus, there have been true prophets dating back to the 1950’s, up until present day; who have been shown civil war and invasion. If the word of God and the ways of God, did not back up these prophetic words; then I would not believe them. However, I know the Lord and His word. This gives me an incredible confidence in what I am saying. The Great invitation to us all, is to know the Lord and His ways. He wants to reveal Himself to us. 

How the Lord dealt with Israel is an example to America. We began with Christian foundations, and we were a nation that sought after God. However, today, most Americans claiming Christ are not following after Him with their whole hearts. Idols have crept in and taken the throne of God for many believers. America has received a greater light than Israel had. We have had Christ in us, and Israel had Christ among them. The Bible tells us that judgment under the New Covenant is greater than judgment under the Old Covenant (Hebrews 10:26-31). If we really believed this scripture, it would shatter some of the false doctrines in the church. If the Lord does not judge America, He will have to apologize for judging Israel with Babylon in the Old Testament; and for judging Israel with Rome in New Testament times.

A nation can reach the point of no return. The point of no return is where judgment can no longer be avoided with repentance. America may be at this point. When Judah had reached this point, the Lord told Jeremiah not even to pray for the people; and told Jeremiah that He would not listen to the prayers (Jeremiah 7:16). The Lord has been highlighting this to me for America, and is also speaking a warning to the prophets through Jeremiah the prophet:

“So the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for good things for this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry; and though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them [because they are done as obligations, and not as acts of loving obedience]. Instead I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” But I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, the [false] prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I [the LORD ] will give you lasting peace in this place.’ ” Then the LORD said to me, “The [counterfeit] prophets are prophesying lies in My Name. I have neither sent them nor authorized them nor spoken to them. They are prophesying to you made-up visions [pretending to call forth responses from handmade gods], a worthless divination and the deceit of their own mind. Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the [false] prophets who are prophesying in My Name, although I did not send them—yet they keep saying, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’: by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end and be consumed. And the people to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword; and they will have no one to bury them—neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters. For I will pour out their [own] wickedness on them [and not only on the imposters posing as prophets, for the people could not have been deceived without their own consent].” (Jeremiah 14:11-16 AMP)

I will also add that when a nation becomes proud, the Lord will judge that nation. America has certainly become lifted up in pride. Many leaders and people in the media constantly talk about how great America is and what we have accomplished by our own strength. It would be different if we talked about how great America is because of the blessing and grace of God (giving Him the glory), but many no longer acknowledge God. They say that we have become prosperous by our own hand (Deuteronomy 8:17). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and His word will not fall to the ground; regardless of any prophet speaking the opposite:

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. (Psalm 16:18 AMP)

Prophets vs The Gift of Prophecy 

The leadership gift of the prophet is much different than the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy is given to believers for encouraging the church (1 Corinthians 14:3-4). There are believers who operate in a strong prophetic gift, but are not prophets. This is one area in which the church has erred. When a believer, with the gift of prophecy, is lifted up to leadership (either by the church or by means or self-exaltation); there will be error and confusion in the church. Only prophets that are commissioned by the Lord should be in leadership positions, or be running ministries. 

Believers operating in the gift of prophecy do not have the authority to speak for the Lord on a national or international stage. Prophets will be bringing words of the Lord’s will, intent, purpose, and plan. They speak the word from the throne of God. When the church lifts up believers who are only operating in a gift of prophecy, to that of the leadership gift of the prophet; we will be steered off course. The gift of prophecy is mainly used by the Holy Spirit for encouragement and edification. 

The church in America has either allowed or exalted many believers who operate in a gift of prophecy, to take the office of a prophet. Therefore, instead of getting clear words of direction from the Lord, we now get generalized words of peace and safety (edification). This is why many prophetic people have missed the timing of revivals, past presidential elections, or many other things. Generally speaking, the Lord will give national words like these to prophets (there are exceptions). We must be very careful not to take an office to ourselves unless called by God (Hebrews 5:4).

I recall a story from the late Neville Johnson who functioned as a prophet. Neville stated that he was at a crusade, and an evangelist was ministering on the platform in great miracles. Then the Lord opened Neville’s spiritual eyes, and he saw a demon standing behind the man on the platform. The evangelist was performing miracles by the power of the demon. The Lord revealed to Neville that this man had taken the honor of this leadership gift to himself, when he was not called by God to do so. So like king Saul, the Holy Spirit departed from the evangelist, and an evil spirit entered him (1 Samuel 16:14).

Until this confusion is discerned and balanced out in the church, we will suffer disappointment and deception. Believers or pastors who take on for themselves, the office of the prophet, will not be accurate and end up sowing confusion. If we want the mixture to cease, we must judge and discern righteously and justly. Until we understand what is going on in the church and fix it, we will continue to get contradictory prophetic words. The real prophets will be saying one thing, and those operating in a prophetic gift who have taken an office unto themselves, will be saying another.

Currently there is so much prophetic ‘clutter,’ that it is hard to discern what the true prophets are saying. This is Satan’s strategy, as he wants to sow confusion through an over abundance of mixed prophetic revelation, and contradictory words. Satan’s goal is for the church to lose faith in the prophetic ministry, when the church sees certain prophecies fail. Ultimately this is causing young believers in the faith, and others, to turn away from prophetic ministry and prophecy. When immature saints see prophetic words being completely missed, and contradicting words among the prophetic community; they lose faith in the reality of the prophetic. 

Mature vs Immature

The Lord does not want confusion and mixture. He does not want His precious children to be turned away from truth, because of immature prophets that are ministering. I understand that none of us are perfect, and that we all make mistakes. However, the center stage of prophetic ministry is not the place for that. The Lord has a wilderness process of many years for the prophet and apostle to go through before they should be ministering. Moses and Elijah were mature and ready for ministry, when the Lord commissioned them and sent them forth. They spoke accurate words that came to pass, because they submitted to the wilderness season and remained under the hand of the Lord. 

If prophets are having problems with accuracy, then it may be time to head back to the wilderness and let God finish His work. A prophet’s main priority is saying exactly what the Lord is saying, for the benefit of the Lord’s church. If God’s people are confused by a mixture of prophetic words, and inaccurate prophecies; then the main reason for the prophetic ministry is not being accomplished. It’s not about us fulfilling our calling or ministry, it’s about the Lord getting what He wants, and His people being healthy and mature. Mature prophets, who are under the Lord’s hand, can bring health to God’s people. Immature prophets who have entered ministry prematurely, cannot bring health to God’s people. 

There must be some sort of accountability in the prophetic ministry. It is not okay for prophets to damage God’s people, because they are stepping out into ministry before the proper time. The Lord will judge prophets even more strictly than teachers, because they are ranked second in the church (1 Corinthians 12:28, James 3:1). If prophets truly care about the Lord’s sheep more than themselves, they will wait until the pure prophetic accuracy of Jesus is flowing through them; before ministering in the church. 

The Lord is going to team up apostles and prophets in the days ahead. This partnership will bring balance, as these two ministry gifts need each other. Nether gift will come into fullness apart from the other. We need to pray for this to happen, and seek this partnership. I will fully admit that I am not capable of completing my assignment without the help of a prophet. The Lord will form spiritual friendships and ministry teams in the days ahead, just as He did with Paul and Silas.

We should also note that a powerful prophetic gifting does not necessary mean that a prophet has good moral character. Balaam was very gifted, yet his character was poor. The fruit of the Spirit should be evident in a prophet before they are ministering to the saints. Obviously we are all growing in the fruit of the Spirit, but he Lord has high standards for His apostles and prophets. The good Shepard takes measures to protect His sheep.

Judgment Through False Prophecies 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In other words, He has always been loving, kind, and merciful; and He will always be a Judge who administers judgment in righteousness. He cannot change, ever. During the time of Elijah and Micaiah (the true prophetic ministry), there were 400 prophets who had nationally recognized ministries, and the ear of the king. The Lord had determined that judgment should come upon Israel, and sent a lying spirit into the mouths of the 400 prophets (1 Kings 22:21-23). 

This evil spirit empowered the 400 prophets to say that everything was going to go well for the nation, and that the war would be won (peace and safety). This same spirit has come to the mouths of many prophets in America. They are deceived, and they don’t even know it. When Micaiah told them the truth, they responded in unbelief and anger: 

“Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?” And Micaiah said, “Indeed, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!”” (I Kings 22:24-25 NKJV) 

The prophetic ministry was so deceived that they really believed the Lord was speaking to them, when in reality it was a lying spirit. Demonic spirits can certainly give prophets revelation. Chenaanah was so enraged that he struck Micaiah. So will it be in our time when the messengers tell some prophets that they are under demonic influence. Anger will come forth from these prophets, and they will try and strike the messengers with their words. It’s also interesting to note that Micaiah tells the prophet that when the judgment of the Lord has come forth, and his false prophecy fails; Chenaanah will be hiding when he finally realizes that the Holy Spirit has departed from him. Unfortunately many ‘prophets’ could be in the same situation as Chenaanah, and not understand their words are false until after America is in civil war or suffering invasion. 

John the Prophet

John the beloved probably had a deeper revelation of God’s love than many prophetic ministers in the church. Yet he prophesied that Jesus would open up scrolls that would release judgment and death on the earth (Revelation 6). If John’s heart was not pure, he may have not been able to receive that revelation from the Lord. Or maybe John would have understood the revelation as Satan opening the seals to release the four horseman (if his doctrine told him that God doesn’t judge). Then he may have prophesied, “But the church can pray and stop these four horsemen. And then a powerful revival will come, that the world has never seen before; and the church will take over the seven cultural mountains.” 

But John didn’t pervert the revelation that Jesus was giving him, because his heart was pure. He was a bond servant who had carried his cross, and died to his self-life. He had practiced the inward life, and Christ was living through him. So he gave the revelation in a pure form, as the Lord wanted it given. The real prophetic ministry will ask the Lord to restrict some of the things they are being shown prophetically, so their revelation is much more focused on Jesus. This is something that the Lord will test His messengers on. Are you willing for your revelation to be restricted to only Christ’s will, intent, and purpose? Or do you only want to get and give self-centered prophetic words that bring excitement and boost your ministry popularity? The response to these questions will determine the path for people who are called to the prophetic ministry.

Some leaders and prophetic people reject the prophecies of John in the Book of Revelation, which parallels Daniel’s prophecies. These people reject the prophecies by prophesying and teaching that the exact opposite will happen in the times right before the Lord’s return. Some teach and prophesy that the book of Revelation has already been fulfilled. John gives a sobering warning of judgment, that we should all fear:

“I testify and warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [its predictions, consolations, and admonitions]: if anyone adds [anything] to them, God will add to him the plagues (afflictions, calamities) which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from or distorts the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away [from that one] his share from the tree of life and from the holy city (new Jerusalem), which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19 AMP)

This scripture carries as much fear of the Lord as the scripture that discusses blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Those teaching and prophesying things opposite of what Jesus revealed through John, are at great risk of taking away from and distorting the words of John’s prophecy. This is a scary place to be. 

Jesus the Prophet

Jesus is our example as a New Testament prophet. When He ascended to Heaven, He released that exact same prophetic gift He functioned in, to leaders of His choosing (Ephesians 4:8-11). If Jesus were among us in the flesh as a prophet today, He would be persecuted by many in the charismatic church; just as He was persecuted by the people of God 2,000 years ago. Many leaders in the church would call Jesus a “doomsday prophet,” if He prophesied of famines, wars, earthquakes, plagues, persecution, false prophets, tribulation, death, betrayal, and believers falling away (Matthew 24). Yet the truth is, Jesus is still prophesying those very things for our time!

Those who repeat the prophecies of Jesus will suffer persecution in the modern church. The persecution will come from those believers and leaders who only want to hear what they consider ‘good things.’ Well, Jesus is the good news, and He lives in us. If we have Him, we have what is good and true. Then the truth, even if it is bad or difficult, will not shake us or cause us to be downcast. 

I want to caution people who say God doesn’t release words of judgment through His New Testament prophets. The Father released judgment through Jesus the Prophet. Jesus prophesied that entire cities of people would burn in Hell because they did not repent when miracles were released (Matthew 11:20-24). He also prophesied that Jerusalem would be invaded, the temple destroyed, and people would die; because of the rejection of Jesus by the people (Luke 19:41-44). This happened 40 years later when the Roman military took the city and burned the temple. Nearly 1 million Jews died from the war, and from the famine. 

No one likes or wants prophetic words of judgment, but true prophets must bring these words. It is their mandate from the Lord. This is not to say the prophets cannot give positive words of hope. They certainly can and will, if that is what the Lord is saying. 

The Showdown

The second beast will be arising soon. This is the false prophet, who will minister in great power and miracles. He will even have power to call down fire from heaven just as Elijiah did (Revelation 13:11-17). The false prophet may even claim to be Elijah. Regardless, the false prophets that Jesus spoke of in Matthew Chapter 24 will appear and help prepare the way for this evil messenger. The company of false prophets will be forerunners to the Antichrist.

The Lord is also getting ready to release His two witnesses. The two witnesses will be given great authority:

And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. (Revelation 11:5-6).

These two witnesses will carry the same authority that Elijah and Moses did, and they could be Elijah and Moses. The Lord is preparing a company of prophets to minister under the leadership of these two witnesses, just as the false prophet will have a company of prophets under him. There is going to be a violent showdown, and false prophets are going to die. The fire of God will come forth from the mouths of the true prophets, and kill the false prophets (along with others who try and harm them). Violence is coming in these last days, and we must prepare mentally for it.

Things are going to change more rapidly over the next decade. The world is a different place than it was a year ago. We are now in uncharted territory. The Lord’s prophets will call for famines and water to be polluted with blood in areas that the Lord is decreeing judgment to come upon. This company of prophets will be in bitter warfare with the false prophets of the Antichrist. War is coming, and it will be a fight until the second coming of Christ. This scripture will be fulfilled in the coming days:

Therefore, I have hewn them in pieces by [the words of] the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; My judgments [pronounced upon them by the prophets] are like the light that shines forth [obvious to all]. (Hosea 6:5).

Peace is not coming. War is coming, globally. Peace will come when the Prince of Peace comes to the earth, and we can have an inward peace now, since Christ lives in us. However, when the Antichrist appears, he will come forth with an army, war, and death. He will attempt to take over many nations through war. The trumpet is being blown. Can we hear it, and will we get ready?

Conclusion

We are in a delicate season where deception is increasing. Now more than ever, we must have our spiritual senses trained by reason of use, to discern good from evil (Hebrews 5:14). We must not despise prophets and prophecies, but we must test them. Hold to what is scripturally sound; and throw out that which is the flesh, the soul, demonic, or false (1Thessalonians 5:19-21 NKJV). It’s okay to despise the garbage, just not the real thing that is of the Holy Spirit. 

The Lord will have a pure prophetic voice upon the earth, that will demonstrate Christ the Prophet. These ministers will help prepare the remnant bride for the Master. The Lord will have His holy priesthood, that will offer up righteous sacrifices unto Him. We will see the gift of the prophet come to fullness in our day. This is not about a prophetic or an apostolic movement. It is about the Lord restoring His church, and having a people who desire Him above all else. The time for preaching the apostolic/prophetic movement is over. It’s time to preach Christ and Him crucified (the cross-life), as apostles and prophets are supposed to do. The apostolic and prophetic are merely tools that the Lord uses to accomplish His will. The tool is not significant or special, but the Master whom uses the tool is significant and special.

We must approach these next years with humility. We must ask the Lord to correct us, and purify our hearts. I certainly need my heart to be completely His, and I need Him to remove all the impurities in it. I also need Christ to live through me in a much greater measure, as I realize I have a long way to go to reach the measure of the stature of the fullness. The true prophetic ministry will bring the refiners fire to the church in order to purify our hearts, so the Lord can have what He desires. A pure and spotless bride that represents Him.

-Ty Unruh (2021)