“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’” (Ezekiel 13:2)

All three of the major prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel take extensive aim against the false prophets who are influencing the faith and behavior of God’s covenant people.

Ezekiel devotes two chapters (13 and 14) to rebuking these prophets, likening them to unaccountable foxes who live in the barren wilderness of the spirit, filling themselves with lies, emboldening wicked thinking, hunting souls to blame for the calamity that’s fallen upon the nation, while causing individuals to trust in deceptive narratives that will soon crumble under the judgments of the Lord.

FALSE NARRATIVES and FALSE PROPHETS
In our own hour of calamity and “competing truth” it’s important for us to understand how false prophets shape our storylines today. We need to understand common characteristics of a false narrative, as well the distinguishing features of false prophets. By understanding both, we will not only be able to spurn and hold false prophets accountable, we will also be able to help guide people into the true and living way via the end-times narrative of Jesus and His Kingdom.

FALSE NARRATIVES
The false narrative is a “legend” that is usually already established in the heart of a people. It is the storyline that the false prophet fortifies with their false words. Typical themes of the false narrative include restoring a mythological nationalism, malicious fear of nefarious enemies, and/or attaining to personal glory and divine destiny. False narratives always appeal to the pride and exceptionalism of any group of individuals.

How do false prophets feed our false narratives?

False prophets reinterpret what’s happening within a society in ways that feed the people the information they want to support their false narratives. Steve Bannon and Alex Jones are examples of these kind of false prophets. They regurgitate interpretations of current events to nourish conspiratorial plots within the hearts and minds of their listeners. In much the same way as ancient astronomers took a constellation of seven stars in the night sky and envisioned a man clubbing a bear, they are masters at taking fragmented bits of information and forming a whole picture for their hungry audiences.

The cult narrative of Wagner and Valhalla helped inspire German Christians to believe in their own exceptionalism. The narrative told them how special they were, what they were worthy of, who their enemies were and what it would take for them to achieve their destiny. The prominent story-tellers in 1930 then interpreted various news events as evidence of the conspiratorial back-stories that were already in place in the minds of the German citizenry.

Several elements that help a cult-narrative to take root among a people-group include:

1. The exceptionalism of one race, nation or people group.

2. The redaction of the history of that race, nation or people-group, and the exaltation of legend, creed and symbolism.

3. Strong denunciation of those who refuse to exalt legend, creed and symbolism and/or who tell the story of that race, nation or people-group in a way that’s not acceptable.

4. Veneration of an alpha-leader, who models the character, virtue and resolve esteemed by the cult-narrative; and him/herself becomes an object of near-veneration.

5. Collusion to NOT SPEAK in a way that contradicts or denounces the words, actions or attitudes of the alpha-leader.

6. Retribution, rejection and alienation visited on everyone who contradicts or denounces the words, actions, or attitudes of the alpha-leader.

7. The cult narrative is inordinately focused on the latest activities and threat of its enemies. Protecting the alpha-leader and/or cult-narrative is worth even violence and sacrificial blood-letting.

Where are we hearing these war cries in 2022?

In the years leading up to their deportation there were many prophets who reenforced all seven of these elements within both the northern and southern kingdoms. In fact, during the 200 year period leading up to the Babylonian captivity the false prophets largely outnumbered the authentic prophets of God, meaning the narratives of these false prophets were more popular among the people than the truths that the Lord was actually speaking.

The false prophets then fed the people falsehoods that reenforced their false belief system: “We are God’s chosen ones. We have a unique covenant with God that makes us immune from calamity and disaster. We have the temple. We’re keepers of the rituals of the One True God. We are not like the godless ones. What we need is to strengthen our God-ordained exceptionalism, and denounce these rogue nay-sayers who are causing division in our ranks. Support the kings God has given to us. Give them the loyalty and the will of the people and we will prevail over the evil that’s being plotted against us.”

Though these devoutly religious men claimed to be receiving oracles from God, the God for Whom they claimed to speak, was saying something entirely different.

About these ones Ezekiel writes: 10 “Because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘(There is) Peace (between you and the Lord)!’ when there is no peace (between you and the Lord) – they are building a wall (of falsehood re: the nature of your security in the Lord, and in your world), and they plaster it with untempered mortar… (The mortar is a picture of the false security that’s telling the people of God that the Lord is not entering into judgment with them. Consequently, there is no need for humility, contrition and repentance before the Lord for our own sins. Instead, all we need to do is “rise up in our zeal” and confront the army of unrighteousness that’s coming against us and we will be saved. The Lord is about to expose how dangerously weak this presumptuous, un-humbled posture is.) 11 Therefore, say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, ‘I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

FALSE PROPHETS
How do we know if we are entertaining false narratives from the false prophets of our day? In addition to comparing current storylines to the seven points above, here are five characteristics that can help us discern whether an individual is the “prophet of God” that they claim to be:

1. Ask yourself, “When I hear the “prophet” speak, what gets exalted in my eyes?” Is it “special knowledge” and “increased personal power”? Is it the “darkness of the enemy”? Is it “the reputation of the prophet”? Is it “fear and anger”? Or is it “Jesus, His holiness, and the glory of His leadership to bring His Bride to holiness”?

The Man, the King, Christ Jesus and His (John 3:30) “increase” is rarely invoked and often completely omitted in the many many prophecies and narratives that have come forth in the body of Christ over the last several years. Some very prominent prophets are notorious for giving prophecies, or sharing storylines that completely omit the Name and the prevailing exaltation of Jesus.

Beloved, in an hour when we see so many of the signs of His soon return, we of all people ought to be beacons of the transcendent brilliance of His eternal majesty. Within His Bride, Who He is will eclipse the glory of every other created thing in the moments before His arrival. The Holy Spirit promises to make it so.

“Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:4-5)

2. Does the prophet call the people to come to God Himself for repentance? “False prophets” will avoid this call at all costs knowing that to encourage the people to dialogue honestly with the Lord themselves may wean them off of their need for the “special knowledge” that the “false prophet” is giving them.

One of the most significant signs of the falsehood of the prophets, pundits and social influencers in our day is the fact that in all their writing, speaking, prophesying and conspiracy-spinning they are not rallying the people of God to humility, contrition and repentance in this great hour of trouble.

This one litmus test, more than anything else should tell us just how vacuous, false – and dangerous – their visions are. The central message of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Joel 2 and Daniel 9 are foreign, not familiar to their ministries, books and conferences.

These dangerous prophets are actually keeping the people of God from engaging in the corporate dynamics that make for whole, authentic and radical repentance. The very ones who should be leading us INTO repentance are keeping us FROM repentance AND emboldening us in our uncrucified self.

It should be obvious to a people who are steeped in the Word of God. In this mounting hour of darkness and deceit we dare trust any work that is not calling us into humility, contrition, repentance and the fear of the Lord.

3. Does the prophet live accountable to the larger body of Christ for the spirit and the truthfulness of the words that they are speaking into the people? Do they model repentance and humility before the Lord? Do they respond to correction from others – particularly those who are not already wrapped up in the potentially adulterous dynamic?

It should also be a matter of ultimate concern when any individual who operates in the prophetic, (whether on cable, on YouTube, or in roaming conferences) does not routinely rally pastors nor honor local congregations in their ministries, but instead lives unaccountable for their many fanciful visions, dreams and false prognostications. Instead of humbling themselves when the light is shown on their falsehoods, they reinterpret their own words, have others cover for their misdirections, or simply turn a blind eye to that which is blatantly false. They don’t exhibit accountability before the people, and consequently the people learn to live unaccountable within their own worlds, often living from season to season detached from honest Christian dialogue and healthy pastoral counsel.

It’s for this ruinous reason that the Lord declares: “I will cut them off from the midst of My people.” (Ezekiel 14:8)

Both the false prophets and their devotees will not only live disconnected from the enriching humble dialogue within the household of God, they will live deprived of the plans and power that God is working in and among His people. They live consigned to fantasy creations of their own echo-chambers – always pursuing more promise, and never receiving the Promise Himself.

“I will stretch out My hand against (the false prophet) and destroy him from among My people. And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired, that My household may no longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their God,” says the Lord God.’ ” (Ezekiel 14:9-11)

GOD IS CALLING HIS PEOPLE TO GIVE THEMSELVES TO HIS TRUE NARRATIVE
Finally, it is not enough to merely denounce the false. Any critic can sit on the fence and spot failure. The essential task of the hour is to know the way of life and chart it’s course with hope and clarity.

One of the Lord’s biggest strikes against the falsehood of this hour is not so much the chronic failure of the false prophets attached to the narratives, it’s the success of the numerous prophetic Words the Lord HAS released for this hour. The Lord has not left His people without direction. He IS victoriously guiding His people into fidelity to the approaching reign of His Son.

Here are several cases in point: 

#1 
In 2019 THE FALSE PROPHETS saw no plague, and made no provision for the people.

At the same time THE LORD not only TOLD OUR HOUSE (and numerous others) WHEN the time of trouble was coming, He specifically instructed us to “Seek His Face” for 180 days (from January 1 until June 30) at the beginning of 2020 so He could intimately navigate us through the season.

#2
In 2020 THE FALSE PROPHETS were not able to lift nor heal COVID. Instead they closed their doors and then stirred the people to rebellion.

In 2020 THE LORD TOLD OUR HOUSE the storm would increase and then He opened our doors all the wider. He strengthened us to “inquire in His temple” (for more than 3500 hours of corporate prayer) THROUGH THE THICK OF THE PANDEMIC – AND He miraculously protected our household from the disease.

#3
In 2020 THE FALSE PROPHETS prophesied a landslide victory for an anti-Christ candidate. And when their prophecies failed they incited the people to insurrection.

In 2020 THE LORD TOLD OUR HOUSE He was about to decapitate Christian nationalism in His family, and when He did, on the very date that He said He would, the body of Christ looked the other way, changed their names, and pressed on in their stubborn adultery.

Many Houses of Prayer responded to the alarming words they were receiving by fasting and praying through the books of Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel chapter 9.

Today, in 2022, THE FALSE PROPHETS rally the people of God to more pride, “revival”, civil-war, and escalating idolatry, and rebellion.

Today, there are many HOUSES of PRAYER who are burdened with this single word from the Lord: “The storm is intensifying. Bring all your ways to My threshing floor of Humility, Contrition, Repentance, and fear of the Lord.”

The Lord is crying to His covenant people: “Why should you die for a lie? How much better that you should repent into My sure mercies and live.”

Here are 9 Words the Lord has given to All Nations for this “time of trouble”. Several have already been miraculously substantiated by the Lord and are providing guidance to a responsive people. A handful of Words are yet waiting to be fulfilled.

“Thus says the Lord God. ‘Repent, and turn… Cast away from you all the falsehood, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God. ‘Therefore turn and live!’” (Ezekiel 18:30-32)

____________________
JSB • October 7, 2022

POST-SCRIPT

Below is a negative “case-in-point” regarding prophecies of Revival in our land. This word states revival will sweep across our nation in April, 2021, and was published by a major Christian news periodical.

Can you spot what’s “off” in this prophetic word?

REVIVAL IN APRIL
“Beloved, are you ready for the Lord to move suddenly with good things in April? If so, you will be encouraged by what the Lord showed me today! This is the prophetic word the Lord gave me for April 2021:”I am pouring out My Spirit of freedom on you. In April, you will have a tremendous desire to be free from all shackles that bind you.” This desire is from Me. Do what you can to get free, and trust Me to do the rest. Ask Me daily to free you from debt and from any imprisonment in your mind. There are things I planned for you before your birth that I will be pouring out on you in April. These are special things. It is true that I wrote all of your daily works in My books before the foundation of the world, but I am referring to special things here. There are special things that will come as a result of a kairos moment in April, things that will propel you forward into the bright and glorious future I have in store for you.” Ask Me now to send My creative works to you from the four winds of heaven, and I will. My Spirit Will Blow on You. You will be refreshed; springtime will come to your soul even as it comes to My earth. My Spirit is even now renewing and refreshing your soul, but the fullness of this work will be a process. By the end of April, you will feel completely rejuvenated again if you will cooperate with My Spirit. A Special Present Bestowed Look for it, and watch for it; it was created the year you were born, even though it will be a surprise to you. Things are coming full-circle to you, and you will be blessed and astounded! I say to you again, you will be astounded in April! You will be shielded from the rebellion of those who rise against you. The enemy has planned two attacks against you in April, but pray now for the devourer to be rebuked on your behalf. Pray now that the plans of the enemy would come to nothing, and I will step in and intervene on your behalf. Clearly see my plans for you. Even to your old age I will carry you, but you have been feeling lately like I have abandoned you. However, I say to you today: Far be it from Me to do such a thing! Abandoning you is not in Me! I am holy, pure, just and true, and I will remain faithful and true to you. It is who I am! In April, your life will shine again. The doldrums will be far from you; you will get your energy back! And with your energy will come a vision of your future. You have been seeing things so darkly, but indeed I say to you that in April you will see gold again! You will see clearly! Confusion and obscurity will be far from you; you will arise and shine into the morning of your life! Your work will be blessed; your business will be blessed; your business will prosper. Trust Me at all times with the things that concern you, for I am perfecting them all! I am with you to comfort you. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for I the Lord Your God am with you wherever you go. Go out in confidence, knowing that the Lord of hosts is on your side. Call upon Me as the Lord of hosts, and I will be with you in trouble. You shall come out shining like gold! ‘Prepare for April; in April, you will be astounded,’ says the Lord! Beloved, are you ready to be astounded? If so, print this article off or write down the prayer points and pray over them faithfully starting now and throughout the month of April!” (April, 2021)

I have withheld the name of the author of this prophecy. I don’t know anything about them. What I have become familiar with is the nature of false-prophecy. The fact that this wave of the Holy Spirit is not currently happening across our nation is not what makes this prophecy “false”. Take a moment to re-read this word. Where are the eyes of your heart directed? Did you recognize that Jesus isn’t even once mentioned in a prophecy about revival??? The spirit of this word is ALL ABOUT THE INCREASE OF SELF.

Sisters and brothers, the potential for deception in this hour is enormous. It’s so important that we seek the Lord and understand His definition of revival. Literally, it is life and death.