The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 11 October 2019 – Knowing True And False Prophets/Prophecies
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TOPIC: Knowing True And False Prophets/Prophecies
READ: Jeremiah 28:1-9 King James Version (KJV)
- And it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
- “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
- Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord ’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.
- And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord , ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”
- Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the Lord ,
- and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the Lord ’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place.
- Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people:
- 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.”
THE MESSAGE:
Our text today shows the test of a true/false prophets and prophecies. Earlier in Deuteronomy 18:22, fulfillment of a prophecy is enough to authenticate the prophet. In Isaiah 8:20, agreement with the word of God is seen as the proof of a prophecy. In Jeremiah 28:8,9, the contents of the prophecy is seen as another proof.
While constant prophecy of doom cannot always be taken as a message from God, we must also realize that prophesying peace, prosperity and well-being to an unrepentant sinner is unscriptural and this was the issue between Prophet Hananiah, son of Azur (Jeremiah 28:1) and Jeremiah. While Jeremiah was warning the people to repent and enjoy the grace, mercy and blessings of God, Hananiah was prophesying peace and restoration without genuine repentance. How Scriptural is this? It is high time we went back to the Scripture, both as individuals and as a Church, in order to know God’s mind so as not to be misled by the prophets and prophecies which litter the landscape of Christianity today.
PRAYER: Open the eyes of Your Church, dear Lord, and deliver her from the Spirit of the end time in Jesus name.
