The Origin of Prophecy

To understand prophetic ministry, we must start by discerning where prophecy originates. There are many sources of prophecy and not all of them are good. The Bible speaks of wrong sources to receive prophecy. In Isaiah 8:19, Berean Study Bible, it says, "When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" The Bible is adamant: we should never consult the dead for the living.

Foolish! I know. Yet many people seek guidance from the dead. And seeking guidance from the dead is only one illegitimate source of prophecy. There are many other wrong sources. Besides seeking guidance from the dead, people often seek guidance from psychics, witches, warlocks, horoscopes, fortune cookies, or astrology. All are wrong sources for giving or receiving prophecies. In Deuteronomy 13:1-3,  

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let’s follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let’s serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Yes, the Bible teaches that God allows false prophecy. Why does God allow false prophecies? To test us. Often, we come to God with predetermined plans of what we want from Him. Instead of coming to God and humbly asking Him what He wants from us, we ask Him to give us what we want. And sometimes God does this. In Psalm 78:18, NLT, it says, "They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved." And God gave them what they wanted...to their own hurt.

In Ezekiel 14:4, NLT, it says, "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the LORD, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves." Israel's leaders came before prophets to receive the prophecies they wanted not to receive the true word of the Lord. And God gave them what they wanted.

In 1 Kings 22:14-25, we see a picture of this happening through the prophecy given by a true prophet, Micaiah. King Ahab is with King Jehosaphat and they are getting ready to go into battle. King Ahab's prophets all prophecy victory. King Jehosaphat asks King Ahab, "Is there not a prophet of the Lord?" King Ahab says, yes, but I hate him. King Ahab hated him because he didn't speak what King Ahab wanted to hear. Micaiah didn't give in to King Ahab's lusts. Later, through Micaiah's prophecy, we see what really happened. The Lord allowed King Ahab's heart to be tested through a lying spirit giving false prophecies through King Ahab's prophets.

Interestingly, Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah, after striking Micaiah on the cheek, says, "Did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?"1 Kgs. 22:24, Christian Standard Bible. The answer was, yes. Zedekiah became a false prophet who was used by a lying spirit to speak false words to King Ahab to prove what was in King Ahab's heart. God tested what was in King Ahab's heart. And He tested what was in the hearts of prophets. Micaiah passed the test. Zedekiah did not.

We must always recognize that not all prophecy originates from God's Spirit. And God allows false prophecies to test the hearts of His people. That is why we must learn to guard our own hearts against giving in to our own illicit desires when we prophesy. If we do not, we, like Zedekiah, a false prophet, may be used by a lying spirit to speak a false word. The Apostle Paul, regarding prophecy, admonishes us, saying, "Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good". 1 Thes. 5:20, 21, NIV.

Whenever prophecies are given, we must test them to ensure they are from God. The failure to test prophecies is one of the reasons false prophecies have increased in the body of Christ. Pastors and leaders, instead of protecting the flock from false prophecies, have chosen to remain silent. Why? Because most pastors and leaders do not like the confrontation or the headaches and heartaches associated with confrontation. But we cannot remain silent in the face of false prophecies if we want to keep the real.

This is a learning moment in the body of Christ and for the prophetic movement. True prophets must step forward and bring correction to obviously false prophecies. If this does not happen at this time, then the prophetic movement will spin out of control. If that happens, false prophecies will grow, and more and more people's lives will be ruined as the prophetic movement spins out of control. We will see a proliferation of false prophecies, false prophets, and ruined lives. 

Historically, this same prophetic moment has happened within other movements. The discipleship movement spun out of control by trying to wield too much control. The healing movement brought healing but it was sickly. The charismatic movement brought a message of grace under the guise of license. The holiness movement brought holiness in the structure of legalism. All of these historical movements were allowed to bring self-correction. Some tried. All failed.

The question becomes: Where do we start? We must always start at the place of beginning. We must return to the place of beginning in the prophetic movement, which is to discern the origins of those prophecies being given. There is only one true pure source of prophecy - Heaven. Prophecy must originate from Heaven for it to be true. If not, it is false no matter how accurate it may be.

How do we know if the prophecies we receive originate from Heaven? Simple. Prophecies that originate from Heaven always bring Heaven with them. In other words, the fruit of true prophecy is always heavenly. The Apostle James says, "the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere." James 3:17, CEV. True prophecy is Heaven's breath on earth that brings Heaven to earth.

Unless prophecies originate from Heaven, they are false. That is why we must learn to discern God's voice. In 1 Corinthians 14:10, the Apostle Paul says, "There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world." The world is filled with voices. Many of those voices lead to hell. Some lead to Heaven. A few are from Heaven. To become more accurate in what we hear, we must listen to those individuals who have learned how to let their voices be used by Heaven on earth.

That is a picture of a true prophet. Prophets bring Heaven's voice on earth. Prophets help others hear from Heaven in their daily lives. Prophets cause God's voice to grow in and across the earth. That is the value that true prophets bring into the lives of those who hear them. And it is why their prophecies are so valuable. They release Heaven into our lives on earth. I want that! How about you?

Yes, prophecies contain accurate information. But false prophets can speak true prophecies. Balaam spoke true prophecies but he is identified as a false prophet. True prophets can speak prophecies that contain factually inaccurate information. Agabus, who is identified in the Bible as a true prophet, spoke a prophecy that did not happen like he said it would happen. The prophecy was true, but some of its factual details didn't align with what took place.

How then do we know whether a prophecy is true or false? In Matthew 7:16, NIV, Jesus says, "By their fruit you will recognize them." Yes, it is that simple. We look for Heaven's fruit. That is the only way to identify true prophecy. Yes, we should verify that prophecies don't contradict Scripture. Yes, we should see if prophecies bear witness with our spirits. Yes, we should look to see who prophets are related to. But none of those guarantee the prophecies we hear are true. Jesus's way is to look for Heaven's fruit.

I think that's a good way. I like that way. I look for Heaven's fruit in the prophecies being given. I look for that in prophecies that appear to be good for me. I also look for that in prophecies that appear to be difficult for me. I listen for God's voice in every situation. Why? Because I want to hear His voice. I want that for you. I want you to hear His voice. Let's pray the prayer that Eli taught Samuel: "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." 1 Sam. 3:10, Catholic Public Domain Version. Amen.