False Prophets Condemned

Ezekiel 13:1–9
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In his best seller “The Bible Code,” former Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Drosnin uses computer analysis of the Torah to show that World War III may start right away. Or maybe in 2006, he’s not sure. In a trailer park in Eula, Texas, 500 or so members of a … More

False Prophets

In this passage warning was directed against false prophets whose messages were not from God, but were intended to win popularity by saying whatever the people wanted to hear. The character, method and judgement of these false prophets is revealed in this portion of Scripture. Satan has his counterfeit prophets today, as one group is described above. They are described as those who speak after the wisdom of men and have seen false revelations due to their closeness to the god of this world, who works in the hearts of the disobedient. In fact, there are times when even they themselves are deceived, thinking their message is from God.

God’s view of the false prophet is given (vv. 2-9). Man’s ways are opposed to God’s ways and are thus in error. He is also foolish, because he has not seen a vision or revelation from God. When they should have been building a strong social and moral house in Israel they were in direct contact with Satan and his host. This occult was so real to them that they thought their message was from God.

God says these false prophets are like the foxes in the deserts, who only destroy (v. 4). We have a saying that some people are as sly as a fox and this is true of false prophets. It is amazing how groups will form and follow the leadership of these false prophets, even to the point of death. An example of this was the group of over 900 people who followed Jim Jones to Jonestown, Guyana in 1978. They followed his instruction as they all drank poison kool aid and died. The characteristics of these kind of leaders are described as vanity and lying with a vision that is vain (vv. 6-9).

Application

I need to be very careful about people who bend the truth in their quest for popularity and power.

Ezekiel 13:1-9 (English Standard Version)

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