Oh! Me, me, me!
God has me doing a study of false prophets and visions as I read through the OT prophets. I didn’t start in Isaiah, unfortunately, but my Jeremiah, the list was growing.
A good portion of the OT prophets are about false teachers and preachers! I confess, I didn’t like Ezekiel on all my previous read through. But now, all the ”false prophets” are just jumping off the page.
Here’s the thing, everything these self appointed prophets and their followers (inside and outside CC) could well have these statements directed exactly at them. Here is something I read last night:
”Then the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to the prophets who prophesy from their imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 3 This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets have become like jackals among the ruins, O Israel. 5 You have not gone up in the breaks in the wall, nor repaired a wall for the house of Israel that it would stand strong in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 They see delusion and their omens are a lie. They say, “the Lord declares,” though the Lord has not sent them; yet they expect their word to be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a false vision and announced a lying omen when you say, “the Lord declares,” although I myself never spoke?
8 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you have spoken false words and forecast delusion, look, I am against you, declares the sovereign Lord. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see delusion and announce lying omens. They will not be included in the council of my people, nor be written in the registry of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 13:1-9
“Prophesy against the prophets who are now prophesying.” It doesn’t get much truer than that!
“Because you have spoke false words and forecast delusion, look, against you, declares the sovereign Lord. “
Just wow!
I know I am off topic, but in a way, I am not. We have self appointed prophets in this forum, who don’t even have a clue what the Bible says, or how to exegete it. Then we have others copy and pasting pamphlets from people who are “prophets [who] have become like jackals among the ruins.”
We have others pronouncing not just judgements, but actually condemning and judging people’s salvation, false prophets every one!
“Have you not seen a false vision and announced a lying omen when you say “The Lord declares,” Although I myself never spoke!”
The Bible is so powerful! A word for all occasions.