The following is from Steve Fletcher and his Youtube channel Steve Fletcher 222
A Biblical Warning About Failed PropheciesThe World Cup is over.
The final has been played. The trophy has been awarded.For months, Pastor Joshua from South Africa repeatedly claimed that the Rapture would occur before the end of the World Cup. First, the prediction centered on the Feast of Trumpets. When that did not happen, the timeline was extended. Then we were told there would be no World Cup. When the tournament began, the prediction changed again, claiming the trophy would never be awarded.Now the trophy has been awarded.This is exactly why Jesus warned us:“Take heed that no one deceives you… For many false prophets will arise and deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4, 11)God also gave Israel a clear test:“When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken.” (Deuteronomy 18:22)The issue is not whether someone is sincere. The issue is whether what they claimed in the name of God actually came to pass.Those who have followed Pastor Joshua’s predictions should prayerfully reconsider whether they are following the voice of Scripture or the voice of a man.Our confidence must never rest in personalities, ministries, YouTube channels, or sensational predictions. Our confidence must rest in Jesus Christ and His unchanging Word.The Bible commands us to watch. It commands us to discern. But it never tells us to follow those whose prophetic claims repeatedly fail.As we continue watching for the Lord’s return, let us do so with humility, discernment, and unwavering commitment to God’s Word—not to the latest prediction.Keep your eyes on Christ. Test every message by Scripture. Refuse to be led by failed prophecies.
Actually there is a lot of misunderstanding about false prophets and Steve here has added to that. So let's look at
Deuteronomy 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
This relates back to
Deuteronomy 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
The proof is not whether or not something comes to pass. If you allow that to be the "proof" then you open yourself up to scam artists and "magicians". Think about the movie "The Sting". They scammed the mark by having the thing "come to pass" a few times first. The proof of a false prophet is that their motive is to get you to "go after other gods and serve them". That is the real issue.
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
God is testing you the way you might test gold to see if it is really gold. A genuine believer will not follow someone because of some sign or wonder, they'll follow someone who is themself following Jesus. This is what the Lord said when He said "My sheep know my voice".
4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
If someone is helping you to walk after the Lord your God and to fear Him and to keep His commandments and to obey His voice, then that is who the sheep will listen to, not to someone trying to get you to serve other gods.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
So consider Joshua. He didn't come out making a case from the Bible that the Lord would return on Feast of Trumpets and rapture His saints, his claim was that he had been told by the Lord this was the case. This is crucial, because if he is right he wants to use the fact that he was "right" as a basis to listen to him rather than the Lord. The false prophet says "I have a special message from the Lord, He spoke directly to me and said this and the proof is that this happened" therefore based on that thing happening he will then want you to "follow him" as he leads you to serve other gods.
This is backwards. A person speaking as a witness of the Lord Jesus will first cause you to strengthen your walk with the Lord. That is why you follow them. Now that person will come under attack from the enemy if they are a genuine servant of the Lord. All of the apostles were martyred, John is the only one who didn't actually die from martyrdom, but they tried to martyr him as well. So then God may then provide a few prophecies that are fulfilled as a seal to help those being swayed by the attacks of the enemy to see that yes, God is indeed speaking through this servant of His.
In brief we don't say "this person must be from God because this prophecy came true". Rather we say "this person must be from God because when they speak it causes me to seek the Lord Jesus, it causes me to pray more, it causes me to repent of my sins, it strengthens me to obey the Lord and put away evil, etc.