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-- © GodSpeak International 2009 --
-- Do not republish without written permission from <copyright@godspeak.net> --

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES
Authors: Jane Fitz-Gibbon <jane@icmi.org> http://www.icmi.org
Michael Gerner <mgerner@aol.com>
Teresa Seputis ts@godspeak.net http://www.godspeak.net
Editors: Al Vesper, Teresa Seputis

Judging Prophecy; 2nd Edition

Lesson 8

By Michael Gerner

Some Ways To Test Prophecy

As I said in the previous lesson, it is very important that we test prophesy. In fact, the bible actually commands us to do so in 1 Thessalonians 5:20 and 1 Cor 14:29.

Prophecy is a precious gift from God, and we need to value it and treat His spoken words with the respect that it deserves. At the same time, we don't want to call anything a "thus sayeth the Lord" that God hasn't actually said. That means we need a way to determine what is really God speaking and what is not, so that we can reject the false and honor and obey the true. And the bible has given us a way to tell the genuine from the counterfeit--by testing (or judging) prophesy.

With that in mind, I want to discuss some of the ways that we can evaluate a word, to see if it is really from God. I am going to give you ten simple tests that you can apply to it. These tests are ranked in my own personal order of priority. Your priorities may differ, or you may think of some other tests to apply as well.

Also, remember, we cannot judge prophecy or discern apart from the Holy Spirit, Who "will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). So do not try to apply these tests on your own, as if in a vacuum, but prayerfully, asking God to help you judge whether or not the word really is from Him.

Having said all that, here are ten tests that you can prayerfully apply to judge prophesy:

  1. Does It Contradict Scripture?
  2. Did The Prophecy Come True?
  3. Does The Prophecy Uplift Jesus Or Somebody Else?
  4. What Is The Character Of The Prophet?
  5. Is There An Inner Witness Of The Holy Spirit?
  6. Is There An Independent Witness?
  7. Does The Word Set Us Free?
  8. Does The Prophet Testify That Jesus Is God In The Flesh?
  9. What Does Your Church Leadership Say?
  10. What Is The Prophet's Attitude Towards Other Brothers/Sisters?

Let's look at each one in a bit more detail.

Does It Contradict Scripture?

2 Tim 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

If a prophecy goes against Scripture it goes against what God has said. Throw it out.

But be careful: sometimes a prophecy can be against our own personal understanding of Scripture. We need to make certain that our own understanding is not at fault here. For example, if we believe that Scripture says God does not supernaturally heal today (I can't find any references for this one!) then a prophecy that somebody is going to be healed might be rejected by us, even though the Lord really has spoken it.

A more subtle situation is that sometimes the prophecy can seem to contradict Scripture, but in reality what the Lord is saying through it is in accordance with Scripture! Peter found this out in Joppa:

Acts 10:11-16 (NIV)

He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

The vision was a direct contradiction of the food laws taught in the Old Testament. But the key to the interpretation is found in verse 16, where it was shown three times. Although the vision puzzled Peter, it was not long before he understood the significance of this, when three men visited him:

Acts 10:17-20 (NIV)

While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

(By the way, this shows the importance of details in understanding a vision.)

Peter himself explained the vision later, when he spoke to Cornelius, the man who had sent for him, and his friends: Acts 10:28 (NIV)

He said to them: "... God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean."

In other words, Peter was given a vision which appeared to contradict Scripture. But as he pondered it, the Holy Spirit and events showed him the true meaning.

Did The Prophecy Come True?

Deut 18:21-22 says, "You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims 'in the name of the Lord' does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him."

To paraphrase: If it didn't happen the way the word said it would, then it very probably was not of God.

Why "very probably" and not "certainly"?

Because God's prophecies are not set in stone: there is an element of personal choice in their application. So sometimes a prophecy may not come to pass because the people involved changed their behavior. A classic example of this is in Jonah:

Jonah 3:4-5,10 (NIV)

On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."

The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth... When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

The Lord Himself explains this principle in Jeremiah in Jer 18:7-10. "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in My sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

A second reason why a prophecy from God may not come to pass is because of intercession. Look at Isa 38:1-5:

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, "Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in Your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.'"

A final point. It may seem strange that this test should be applied when considering a prophecy, because surely the idea is to test the prophecy before it happens? While this is true, often when the Lord gives a prophecy He also gives an immediate lesser prophecy so that the truth of the major prophecy can be relied upon when the initial prophecy comes true. A classic example of this is found in 1 Samuel 10, where Samuel gives Saul a series of relatively minor incidents which were to follow in order to (amongst other things) confirm the truth of Saul's prophetic calling to be king.

Here is the passage (1 Sam 10:1-7):

1. Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance? 2. When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, "What shall I do about my son?"' 3. "Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. 4. They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them. 5. "After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. 6. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 7. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

Does The Prophecy Uplift Jesus Or Somebody Else?

Rev 19:10 says, "...For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

If a prophecy exalts anybody else other than Jesus (especially if it flatters the prophet's reputation) be on your guard. This is one of the most difficult tests to apply if the prophecy is exalting you (the recipient) or your church! But be especially careful in such cases, as the temptation to pride is real.


-- © GodSpeak International 2009 --
-- Do not republish without written permission from <copyright@godspeak.net> --

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