A Short Definition of a False Prophet

Posted on April 17, 2025 by DavidCox

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A Short Definition of a False Prophet is an overview of what defines a false prophet in his character. Next is what marks him, his conduct.

A prophet is a minister of God who is first called of God to this ministry, then he has a relationship with God to become God’s spokesman. It is confusing at times to understand this, but in the Old Testament, the prophets of God were called men to intercede between God and man (intercessors) in order for these men to understand God’s will. God is extremely upset over man’s sin, and therefore, God warns men of this situation, specifically what is wrong in their behavior and what is the correct behavior that they should be doing. What is wrong is called “sin” and what is that correct behavior that they should be doing instead of sin is called “righteousness.”

In these interactions, God sends a message to his spokesman. As in the olden times of kings ruling in large halls with many people present, it was unsightly for such a royal personage to be yelling, so all can hear him. Thus, there was the ministry of spokesman that simply repeated the words of the king in a very loud voice, so all could hear. The task was simple, just say exactly what the king has said without changing anything, without deleting anything, and without adding anything to that word.

So fidelity to the king’s words made the spokesman please the king. Any variance in that message caused the king to rebuke, remove, or even kill the spokesman. That is the work of a prophet and preacher.

In these events between man and God, God would warn, then threaten and then punish wayward men who will not listen to God. So the ministry of spokesman took on a new aspect. Predicting the evil that would fall on a group of disobedient men if they did not respond correctly to God. The main focus in many people’s minds is this predicting of dire results in the future of others. At times, men repented, and they were blessed of God, and the prophet would tell them such. Wicked, rebellious men always want a good report from the prophets and not an evil one.

2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The process of prophets giving God’s message is focused through the Holy Spirit. But the key here in discerning between a true preacher of God’s truth and a false prophet is that the Holy Spirit never uses a dirty cup. The vessel that God uses has to clean, and this means, the preacher must abide by and remain within the guidelines of God for his own personal life, and what he speaks. This is why 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 set requirements for the preacher of God’s Word.

Root Meaning of Prophet, to Bubble Forth

Our word prophet in the Old Testament comes from nabi or nabiy which has the meaning of bubbling up, to utter, to speak, or to pour forth an announcement.

At times, the word “seer” is understood as the same as prophet. A seer is one who sees this message from God, sometimes it was a vision or a visual communication from God to the prophet, and the prophet put that visual concept into words. From this concept, the idea of a prophet getting a dream from God in which God would, through sight and words, God would communicate with the prophet was added.

Key Concept of a Prophet of God

The key concept of a prophet of God is that he has a relationship with God, keeping his life holy to maintain that relationship, and he receives a message from God which he accurately and faithfully gives to a group of people. Again, success in this task is related to only one primary thing, accuracy in reproducing that message.

What makes this matter difficult is that a true prophet of God will claim to be what he is. But a false prophet of God will lie and deceive others, because he also will claim to be a true prophet of God. Discernment is necessary to identify when someone lives the Bible’s standards personally in his own life and speaks God’s Word faithfully.

Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. Nehemiah 6:11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. Nehemiah 6:12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Nehemiah 6:13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. Nehemiah 6:14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear. Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

To understand what Satan is doing with this false message (supposedly) from God, is that they use fear to make people sin.

Deceit marks the False Prophet

The false prophet is an agent of Satan to destroy the work of God. By examining closely his life and message, Christians can discern the false nature of this prophet. The man of God is rigidly bound to truth, and the false prophet “speaks evangelistically,” i.e. lies.

See Marks – Are Liars, deceitful
The Concept of a False Prophet

Somebody who twists, perverts, or manipulates, or incorrectly represents the Word of God in giving a message that God did not want to give.

They falsely represent God. They falsely identify as being saved and serving God, but they don’t do God’s, they do their own will.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

I expand on this topic elsewhere in this work, so I will link to those places instead of adding a lot here.

See also
I. Defining the False Prophet – Definition What is a False Prophet?
The False Prophet promotes Satan, Hates God (Revelation 13:11)

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

The beast is the antichrist. See Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10. Satan is the great counterfeit. He wants to appear like God, but he has another agenda. He wants to take the worship of humans to God and divert it to himself.

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Read Tracts about False Prophets and the True Man of God

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Dagg Manual of Theology (and links to this work in various other formats).
Dagg Manual of Theology (MySword for Android)
Dagg Manual of Theology (theWord Bible Format)
Dagg Manual of Theology (esword format)
Dagg Manual of Theology (PDF Format)

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