In the past, I have written extensively on false prophets, but I have never addressed the issue of fake prophets. Often the words fake & false prophets are used interchangeably.
Though there are similarities, there is a difference between fake & false prophets.
This morning in my devotion reading through the Acts Of The Apostles. In chapter 13 I came upon these verses;
"Now when they had gone through the island of Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man" (Acts 13:6)
Note;
• A sorcerer
• A false prophet
• A Jew
This passage of Scripture raised questions about witchcraft, and how false Prophets fit into that category.
FAKE PROPHETS
Definition;
A person who falsely claims to be felt, or does something can be said to be fake. When your friend acts sweet but spreads rumors about you behind your back, you can call her a fake. As a verb, fake means to take any action with the intent to deceive.
Having given that dictionary definition of the word fake, allow me to give a grocery list of words that mean the same;
Counterfeit, forged, imitation, bogus & Pseudo.
A fake prophet is one who has mastered the art of manipulation & deceit. He/she is not a prophet at all.
A fake prophet doesn't possess any supernatural powers. The miracles that a fake prophet executes are basically tricks.
Now, let me draw your mind to magic. There are magicians who posses supernatural powers that helps them perform magic/miracles.
However; there are magicians who are fake. They don't perform any magic at all. They simply play magic tricks.
There is a school of magic in Cape Town. The first time you hear of it you think of magical powers.
But No! The magic school teaches how to perform magic tricks. No spirit good/bad is attached to it. It is just tricks.
Fake Prophets therefore do not posses supernatural powers, they have simply mastered the art of trickery. They are tricksters, con-artists who play magic tricks on people.
In the context of Paparism fake prophets stage miracles, prophecies & testimonies to deceive followers that they posses supernatural powers.
FALSE PROPHETS
Notice how the scripture pulls out certain facts about Bar-Jesus. He is a sorcerer, a false prophet and he is a Jew.
The Jewishness of Bar-Jesus explains that even among God's chosen people, a peculiar nation false prophets arise among them.
His Jewishness is just his identity, yet his life model that of the Egyptian sorcerers.
In reading Scripture as a naive teenage I thought false prophets will come among us. I never knew that false prophets will arise from among us.
Among those we grow up with whose passion & zeal was authentic.
One can not become a false prophet by mistake.
No one accidentally became a false prophets.
To be a false prophet is intentional. You sold your soul to satan. You avail yourself as a conduit of evil spirits.
The word Apostasy; doesn't mean making a simple error in Judgement, or doctrine, but a willful departure from the truths motivated by the evil spirits.
It is said that in the last days people will give themselves willingly to the teachings of the evil spirits and demons.
False prophets are sorcerers who specializes in destroying God's people inside the 'church'.
False prophets teach the 'doctrines' of satan.
These satanic teachings are what holds gullible christians in captivity by these false teachers.
Precisely why we need the five-fold ministry because a teacher of the Bible will teach the Word of God to counter the lies of the devil.
Our approach must not be in identifying a false prophet, but in identifying the teachings of false prophets.
A person who has sat down under a false prophet is first under the spell of witchcraft, and secondly deceived.
A son/daughter of a false prophet knows no truth to make any informed judgement or discern false teachings.
In (Acts 13: 8) "But Elymas the sorcerer withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith"
The Bible at no time shy away from naming sorcerers.
Bar-Jesus, and Elymas are sorcerers. There is no conflict here about "don't judge" or "Who are you to judge?" or "don't judge the anointed one".
Having said that; we have to be intentional in teaching God's word.
The teachings of false prophets seeks to turn people's hearts away from the true faith.
The most difficult people to share the Gospel to are the sons/daughters of false prophets. Their hearts have been turned away from the true faith that saves.
By exposing them, we are not being intentional, we are simply reactionist.
Because sorcerer/witchcraft is part of false prophets, we are effectively engaging in Spiritual Warfare. The sons & daughters of false prophets are bewitched.
If we can't do both Expounding the truths of God's Word, and Exposing false teachings, then it's better to concentrate on Expounding the truths of God's word.
In a nutshell, a fake prophets is just a trickster. But a false prophet is actively involved in sorcery/witchcraft/underworld.
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