TESTING PROPHECY
by Sally McCracken
God is a God of order, and there are clear examples in scripture which provide a framework for testing and weighing prophecy. It is vitally important to state up front that as disciples of Jesus Christ, we should not overestimate our understanding of God or of the gifts of the Spirit. We are created beings and we have limits. We know in part and prophesy in part (1 Corinthians 13:8-12). With God, there is mystery. The person of the Holy Spirit cannot be contained to a singular aspect or particular expression.
The sections below are not a complete or exhaustive study, but rather some patterns which are clear in scripture. This is an opportunity to prayerfully wrestle with our application of biblical truth in regard to prophecy and walk humbly before God and others.
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TESTING PROPHECY
Scripture exhorts us to test prophecy; therefore, scripture must contain keys on how to test prophecy.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (NIV) Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.
The word test in the Strongs Bible Concordance (G1381 – dokimazo) means to test, prove, discern, examine, and try. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon describes it as “to scrutinise to see whether a thing is genuine or not.” In other words, to test prophecy is to examine or scrutinise the word, to consider carefully and thoroughly.
1 Corinthians 14:29 (NIV) Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
The word weigh (judge in the KJV) is the Greek word diakrínō (Strongs G1252); it means “to separate thoroughly, i.e. (literally and reflexively) to withdraw from, or (by implication) oppose; figuratively, to discriminate (by implication, decide), or (reflexively) hesitate:—contend, make (to) differ(-ence), discern, doubt, judge, be partial, stagger, waver.”
DISCERN – TO SEPARATE AND DISTINGUISH
God is a God of separation. God separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:4). To discern or distinguish is to recognise one thing as different to another thing. To discern spiritually is to understand the separation of good and evil. This is the essence of testing the prophetic – to be able to separate and distinguish what is of God, and what is not.
Throughout scripture, there is a clear separation between right and wrong, holy and unholy, righteous and wicked, pure and impure, wise and foolish. The distinction between good and evil is inherent to God’s kingdom and is very clear throughout the Word.
Hebrews 5:14 (NIV) But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Distinguish is the Greek word diakrisis (G1253) which means to distinguish, discern, judge (it comes from the root word diakrínō). This is also the same word used for the gift of the discernment of spirits in 1 Corinthians 12:10. The scripture in Hebrews tells us that discernment is not something we try to pull out of the air or try to put our finger on spiritually. We literally train ourselves to be discerning through the consistent study of the whole counsel of the word of God.
WEIGH – TO HESITATE OR DOUBT; TO JUDGE OR DETERMINE
Another aspect of the word diakrínō is to hesitate. Therefore, it is a godly response to pause because of doubt or uncertainty. If there is a prophetic word that gives cause for concern, the scriptural response is to hesitate in order to weigh up and test the word. If something does not sit right within the context of scripture and the Spirit of God within us, if we reflexively hesitate, there is a need to scrutinise and examine further.
We are exhorted in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 to hold fast what is good and reject every type of evil. The word ‘reject’ means to abstain from as well as to distance ourselves from – hence to withdraw is not a natural reaction, but a part of the discernment process. Another aspect of the word diakrínō is to contend or oppose. Scripture directs us to gently restore a brother or sister caught in sin, which should be our first approach. (Galatians 6:1) We must be watchful that we do not fall into the temptation of being judgemental.
We are not meant to ignore prophetic words which give cause for concern. We must have scriptural knowledge and spiritual understanding of good and evil to ensure we are not led astray. The way we test something is not from own opinions or thoughts. We don’t test from prior history, experience or feelings. Our primary test does not come from forensic evidence. If scripture asks us to test, discern, weigh, determine, and give judgement on prophetic words, our primary test must be from a scriptural perspective.
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
If the testing of prophecy fails in one area, it has failed completely. If there is serious question or doubt in one area, then additional testing should be applied in other areas. Further testing should bring to light patterns which will point to whether the word is from God or not.
1. ORIGIN
2 Peter 1:21 (NIV) For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
God is self-existent. In the beginning God (Genesis 1:1). Everything else outside of God originated from God. All things are from Him, through Him, and for Him (Romans 11:36). The first test of prophecy is to test the origin of the prophetic word. Scripture is clear that the origin of spiritual gifts is from the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
In the gospels, Jesus is questioned about the origin of His authority, and asks this question in return: Matthew 21:25a (NIV) “John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
The origin test can be applied using the same pattern of scripture as above:
- This prophecy, where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?
“Where did it come from” is a key question. Throughout scripture, we see the repeated pattern of the phrase “The word of the Lord came to….” This phrase is common to many of the prophets including Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as well as numerous minor prophets.
The word ‘of’ is a small preposition but one of primary importance. The word ‘of’ indicates origin. In the case of prophecy, ‘of’ connects the prophetic word itself to where it came from – which is God. The pattern in scripture is that the word OF the Lord always originated FROM God.
- Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah (Isaiah 38:4)
- The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision (Genesis 15:1)
- The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” (Jeremiah 1:11)
OUR EXAMPLE
Jesus is our greatest example when it comes to origin. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, He did not speak on His own authority but only said what the Father told Him to say (John 12:49-50). Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). Everything Jesus said and did originated from His heavenly Father.
BLURRED LINES AND CONTAMINATION
When considering discernment and the testing of prophecy, we must be aware of the schemes of the enemy. The devil is a liar; he is the father of lies. The enemy will always try to blur, confuse, and contaminate the distinctions that God has set in place between good and evil. Whether in biblical doctrine, marriage definition, gender distinction, or the gifts of the Spirit, Satan will attempt to blur the clear separations that God has set in place and counterfeit the real with the false.
Isaiah 5:20 (NIV) Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
If the origin of a prophecy is in question, or if there are lines that seem blurry, this is an immediate red flag. Origin is the first AND the most important test – more important than accuracy, as outlined in the next section. The stronger the doubt of origin, the greater the need for weighing up and testing.
THE ORIGIN OF FALSE PROPHECY
Jeremiah 14:14 (NIV) “Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.”
If a prophecy (or word of knowledge) has not originated from the Lord, the scripture above points us to three areas where false prophecy can originate from:
- False vision (a lying vision, an untruth, by implication a sham, deceit, falsehood)
- Originates from both the mind and the will; it is intentional and deliberate. The one giving the word is deceitful and fully aware of the falsehood and lies
- Divination and idolatries (using witchcraft, idolatry, omens, or other scripturally prohibited means to divine or prophesy)
- Originates from the demonic realm
- The delusions of their own minds (vain imaginations / soul prophecy)
- Originates from the soul realm; includes the will, feelings and intellect. The word ‘delusions’ indicates that the person prophesying can be unaware that it is not the Holy Spirit speaking
The greater the doubt of origin, the more it is a sign that either pre-meditated deceit, the demonic, or the soul realm is involved. If the origin is not God, it is important to address this with the person giving the word. If a prophecy is not from God, or even if it is a mixture of part God and part flesh, it is impure.
When testing the origin of prophecy, a determination cannot be based upon the answer given from the one who has prophesied. A verdict in a court case is not decided on whether the defendant states, “not guilty”, but by the evidence presented. Whether someone has given a soul prophecy, or is entangled in deliberate sin and deceit, it will be painful to acknowledge the error. The fleshly or default response is often to deny, blame, cover up or deflect – just like Adam and Even in the garden of Eden. This pattern is repeated throughout scripture and history. It takes a humble and contrite heart to acknowledge and confess any sin, whether deliberate or not (Psalm 19:12-14).
LOVING DISCIPLESHIP
There is a big difference between someone who is intentionally deceitful, and someone stepping out in prophecy and falling into error. A person who loves the Lord but unintentionally prophesies from the soul realm needs loving discipleship, not harsh rebuke. Just like the disciple Peter, we all have the capacity to be receiving revelation from the Lord in one moment and then be in the flesh in the next (Matthew 16:13-23).
2. ACCURACY
Scripture clearly tells us that prophecy (speaking of future events) can easily be tested for accuracy. If the prophecy does not come to pass, it is not the Lord speaking.
Deuteronomy 18:22 (NIV) 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, so do not be alarmed.
Jeremiah 28:9 (NIV) “But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.”
Only a prophetic word (a proclamation of things to come) can be tested in this way for accuracy. The test for accuracy includes any part of the content of the word which can be examined, including future events, timing, circumstances, people, or location. See Agabus’ prophetic word to Paul in Acts 21:10-13: Agabus clearly prophesied WHAT would happen (binding his own hands and feet as a symbol of what would happen to Paul, WHO would do it (Jewish leaders)) and WHERE it would happen (Jerusalem).
ACCURACY AND TIMING
Many prophetic words or visions take decades or even centuries before they come to pass. Consider Isaiah prophesying the birth of Jesus, Daniel’s visions, or Abraham becoming the father of many nations. Habakkuk 2:3 makes it clear that vision awaits an appointed time. Gods timing is different to our timing. Many prophecies don’t include a specific timeline, and therefore we must wait on the Lord and not rush into judgement about God’s sovereign purposes. There are still prophesies in scripture that we are waiting to see the fulfillment of!
On the other hand, if a prophetic word does include a specific timeframe or notable date for the future, this can be tested for accuracy. Jesus prophesied to Peter, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” and the word came to pass (Matthew 26:31-35; Matthew 26:69-75).
ACCURACY AND CONDITIONAL PROPHECY
In scripture, we also see times where God’s prophets were sent with a conditional message, including a proclamation of what would happen if people did not respond in a particular way. Jonah was sent to preach a warning to the people of Ninevah, and the people repented, therefore God relented from destroying them. This doesn’t mean the prophetic word was not accurate or that God did not originate it; it simply means that the outcome of the word was conditional upon the people’s response.
While we see the conditional nature of the word of the Lord reflected in scriptures such as 2 Chronicles 7:14, we also see examples where there is no stated ‘if’. Because of God’s merciful nature, He withholds or delays certain judgements when there is humble repentance (see 1 Kings 21:17-29). God’s intention is always for the redemption of mankind, and biblical prophecy reflects God’s motivation for people to repent from sin.
The response of those who hear a prophetic word is key to the outcome when it comes to conditional prophecy.
ACCURACY RELATES TO ORIGIN
The accuracy of a prophetic word does not necessarily mean that it originated from God. The origin of a prophecy through practises of divination or witchcraft can also be accurate (scriptural examples include 1 Samuel 28 when Saul consults a medium, and a female slave who predicted the future in Acts 16:16-18). However, this clearly fails the origin test, as occult practises are detestable to God (Deuteronomy 18:9-13).
ACCURACY AND WORD OF KNOWLEDGE
A word of knowledge from God is supernatural revelation of situations or facts which have already occurred. To originate from God, they cannot be learned through any natural means. While the accuracy of a word of knowledge can be immediately tested, if there is doubt that the origin of a word of knowledge is from natural means or prior knowledge, the accuracy test is not applicable.
3. CORRELATION
Many prophetic words include a picture, a vision, a symbol, or a metaphor to represent what God wants to say. Therefore, we can test prophecy by looking at the composition of any picture given, and the correlation of the image to the word.
PROPHETIC WORDS – IMAGES OR METAPHORS WHICH DIRECTLY RELATE TO THE WORD
Scripture shows a clear pattern between the composition of images in prophetic words, and the correlation of that image to the word of the Lord. God is a God of purpose, therefore words from God always contained meaning within the image or symbol.
Amos 7:8 (NIV) And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.”
Jeremiah 1:13-14 (NIV) The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.” The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.”
Zechariah 1:18-21 (NIV) Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?” He answered me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.” Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”
These verses show a clear pattern of prophetic images or visions: the composition of the image relates to the word that the Lord is bringing and what He is going to do.
In scripture, every time God showed a prophet an image or a vision, this image directly correlated with the prophetic word. As well as clear descriptions, God often gave dreams and visions which contained symbols or metaphors, such as Joseph’s dream of the wheat bowing down, which represented his father and brothers bowing to him.
While the Lord often used prophets to bring clarity to visions or dreams that others could not understand (e.g. Pharaoh’s or Nebuchadnezzar’s dream), there was still a correlation between the composition of the image in the vision or dream, and the word of the Lord.
WORD OF KNOWLEDGE – LITERAL FACTS OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED
In contrast, words of knowledge may include a statement of what is seen, but words of knowledge that we see in scripture are literal rather than symbolic. Images that God uses in prophecy are very different to the literal facts God speaks in words of knowledge:
- Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:18) “The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”
- Elisha and Gehazi when Gehazi deceitfully took money (2 Kings 5:26) “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you?”
- Peter with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:3) “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money…”
God only ever reveals something for a purpose. When God gives a prophecy that includes a picture, that image will directly relate to what God is saying.
If a word includes “I see” and that image has nothing to do with the word, then it fails the correlation test.
4. PURPOSE
Philippians 2:13 (NIV) for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Acts 5:38 (NIV) Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.
PURPOSE: WHO OR WHAT THE WORD POINTS TOWARDS
A word from God is supposed to be a signpost, not the destination. Those who prophesy are messengers to point to who God is and what He is saying. That which originates from God should carry the purposes of God.
Patterns in scripture show that words which originate from God will always point people towards the purposes of God. The outworking of different spiritual gifts (word of prophecy, word of knowledge, word of encouragement, discerning of spirits) will widely differ in what the word points to, but still with the primary foundation of fulfilling the purposes of God. We see this reinforced throughout scripture:
- The revelation of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53, Revelation 19:10, John 4:29)
- Glorifying God the Father (Isaiah 46:9-10, John 17:1-5)
- Who God is (Revelation 1:8, John 1:1-5, Psalm 86:15, Deuteronomy 32:4, Lamentations 3:22-23)
- When, where or how things are going to happen (Matthew 24, Luke 22:34, Acts 11:28)
- Who we are in Christ (Romans 8:15-17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 2:9)
- Pointing to righteousness and exposing sin (Matthew 23, 1 Kings 18:21, Mark 6:17-18, Jeremiah 7)
- Revealing God’s intended purpose or commission (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Kings 19:19-21)
Prophets give God the glory, they do not seek it for themselves. Prophecy or words of knowledge are not to impress the hearers but to point people towards the one true God. God’s prophets spoke with language that glorified God and revealed Jesus.
John 7:18 (NIV) “Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”
Isaiah 42:8 (NIV) “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
Luke 6:26 (NIV) “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”
If prophetic words or words of knowledge do not align with the purposes of God, that is an immediate cause for concern. If prophetic words continually draw attention towards the one prophesying, that is a big red flag. Words that originate from God reveal Jesus and bring glory to the Father; they don’t wow people with talent.
5. PATTERNS AND CONTRASTS
When testing prophecy, patterns that we see in scripture can be contrasted with examples of false prophecy and false prophets. As well as origin, accuracy, correlation, and purpose, the Bible highlights patterns of heart motivation and the lifestyle of prophets in regard to integrity, doctrine, teaching, sin, and repentance.
While God’s prophets are set apart for the work of the ministry, prophets should also have good fellowship with credible senior leaders in the body of Christ. Isolation breeds error. The same goes for those with the gift of prophecy. Scripture gives clear teaching about discipleship, fellowship, unity in the Spirit, and the whole body working and joined together (1 Corinthians 12:1-31, Ephesians 4:1-16, Romans 12:3-8).
When contrasting godly prophecy with false prophecy, it is vital to recognise the right place to do this from. If there are words that might be of different origin, we should never study anything about witchcraft or the occult. Scripture is very clear to shun evil (Proverbs 14:16), not engage with the occult (Leviticus 19:31), and to flee idolatry and the demonic (Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 10:14-22). We are not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly (Psalm 1:1) but rather to fix our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1). We don’t study the counterfeit to discover the counterfeit.
SUMMARY
A good analogy of testing prophecy is to look at how bank tellers identify counterfeit notes. The way they learn is not to study lots of fake currency. Rather, they study genuine notes of different denominations. Through constant use they become very familiar with each identifying characteristic such as size, placement of serial numbers, and images. A good bank teller can instantly tell a counterfeit note, because they have spent hours studying the real thing. Paper money often has security features, such as coloured threads, a holograph, or watermarks. But this evidence can only be discovered when you hold the note up to the light.
When testing any word which is claimed to be from God, scripture will always light the way. Jesus is the light of the world, and we are exhorted to walk in His light as we test both the words spoken and the lifestyle lived.
1 John 1:7 (NIV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
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