Jehoshaphat asked if there was another prophet who could give a second opinion. They merely said what the king wanted to hear and collected their salary from the royal treasury. Jehoshaphat’s suspicions were correct: they were Ahab’s “yes men,” false prophets who had no concern for relating the true Word of God. Jehoshaphat heard the predictions of victory from Ahab’s 400 counselors but suspected that these men were false prophets who did not have the mind of the Lord. In 1 Kings 22, King Jehoshaphat of Judah sought counsel from the Lord before he and King Ahab of Israel embarked on their mission to retake the city of Ramoth in Gilead. Israel could not always discern the difference between a true and false prophet. Yet they look for the LORD’s support and say, ‘Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us’” (Micah 3:11 see also Nehemiah 6:12–13 Jeremiah 6:13–14 Ezekiel 13:19 2 Peter 2:1–3). Often false prophets were hired for payment or spoke their messages for financial gain: “Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Naturally, the people of Judah preferred the pleasant messages of the false prophets: “Don’t tell us what is right. While Jeremiah foretold the grim truth of coming desolation upon Jerusalem (Jeremiah 4), the false prophets promised peace (Jeremiah 6:14 8:11). True prophets are motivated by loyalty to God above all else, whereas false prophets are motivated by self-interest and a desire to be popular among the people (1 Kings 22:13–14).

God distances Himself from all false prophets: “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:21).Īnother difference between true prophets and false prophets in the Bible is motivation. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD’” (Jeremiah 23:16 see also 14:14 23:25–32 Ezekiel 13:1–7).

Rather than speak the Word of the Lord, false prophets delivered messages that originated in their own hearts and minds: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you they fill you with false hopes. The primary difference between men like Jeremiah-a true prophet of God-and false prophets was their source of information.

They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds’” (Jeremiah 14:14 see also 23:21–33 Zechariah 10:2). I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. In the book of Jeremiah, we encounter a clear description of false prophets: “Then the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. In the Old Testament, the actual term false prophet does not occur, but references to false prophets are evident and abundant. The Bible denounces false prophets for leading people astray. False prophets functioned in their prophetic role illegitimately or for the purpose of deception. In the Bible, false prophets also spoke on behalf of false gods. A false prophet is a person who spreads false teachings or messages while claiming to speak the Word of God.

False prophets bible verse esv