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Peter warned that just as there were false prophets in Old Testament times, "there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies..." (2 Pt 2:1). The Apostle John declared that already in his day "many false prophets are
gone out into the world" (l Jn 4:1). How much more must we beware of false prophets as the prophesied last-days apostasy reaches its climax in preparing the world and a false church for the Antichrist. Knowing, loving and obeying God's Word is the only sure way not to be led astray.
Any one of the Bible's six marks of false prophets is sufficient identification: 1) through signs and wonders they lead astray after false gods (Dt 13:1-4); 2) their prophecies don't come to pass (Dt 18:20-22); 3) they contradict God's Word (Is 8:20); 4) they bear bad fruit (Mt7:18-20); 5) all men speak well of them (Lk 6:26); 6) they deny that Jesus, the one and only Christ, has come once and for all in the flesh (1 Jn 4:3).
How tragic that God's personal letter of love and guidance to His own is so neglected today by those who call themselves Christians! Many who profess to know God and to serve Him have little or no thirst for His Word. Instead, they seek signs and wonders, emotional experiences, new revelations, the latest "move," or the gifts rather than the Giver. As a result, they are susceptible to "every wind of doctrine" (Eph 4:14) and fall prey to false teachers who "through covetousness...with feigned
words make merchandise" (2 Pt 2:3) of them, "supposing that gain is godliness" (1 Tm 6:5). The popular lie of "seed faith" - that a gift to a ministry opens the door to miracles and prosperity - deceives and promotes covetousness among millions ignorant of God's Word.
The fulfillment of biblical prophecies is the great proof of God's existence, that the Bible is
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His Word and that Jesus Christ is the promised Savior. The false prophecies of many of today's Christian leaders are a loud warning. Heed it! Most cults are
founded upon false prophecies, which, if pointed out, offer an effective way to open blind eyes and rescue cultists.
Among the false prophets throughout history were a number of the popes. As one example, Pope Gregory XI's papal bull of 1372 (In Coena Domini) pronounced papal dominion over the entire Christian world, secular and religious, and excommunicated all who failed to obey the popes and to pay them taxes. In Coena was confirmed by subsequent popes, and in 1568 Pope Pius V swore that it was to remain an eternal law. Instead, in 1870, two months after the Vatican pronounced papal infallibility, Rome was liberated from papal dominion by Italy's army and Pope Pius IX took refuge in the Vatican, all that remained of what had been a vast empire.
Mimicking the popes, Sun Myung Moon prophesied decades ago that he would take over the world. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
founder of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement, declared that 1975 was the first year in "The Age of Enlightenment," 1977 was "The Year of the Ideal Society," and 1978 "The Year of Invincibility of Every Nation." No comment
is necessary. Herbert W. Armstrong predicted that his Worldwide Church of God would be raptured to the ancient city of Petra in 1972 and that Christ would return to the earth in 1975 (a favorite date of many cults). In the 1970s Elijah Muhammad
prophesied to his Black Muslim followers that God's return to North America was imminent.
Mormonism boasts of its prophets - but they have all been false. In 1833, founding prophet
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mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old...to the condition of human perfection."2 The JWs even built a house in San Diego where the patriarchs were to live and tried to deed it to King David. (The house was quietly sold in 1954.)
In the early 1940s, JWs were declaring that Armageddon, only months away, would end World War II and the defeat of the Nazis would usher in God's rule on earth.3 Their book, Children, suggested that plans to marry and have children be postponed until after Armageddon. It's been a long wait! Not giving up, they later prophesied that God's millennial kingdom would commence in 1975. Again JWs were told not to engage in any plans for this world, including marriage and having
children. Many quit their jobs, sold their homes and dedicated themselves to going door to door.
Seventh-Day Adventism (SDA) originated with similar false prophesies about Christ's coming. (We offer an excellent book.) It began with William Miller's prediction that Christ would return in 1843 (revised to October 22, 1844). Miller admitted his error. However, SDA prophetess Ellen G. White (EGW), who had repeatedly endorsed Miller's prophecy, insisted that Christ had indeed come, but not to earth. Instead, He had entered "the holy of holies" in heaven "to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits."4 Entitled? Many quotes could be given to prove that EGW taught salvation by works. Here are a few:
"Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny...though ...forgotten by us, they [our works] will bear their testimony to justify or condemn. "5
"When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life..."6
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