Identifying False Teachers and Prophets

 

Identifying False Teachers and Prophets 

excerpt Truth Gathering, exhaustive AKJV Topical Bible of all critical-to-salvation subjects, chapters 2 and 12, ©copyright 2003 Bonita M Quesinberry, R.C., for Truth Seekers and Speakers (TSaS), link to TSaS on blog homepage.  

TSaS member Albert has posed to the group, “How can we discern false preachers, pastors, theologians and prophets from God’s true disciples?” He also included identifying false brethren. This TSaS response is very brief, but only because Albert has so thoroughly addressed it in his answer on how to compare them to God’s truth speakers and teachers, to-wit: the Lord’s disciples.  

There are two AKJV Bible passages that, in TSaS’s considered opinion, clearly define God’s true from Satan’s false: one in Isaiah, which is quoted by Albert, and Daniel’s description of false teachers and prophets who would appear on the scene after Jesus ascended to heaven. The following are paraphrased for clarity: 

Isaiah 8:16,20— Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. They speak God’s Law and His testimony, for there is light in them. If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.  

Daniel 7:25— [False teachers and prophets] speak great words that are against the most High’s [Words], wearing out the saints of the most High, and they changed God’s times and Laws, [teaching their own for God’s]. 

See also Romans 1:1-6; Galatians 1:6-10. The gospel of God was preached by Jesus, and the gospel of Christ, which was God’s, was preached by His Apostles. What was said in the New Testament was first said in the Old. There is nothing new and nothing changed; save and except the fact that Jesus became the ultimate sacrificial lamb in place of a literal lamb. Believing Gentiles must obey as though a Jew, else be not grafted into the Jewish Tree of Life; and, all Jews who do not obey are cut from the Jewish Tree of Life. 

Sadly, the vast majority of people are under a misguided opinion that their denomination of choice teaches all 12 of God’s Commandments, “as given in the beginning,” which Paul stated. “In the beginning” refers us back to Moses and the stone tablets, set out in both Exodus c.20 and Deuteronomy c.5: other Old Testament books citing the two royal laws of love long before Jesus came repeating those two upon which depend the Ten. Then, they teach that we really can’t obey all the Law, so we are not to worry about it: Jesus will forgive us each time we knowingly sin.  

NOT TRUE! However, once having repented of all known sins, and never repeating them again, Christ will forgive sins of which we are not aware— UNTIL we become aware. For instance, many believers today do not know they are violating all the Commandments by not obeying the fourth one. Once they have been given the truth of this matter, then they elect to continue to disobey that Law, they will not be forgiven nor bear the Seal of the One True Living God; effectively barring their own self from eternal life. 

Leviticus 19:18, Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12-13, 11:1,13, 13:3-5, Joshua 22:5 and Nehemiah 1:5,9 clearly cite God saying, “Love the Lord thy God with all your heart and soul and with all your might; and, love your neighbor as yourself.” Deuteronomy 13:5 goes on to add that, IF YOU DO LOVE GOD, YOU WILL OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS.  

Thus, Jesus came speaking no new commandments, albeit false teachers say He did give two new precepts; rather, He cited the same two royal laws God has given and added that upon them hang all the law and the prophets. To “hang upon” means to “depend upon.” Therefore, Christ was saying the same as what God had said: one cannot hope or even be motivated to obey the Ten Precepts unless they truly love God in order to obey the first four precepts, and truly love their neighbor thus obeying the last six laws. Jesus included the ancient prophets in His statement simply because they both obeyed and spoke God’s testimony and Law; just as He did. True love for God and neighbor stimulates a desire to obey God’s Laws: written on the fleshy table of our heart, as it were. 

Following Jesus’ ministry, the Apostles then taught the same message of obedience through faith: faith that obeying those Laws are in one’s own best interest and faith that in doing so will prompt God to keep His promise of everlasting life. When Israel obeyed, it was because they feared God’s wrath as opposed to obeying His Law because they trusted that God required it in their best interest; therefore acknowledging that God knows and understands more than they did or that we do. This is exactly why God’s Ten Precepts are also Biblically noted as the Statutes of Life and Law of Liberty; for in our obedience by faith and love, we will be spared a second death: provided, of course, that we have accepted Jesus as God’s Son. 

In reality, false disciples teach almost exclusively the two royal laws— citing them as new commandments issued by Christ, designed to replace the Ten, and the only ones that count in the end— yet, ironically, they will, from time to time, mention 12 precepts while effective reducing one to read simply, “Keep thou the Sabbath holy”— then persuade their followers to be in church every Sunday. It would be difficult for them to encourage Sunday attendance if they quoted in whole the true fourth Precept. Unless, of course, a person has absolutely no concept of what is the first day of the week and what is the last day. Review the whole: 

Exodus 20:8-11— Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger [heathen] that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it [made it holy]. 

Jesus then came along adamantly stating, “I also am Lord of the Sabbath!” This should lend a clue that there is something quite special about this seventh day. If nothing else, it identifies God and His Christ as the ones whom true believers serve. And, by their observance of God’s Sabbath, in the manner He prescribed in Isaiah 58:6-8,10,13-14, they are identified as both God’s and Christ’s servants. Additional scriptures state, “Blessed is the person who obeys God’s Sabbath, Jew or heathen, and cursed are those who do not.” To observe any other day as the Sabbath reveals another god and identifies that god’s followers, putting those persons in danger of being judged twice dead. 

Therefore, the seventh day Sabbath is both God’s and Christ’s seal of authority to enforce God’s Laws over those who observe and keep holy the day as well as God’s remaining Statutes of Life. After all, within Exodus 20:8-11 appear all four criteria required for a valid seal of authority, whether corporeal or spiritual; and, in Ezekiel 20:12,20 God clearly tells us that the seventh day Sabbath is His SEAL— sign, seal, mark, and token being synonymous words— indicating that all who bear God’s seal have been sanctified by Him or by His Christ. Christ’s claim to the same seal makes perfect sense: He is the Son of God, thus He expects the same obedience to the day He shares with His Father. 

It is a historical fact that the seventh day of the week is Saturday; always has been and always will be. Look to the Jewish faith for confirmation; of which Christianity is supposed to be merely an extension. Nonetheless, over the last 6000 years, calendars have undergone a number of changes: both the Jewish as well as those of pagans, changes which affected only the number of days in a year or in a month as well as the number of months in a year or which month would represent the first month of the year: Jewish and pagan finally settling on 12 months of 360-365 days in a year.  

There have been several attempts to change the line up of week days— specifically to get people to accept Monday as the first day and Sunday as the seventh, making a blasphemous day appear to be God’s true Sabbath— but, each time it was met with strong opposition thus never accepted. This is no surprise, for our Lord stated that He would preserve His Truths. Ironically, the United States federal government and its armed forces do use calendars showing Monday as the first day and Sunday as the last weekday. Sunday always has been the first day and Saturday the seventh. But, what about “times.” 

Genesis shows God establishing a day as extending from evening to evening: because the world began in darkness; thus night came first, then He created light for the daytime hours. For example, Sabbath begins at sundown Friday and ends at sundown Saturday, the next day beginning at sundown and so forth. False speakers changed a day to begin at midnight, which comes straight out of paganism.  

In the last decade or more, some denominations have begun holding services on Saturday evenings, due to some members’ concerns regarding God’s fourth Statute, erroneously leading people to believe they are observing God’s true Sabbath by attending church on Saturday nights; when, in fact, it’s already Sunday by God’s time standard. Obviously, these same people have no idea what God calls a day, short of reading Genesis.  

The above move also is an effort to bring Sabbath keepers into their blasphemous synagogues: which is to walk right back into that which God said to “come out of.” Even daylight savings practices cannot affect God’s true Sabbath: the sun will rise and the sun will set according to God’s timing, regardless of mankind’s clock settings. 

Further, false speakers interpret God’s prophecies to suit the desires of the world as well as altering timelines of each prophecy they’ve discerned by the world— as opposed to spiritually— therefore grossly leading their people astray while leaving them totally unprepared for Christ’s soon return. To be unprepared is to be left behind very “dead from one end of earth to the other end and the eagles are called to feast upon them,” while Christ’s sheep are “escorted to the sure, safe haven of heaven for 1000 years.”  

False speakers teach some prophecies having been fulfilled in part, with the remainder to be fulfilled thousands of years later: setting God and His Word wholly out of character. This maliciously directs people to seek signs today that were long ago fulfilled— in essence, causing them to believe Christ won’t come until they see those signs. There are numerous ways in which false prophets have misinterpreted God’s prophecies, while at the same time earning billions of dollars through the promotion of their lies by the use of various available medias: books, television and movies. Lies are about money; lots of it. 

God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Apostles made it abundantly clear that even “one falsehood amidst God’s truth renders the whole a deception.” So let us suppose the only lie being taught among various denominations is that of God’s Sabbath: Saturday exchanged for Sunday. This being the case, how can anyone believe anything else they teach? If they will promote even one lie, there is absolutely NO assurance the people are getting any of God’s Truth! Besides which, this particular falsity renders the one who believes the lie void of God’s seal upon their forehead: twice dead. 

The fact is, and for any number of reasons, there is not one denomination coming even close to fitting the Biblical description of Christ’s church; which clarifies exactly why Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, so shall I be.” This also accounts for the description of His flocks as being “small” in number. 

Our Saviour condemned all false preachers, pastors, theologians, and prophets of His time as well as in the generations to come; saying instead that those who are NOT schooled in man’s Bible seminaries— babes, as it were— would perfect praise and teach Truth. Despite His declaration, the vast majority of people continue to believe and blindly follow only ordained ministers and their prophets: the very ones “who slay their own people for lack of truth.” They reign by way of persuasive power strengthened by certificates of ordination from man’s schools of theology and, in exchange for your loyalty and money, they promise wealth, peace, and happiness now and later in paradise. 

Last, there are people who will believe only those preachers, pastors, theologians and prophets who are related to them: mother, father, brother, sister, uncle and so forth. Just because someone is a family member who just happens to be in a ministry does not guarantee that he or she speaks God’s Truth. Nor can one be assured they are not false ministers and prophets. Else Christ would not have warned that those who will turn against His sheep are those of his or her own household, family as it were. Further, Paul revealed the deceit of Satan’s synagogues: “Why are you surprised Satan can manifest himself as an angel of light and that his ministers can do the same?” 

God’s consistent complaint with Israel, as noted in Isaiah 30:8-9, was their habitual return to disobedience of His Commandments; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 further advising us that the whole duty of mankind is to obey God’s Statutes. Then, in Romans 2:12-13,15,18, Paul states clearly that “those who sin without God’s Law will PERISH without His Law; and, those who sin aware of God’s law shall be JUDGED by that law: therefore, the hearers of God’s Law are not justified; but, the DOERS OF GOD’S LAW SHALL BE JUSTIFIED. How much plainer must God’s requirements be in order that people turn to His total Law instead of mankind’s altered form of it? Revelation even confirms this same premise three times— 12:17, 14:12, 22:14. 

Yet, religious leaders say we are dead to the Law? The only aspect of God’s Law to which only the obedient are exempt is the condemnation built into the Law; this is to say, the penalty for violating God’s Law, which penalty is to be rendered twice dead. There is no scripture in existence saying we are dead to obeying His Precepts. After all, scripture tells us that to commit sin IS to violate the Law. 

Isaiah 8, verses 16 and 20, truly make it abundantly clear who are false teachers versus who are Spirit anointed speakers: the latter speak the loving testimony of both God and His Christ as well as teach only God’s Law, His Doctrine, because there is light in them. There was light in God’s various chosen ancient prophets, there was light in Jesus, there was light in His Apostles, save and except Judas, and there is light in the few truly anointed today: who, sadly, go unheeded amidst the roar of false teachers and prophets.  

After all, false leaders can shout louder and have ample financial resources you’ve provided to surround the globe with their lies, masking truth speakers by their sheer strength and volume, accessibility to civil powers, as well as their exceeding numbers of supporting followers: these latter of whom are to be considered false brethren. False leaders and brethren alike are quick to denounce truth speakers as “legalists, blasphemers and doers of Satan’s work.” Their formal ordination causes people to believe them thus quickly denouncing truth speakers. As in Christ’s day, so it is today; only getting worse. 

Do you still believe you are being directed by God’s true disciples: the ones who lead the denomination of your choice? Or, has this article cast shadows on what you’ve believed until now, doubt of your leaders and those denominations Biblically known as Satan’s synagogues? There is much more light to be shed, for their lies know absolutely no bounds. 

 

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