How do we know prophets are prophets?
Upvote:4
Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
The Bible foretold that there will be many false prophets attempting to deceive the followers of Christ. It also tells of ways one can use to determine if someone is a true prophet or not.
Matt 7:15 ¶Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
"By their fruits ye shall know them" From the beginning God has always reviled His word to us through His chosen prophets.Amos 3:7 He has said that His church will be built upon the foundation of Prophets and Apostles.Eph. 2:19–20 If Christ' church exists on the earth today, He will lead it and reveal His word to us through those chosen men. To recognize a prophet we first need to know what the role of a prophet is and what they have done in the past under the direction of God.
"As a messenger of God, a prophet receives commandments, prophecies, and revelations from God. His responsibility is to make known God’s will and true character to mankind and to show the meaning of his dealings with them. A prophet denounces sin and foretells its consequences. He is a preacher of righteousness. On occasion, prophets may be inspired to foretell the future for the benefit of mankind. His primary responsibility, however, is to bear witness of Christ."
These are the things that prophets have done since the beginning. If one claims to be a prophet and these are not his fruits, he is not a true prophet.
Last of all a real conformation if one is a prophet has to come through the Holy Ghost. John 14:26 John 16:13 Acts 5:32
Upvote:5
The prophets of the Old Testament frequently brought warnings, adjuring the people (or the recipients of the message) to change...or else.
Deuteronomy 18:22 (NASB)
When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken.
This is the real test of any prophet.
The prophets frequently performed miracles or knew things that they couldn't have known (Nathan, 2 Sa 12:7) to prove that they were from God. Some had already an already established reputation as a prophet (i.e. Elijah, Elisha, ...) and didn't need to prove it every time they delivered their messages.
I suspect that in addition to these things, the people to whom the messages were sent could tell that the message was real because it rang true in their consciences. Typically, when God tells people to do something (as opposed to warning them about their sin), he adds a miracle as a "signature." (Is 38:8)
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