False Prophets False Promises

False teachers are expected in every season of the Church. They existed even in ancient Israel as the time of judgment quickly approached.

Ezekiel 13:1–3 (ESV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ 3 Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Ezekiel, like Jeremiah before him, describes in great detail the actions of these distorted ambassadors of the Lord. 

First, their prophesy comes from their hearts, not a vision or visitation from the Lord. They are following what Jeremiah called the most deceptive part of the human body—the emotional will, identified as the "heart." 

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Ezekiel continues:

Ezekiel 13:6 (ESV) They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the LORD,’ when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.

They follow what Ezekiel terms, "divinations". These were ancient occult practices prohibited in Torah. They also expected God to act according to their words instead of the true prophets who acted according to God's Word. 

A false prophet speaks from their heart and expects God to bend to their own will. Many such preachers are filling many of America's pulpits today. 

Ezekiel continues with more illustrative language:

Ezekiel 13:10–12 (ESV) Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. 12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’

This is an interesting text. The prophets are like people who build a wall that cannot stand but paint it to make it appear strong. That wall will fall simply because of weather conditions, nevermind an invading army. Then, when it falls, people won't care about the facade they applied to it. The effort of a false prophet is to make flimsy statements/promises/exhortations appear better than they are. Smooth speech and clever-sounding arguments can appear to be truth when, in fact, they contradict the Author of all Truth. They will not last, just as the man who built his house on sand will be blown away in Jesus' parable (Matthew 7:24-29). 

Yet the Lord promises that His judgment will be the end of their false pretense. Their wall will fall along with them. 

Ezekiel 13:15–16 (ESV) Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.

So, we have a composite of the false preachers of Ezekiel's day that we can apply as a filter for finding a good preacher in our day. Does that preacher speak from his heart or from the Word of God? Does that preacher expect God to bless what you do or teach you to do what God blesses? Does that preacher never confront sin and the evil of your heart, promising only peace when God's anger will one day come to bear upon all disobedience? If so, run from such men and find those who will offend you with the truth and draw your heart back to righteousness. 

Amen.