14/10/2025
15 SIGNS OF A FALSE PROPHETS
Throughout Scripture, God warns His people about false prophets who speak lies while claiming divine authority. From the Old Testament to the New, they appear as spiritual guides but secretly promote deception, greed, and pride. Jesus and the apostles taught believers to test every spirit and to discern between genuine revelation and falsehood. Below are the clear biblical indicators of a false prophet, drawn from both Scriptural principles and modern examples of prophetic abuse within religious movements.
1. Self-Exaltation Over Godโs Glory
False prophets promote themselves rather than God. They elevate their title, fame, and ministry name above Christโs lordship. Their followers often quote them more than Scripture, and their โpropheciesโ draw attention to their importance instead of pointing to Jesus. True prophets glorify God, not self.
๐ โHe must increase, but I must decrease.โ (John 3:30)
2. Doctrinal Corruption or False Teachings
They twist Scripture to suit personal beliefs, using pastor-centric and anthropocentric eisegesis. Verses are lifted out of context to justify their authority or promote man-centered teachings. Instead of the message of repentance and holiness, they preach comfort, flattery, and emotional sensationalism. Their prophecies contradict the Word of God, revealing that they are driven by imagination, not inspiration.
๐ โIf they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.โ (Isaiah 8:20)
3. Materialism and Greed
False prophets are obsessed with money, luxury, and worldly gain. They manipulate people through prosperity gospel and seed faith teachings, promising wealth and success in exchange for offerings. They commercialize prophecy, treating spiritual gifts as a product for sale. Godโs Word condemns such behavior as exploitation.
๐ โIn their greed, these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.โ (2 Peter 2:3)
4. False Miracles and Emotional Manipulation
They use emotional hype and staged performances to imitate divine power. People may fall, shout, or weep, but there is no true transformation of the heart. Some rely on edited videos or fake testimonies to appear powerful. They emphasize the spectacular over the spiritual, the emotional over the biblical.
๐ โFor false Christs and false prophets shall arise and shall show great signs and wonders to deceive.โ (Matthew 24:24)
5. Unfulfilled and Contradictory Prophecies
A consistent pattern of failed prophecies reveals a false messenger. They often set dates for blessings, revival, or judgment that never come to pass. When their words fail, they blame the peopleโs โlack of faithโ or claim that โGod changed His mind.โ True prophecy is infallible because it comes from Godโs Spirit, not human imagination.
๐ โWhen a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken.โ (Deuteronomy 18:22)
6. Moral Compromise and Secret Sin
False prophets live double lives. They preach holiness while hiding immorality, greed, or pride. Many have been exposed for scandals, deceit, or abusive behavior yet continue ministering as if nothing happened. Instead of repentance, they defend their reputation. This hypocrisy disqualifies them from genuine ministry.
๐ โBy their fruits you shall know them.โ (Matthew 7:16)
7. Emotionalism Over Truth
False prophets rely heavily on emotion, noise, and spectacle to keep people impressed. They promote tears, shouting, and goosebumps as evidence of the Holy Spirit, yet neglect biblical teaching and sound doctrine. Emotionalism without truth leads to deception, as people mistake excitement for anointing.
๐ โThey have seduced my people, saying, Peace, when there is no peace.โ (Ezekiel 13:10)
8. Fear and Control
They use fear-based prophecy to control followers. People are threatened with curses, sickness, or poverty if they question or leave the ministry. Prophecies become tools of manipulation rather than messages of encouragement. Genuine prophecy edifies and brings freedom, not bo***ge.
๐ โWhere the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.โ (2 Corinthians 3:17)
9. False Claims of Divine Appointment
False prophets often declare themselves โGodโs chosen one,โ โthe last messenger,โ or โthe appointed son of God.โ They exalt their office above the Church and treat disagreement as rebellion against heaven. Such claims reflect pride and spiritual delusion, not divine calling.
๐ โFor such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.โ (2 Corinthians 11:13)
10. Focus on Sensationalism Instead of Salvation
Their ministry centers on dreams, visions, numbers, and predictions instead of the message of repentance and salvation. Prophecy becomes entertainment. People flock to hear โnew revelations,โ but rarely hear about the cross, holiness, or the blood of Jesus. True prophecy leads to conviction and repentance, not excitement or applause.
๐ โThe testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.โ (Revelation 19:10)
11. Denial of Sound Doctrine
False prophets subtly reject essential doctrines of the faith, such as the deity of Jesus, the oneness of God, or the necessity of new birth in water and Spirit. They promote distorted versions of the gospel that appeal to human pride and comfort. Such deviation reveals a spirit of deception at work.
๐ โEven if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel, let him be accursed.โ (Galatians 1:8)
12. Division and Disorder
False prophets divide the body of Christ through slander and rivalry. They claim exclusive revelation that no one else has, slandering other ministers or coworkers in the gospel because of pride, jealousy and insecurities. Instead of unity in truth, they sow confusion and competition. Godโs true prophets always promote true doctrine and never abandon it, they never adopt new dangerous teachings such as prosperity gospel or new age teachings that will cause strife and division to the body of Christ.
๐ โMark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them.โ (Romans 16:17)
13. False Humility and Manipulated Image
They often pretend to be humble while secretly seeking recognition. They display exaggerated acts of holiness, crying or kneeling in public to appear spiritual, while using these moments to gain admiration. This false humility is another layer of deception that hides the craving for praise.
๐ โHaving a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.โ (2 Timothy 3:5)
14. Rejection of Accountability
Like cultic leaders, false prophets refuse correction. They answer to no one, claiming only God can judge them. They reject church discipline, isolate themselves, and surround their ministry with loyal followers who never question. This independence leads to moral decay and spiritual blindness.
๐ โRebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father.โ (1 Timothy 5:1)
15. Personal Revelation or Prophecy That Contradicts the Word of God
True prophecy, visions, and divine revelations are still real and active today through the Holy Spirit. God still speaks to His people in dreams, visions, and prophetic utterances but genuine revelation from God will never contradict or replace the written Word. False prophets often claim divine messages that twist or oppose Scripture to promote self-glory, false doctrine, or manipulation.
The Holy Spirit always confirms the Word of God, never adds or subtracts from it. Every revelation must be tested by Scripture and the Spirit of truth.
Any true revelation should bring edification to the church, remind believers of the soon return of Christ, warn against sin and immorality, preach righteousness and holiness, rebuke false teachings and Glorifying Christ . False prophets, however, use so-called revelations to promote self-glory, material gain, and deception. The Holy Spirit never speaks outside or contrary to the written Word, and any message that does is not from God.
๐ โBeloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.โ (1 John 4:1)
๐ โTo the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them.โ (Isaiah 8:20)