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Tests of a Prophet

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Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying . . . —1 Samuel 15:10

In the Garden of Eden, there was face-to-face communication between God and man. Sin ended that but did not end our Creator’s desire to communicate with humanity.

Old Testament scripture is filled with messages from Him.

One who received a message from God and faithfully transmitted it to the people was called a prophet. One who was shown future events was called a seer.

Samuel was both a seer and a prophet.

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7; see also 2 Peter 1:21).

But how is one to know a prophetic message is from God? We are told false prophets will arise in the last days (Matthew 24:11). Fortunately, there are tests by which we may examine whether a prophet claiming a message from the Lord is, in truth, a heavenly messenger.

Does the message agree with the Bible and confirm the Ten Commandments? “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). God’s law does not change (James 1:17)! Do their prophecies come to pass? “The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him” (Jeremiah 28:9; see also Deuteronomy 18:21, 22). Do they confess Jesus Christ is the Son of God come in the flesh? “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:2, 3). Does the prophet bear “good fruit”? Is the prophet’s life a positive influence? “Beware of false prophets. . . . Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15, 16; see also vv. 18–20). Does the prophet’s message bring unity to the church? (see Ephesians 4:11–16). “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).