A Word From
The LORD To the Prophets!
Jeremiah 23:16-40 NKJV
“Thus says
The LORD of Hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to
you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from
the mouth of The LORD.
They
continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, you shall have
peace’; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates (stubbornness or
imagination) of their own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’
For who has
stood in the council of The LORD, and has perceived and heard His Word? Who has
marked His Word and heard it?
Behold, a
whirlwind of The LORD has gone forth in fury–a violent whirlwind! It will fall
violently on the head of the wicked.
The anger of
The LORD will not turn back until He has executed and preformed the thought of
His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.
I have not
sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them yet they
prophesied.
But if they
had stood in My Counsel, and had caused My People to hear My Words, then they
would have turned them from the evil of their doings.
‘Am I a GOD
near at hand,’ says The LORD, ‘and not a GOD afar off? Can anyone hide himself
in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says The LORD.
I have heard
what the prophets said who prophesy lies in My Name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I
have dreamed!’
How long
will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are
prophets of the deceit of their own heart.
Who try to
make My People forget My Name by their dreams which everyone tells his
neighbor, as their fathers forgot My Name for baal.
The prophet
who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My Word, let him speak My
Word faithfully. ‘What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says The LORD.
‘Is not My
Word like a fire?’ says The LORD, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in
pieces?’
‘Therefore
behold, I Am against the prophets,’ says The LORD, ‘who steal My Words everyone
from his neighbor.
‘Behold, I
Am against the prophets,’ says The LORD, ‘who use their tongues and say, “He
says.”’
‘Behold I Am
against those who prophesy false dreams,’ says The LORD, and tell them, and
cause My People to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not
sent them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this People at all,
says The LORD.
So when
these People or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, ‘What is The Oracle
(Burden) of The LORD?’ you shall then say to them, ‘What Oracle? (You are the
burden) I will even forsake you, says The LORD.’
And as for
the prophet and the priest and the People who say, ‘The Oracle of The LORD!’ I
will even punish that man and his house.
Thus every one of you shall say to his
neighbor, and every one to his brother, ‘What has The LORD Answered?’ and ‘What
has The LORD Spoken?’
And the
Oracle of The LORD you shall mention no more. For every man’s word will be his
oracle, for you have perverted the Words of The Living GOD, The LORD of Hosts,
our GOD.
Thus you
shall say to the prophet, ‘What has The LORD Answered you?’ and ‘What has The
LORD Spoken?’
But since
you say, ‘The Oracle of The LORD’ therefore thus says The LORD: ‘Because you
say this word, “The Oracle of The LORD!” and I have sent you, saying, ‘Do not
say, “The Oracle of The LORD!” therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget
you and forsake you, and the City that I gave you and your fathers, and will
cast you out of My Presence.
And I will
bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not
be forgotten.’”
The first 15
verses of Jeremiah 23 is specifically to the prophets prophesying about Israel
and Jerusalem. The rest of the chapter is to the prophets at that time but also
to all prophets for every generation. Today especially we see and hear prophets
prophesying peace and prosperity to the Church, America and the world. Yet the
signs of the time according to the Bible do not say peace and prosperity. The
Biblical signs of the time say great darkness and persecution are coming upon
the earth and the Church.
With great
persecution comes great revival, but the persecution comes first. There will be
great darkness upon the earth and the Church because there is much evil in the
earth and much deception in the Church. During the darkest hour the brightness
of the true Followers of CHRIST will shine so bright that many wishy washy
Christians and many non-believers will repent and come to The LORD JESUS before
His return. This will cause even more persecution and as the army of darkness
move toward Jerusalem, CHRIST will come and judge His enemies and establish His
1000 year reign over the nations from Jerusalem.
A few NT
scriptures about prophets and prophesy:
“How is it
then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a
teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things
be done for edification (building up)…Let two or three prophets speak, and let
the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the
first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and
all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the
prophets. For GOD is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the
Churches of the Saints.” 1 Corinthians 14:26-33
“For we did
not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and
coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, but were eyewitnesses of His Majesty. For He
received from GOD The Father Honor and Glory when such a voice came to Him from
the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I Am well pleased.’ And
we heard this voice which came from Heaven when we were Him on the Holy
Mountain. And so we have the prophetic Word confirmed, which you do well to
heed as a Light that shines in a dark place, until the Day dawns and The
Morning Star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of
Scripture is of any private interpretation (or origin), for prophecy never came
by the will of man, but holy men of GOD spoke as they were moved by The HOLY
SPIRIT.” 2 Peter 1:16-21
“Now he who
keeps His Commandments abides in Him and He in him. And by this we know that He
abides in us, by The SPIRIT Whom He has given us. Beloved, do not believe every
spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of GOD; because many false
prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know The SPIRIT of GOD:
Every spirit that confessed that JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh is of GOD,
and every spirit that does not confess that JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh
is not of GOD. And this is the spirit of the anti-christ, which you have heard
was coming and is now already in the world.” 1 John 3:24-4:3
“Then he
said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those called to the marriage supper of The
Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the True Sayings of GOD.’ And I fell at
his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am
your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the Testimony of JESUS.
Worship GOD! For the Testimony of JESUS is the SPIRIT of Prophesy.’” Revelation
19:9-10
If you are a
born again Christian, a Follower of JESUS then you should be familiar with The
Word of GOD, The Bible. We all should be reading it and studying it as often as
we can! We will all someday stand at the judgment seat of GOD and be judged for
how we lived our life. There are many Christians who do not have a sufficient
relationship with GOD, are not familiar with His SPIRIT or His Word and
therefore can easily be fooled by good sounding teaching and prophecy that lead
them to hell!
“Remind them
of these things, charging them before The LORD not to strive about words to no
profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be
diligent to present yourself approved to GOD, a worker who does not need to be
ashamed, rightly dividing The Word of Truth. But shun profane and idle
babblings (empty chatter), for they will increase (lead) to more
ungodliness…All Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
(training, discipline), that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:14-16…3:16-17
Seek GOD
First!