Lesson 22
Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, wanted to recapture the town of Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians. But he needed help, so he asked good King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join his campaign against their common enemy. Jehoshaphat said he was willing to join forces with Ahab, but that they should first seek God's counsel.
Ahab had forsaken the Lord years earlier to worship the pagan god Baal, so he called in 400 hired prophets to come before the two monarchs. With dramatic display, these false prophets said, "Go and fight the Syrians, and you will be victorious!" But King Jehoshaphat requested to hear from a true prophet of the Lord. Ahab said that there was one prophet of Jehovah left whose name was Micaiah, but he added, "I hate him for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." Verse 8.
At Jehoshaphat's insistence, Ahab reluctantly sent a servant to fetch Micaiah. The brave prophet came and made a very unpopular prediction. He told Ahab that he would die in the battle with Syria. Now Ahab faced a tough decision. Should he believe 400 prophets who say nice things, or one lone prophet of the Lord?
Stubborn King Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to disregard the warnings of the prophet Micaiah and join him in the war. He thought he could outsmart the Lord by dressing in full armor and avoiding the front lines of battle. But Ahab learned too late that you can never escape the Word of God. During the battle, a stray arrow flying through the air struck Ahab in the joints of his armor, and he bled to death in his chariot.
Jesus warned that there will be many false prophets in the last days (Matthew 24:11). That is why we must know how to distinguish the true from the counterfeit. It may be a matter of life or death!
1. To whom does the Lord reveal His final plans?
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2. Will there be both true and false prophets in the last days?
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NOTE: Yes, there will be both true and false prophets in the end time. The Scriptures also teach that prophets can be either men or women.3. What types of false prophets are specifically condemned in the Bible?
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NOTE: Deuteronomy 18:9-12 says that all who do these things are an "abomination" to the Lord. For this reason, Christians should have nothing to do with them.4. Will God's end-time church have the gift of prophecy?
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NOTE: As we learned in Lesson 17, God's end-time remnant church has "the testimony of Jesus," which is "the spirit of prophecy." By comparing Revelation 19:10 and 22:9, we see that the angel defines John's "brethren" that have the spirit of prophecy as "the prophets" and "them which keep the sayings of this book." In 1 Corinthians 1:5-8, Paul writes that the church will have "the testimony of Christ" and will "come behind in no gift" until Jesus' second coming. So God's last-day church will indeed still have the gift of prophecy.5. In what ways does God speak to a true prophet?
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NOTE: The Lord speaks to His prophets by visions, in dreams, face to face, and through angels. Crystal balls, palm readings, tea leaf deciphering, star gazing, and claiming to talk with the dead are not God's methods of communicating with a prophet.6. Are miracles definite evidence of a true prophet?
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NOTE: No, miracles are not proof that someone is a true prophet. They prove only one thing--supernatural power. But supernatural power may come either from God or from Satan. That is why the Lord tells us: "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 4:1.7. What is the most important test of a prophet?
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NOTE: The "law and the testimony" was an Old Testament expression for "Bible." In other words, a message from someone who claims to have a prophetic utterance from God must be compared with the Bible. We must test the prophet by the Bible, and not the Bible by the prophet. Any true prophet of God will always agree 100 percent with Scripture. This is the true test.8. What is the second test of a prophet?
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NOTE: A prophet of God must acknowledge and teach the truth about Jesus Christ--that He was God in human form. True prophets must also exalt Jesus, not themselves. Most false prophets seek to draw attention away from God's Word and to their own ideas.9. What is the third test of a prophet?
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NOTE: This does not mean that the prophet will be perfect. God's prophets have always had faults. However, there must be consistency between what true prophets teach and the lives they live.10. What is the fourth test of a prophet?
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NOTE: A true prophet will not make false predictions. If a prophet is of God, the things he or she says will come to pass. However, accuracy alone does not automatically qualify a person as a true prophet. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warns that false prophets can give signs that will come to pass and then use their influence to lead people to follow other gods. A true prophet must lead people to worship God according to the Bible.11. What three things does Paul command regarding prophecy?
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NOTE: Paul says that we are not to despise, or reject, the gift of prophecy. Rather, we must test a prophet's messages by Scripture and follow what is good and true.12. Whose counsel do we reject when we reject the words of a true prophet?
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NOTE: When we reject the words of a true prophet, we reject the counsel of God. A solemn thought! The Bible tells us to listen to God's prophets and promises that all who follow the counsel of a true prophet will prosper.
2 Chronicles 20:20 Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.13. Since God still speaks through prophets, and since a true prophet's words are the personal "testimony of Jesus" to you, are you willing to test modern prophets by the Bible and follow the counsel of those who agree with Scripture?
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