When Jesus talked with His disciples about the end times and the sign of His coming, Ġesù qal f’Mattew 24:24, there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, tant li, if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect. But what will these false Christs and false prophets and their deceiving signs and wonders look like? What does the Bible say about false Christs and false prophets?
What does the Bible say about false prophets in the Old Testament?
The Bible says a lot of things about false prophets in the Old Testament. Not only in the New Testament we read about false prophets, but also in the Old Testament. These false prophets pretended that God sent them and spoke His words, while God had not sent them. These false prophets followed their own spirit and saw vanity and lying divination and prophecied lies from their hearts.
Iben il-bniedem, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Għalhekk jgħid il-Mulej Alla; Gwaj lill-profeti iblah, li jsegwu l-ispirtu tagħhom stess, u ma rajt xejn!
Iżrael, il-profeti tiegħek huma bħall-volpi fid-deżerti. Intom ma telgħux fil-vojt, la għamlu sisien għad-dar ta’ Iżrael biex toqgħod fil-battalja f’jum il-Mulej.
Huma raw vanity u divination gideb, tgħid, Il-Mulej jgħid: u l-Mulej ma bagħathomx: u għamlu lil oħrajn jittamaw li jikkonfermaw il-kelma.
Ma rajtux viżjoni vain, u ma tkellimtx divinazzjoni gidba, billi intom tgħidu, Jgħidha l-Mulej; għalkemm ma tkellimtx?
Għalhekk hekk jgħid il-Mulej Alla; Għax intom tkellimtu vanità, u dehru gideb, għalhekk, ara, Jien kontrik, jgħid il-Mulej Alla. U idi tkun fuq il-profeti li jaraw il-vanità, u dik il-gideb divina: m’għandhomx ikunu fil-ġemgħa tal-poplu tiegħi, anqas m’għandhom jinkitbu fil-kitba ta’ dar Israel, la jidħlu fl-art ta’ Iżrael; u tkunu tafu li jien il-Mulej Alla (Eżekjel 13:2-9)
The false prophets saw vain and foolish things and spoke lies
Il-profeti tiegħek raw affarijiet vain u iblah għalik: u ma skoprewx il-ħażen tiegħek, biex tbiegħed il-jasar tiegħek; imma rajt għalik piżijiet foloz u kawżi ta’ tkeċċija (Lamentazzjonijiet 2:14)
Her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, tgħid, Għalhekk jgħid il-Mulej Alla, when the Lord hath not spoken (Eżekjel 22:28)
What does the Bible say about false prophets in the New Testament?
In the New Testament of the Bible, Pawlu, John, Pietru, Jude (u oħrajn) warned about false prophets and false teachers. They warned the saints to be cautious and to try the spirits whether they were of God. These false prophets were among the people and spoke lies and brought in damnable heresies.
Imma kien hemm ukoll profeti foloz fost in-nies, bħalma jkun hemm għalliema foloz fostkom, li bil-folla għandu jdaħħal ereżiji damnable, anki jiċħad lill-Mulej li xtrahom, u jġibu fuqhom qerda mgħaġġla (2 Pietru 2:1)
Maħbub, jemmnu mhux kull spirtu, Imma ipprova l-ispirti jekk humiex ta ’Alla: Minħabba li ħafna profeti foloz ħarġu fid-dinja (1 John 4:1)
What did Jesus say about false Christs and false prophets?
Jesus said about false Christs and false prophets, Għax għandhom iqumu Kristu foloz, u profeti foloz, u għandu juri sinjali kbar u għeġubijiet; tant li, kieku kien possibbli, għandhom iqarrqu bil-magħżulin stess. Ara, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Ara, he is in the desert; go not forth: ara, he is in the secret chambers; nemmnux le. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together(Mattew 24:24-28)
Oqgħod attent mill-profeti foloz, li jiġu għandek b’ilbies tan-nagħaġ, imma ġewwa huma ilpup ravening (Mattew 7:15)
U ħafna profeti foloz għandhom iqumu, u għandhom iqarrqu ħafna (Mattew 24:11)
Jesus warned us of false prophets and told us, how we can recognize false prophets. We can recognize false prophets by the fruit they bear.
False Christs and prophets do great signs and wonders. Therefore we can’t rely upon their teachings, mirakli, sinjali, u jistaqsi.
Ġesù qal, that we should look at their lives and what kind of fruit they bear in their lives. Do they walk after the Spirit according to the Word of God and keep His commandments? Do they do works of righteousness and bear the fruit of the Spirit?
Or do they walk after the flesh according to the will, xewqat, u x-xewqa tal-laħam? Do they bear the fruit of the flesh (xogħlijiet tal-laħam), just like the world and sin?
What is the difference between a true and false Shepherd?
The difference between a true and false shepherd is that a true shepherd loves God and cares for His flock. Therefore he teaches, guides, keeps, and corrects the sheep. A false shepherd may seem pious and that he cares for the sheep, but his heart is full of iniquity. He only cares for himself and destroys the sheep.
Per eżempju, a prophet or preacher may seem pious and appear charismatic and speak wonderful encouraging words and even do signs and wonders, while in private, the prophet or preacher lives like the world doing the same works of the flesh.
When someone experience depression, vizzju(s), jew tara porn, jikkommettu adulterju, go to clubs/bars, or leave his/her spouse and get a divorzju, and lives in sin and doing things that oppose the Bible, you know that the person is not rooted and seated in Jesus Christ. The person is carnal and walks after the lusts and desires of the flesh instead of the Spirit.
When you look at the fruit of a person, you know whether you’re dealing with a true or false shepherd.
How do you recognize false Christs and false prophets?
You will recognize false Christs and false prophets by looking at their fruits. What fruits do they bear in their lives? They can speak the words in the Bible (many times taken out of context and used for the carnal man) but do they live according to the words in the Bible?
We have accepted too much garbage and false doctrines in the church. And because many Christians don’t examine the Bible themselves and are led by the flesh instead of the Holy Spirit, there is hardly any discernment anymore.
Many Christians follow their pastors, (famuż) predikaturi, profeti, and evangelists, without studying the Bible for themselves.
They accept and believe their words, even if their words contradict the Word of God.
Let us be serious and watchful. Look at the fruit of the person. Do they produce the fruit of the Spirit or the flesh?
Ġesù qal, that this is the only way, that we can recognize and discern true and false prophets and false Christs.
Issa l-għemejjel tal-laħam huma manifesti, liema huma dawn; Adulterju, fornication, indafa, lasciviousness, Idolatrija, sħaħar, mibegħda, varjanza, emulazzjonijiet, rabja, ġlied, sedizzjonijiet, ereżiji, Envyings, qtil, sokor, revellings, u bħal dawn: li jien ngħidilkom qabel, kif għedtilkom ukoll fi żmien il-passat, li dawk li jagħmlu dawn l-affarijiet ma jirtux is-Saltna ta’ Alla.
Imma l-frott tal-Ispirtu huwa l-imħabba, ferħ, paċi, sabar fit-tul, ġentilezza, tjubija, fidi, MEEKNESS, temperanza: kontra tali m'hemm l-ebda liġi. U dawk li huma ta’ Kristu sallbu l-ġisem bl-affezzjonijiet u x-xewqat (Galatin 5:21-24)
False Christs and false prophets shall shew great signs and wonders
Ġesù qal f’Mattew 24:24 (also in Mark 13:22-23), that these false Christs and false prophets shall shew great signs and wonders. They could even deceive the very elect if it were possible.
Immaġina li! These false Christs and false prophets seem like they are sent by God and seem devoted to Him and do many great signs and wonders. All these things looks like they are sent and appointed by God, imma l-verità hi, that they aren’t and don’t speak His words. Therefore be and stay watchful!
How do you recognize real from counterfeit?
You recognize real from counterfeit by studying the Bible and being led by the Holy Spirit. The more you study the Bible the more you will get to know the real Jesus Christ and the Father and get to know His will. Meta ġġedded moħħok bil-Kelma ta’ Alla, the easier you will discern, what is real (genuine) u dak li hu falz (a counterfeit). Iżda għal darb'oħra… Ġesù qal, the only way you will discern false Christs and false prophets is by looking at their lives and the fruit they bear.
Ġesù kompla u qal, that if these false Christs and false prophets say, that the Son of man is in the desert, you should not go there, or in the secret chambers, you should not believe it. You do not have to search for Jesus in places. You shouldn’t be led by (super)natural manifestations, which can also be counterfeits of the devil.
Meta Ġesù jirritorna, everyone will see Jesus, not just one person, or a few persons. He shall return at an unexpected moment. Jesus gave us the example of lightning to compare to His return. Jesus will return like a thief in the night. Therefore we should stay watchful and be ready to meet Him upon His return.
‘Kun il-melħ tal-art’
