Lapho uJesu ekhuluma nabafundi bakhe mayelana nezikhathi zokugcina kanye nesibonakaliso sokuza Kwakhe, UJesu wathi kuMathewu 24:24, there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, kangangokuthi, 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.
Son of man, 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; Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu; Maye kubaprofethi abayiziwula, Lokho kulandela umoya wabo, futhi aziboni lutho!
Israyeli, Abaprofethi bakho banjengezimpungushe ogwadule. Anikhuphuki ezigatsheni, futhi alwenzile uthango lwendlu yakwa-Israyeli ukuba ime empini ngosuku lweNkosi.
Babone ize nokuqamba amanga ukubhula, ethi, INkosi isho: Futhi iNkosi ayithumanga: futhi benze abanye bathembele ukuthi bazoqinisekisa iZwi.
Anibonanga umbono oyize, futhi anikhulumanga ukubhula kwamanga, kanti nina nithi, INKOSI ithi; letha angikhulumanga?
Ngalokho usho kanje iNkosi uNkulunkulu; Ngoba nikhulumile okuyize, futhi wabona amanga, ngakho-ke, bheka, Ngimelene nawe, isho iNkosi uJehova. Isandla sami siyakuba phezu kwabaprofethi ababona ize, nokuthi amanga waphezulu: Abayikuba semhlanganweni wabantu bami, futhi aziyikulotshwa embhalweni wendlu ka-Israyeli, futhi ngeke bangene ezweni lakwa-Israyeli; Niyakwazi ukuthi nginguJehova uNkulunkulu (UHezekeli 13:2-9)
The false prophets saw vain and foolish things and spoke lies
Abaprofethi bakho bakubonile izinto eziyize neziyiziwula: Futhi abatholanga ububi bakho, ukufulathela ukuthuthwa kwakho; Kepha bakubonile imithwalo yamanga kanye nezimbangela zokuvinjelwa (Isililo 2:14)
Her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, ukubona okuyize, nokubhula amanga kubo, ethi, Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu, lapho iNkosi ingakhulumanga (UHezekeli 22:28)
What does the Bible say about false prophets in the New Testament?
In the New Testament of the Bible, Usakhemvamela, UJohane, UPetru, Jude (nabanye) 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.
Kepha kwakukhona abaprofethi bamanga futhi phakathi kwabantu, njengoba kwenzeka kubafundisi bamanga phakathi kwakho, Ngubani ngasese azoletha ama-helies angenakugwenywa, Ngisho waphika iNkosi eyayithenga, futhi uzenzele ukubhujiswa okusheshayo (2 UPetru 2:1)
-Thandekayo, ungakholwa yiwo wonke umoya, Kepha zama imimoya noma ngabe banguNkulunkulu: Ngoba abaprofethi abaningi bamanga baphumile emhlabeni (1 UJohane 4:1)
What did Jesus say about false Christs and false prophets?
Jesus said about false Christs and false prophets, Ngokuba kuyakuvela oKristu bamanga, nabaprofethi bamanga, futhi bayokwenza izibonakaliso ezinkulu nezimangaliso; kangangokuthi, uma kwakungenzeka, bayakudukisa nabakhethiweyo. Bheka, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Bheka, he is in the desert; go not forth: bheka, he is in the secret chambers; ningakholwa. 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, lapho kuyakubuthana khona amanqe(Mathewu 24:24-28)
Qaphela Abaprofethi Bamanga, eza kuwe ezingutsheni zezimvu, Kepha ngaphakathi bayizimpisi eziphangayo (Mathewu 7:15)
Futhi kuyovela abaprofethi bamanga abaningi, futhi kufanele bakhohlise abaningi (Mathewu 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, izimangaliso, izimpawu, nezimangaliso.
UJesu wathi, 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, izinkanuko, kanye nokufisa kwenyama? Do they bear the fruit of the flesh (imisebenzi yenyama), 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.
Ngokwesibonelo, 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, ukulutheka(s), noma buka izithombe zocansi, ukuphinga, go to clubs/bars, or leave his/her spouse and get a isehlukaniso, 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, (odumile) abashumayeli, abaprofethi, 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?
UJesu wathi, that this is the only way, that we can recognize and discern true and false prophets and false Christs.
Manje imisebenzi yenyama iyabonakala, Yikuphi lokhu; Ukuphinga, ubufebe, ukungcola, ukuxega, Izithombe, ubuthakathi, inzondo, ukwehluka, ukulingisa, ulaka, ingxabano, iziyaluyalu, amambuka, Umona, ukubulala, ukudakwa, ukuxokozela, futhi kanjalo: kwalokho engikutshela khona ngaphambili, Njengoba ngiphinde ngikutshele ngesikhathi esidlule, ukuthi labo abazenza izinto ezinjalo ngeke balizuze ifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu.
Kodwa isithelo sikaMoya siluthando, injabulo, ukuthula, ukubekezela, ubumnene, ukulunga, ukholo, Ubumnene, ukugxila: akukho mthetho omelana nabanjalo. Futhi abakaKristu babethele esiphambanweni inyama kanye nokuhuheka nezinkanuko (KwabaseGalathiya 5:21-24)
False Christs and false prophets shall shew great signs and wonders
UJesu wathi kuMathewu 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.
Cabanga ngalokho! 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, kodwa iqiniso likhona, 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. Lapho uvuselela ingqondo yakho ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu, the easier you will discern, what is real (genuine) Futhi yini amanga (a counterfeit). Kodwa futhi… UJesu wathi, the only way you will discern false Christs and false prophets is by looking at their lives and the fruit they bear.
UJesu waqhubeka wathi wathi, 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.
Lapho uJesu ebuya, 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.
‘Yibani usawoti womhlaba’
