Matthew 7:15

The Sermon On The Mount: Recognizing False Prophets

¹⁴ For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. ¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Beware of False Prophets

False Prophets

Outward Appearance

Take Heed

1 John 4:1

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Colossians 2:8

Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:

Deuteronomy 13:1-3

If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder,

Matthew 24:11

And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.

2 Peter 2:1-3

But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

Luke 6:26

Woe unto you , when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets.

Revelation 19:20

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone:

Isaiah 9:15-16

The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Jeremiah 14:14-16

Then Jehovah said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake I unto them: they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their own heart.

Jeremiah 23:13-16

And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

Jeremiah 28:15-17

Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah: Jehovah hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

Jeremiah 29:21

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie unto you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

Jeremiah 29:32

therefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed; he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he behold the good that I will do unto my people, saith Jehovah, because he hath spoken rebellion against Jehovah.

Ezekiel 13:16

to wit , the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Ezekiel 13:22

Because with lies ye have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive:

Ezekiel 22:25

There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in the midst thereof.

Ezekiel 22:27

Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.

Micah 3:5-7

Thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that make my people to err; that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and whoso putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him:

Micah 3:11

The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet they lean upon Jehovah, and say, Is not Jehovah in the midst of us? no evil shall come upon us.

Zephaniah 3:3-4

Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing till the morrow.

Zechariah 13:4

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:

Matthew 10:17

But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in theirs synagogues they will scourge you;

Matthew 16:6

And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 16:11

How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 24:4-5

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.

Matthew 24:24-25

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Mark 12:38-40

And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and to have'salutations in the marketplaces,

Mark 13:22-23

for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Luke 12:15

And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

John 10:12

He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them :

Acts 13:40

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets:

Acts 20:29-31

I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock;

Romans 16:17-18

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.

Galatians 2:4

and that because of the false brethren privily brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Ephesians 4:14

that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

Ephesians 5:6

Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.

Philippians 3:2

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:

1 Timothy 4:1-3

But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,

2 Timothy 3:5-9

holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power therefore. From these also turn away.

2 Timothy 3:13

But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;

2 Peter 2:18-19

For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error;

2 Peter 3:17

Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.

Jude 1:4

For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 13:11-17

And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Revelation 16:13

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs:

Revelation 17:6

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.

Isaiah 56:10-11

His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.

Acts 13:6

And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus;