Matthew 7:15

The Sermon On The Mount: Recognizing False Prophets

¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. ¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. ¹⁶ You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Beware of False Prophets

False Prophets

Outward Appearance

Take Heed

1 John 4:1

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Colossians 2:8

Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3

“If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,

Matthew 24:11

Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

2 Peter 2:1-3

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves.

Luke 6:26

Woe to you
when all people speak well of you,
for this is the way their ancestors
used to treat the false prophets.

Revelation 19:20

But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with him the false prophet, who had performed the signs in his presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image with these signs. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

Isaiah 9:15-16

The head is the elder, the honored one;
the tail is the prophet, the lying teacher.

Jeremiah 14:14-16

But the Lord said to me, “These prophets are prophesying a lie in My name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds.

Jeremiah 23:13-16

Among the prophets of Samaria
I saw something disgusting:
They prophesied by Baal
and led My people Israel astray.

Jeremiah 28:15-17

The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, but you have led these people to trust in a lie.

Jeremiah 29:21

This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to Ahab son of Kolaiah and to Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in My name: “I am about to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.

Jeremiah 29:32

this is what the Lord says: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people, nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to My people”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“for he has preached rebellion against the Lord.”

Ezekiel 13:16

those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw a vision of peace for her when there was no peace.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Ezekiel 13:22

Because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies, even though I have not caused him grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil way to save his life,

Ezekiel 22:25

The conspiracy of her prophets within her is like a roaring lion tearing its prey: they devour people, seize wealth and valuables, and multiply the widows within her.

Ezekiel 22:27

“Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives in order to make profit dishonestly.

Micah 3:5-7

This is what the Lord says
concerning the prophets
who lead my people astray,
who proclaim peace
when they have food to sink their teeth into
but declare war against the one
who puts nothing in their mouths.

Micah 3:11

Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe,
her priests teach for payment,
and her prophets practice divination for money.
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“Isn’t the Lord among us?
No disaster will overtake us.”

Zephaniah 3:3-4

The princes within her are roaring lions;
her judges are wolves of the night,
which leave nothing for the morning.

Zechariah 13:4

On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive.

Matthew 10:17

Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins and flog you in their synagogues, beware of them.

Matthew 16:6

Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Matthew 16:11

Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?”

Matthew 24:4-5

Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.

Matthew 24:24-25

False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Mark 12:38-40

He also said in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes, and who want greetings in the marketplaces,

Mark 13:22-23

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Luke 12:15

He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

John 10:12

The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them.

Acts 13:40

So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you:

Acts 20:29-31

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Romans 16:17-18

Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause dissensions and obstacles contrary to the doctrine you have learned. Avoid them,

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

Galatians 2:4

This issue arose because of false brothers smuggled in, who came in secretly to spy on the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.

Ephesians 4:14

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Ephesians 5:6

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things.

Philippians 3:2

Watch out for “dogs,” watch out for evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh.

1 Timothy 4:1-3

Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,

2 Timothy 3:5-9

holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people!

2 Timothy 3:13

Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.

2 Peter 2:18-19

For by uttering boastful, empty words, they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped from those who live in error.

2 Peter 3:17

Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability.

Jude 1:4

For some men, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

Revelation 13:11-17

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, but he sounded like a dragon.

Revelation 16:13

Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming from the dragon’s mouth, from the beast’s mouth, and from the mouth of the false prophet.

Revelation 17:6

Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

Isaiah 56:10-11

Israel’s watchmen are blind, all of them,
they know nothing;
all of them are mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they dream, lie down,
and love to sleep.

Acts 13:6

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.