Matthew 7:15

The Sermon On The Mount: Recognizing False Prophets

¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. ¹⁵ Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. ¹⁶ You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

Beware of False Prophets

False Prophets

Outward Appearance

Take Heed

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits to see if they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone rob you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3

If a prophet rises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder,

Matthew 24:11

And many false prophets will rise and deceive many.

2 Peter 2:1-3

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

Luke 6:26

Woe to you when all men shall speak well of you! For so their fathers did to the false prophets.

Revelation 19:20

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet doing signs before it, (by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast), and those who had worshiped his image. The two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone.

Isaiah 9:15-16

The elder and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

Jeremiah 14:14-16

And Jehovah said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in My name; I did not send them, nor have I commanded them, nor did I speak to them. They prophesy to you a false vision and a worthless divination, and a thing of no value, and the deceit of their heart.

Jeremiah 23:13-16

And I have seen frivolity in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to go astray.

Jeremiah 28:15-17

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah. Jehovah has not sent you, but you make this people to trust in a lie.

Jeremiah 29:21

so says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, about Ahab the son of Kolaiah and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall kill them before your eyes.

Jeremiah 29:32

therefore so says Jehovah, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed. He shall not have a man to dwell among this people; nor shall he behold the good which I shall do for My people, says Jehovah, because he has taught rebellion against Jehovah.

Ezekiel 13:16

the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, says Jehovah.

Ezekiel 13:22

Because with lies you have saddened the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and have made the hands of the wicked strong, so that he should not turn from his wicked way, by promising him life;

Ezekiel 22:25

A plot by her prophets is in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they multiplied her many widows in her midst.

Ezekiel 22:27

Her rulers in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get unjust gain.

Micah 3:5-7

So says Jehovah concerning the prophets who make My people err, who bite with their teeth and cry, Peace! And whoever does not give for their mouth, they even sanctify a war against him.

Micah 3:11

Her heads judge for a bribe, and her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for silver, yet they will lean on Jehovah and say, Is not Jehovah among us? No evil can come on us!

Zephaniah 3:3-4

Her rulers within her are roaring lions; her judges evening wolves. They do not gnaw bones for the morning.

Zechariah 13:4

And it shall be in that day, the prophets shall be ashamed, each one of his vision, when he prophesies. And they shall not wear a hairy garment to deceive.

Matthew 10:17

But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the sanhedrins, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.

Matthew 16:6

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

Matthew 16:11

How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about loaves, but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Matthew 24:4-5

And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Matthew 24:24-25

For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.

Mark 12:38-40

And He said to them in His teaching, Beware of the scribes, who love to walk about in robes, and love greetings in the markets,

Mark 13:22-23

For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give miraculous signs and wonders in order to seduce, if possible, even the elect.

Luke 12:15

And He said to them, Watch and keep yourselves from covetousness. For a man's life is not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.

John 10:12

But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away. And the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep.

Acts 13:40

Therefore beware lest that come on you which is spoken of in the Prophets:

Acts 20:29-31

For I know this, that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Romans 16:17-18

And I exhort you, brothers, to watch those making divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

Galatians 2:4

But because of those false brothers stealing in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus; they desiring to enslave us;

Ephesians 4:14

so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit.

Ephesians 5:6

Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.

Philippians 3:2

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision party.

1 Timothy 4:1-3

But the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons,

2 Timothy 3:5-9

having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.

2 Timothy 3:13

But evil men and seducers will go forward to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 Timothy 4:3

For a time will be when they will not endure sound doctrine, but they will heap up teachers to themselves according to their own lusts, tickling the ear.

2 Peter 2:18-19

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they lure through the lusts of the flesh, by unbridled lust, the ones who were escaping from those who live in error;

2 Peter 3:17

Therefore, beloved, knowing beforehand, beware lest being led away with the error of the lawless, you fall from your own steadfastness.

Jude 1:4

For certain men crept in secretly, those having been of old previously written into this condemnation, ungodly ones perverting the grace of our God for unbridled lust, and denying the only Master, God, even our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 13:11-17

And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. And it had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.

Revelation 16:13

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Revelation 17:6

And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with a great marveling.

Isaiah 56:10-11

His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs who cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.

Acts 13:6

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