Matthew 7:15

The Sermon On The Mount: Recognizing False Prophets

¹⁴ But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it. ¹⁵ "Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?

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 not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder,

Matthew 24:11

And many false prophets will appear and deceive many,

2 Peter 2:1-3

But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves.

Luke 6:26

"Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets.

Revelation 19:20

Now the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf -- signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur.

Isaiah 9:15-16

The leaders and the highly respected people are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Jeremiah 14:14-16

Then the Lord said to me, "Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! I did not send them. I did not commission them. I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, and the delusions of their own mind.

Jeremiah 23:13-16

The Lord says, "I saw the prophets of Samaria doing something that was disgusting. They prophesied in the name of the god Baal and led my people Israel astray.

Jeremiah 28:15-17

Then the prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie!

Jeremiah 29:21

"The Lord God of Israel who rules over all also has something to say about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so. 'I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and he will execute them before your very eyes.

Jeremiah 29:32

Because he has done this," the Lord says, "I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. There will not be any of them left to experience the good things that I will do for my people. I, the Lord, affirm it! For he counseled rebellion against the Lord."'"

Ezekiel 13:16

those prophets of Israel who would prophesy about Jerusalem and would see visions of peace for it, when there was no peace," declares the sovereign Lord.'

Ezekiel 13:22

This is because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (although I have not grieved him), and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil conduct and preserve his life.

Ezekiel 22:25

Her princes within her are like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they have devoured lives. They take away riches and valuable things; they have made many women widows within it.

Ezekiel 22:27

Her officials are like wolves in her midst rending their prey -- shedding blood and destroying lives -- so they can get dishonest profit.

Micah 3:5-7

This is what the Lord says: "The prophets who mislead my people are as good as dead. If someone gives them enough to eat, they offer an oracle of peace. But if someone does not give them food, they are ready to declare war on him.

Micah 3:11

Her leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, her priests proclaim rulings for profit, and her prophets read omens for pay. Yet they claim to trust the Lord and say, "The Lord is among us. Disaster will not overtake us!"

Zephaniah 3:3-4

Her princes are as fierce as roaring lions; her rulers are as hungry as wolves in the desert, who completely devour their prey by morning.

Zechariah 13:4

"Therefore, on that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies and will no longer wear the hairy garment of a prophet to deceive the people.

Matthew 10:17

Beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues.

Matthew 16:6

"Watch out," Jesus said to them, "beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Matthew 16:11

How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

Matthew 24:4-5

Jesus answered them, "Watch out that no one misleads you.

Matthew 24:24-25

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Mark 12:38-40

In his teaching Jesus also said, "Watch out for the experts in the law. They like walking around in long robes and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces,

Mark 13:22-23

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect.

Luke 12:15

Then he said to them, "Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

John 10:12

The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them.

Acts 13:40

Watch out, then, that what is spoken about by the prophets does not happen to you:

Acts 20:29-31

I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Romans 16:17-18

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you 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

Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.

Ephesians 4:14

So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.

Ephesians 5:6

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God's wrath comes on the sons of disobedience.

Philippians 3:2

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!

1 Timothy 4:1-3

Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings,

2 Timothy 3:5-9

They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these.

2 Timothy 3:13

But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.

2 Timothy 4:3

For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.

2 Peter 2:18-19

For by speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error.

2 Peter 3:17

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard that you do not get led astray by the error of these unprincipled men and fall from your firm grasp on the truth.

Jude 1:4

For certain men have secretly slipped in among you -- men who long ago were marked out for the condemnation I am about to describe -- ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 13:11-17

Then I saw another beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but was speaking like a dragon.

Revelation 16:13

Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Revelation 17:6

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her.

Isaiah 56:10-11

All their watchmen are blind, they are unaware. All of them are like mute dogs, unable to bark. They pant, lie down, and love to snooze.

Acts 13:6

When they had crossed over the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus,