Not a member? Sign Up
In Matthew 24:11, Christ talks about false prophets. It reads, "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." Matthew 7:15 also gives us a warning. It states, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."
Learn more about what the Bible teaches in Matthew by taking a Bible quiz on the New Testament.
The Bible, in Matthew 7:16-20, gives us the answer. It declares:
16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
As this scripture states, we can know true prophets by their fruits, or the results of what they do.
Why would the Bible give us a pattern for recognizing true prophets if it weren't important for us to recognize true prophets today? ...It is important to learn to recognize true prophets today.
Ephesians 4:11-12 sets the pattern for Christ's Church:
11. And he agave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Christ set the pattern when he was on earth. Today, there are prophets again on the earth. And, as stated in .Matthew 7:16-20 (above) – "by their fruits we shall know them"
Would you like to know more about false prophets compared to true modern-day prophets? Let's take a more in-depth look.
Around 1823, a prophet was called of God and was guided to an ancient record found in upstate New York. It was written on gold plates and buried in the hillside around 421 A.D. The plates were translated by the power of God and contained a history of the people and prophets of the ancient Americas – the ancestors of the native Americans. It explains how the Indians arrived on the American continent.
The book represents the fruits of this prophet and is called the Book of Mormon. Since that time, more prophets have been called of God including a modern-day prophet.
The Bible gives us another pattern of how to find out if someone is a false prophet or true prophet. James 1:5-6 states:
As James wrote (above), if you want to know if something is true, all you have to do is ask God with a sincere heart and with faith and you can receive an answer.
Through the form below, you can order a free copy of the Book of Mormon. Our challenge to you is to read it and pray about it to know if it is true or not.
With the form below, you can also meet with missionaries who can answer your questions about the Book of Mormon, false prophets and true modern-day prophets.