As children, we played a game called “Follow the Leader”. We all formed a line and did whatever the “Leader” told us to do. If you didn’t do it properly, you were “out”. I believe there’s an analogy in the sphere of religion. You either do what you’re told or you’re “out”.
We went to school for years to accumulate knowledge, increase our skills and prepare ourselves for the rest of our lives. We questioned relatives, friends and acquaintances deciding in the process who was correct, who we felt was being less than honest and those who simply didn’t have the answer. Should we be any less diligent in our search for God? After all, everything else we do is swallowed up in the fact that what we believe about Him affects us eternally, not just a scant seventy years or so! This life is no more than a testing ground for the spirit of man ending in either damnation or eternal union with our Creator. So, how do we know who’s telling the truth? Which “religious leader” can be trusted? That ultimate book of learn-ing, the bible, God’s own voice speaking to the people, is the only sure guide! Everything you need to know about salvation and how to live a life that will be pleasing to the Lord, and eventually result in your union with Him, is in its pages. John said:
“...the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you....” (John 2:27)
We learn by His Holy Spirit through the teachings of the word. Again in verse twenty, “...ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” The only fair test for someone claim-ing to speak for God is whether or not they line up with the word, if they don’t, you needn’t be concerned with what they say. How will you know if they line up if you don’t know what the book says? You have to read it, all of it! You don’t just read a few comforting phrases, then skip the rest because you don’t like what it says or it’s too hard to understand! Some of those so-called religious leaders bank on the fact that the people don’t care to read the bible and are thus able to pervert the word and introduce “new” revelations with few people being the wiser. Couple that with unquestioning obedience to authority and it’s easy to understand why so few have the confidence to ask questions, let alone disagree. Yes, there were faithful prophets and priests in Israel, but oh so many com-promised with the religions of surrounding nations, and taught the people to do the same, bringing ruin and spiritual blindness to the Jewish race, “...until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Lk.21:24/Rom.12:25) Two of these compromising groups were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sadducees denied the resurrection and the existence of angels and spirits. The Pharisees were noted for their conceit, unnecessarily long prayers and their over-emphasis on tradition. Did Jesus say the people should follow them anyway? No, he soundly condemned them for all to hear. In fact, he once said:
“...except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt.5:20)
He knew their hypocritical hearts all too well. Proverbs 14:15 tells us:
“The simple [foolish] believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”
God’s solemn words to the priests of that time can also be applied to those of today and the people under their care:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me....” (Hos.4:6)
A bit of wisdom from Proverbs states:
“An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.” (11:9)
In order to understand some of the scriptures concerning false prophets we should start in Deut.28:13. God’s words to the Israelites promised:
“The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them....”
But, if they disobey God, verses 43 and 44 show an exchange of roles:
“The stranger [Gentile] that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.”
I know the common interpretation of these verses is supposed to mean the borrowing and lending of money, which I don’t disagree with, but as with most scripture, there’s a spiritual application also. (Job 11:6) In view of the next scripture we're going to look at, could it be possible that the Jewish people were supposed to “lend” the word of God to all the Gentile nations, and yet were not to “borrow” from their religions? After all, that would be idolatry, that’s anything mixed in with the word. Warned time and time again, Jewish religious leaders continually fell prey to the customs and traditions of the nations that surrounded them. Those warnings usually fell on deaf ears. So, what will God do? Isa.9:14-16 explains:
“Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err: and they that are led of them are destroyed.”
Isa.56:10-11 has this to say concer-ning “shepherds” of the Lord’s flock:
“His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, everyone for his gain, from his quarter.”
Jeremiah 23:10-11 expresses the fact that evil was in God’s own house:
“...their course is evil, and their force is not right...both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.” He also declared:
“Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.” (Jer.12:10)
The 23rd chapter of Jeremiah speci-fically pinpoints the behavior of false prophets and how apparent it is in the vast majority of those who consider themselves “God’s mouthpiece” today. I would really like to give the entire chapter, but for the sake of brevity I’ll use only a portion. I pray that readers would be sufficiently interested to read the chapter and hopefully, do a study on their own. There are so many scriptures I don’t have the space to present them all.
“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings (v.1-2)...I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, [spiritual adultery, usually idolatry] and walk in lies...they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. (v.13-14)...I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land...Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you (v.15-17)...in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly...I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings (v.20-22)...I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying I have dreamed ...they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name (v.25-27)...The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak it faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. Is not my word like a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbor...I am against the prophets...that use their tongues, and say, He saith...I am against them that prophesy false dreams ...and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor com-manded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all.” (v.28-33)
Micah is given a similar word from the Lord:
“Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people to err, that bite with their teeth, and cry Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. Therefore night shall be unto you, that you shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.” (3:5-6)
Verse 11 shows the arrogance of fallen men of God.
“The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.”
Isaiah recognized the attitude of rebellion against truth which poisons the heart of man, then and now.
“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” (30:9-11)
Ezekiel presents an interesting allegory in chapter 13.
“...they [the false prophets] have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered morter: Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said to you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? (v.10-12) So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord God.” (v.14-16)
I Thess.5:3 warns:
“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
Additional indictments are to be found in the 34th chapter of Ezekiel:
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with wool, ye kill them that are fed [of the Lord]: but ye feed not the flock. (v.2-3) Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. (v.10) As a shepherd seeketh out his flock...so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day...and will bring them to their own land...I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down...but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. And as for you, O my flock, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he-goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you [the shepherds] to have eaten up the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. (v.12-20) Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.” (v.30-31)
In chapter 10, in the book of John, Jesus Himself says,
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine...I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep [Gentiles] I have, which are not of this fold [Jews]: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (v.14-16)
The close of the church age or the “times of the Gentiles” is imminently coming upon us and the spiritual veil will soon be lifted from Jewish eyes and hearts, (2 Cor.3:14-17) and they will be of one fold with all born-again Gentile believers. Often, John 10:16 is interpreted to mean that all religions will be under one shepherd, the pope. I feel scripture speaks very plainly against this idea. Isa.5:8 says:
“Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!”
Proverbs 11:21 warns:
“Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.”
Chapter 16, verses 4 and 5 add:
“The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomina-tion to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
The Lord said:
“Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whoso-ever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.” (Isa. 54:15)
Jesus related a parable to his disciples in Matthew 13:24-43.
“...The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares [a poisonous plant that closely resembles wheat] among the wheat [true believers], and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, GATHER YE TOGETHER FIRST THE TARES, AND BIND THEM IN BUNDLES TO BURN THEM: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Emphasis mine)
Starting in verse 37, Jesus explains the parable to his men.
“... He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (vs.37-43)
Jesus is very clearly speaking of a gathering together of wicked people who are poisonous, dispersing false doctrine to the people of God, and fit only to be burned. The true Christian will then be brought into the barn (heaven). Job has much to say on this subject. In the 41st chapter of that book, it speaks of leviathan (the great dragon Satan, and ultimately the Antichrist whom Satan will indwell: (Isa.27:1 and Rev.12:3) but verses 12-17 specifically point up the nature of those who are “gathered together” under this “beast”.
“I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. [Dan.7:7] His scales [The people who make up his body, unlike Christians being considered stones that make up the body of Christ, I Pet.2:5 ] are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. One is so near to another, that no air [the Spirit is not welcome here: Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, no.7317 for “air” can mean “spirit” also] can come between them. They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.”
Leviathan (the Antichrist) has no godly fear. Verses 33-34 tells us:
“Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.”
Who are the “children of pride”? We have discussed them already in verses 15 thru 17 of Job 41, as those making up the body of the beast. Verse 23 also describes them.
“The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.”
Job also said “It is turned [perverted-2015] as clay [cement-2563] to the seal; and they stand as a garment.” [apparel-3830, the root word, no. 3847 meaning “to wrap around”] (38:14) The imagery used of “behemoth’s body” in 40:17 is slightly different, but the thrust is the same: “he moveth his tail LIKE A CEDAR: [Psa.92:12] the sinews [tendons-1517] of his stones [testicles-6344] are WRAPPED TOGETHER.” [entwined-8276] (Emphasis mine) Isa.9:9-10 warns us of those
“...that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones....” (v.9)
[Exodus 20:25 forbids the use of hewn stone as polluting the altar of the Lord, v.26 sets forth the command not to go up to the altar by steps (our works) or our nakedness (not being covered in Christ) would be discovered.] Verse ten continues “...the sycamores are cut down, but we will CHANGE them into cedars.” (Emphasis mine) The word “change” here is CHALAPH and is a primitive root meaning “to slide by” (2498). In other words, these “sycamores” try to slip by us as “goodly cedars,” (Ez.17:23-24) another variation on the parable of the wheat and tares. Job then asks these incisive questions:
“... who can stay the bottles of heaven, When the dust groweth into hardness, [fusion-4165] and the clods [pile together-7263] cleave fast together [cling, adhere, be joined together-1692]? Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion [Satan]? or fill the appetite of the young lions...”[?] (Will you become prey to those who teach and practice false doctrine, or will you stand fast against ecumenism possibly jeopardizing your life in the process?) (Job 38:38-39) (Emphasis mine)
Do you think Jesus warned us about them in Matt.11:16-19 and Luke 7:28-35?
“But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. BUT WISDOM IS JUSTIFIED OF HER CHILDREN.” (Matt.11:16-19) (Emphasis mine)
God gives explicit warning to all in Isa.8:9-12.
“Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.”
Nahum 1:10-11 speaks about these same people and the fact that the Antichrist would come out of their midst:
“For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, [spiritual drunkenness that lulls to sleep, remember we are to remain awake and to always watch! I Thess.5:6] they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry. There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor.”
I don’t know about you, but these verses taken as a whole, say to me that the ecumenical movement now gather-ing momentum is not of God and those involved are being lulled into a spiritual stupor by unethical leaders, the false prophets. Millions are jumping on the bandwagon. It’s now the “in” thing to be, a born-again “Christian”, one who doesn’t preach the gospel for fear it will offend. It’s now a “love” gospel, with rebuke and correction viewed as “unloving” and “separatist”. Purity of doctrine is now sacrificed on the altar of unity. Can that many people be wrong? Yes. Jesus said it very well in Matt.7:13-15.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Matt.20:16 concurs, “...many be called, but few are chosen.” Yes, they are able to “talk the talk and walk the walk,” fooling most people with their false piety. But there is one that will not be fooled, as He sees their hearts. Jesus said:
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Emphasis mine)
Timothy rightly said:
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables.”
We see this happening with increasing frequency. We ask as Job did “...what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?” Sadly, the answer is, “There is no hope for him.” Jesus Christ is our hope and if you reject Him or pervert His words, you have no hope. Protect yourself, gather under the Lord’s wing and read His word daily.
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive....” (Eph.4:14)
“Follow the Leader” was child’s play, not our spiritual mandate. After all, God did say, “Come now and let us reason together....” (Isaiah 1:18)
By Debbie Rucker