Are There Prophets Today? Truth Tests To Know

There are many well known prophets in the Old Testament such as Moses, Noah, Abraham, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, etc. These men were not perfect but they are greatly honored by Christians today because of their great courage, faith, endurance in many different trials, boldness, and willingness to stand for God’s truth. We admire and salute them today, but in their day, many of them were unpopular, hated, despised, mocked, persecuted, and even murdered by the people they were trying to help. What is a prophet? Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines prophet as:

1. One that foretells future events; a predicter; a foreteller.

2. In Scripture, a person illuminated, inspired or instructed by God to announce future events; as Moses, Elijah, David, Isaiah, etc.

3. An interpreter; one that explains or communicates sentiments. Exodus 7:1.

4. One who pretends to foretell; an imposter; as a false prophet Acts 13:6.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

In a general sense, a prophet is a person who speaks God’s truth to others. The English word prophet comes from the Greek word prophetes, which can mean “one who speaks forth” or “advocate.” Prophets are also called “seers,” because of their spiritual insight or their ability to “see” the future. In the Bible, prophets often had both a teaching and revelatory role, declaring God’s truth on contemporary issues while also revealing details about the future.

What Is A Prophet In The Bible? GotQuestions.org

Are There Prophets Today Like In Old Testament Times?

In Old Testament times, God communicated to His people through prophets. Does that still happen today? Let’s turn to the Bible and see what God says about this matter.

Heb. 1:1-2 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

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So Hebrews was written after Yeshua had died and resurrected so “time past” refers to before Yeshua and the last days refers to after Yeshua. God called many men and even some women to be His earthly messengers or prophets/prophetesses in Old Testament times. These men and women were called by God and were charged with relaying God’s message to the people to persuade and encourage them to repent and turn back to God’s way. These Old Testament prophets/prophetesses were mediators between God and mankind. For example Moses says to the Israelites:

Deut. 5:5 I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain…

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Moses was a mediator between God and the Israelites. God told Moses what He wanted the people to know and Moses delivered the messages. Moses was also a type and shadow of good things to come. He was a type and shadow of Yeshua. In the next verse, Moses speaks to the people about this coming Prophet:

Deut. 18:15-18 The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.”

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There were many prophets after Moses but this Prophet was different. This future Prophet was Yeshua, the Messiah, who would be the new mediator between God and mankind. After His atonement and resurrection, He was known as the new mediator. There are many New Testament verses that attest to this.

1 Tim. 2:5-6 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

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Heb. 9:11-15 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

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Heb 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

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John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

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So Yeshua is The Prophet that all Old Testament prophets were types and shadows of and pointed to. We also see from the above scripture verses that Yeshua is the only mediator between God and mankind now. But you may be wondering how we can know what God wants us to do during our lifetime and how can we know truth in this life without a guide? Our guides are: the written word and living Word (which I’ve discussed a lot in previous posts) and the Holy Spirit that Yeshua gave to mankind before He ascended to Heaven.

John 14:15-18 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

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We will be guided in the last days by Yeshua through the Holy Spirit and through the written word of God. We will no longer need a mortal prophet to guide us and mediate for us, but we will have The Prophet (Yeshua) dwelling within us, guiding us and being our mediator before God. Instead of mortal prophets prophesying, seeing visions and dreams from God and relaying those messages from God to mankind, we, His sons and daughters can receive personal direction from God and will even prophesy, see visions and dream dreams.

Acts 2:17-18 and Joel 2:28-29 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.

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So to sum it all up: there were Old Testament prophets who were mortal men sent by God who were types and shadows of Christ. They were the mediators between God and men. Then came Yeshua who was the mediator of the new covenant and He dwells within those who follow Him from then on when He poured out His spirit upon His followers to the current day. There is no need for more sent and called mortal prophets because we, as followers of Yeshua, can receive guidance from His Spirit and some may even prophesy and see visions because His spirit dwells within. Our guide should be Yeshua and God, whose spirit dwells within us.

Mortal prophets acting as mediators between God and the people are no longer needed because The Prophet, Yeshua, came and fulfilled all the types and shadows of previous prophets, however, in the last days followers of Yeshua will have visions and dreams and prophesy as it states in Acts 2:17-18 and Joel 2:28-29. There are many scriptures that state that there will be many false prophets, false apostles, false Christs and false teachers in the last days.

2 Pet. 2:1-3 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

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These false leaders will deceive many and I certainly was one of those deceived for almost 50 years. I was taught that since God called mortal prophets in the Bible then why wouldn’t He still call them today? Makes sense, right? However, many do not understand that Yeshua is now our Mediator, not mortal men called by God. God wants to guide and direct all peoples on His path, but in the last days, He does this through His written word, Living Word, and the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. The Mormon Church claims to have 15 prophets, seers and revelators. One man is the main prophet, who is the president of the church and he has two counselors and the other 12 are called apostles but are also given the title prophet, seer and revelator. They advise the president. I was always taught in LDS seminary and in my weekly youth church classes that the current living Mormon prophet was the mediator between God and us. In fact, I was even taught that our bishop was a type of mediator between us and God when it came to repenting of serious sins. A Mormon bishop is the leader of a ward or group of Mormons in a geographic location. He is like a pastor or minister that leads a particular group of Mormon members.

Our carnal natures crave leadership. Most people either want to lead or be led and to have someone tangible be our leader is a great comfort to many and gives a feeling of security. Our natural tendency is to want to be told what to do by a trusted authority. Most are less secure in searching out truth on their own and putting trust in beings who we cannot physically see, hear and touch. Many cunning people take advantage of this human vulnerability therefore, we get many false prophets, false Christs, false apostles and false teachers today as the scriptures foretold. We can be deceived by teachers, ministers and other types of leaders in authority in these last days. How do we protect ourselves from being deceived by these people?

God’s Truth Tests

We know that there will be many false leaders and teachers in the last days and yes, we are in the last days. We know there were both false and true prophets in Old Testament times, but did God have a way for the people to be able to discern if someone was a true or false leader back then? If He did have a way to test them, then we should be able to use that same test or tests today since He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God did not leave us to wonder and flounder when it comes to determining if someone is true or false in their teachings. There are three tests found in Deuteronomy that we will look at.

1. This is the first test to know whether a person is teaching truth. That person should never add to or subtract from the word of God.

Deut. 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

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Deut. 12:32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

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2. This is the second test to know whether a person is teaching truth. That person must teach you to worship and obey the One True God and no other gods and must teach you to walk in the Way of the One True God which is His Law or Instructions, the Torah. Even if a person performs signs and wonders, if their teachings do not align with God’s Instructions, then they are not sent by God.

Deut. 13:1-4 “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

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3. The third test is that if someone prophesies something and then that prophecy does not happen, then you know for sure that the person is not called of God. It is very important to test people in leadership positions who claim authority of any kind to determine if what they teach aligns with God’s word.

Deut. 18:20-22 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

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All people who teach and lead others along a path must be tested to be sure they are leading on God’s path and not their own path.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

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1 Thess. 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

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Acts 17:10-11 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

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Rev. 2:2-3 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

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People who claim authority, especially God’s authority, must be tested with the three tests found in Deuteronomy in order that we are not deceived by their doctrines.

Matt. 7:15-20 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

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Fruits are not just deeds but also what people teach. It’s easier to detect deception by deeds but often much more difficult to detect deception by words because that requires studying God’s word to compare it with what men teach. Too often many people will listen to teachings and think it sounds really good and gives them a good feeling, but the adversary is extremely cunning. He can weave lies into truths so easily and disguise those lies so that many believe them. Modern-day Bereans must be on their toes at all times and search the scriptures daily for understanding.

Trust Not In The Arm of Flesh

Jer. 17:5-6 Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the LORD.
For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited.

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Putting trust in mortal men and women is dangerous because if they teach anything contrary to God’s word then there is high probability of being deceived. Studying God’s word must become a daily habit for us all so that we will have it written upon our hearts so when false teachers and leaders come along, we will be able to spot them and turn from their false doctrines.

Ps. 118:8-9 It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes.

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Prov. 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

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One of the first things that I questioned in my former religion was the doctrine taught by Mormon leaders that says that the Mormon prophets cannot lead the members astray. God simply will not allow it to happen. This doctrine was first taught by the third president of the Mormon church, Wilford Woodruff. In 1890 he stated,

“The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty.”

Wilford Woodruff, Third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

It was at this time in history that the LDS Church was under immense pressure from the government in the U.S. to abolish polygamy, so the president of the church, Wilford Woodruff, drew up the 1890 Manifesto that basically stated the church would no longer practice polygamy. Wilford Woodruff was heavily criticized by the Latter-day Saints for the Manifesto because at that time, most members practiced polygamy and most didn’t want to give it up. To ease the minds of the members in this matter, President Woodruff justified himself in it by claiming that the Lord wouldn’t let him or any church president lead the saints astray. This quote has led the entire church to this very day to believe that their leaders cannot lead them astray. This is a false idea and is proven false by God’s word.

Isa. 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

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Isa. 9:16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err,
And those who are led by them are destroyed.

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Jer. 50:6 “My people have been lost sheep.
Their shepherds have led them astray;
They have turned them away on the mountains.
They have gone from mountain to hill;
They have forgotten their resting place.

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There are no infallible people on this Earth! The only perfect being was Yeshua of course! Even God’s true prophets were fallible, but when they spoke for God to the people, it was always truth! And the way for the people back then to determine if the leaders spoke truth was to test their message with God’s written word to make sure it agreed with it and passed the three tests. And that is how it’s also done today.

Think of the power Satan would have if he could get millions of people to believe the statement made by Wilford Woodruff! He would be able to inspire all kinds of false doctrine and philosophies of men mingled with scripture to millions because they wouldn’t question their leaders because of the belief that their leaders could not lead them astray. The people would get lazy in their study of the word of God because they would say to themselves, “I just have to listen to the prophet. He will tell me what to do. He won’t let me be led astray if I just listen to him and obey him.” God’s standard would very rarely be used to weigh the prophet’s and other leaders words to make sure what they taught was truth. The people would eventually come to believe that all they have to do is “follow the prophet” and all will be well. This is exactly what has happened in the LDS Church. One of the main themes in every single general conference is to “follow the prophet, don’t go astray.” We must replace this phrase with, “Follow the Savior, He is the Way.” Yeshua is The Prophet that Moses testified would come. We must open up God’s word, His standard, and measure the teachings of men so that we won’t go astray and so that we will come to know The Prophet, Yeshua, the one who is The Way.

God doesn’t take our agency away. He allows Satan to deceive us. He tests us to see if we will turn to His word and follow it. It’s up to us to be in tune with the spirit to detect deception. God doesn’t strike down everyone who tries to lead others astray. He would be taking away agency if He did. This is a dangerous idea because if the people of the church get the idea that they can just rest assured that as long as they follow the prophet and do everything he says, then they don’t have to do much of anything themselves. They don’t have to rely on the spirit or the scriptures or personal revelation because the prophet will tell them everything they need to know or do. It creates spiritual laziness and a dependency upon a mortal man instead of God. A mortal man is not our savior. Yeshua is our only Savior. He is the ONLY way back to the Father. In all of scripture, there was never a prophet called of God who told the people to follow him, a mortal man. Their message was always to repent and come unto God and the Savior–to follow Them because They are the only ones who can save us.

An example of this false doctrine comes from the movie Minority Report. In the movie, people were arrested and put in prison before they had even committed the crime that they were arrested for. The premise for their arrests was foreknowledge from three psychics called pre-cogs who were able to see into the future. This sounds like a good idea at first glance but upon further examination we see that this only takes away agency. A person can have an idea to commit a crime but can also choose not to do it in the end. God sees all from the beginning to the end. He knows what we will do and He knows the outcome but He still gives us the chance to learn and grow by the choices we make. If He were to simply assign us a specific reward based on His knowledge but not allowing us to actually make the choices, then that would not allow us the chance to learn and grow from our own choices. How would you feel if you were cast into hell but didn’t go through the choices that got you to that outcome. This is why Wilford Woodruff’s statement that God won’t allow us to be led astray by the prophet is false because God must allow Him to do that. He gives everyone their agency. God will not remove someone before they can lead others astray. God doesn’t have a pre-crime system.

The statement made by Wilford Woodruff has been quoted time and again by presidents, apostles and other leaders of the LDS Church since then. I witnessed first hand, members of my former church who stated that the current Mormon prophet was above all other prophets found in the scriptures and that he is our lifeline in this world and that what he said trumped everything that any other prophet in history taught. Wow! I just marvel that I could’ve fallen for such lies! But when someone is born and raised in a religion and has committed their entire life to it and was taught that is was not okay to question, then it is a bit easier to see why so many can be deceived.

2 Cor. 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

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I am reminded of another scripture in Jeremiah.

Jer. 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

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The two evils committed by the people were first they stopped trusting in and following the One True God and Yeshua. God gave the Israelites fresh living water to sustain them in the wilderness and Yeshua said He is our living water. He is the source of truth for us in this wilderness where we are journeying here on this world. His truth quenches our spiritual thirst and gives us eternal life. The second evil spoken of in the scripture verse is that the people have made for themselves cisterns to gather water but these cisterns are broken and can hold no water. This is symbolic of people rejecting God and His Son for mortal leaders. They put their trust in them instead of God and Yeshua but sadly they will never find truth in stagnant water. Mortal men are fallen, flawed, fallible, unreliable and weak. Unless they are called and sent by God and preach God’s word then they are broken cisterns that have no living water.

Why do people reject the living water for something so inferior? Well, these next couple Bible passages explain it.

2 Tim. 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

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The natural man/woman loves to do things his/her own way instead of God’s way. When people don’t like what God has to say, they search for those who say things that tickle their ears and make them feel good about how they are living. They are drawn to teachers and leaders who flatter and speak easy things. To listen to the truth when you desire to do things your own way is not an easy thing. In fact, in this state, the truth cuts to the core and becomes painful to hear.

Jer. 5:30-31 “An astonishing and horrible thing
Has been committed in the land:
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end?

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Why do the people love to have it so? Because the prophets and priests tell the people what they want to hear. They speak smooth things to them. God’s true prophets did not speak of smooth things. They spoke of hard things to hear such as repent of your sins. God’s true prophets were most often rejected, persecuted, mocked and even killed for what they said to the people. They were not popular among the people because more often than not, the people loved to do things their own way and loved their traditions and didn’t like to be told that they were doing wrong.

In conclusion, study God’s word daily so that you can recognize true and false doctrines being taught. Put your trust in God, His Son, His word and the Holy Spirit and you will be guided in truth. Apply the three tests to anyone who preaches to you. You will know men and women by their fruits. And lastly, be humble enough to accept when you’ve been deceived and have the courage to walk away from the source of that deception and be willing to dive into the word of God–the truth! Change requires effort and faith and the road is often tribulation filled but it is worth it!