What does the Bible say about false prophets?

from the old testament

• True prophets of God spoke against those who gave their own messages instead of God's messages (Jeremiah 14:14; 23:21–33; Zechariah 10:2).
• False prophets told the people smooth words and gave vain hope, reassuring them that everything was fine when God was pronouncing judgment on Israel because they were living in sin: "They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11; see also Jeremiah 23:16).
• Because of the false prophets, the Israelites wandered like sheep and were afflicted without the leading of the Lord (Zechariah 10:2).
• God promises He will judge the false prophets and shepherds and will rescue His sheep: “Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them” (Ezekiel 34:10).

from the new testament

• Prophets today do not operate in the same way as the prophets in the Old Testament. Still, there are many who claim to speak on God's behalf that do so falsely. There are even false prophets who come into the church, bringing destructive heresies and leading people astray from the truth with their enticing doctrine. Peter warned, "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1).
• False prophets do not teach the truth of the Bible. Sometimes, they teach what is blatantly contrary to the Word of God. Other times, they twist the truth or add their own opinion, doctrine, and lifestyle to it. While some false prophets are themselves deceived and unaware that they are peddling lies, many others are driven by greed and pride (2 Peter 2:3). Their goal is not to make disciples of Jesus but to make disciples of their own teaching.
• False prophets bring destruction upon the church. Their twisted doctrine entices "unsteady souls," people who don't have a solid footing, who are just beginning to seek God, or who don't have a strong relationship with Him (2 Peter 2:14).
• Even Christians who are strong in their faith may be deceived for a short time before they realize the false teacher's true intentions. They preach freedom, but their doctrine only leads to chains (2 Peter 2:19). Peter says that "many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed" (2 Peter 2:2). Ultimately, the work of false prophets blasphemes God's name and mars the reputation of His people.
• Jesus warned about false prophets, saying, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not hear good fruit is but down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:15–23).
• The danger of false prophets isn't just that they are teaching lies; the problem is that they look like "good" people and even like true followers of God. On the outside, they look righteous, but on the inside, they are corrupted. Jesus tells us that we will recognize them by their fruits, and 2 Peter 2 describes in detail what fruits false prophets produce:
• They bring in destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1)
• Many people will follow them (2 Peter 2:2)
• They have heard the true gospel and gone back to the "defilements of the world" (2 Peter 2:20–22)
• They are driven by greed (2 Peter 2:3, 15–16)
• They exploit and deceive with their words (2 Peter 2:3)
• They are bold, willful, and unafraid of God (2 Peter 2:10)
• They are like irrational animals, acting on instinct (2 Peter 2:12)
• They are adulterous (Jeremiah 23:14) and like to revel in the daytime (2 Peter 2:13)
• They are slaves of corruption (2 Peter 2:19)
• In the same chapter on false prophets, Peter reminds the church that "the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment" (2 Peter 2:9). God condemns false prophets with some of the most intense descriptions of judgment in the Bible. He promises that their destruction will be swift (2 Peter 2:3), and "for them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved" (2 Peter 2:17).

implications for today

We must be diligent in studying the truth ourselves so we can spot false prophets. Yes, they will give an account for where and how they are leading people astray, but we can also do a lot to prevent ourselves from becoming led astray. The best way to recognize a falsehood is to be well-versed in the truth. We can combat the danger of false prophets by looking to God as the source of truth and comparing all we hear to what He actually says in His Word (the Bible). We can all follow Paul's advice to Timothy: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

We must be discerning, testing what we hear proclaimed by others. John gives us a good test for false prophets: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God" (1 John 4:1–2). Anyone who is truly speaking the words of the Lord will proclaim Christ's death and resurrection first. What they prophesy will come to pass, their teachings will be in accordance with Scripture, and their ministry will result in changed lives and the spreading of righteous living. These are teachings and truths we can believe and hold onto.