There's a lot the Bible teaches about discerning prophecy; enough that I've been quite bogged down in looking up the relevant scriptures, pondering them, and trying to perceive the outline of their inter-relationships and nuances.
I may have gotten lost in the thicket of (nonetheless-important) details, and missed what may be a "key" for discerning false prophecy, interpretation, and teaching.
It's seemed of critical importance, since God first spot-lighted it to me, that Jesus said some of His followers were "children of the devil." He went on to say that their familial connection was manifest in their doing the deeds of their spiritual father, lies and murder (John 8:44).
Probably everyone knows what "lies" are; statements contrary to Truth (as Whom Jesus Identified Himself: John 14:6). Statements not in words only. We certainly see many whose attitudes, intents, methodologies, "deportment," values, or worldviews are dishonest. contrary to truth. Anything of man's ways which can be made false can effectually be a lie. Taken far enough, a person's life can be a lie: a false statement more profound than any we make with words.
Defining "murder" is trickier, as human law-codes show in their various attempts to differentiate "manslaughter" and "justifiable homicide" from murder, and assess degrees of criminal culpability for the latter. Jesus' definition is more simple, and more radical: which is to say Jesus gets to the root- (Latin, radix) cause of "murder."
He would, wouldn't He ?
Jesus defined murder as hate-filled contempt for others (Matthew 5:21-22)...whether or not it manifests as killing someone. We who believe Jesus take His definition as absolute: what He says anything is, it IS: starting with creation, and life itself (John 1:1-4). Thus John affirmed the Lord's word about murder, writing that "everyone who hates his brother is a murderer" (I John 3:15).
By faith we understand that Jesus' characterization of "children of the devil" is definitive: and nothing's more critical than that we recognize the enemy-forces we encounter by His characterization. The enemy-forces opposing God's children on earth today are the same as those who opposed God's Son during His earthly life. They are manifest to those who believe Jesus as they were manifest to Him: satan's children do the works of their spiritual father, lies and murderous hatred.
Jesus affirmed...as we do each time we pray the Lord's Prayer...that "the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory" all belong Solely to God our Father, "on earth as it is in Heaven." The enemy forces that currently hold sway on earth say otherwise: that ruling authority, its power, and its glory, belong to man.
So "politics" (especially the politics of demos -kratia, the "people rule") is always a major focus of those who oppose God's ruling authority and His power over mankind. God says that human "authorities" owe their positions to him, and exercise His authority: He therefore commands that they be His "ministers" to do good (Romans 13:1-5). But we know...and regularly see...satan's children grasp for earthly authority and power so they can do their father's works.
In the past century of earth's history, we've seen landmark examples of "children of the devil," most notably Stalin and Hitler, who used politics in order to do the works of satan.
So we must soberly discern, today, that the enemy's forces still grasp for ruling authority and its power, in our country: and that politics is still their avenue to that end. And just as in Jesus' day, we must discern that many in the American political faction which identifies itself with lies and murderous hatred claim to be Jesus' followers.
That is what Jesus warns us about in His hallmark teaching in Matthew 24 about "the end of the age" which precedes His return. He says that "many" will come in His name to mislead His people. He highlights among them "false prophets:" whom I strongly suggested in a previous post must include false interpreters of Biblical prophecy.
And Jesus' repeated warnings in that chapter are simple, and emphatic: "See to it that no one misleads you," "do not believe them," "do not go [with them]."
It couldn't be clearer, then, that Jesus requires us to discern which prophets, interpreters, and teachers speak God's word, and which do not. It is His command that we not believe or follow every prophet, interpreter, or teacher who claims to speak "in My, Jesus', name."
His characterization of "children of the devil" as liars and murderous haters is absolute, and easily understood: recognizing those works of satan is likewise easy. The key discernment I missed may be just as evident.
The scriptural principle is that "...no prophecy is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (I Peter 1:20). The take-away is that only the Spirit can truthfully interpret His word of prophecy.
The simple key to discernment is that "children of the devil" never speak from the Holy Spirit.
They may claim to be Jesus' followers. They may cloak their lies in half-truths to deceive the unwary.
But this is certain: the Spirit of Christ never prophecies, interprets, or teaches a political answer to a spiritual problem. The Spirit of Truth will never vouchsafe a political (or any other) lie. God's Spirit will never incite murderous hatred of others for political (or any other) purposes.
Those are of course the regular prophecies, interpretations, and teachings of the "Christians" who follow America's "children of the devil" faction.
Jesus' command is clear: none who love Him will believe them or go with them.
Amen !
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