I am going to tell you why there are so many false prophets among evangelicals, why so many evangelicals are bewitched by them, and why these “prophets” were wrong about Donald Trump in the recent election.

First, many of the evangelical ministers who are staunch Trump supporters, and many of the so-called prophets who falsely prophesied that Donald Trump would win the election have fostered and nurtured carnel, fleshly attitudes with their teachings, rhetoric, and prophecies.

When a minister teaches people to hate their enemies, curse their fellow Christians, and demonstrate undivided loyalty to a political figure, they have abandoned the teachings and ways of Christ. The most glaring mark of a false prophet is not whether or not they correctly predict who will win an election in-which there is a 50/50 chance of being right or wrong. The most glaring mark of a false prophet is their message about God.

The message of the Trump prophets is not the message of Christ, and that above all else is why they are false prophets. It doesn’t matter if a prophet’s prediction comes true or not, if they lead you away from Christ, they are a false prophet. 

If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. ~ Deuteronomy 13:1-4

In Jeremiah, God says the following:

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. ~ Jeremiah 23:21-22

Secondly, many of these “so -called prophets” have turned prophecy into a money making enterprise, and they merchandise evangelicals who follow them. They promote themselves as the spiritual ones who hear from God, and many of them sell their prophecies in books, videos, and by other various means of financial profit.

They are able to garner large followings among susceptible evangelicals who are not grounded in the doctrine of Christ, who become “the market” for these for profit, prophets, who lead them into error. The apostle Peter says that the way of the truth is evil spoken of because of them – And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. ~ 2 Peter 2:2

The word “pernicious” means having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way. Even now, many of these prophets and unfortunately many who have esteemed them as prophets, have doubled down with claims that they will still be right and the election will be overturned. What will be their excuse on January 20, 2021?

Now is not the time to double down. Now is the time to humbly repent of speaking falsehood under the guise of prophecy. Now is the time to repent of indoctrinating others with their errors.

The sad reality is American evangelicalism has been hijacked by those who are involved in a type of sorcery. When you make prophecy a “for profit enterprise,” the result is witchcraft and divination.

In the Old Testament (2 Kings 5), Gehazi, the servant of Elijah thought he could take advantage of Elijah’s gift as a prophet of God and use it for profit, and was consequently cursed with leprosy.

In the New Testament, Simon the Sorcerer wanted to maintain control over the people who had come to Christ and received the Holy Spirit. After Simon saw that the apostles had the gift of ministering the Spirit of the Lord to the people, he offered them money for this gift and was rebuked by Peter – ” Your money perish with thee, because you have thought the gift of God may be purchased with money. You have not part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right in the sight of God.” ~ Acts 8 20-21

Notice what Peter says next: Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. ~ v. 22

Peter refers to Simeon’s offer of money in relation to the gift of God as wickedness which Simeon needed to repent from. On more than one occasion, the New Testament writers make reference to Balaam (an Old Testament prophet who perverted his gift for bribery). The story of Balaam can be found in Numbers 22-24

In Numbers 31:16 the counsel of Balaam is spoken of as “committing trespass against the Lord.” In Joshua 13:22 Balaam is called a soothsayer. In the New Testament, Balaam is mentioned in connection with false ministers who forsake the way of righteousness for financial gain, and who place stumbling blocks before the children of God so that they stumble from truth into error.

Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness… ~ 2 Peter 2:15

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. ~ Jude 1:11

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. ~ Revelation 2:14

Those who pervert the gifts of God, such as prophecy into a business enterprise, have turned to corruption and no longer abide in the truth of the gospel. God’s gifts are not to be marketed and sold. 

Finally, there are others among the “evangelicals prophets” who are in error because of a flawed understanding of the gospel, and of New Testament doctrine, and the role of prophecy within the church. Prophets were not given to the church to guide believers, nor to hear from God for believers, nor to foretell the future for believers.

The true ministry of any true prophet is first and foremost to preach/teach the written Word of God and to draw men to Jesus. The gift of prophecy reveals the secrets of men’s hearts so that they glorify God and Christ (1 Corinthians 14:23-25).

Isn’t it interesting that the New Testament gives us the qualifications for those desiring the office of bishop (an overseer) and the qualifications for a deacon, but everyone seems to want to be a prophet nowadays, and many of them don’t even meet the qualification for bishops and deacons.

Do you really want to know the truth?

Many who think they are prophets, do so because they desire a place of spiritual prominence. A true prophet doesn’t have to tell you he is a prophet, and he doesn’t have to go around defending false prophecies. A true prophet is interested in speaking the truth of Christ, so that the secrets of men’s hearts are confronted by the power of Christ. This is what many of the evangelical prophets simply do not understand or even pursue. Prophecy is for edification of the body of Christ, but the evangelical “Trump prophets” have other aspirations.

And that is why the evangelical prophets got it wrong, It is time for them to repent and not double down.

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IDENTIFYING FALSE PROPHETS – PART ONE

https://rootedandgroundedinchrist.com/2021/01/27/identifying-false-prophets-part-one/

TOLERATING FALSE TEACHERS

https://rootedandgroundedinchrist.com/2017/03/24/tolerating-false-teachers/

THEY HAVE NOT HEARD FROM GOD – AN HONEST RESPONSE TO THE TRUMP PROPHETS

https://rootedandgroundedinchrist.com/2021/01/12/they-have-not-heard-from-god-an-honest-response-to-the-trump-prophets/