God has always had His spokesmen in this world. They have been called prophets, priests, judges, elders, ministers, and pastors, and many others, bearing no special credentials. The Words of God these men carried conveyed God's Truth to the people, even though sometimes the people did not like their messages. In spite of afflictions, imprisonments, and even tortures, God's messengers, regardless of their names, have been sounding His warnings faithfully.
Satan also has his messengers. They have also called themselves God's prophets, and still do today, disguising themselves as angels of light. All of these false prophets, or teachers, have been deceiving the people to whom they profess to have been sent, even while supposedly preaching the Word of God. God says, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran..." (Jeremiah 23:21). Peter says they "...bring in damnable heresies,...and through covetousness...make merchandise of you" (2 Peter 2:1-3). He describes them as "having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin..." (2 Peter 2:14). How can we distinguish between God's messengers, and these false teachers?
The teacher must be an example.
Paul says we shall follow him as he follows Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). He must be an example in "...word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). He can have only one wife, be sober, and noted for his good behavior (1 Timothy 3:2). The minister must be blameless, holding the faith in a good conscience (Titus 1:7-8), and he cannot teach for "filthy lucre" (1 Peter 5:2). Use this criteria (standard) when examining the teachers who say they are God's prophets.
God's messengers will not hesitate to teach "the whole council of God," but the false prophets and teachers will be condemned by the very Word they profess to teach (Matthew 28:20; Acts 20:27). God's Word will reveal their evil nature, their lust, their greed, and desire for money, as well as their carelessness and lack of concern for the souls of the people they profess to love.
Jesus said we should not cast our pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). Will God then give His most precious truths to those who refuse to obey Him? "By their fruits ye shall know them," Matthew 7:20 says.
Aaron and his sons were instructed to keep themselves clean, and faithfully teach all the statutes of God (Leviticus 10:9-11). Even their wives had to be pure so God would not be blasphemed in any way. God says, "...Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you" (2 Corinthians 6:17). The Mosaic priesthood was established with Levi because there was found no iniquity in him (Malachi 2:4-7). God's servants can never be proud, haughty, thinking of themselves as important men (Matthew 20:25-28; Luke 22:25-27).
In Galatians 5:16-25, we have a comparison of the fruits of God's servants, and the fruits of the servants of Satan, who are following the lusts of the flesh. In 1 Timothy 3:1-13, and also in 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, we have an illustration of how a servant of God will preach, and conduct himself, and in Acts 20:17-36 we have an example of a concerned man of God who taught all men faithfully. Revelation 22:18-19 tells us of the results of changing, adding to, or subtracting from the words that God has given us in His Holy Book.
God's ministers may never be bribed.
The prophet sent to King Jeroboam, refused the reward (1 Kings 13:7-8). Elisha refused to take a gift from Naaman (2 Kings 5:15-27), but his servant who longed for, and received that gift, was cursed with Naaman's disease. Daniel declined the gift from Belshazzar (Daniel 5:17). Paul refused to accept money, and labored at tent making, supplying even the needs of those with him (Acts 18:3; 20:34-35). Peter refused Simon's money, admonishing him to repent of his great wickedness in thinking that any favor could be purchased from God, or his servants (Acts 8:20-22). Monetary reward can never rule in the hearts of those God has called, neither will the true man of God ever teach, or preach, for the amount he will receive (1 Timothy 3:3). Remember that God knows the heart (Romans 8:27; Hebrews 4:12-13).
There are multitudes who call themselves prophets: men and women, who are using water, kerchiefs, candles, bells, and other assorted materials, in the name of God, but the most important things are forgotten (Matthew 23:23-28; Luke 11:42-52). Ezekiel gives a description of some of their works (Ezekiel 13:1-22). They prophesy out of their own hearts, and follow their own spirit. It may be they see visions, but only from the devil (Ezekiel 13:6-7). Those false teachers have polluted the Lord among the people, Ezekiel says. God will tear their pillows and their kerchiefs from them, and these same prophets shall stand before God with the souls of those they have deceived to hear from the mouth of God, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Ezekiel 13:20; Matthew 7:22-23; Luke 13:27; Revelation 1:7).
They say God has given them the "gift of tongues," and use that as an indication that God is with them, but "the way of peace have they not known" (Romans 3:17), and when they speak it is with "swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh" (2 Peter 2:18). No man can understand their tongues. In Acts 2:6-11 all men understood the Gospel, each in his own language. The Spirit interpreted the language of the apostles into the language of all present. The Scriptures say nothing about God's messengers uttering meaningless, incoherent mumblings that are so common today with the man who is supposedly interpreting, speaking out of his own imaginations (Romans 1:21-22). Paul says he would rather speak only five words in a known tongue than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue (1 Corinthians 14:19). Jeremiah 9:2-3 says they bend their tongues for lies, but are not valiant for the truth. How aptly he describes it! Paul says "...with their tongues they have used deceit" (Romans 3:10-18).
The "gift of tongues" is not the greatest of God's spiritual gifts. By the Spirit, God gives "...words of wisdom,...knowledge,...healing,...miracles,...prophecy,...discerning of spirits,...tongues,...interpretation of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). False teachers put the gift of tongues above all else, even above God's clear commands to live a pure life, and in this deceit, they live and teach. Paul says that even if he had all the gifts, and is lacking charity, then he has nothing at all (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). In Revelation 13:7-8 we read, "...it was given unto him to make war with the saints,...and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Surely this time is now, and the devil is using his power in tongues to deceive men into thinking that "judgment, mercy and faith" are no longer necessary in spite of what Jesus says (Matthew 23:23).
Consider the prophets who advised the farmers to stay in their houses lest it rain on them, or tell a man's wife that she must return to her mother and leave her husband's house, when God has said that a man, or a woman, shall leave father and mother and cleave to the God-given spouse (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9). Consider the prophet who curses someone for a price. Is that not murder, just as the scribes and the Pharisees were guilty of the blood of Jesus, even though they did not drive the nails into His hands? (Acts 7:52).
Think of the men, or women, who make profit on the water that is free, which can be drawn at any water tap, but they say it is holy because they have blessed it; or will pray a blessing on a piece of cloth, and then charge some amount for their prayer. Think of the prophet who says, "I must have five pounds before your wife can safely deliver." Think of the bells, and the candles, that they teach must be used before a man can pray, when God says that He will not be worshiped by the instruments of man's hands (Isaiah 44:8-20; Acts 17:24-25). How then shall the man who does not have the candle, or the bell, pray to God? Yet Jesus calls all men to come to Him, and nowhere does He say anything about using a bell or a candle. Paul says we shall "pray without ceasing'' (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Search the Bible, and you will not find anywhere that God instructed any of His servants to use any of these things.
These false prophets and the witch doctors that say they must have money before you can get well are not telling you the truth. They are after your money. Sacrificing a rooster or a goat will not make you or your child well. We must pray to God for help and health. He is the One who answers prayers and helps, if we have faith in Him.
It is true that some sick people wanted Peter's shadow to fall on them. It is also true that some were healed when Paul's garments were brought to them (Acts 5:15; 19:11-12). But the same verses say that these were special miracles that God wrought. There is nothing said about either one of them blessing any clothes, and certainly, there is no record that they charged a fee for their prayers. They followed Christ's teaching in Matthew 10:8, "Freely ye have received, freely give." Are the false prophets as great as Peter and Paul? Do not be deceived by the miracles of the false prophets for Satan will give them great power (Mark 13:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 13:13).
Isaiah says they are "...shepherds that cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter..." (Isaiah 56:10-12). Offerings and tithes, brought to the Lord, vanish at their hands, and few records are left of how they were used, yet Romans 12:17 says to "be honest in the sight of all men." Their groves are on the mountain tops, and they call, "Worship here only," but Jesus said, "Neither...nor yet at Jerusalem,...But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth..." (John 4:21-23). Other men's wives are invited to stay at the prophet's house, but Revelation 21:8 says "...the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone..." Isaiah 32:5-7 describes them as working hypocrisy, while Jeremiah calls them covetous, profane, and wicked (Jeremiah 6:13; 23:11). Micah says they "judge for reward,...divine for money,...and teach for hire." Zephaniah 3:1-4 compares them with lions and wolves, and in Jeremiah 14:14-16 God pronounces His wrath on the prophets who tell lies in His Name, and the people who listen to them. Jesus called them wolves in "sheep's clothing," and warns us to beware of their "doctrines of men" that were never the words of God (Matthew 7:15). Paul says they are "...giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy..." (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
We have record of some of God's prophets, but they were very few in number in comparison with the multitudes of prophets that Satan had in Israel. Think of the many evil prophets, of some of the kings of Israel and Judah. Think of the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, Satan's messengers, who were in the contest with God's prophet, Elijah, on Mount Carmel. They were many, but Elijah was alone. Those false prophets had deceived most of the people, and they used knives, and shouted, and danced around their altar, trying to awaken Baal that they might not be put to an open shame. All their shouting was of no avail, and notice their destruction when God answered Elijah (1 Kings 18:19-40). Consider also the corruptness of the so-called prophets of God. Then consider whether the wickedness of the present day prophets is any less evil than the wickedness of those during the time of the Old Dispensation.
God has sent His Son, and has ushered in the New Dispensation that was promised to Adam in the Garden of Eden, which promise was reaffirmed to the faithful men down through the ages until Christ came. "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). Repent from the evil devices that Satan has bound you with, and turn to God for mercy and pardon. The invitation is for all men, and the warnings go out to all the false prophets and teachers. If we return to the Lord, He will abundantly pardon, Isaiah tells us (Isaiah 55:7). Jesus says, "...Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).