Scripture
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
Moses gives a test for presumptuous prophecy.
But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.” You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Testing prophetic claims
The passage gives Christians biblical categories for evaluating claims to speak for God without treating sincerity as sufficient proof.
Where this passage comes up
- Muhammad was foretold in the BibleRead in context, Moses' promised prophet comes from Israel, and the Advocate Jesus promised is the Holy Spirit, sent to his own disciples soon after Jesus left them.
- The Watch Tower organization must be trustedScripture commends testing every teacher by God's word, and an organization that calls itself fallible cannot make questioning its teaching a test of loyalty.
- Public revelation and prophetic testsThe Torah and the apostles give public tests for anyone who claims to speak for God: agreement with earlier revelation, loyalty to the one God, and predictions that come true.