*HOW TO KNOW TRUE PROPHECIES AND FALSE PROPHECIES?*

By C.C Anaedu

Prophecy has become so much in demand in the world today both for Christians and Non-Christians. Because of that millions around the world are confused in differentiating between genuine prophecies and false prophecies.

*PROPHECY*
This is an inspired message, whether a revelation of divine will or the proclamation of it. Prophecy may be an inspired moral teaching, an expression of a divine command or judgment, or a declaration of something to come.​ —Eze 37:9, 10; Da 9:24; Mt 13:14; 2Pe 1:20, 21. The source of genuine prophecies is God. While most cases, sources of false and fake prophecies are Demons

There are so many other acts of prediction which in most case people mix them up with genuine prophecy.

*Clairvoyance* : This is the alleged ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Most Clairvoyants operate either by guess work, or by assistance of means and mediums or demonic spirits. So many people who were possessed by this spirit were possessed at childhood, few were at Adulthood. This ability to see visions or make predictions has nothing to do with call of God. Predictions by clairvoyance are not accurate, they do not have details, and in some cases do not come to pass.

*Divination* : This is the art of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. It is called 'Divinare' in Latin, which means " to foresee, to be inspired by a god or spirit". This is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, with the assistance of demons via possessions, means and mediums, standardized process or ritual. The demon spirit of divination can possess anyone who is predisposed to it from childhood to adulthood. It has nothing to do with the call of God. These predictions are largely not accurate, they lack details and many times fail to come to pass.

1Samuel 28v7-
Finally Saul said to his servants : "Find me a woman who is a spirit medium, and I will go and consult her."His servants replied :" Look! There is a woman who is a spirit medium in Endor. " So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went to the woman by night with two of his men. He said :" Use divination, please, by acting as a spirit medium, and bring up for me the one whom I designate to you "...11 At this the woman said :" Whom should I bring up for you? " He replied: "Bring up Samuel for me. "

Acts 16v1-18
" _16 Now it happened that as we were going to be place of prayer, a servant girl with a spirit, a demon of divination, met us. She supplied her master with much profit by fortune telling. 17 This kept following Paul and us and crying out with the word : "These men are the slaves of the most high God and are proclaiming to you the way of salvation. "18 She kept doing this for many days. Finally Paul got tired of it and turned and said to the spirit : " I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. "And it came out that very hour._

*Fortune telling* Fortune telling is the practice of predicting information, events about a person's life. The scope of fortune telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination. Fortune tellers use various means and mediums such as Horoscope, tarot cards, also through spirit or demonic possession.

*Sorcery* : Magic. Sorcerer (paranormal), a practitioner of magic, the ability to attain objectives or acquire knowledge or wisdom using supernatural means. Sorcerer (fantasy), someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources.

Acts 13v6-11
_When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met up with a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus, who was a sorcerer and a false prophet.... "_
Acts 8v9-11
_Now in the city was a man named Simon, who prior to this had been practicing magical arts and amazing the nation of Samaria, claiming that he was somebody great. All of them, from the least to the greatest, would pay attention to him and say : " This man is the Power of God, which is is called Great. " So they would pay attention to him because he had amazed them for quite a while by his magical arts._

If you analyze these four future and past predicting arts, they are all arts of spiritism, anything that falls under these are actually not prophecies. These are predictions, mostly via spirit mediums, means or demon possessions. Some may come to pass, many may fail. As a matter of fact, it may be as a result of interpolations and extrapolations of any available facts. Many of these do not provide details.

Deut.18v21-22
*However, you may say in your heart : How will we know that Jehovah has not spoken the word? When the Prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word is not fulfilled or does not come true, then Jehovah did not speak that word. The Prophet spoke it presumptuously. You should not fear him '.*

Deut. 18v10-13
*There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, anyone practising magic, anyone who looks for omens, a sorcerer, anyone binding others with spell, anyone who consults a spirit medium, or a fortune teller, or anyone who inquires of the dead. For whoever does this things is detestable to Jehovah ,..."*

Jeremiah 23v21
*" I did not send the Prophets yet they ran. I did not speak to them yet they prophesied.* "

Jeremiah 23v25-26
*" I have heard the Prophets who are prophesying lies in my name say, I had a dream! How long will this continue in the heart of the Prophets, to prophesy lies? They are Prophets of the deceit of their own heart.*

Jeremiah 23v28
*"Let the Prophet who has a dream relate the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully. "*

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE PROPHECIES.

(1) True prophecies are accurate and perfect. Deut. 32v3-4

(2) True prophecies shall by no means fail. Num. 23v19, Isa. 55v10-11, Psalms 119v89-96

(3) True prophecies must be in line with the infallible word of God and shall by no means contradict any part of scriptures. God cannot lie. See Titus 1v2, Heb. 13v8, James 1v17

(4) True prophecies have details for its fulfilment. 2Peter 1v19

(5) One of the most important characteristics of true prophecies is that, the essence of the prophecies itself is to make God's people to repent or return to God or to take divine direction. THIS IS A MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS IN ALL THE PROPHECIES IN THE BIBLE, FROM ALL THE MAJOR AND MINOR PROPHETS such as (Moses, Nathan, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Nahum, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi etc) Jer. 26v5, Num. 12v6 Acts 2v11.

*The big questions are , if someone makes a prophecy, why did it fail to come to pass? Can God tell a prophet something that cannot come to pass? Can God tell a prophet something without details for its fulfilment? Why are many of those prophecies based on people fortunes? Why are those prophecies not motivating people to repent or return to God? Why are those people prophecies not in support of God's kingdom? Why are those prophecies against the Holy scriptures?*