FALSE PROPHETS: “YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS”
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
The specific “fruits” of these particular false prophets that the Lord warns the remnant of Israel about will fall into more than one category or type. For this reason the Lord uses the plural word “fruits” when He tells the remnant, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” Moreover each of these categories of their false teachings and prophecies will have a direct connection to the major progressive developments that will be going on during the final installment to the climactic stage in God’s program with Israel. Now in Matthew 7 the Lord only sets forth the basic warning to the remnant about the coming existence of these particular “false prophets” and how it is going to be that the remnant will be able to detect them. And at the beginning of the remnant’s edification, (which is what the Lord provides them with by His ‘sermon on the mount’ to them), this is all that the remnant needed to know. At the outset they just needed to know that such “false prophets” would be coming and that they would not be detectable either by how they looked or how they acted.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
For in appearance they would ‘look’ like they were true ‘sheep’ of the flock of the remnant, and in conduct they would ‘act’ like true ‘sheep,’ even performing signs and doing “many wonderful works” in the Lord’s name. Therefore the remnant will not be able to go by what they will ‘see’ if they are going to be able to detect these “false prophets.” They will have to go strictly by what these characters will say; i.e. by the “fruits” that will come out of their mouths as they function as the prophets of God that they will claim to be. This will be the key to identification for the remnant, just as the Lord underscored by His ‘tree and its fruit’ analogy in verses 16–20. Therefore the remnant not only needed to give heed to all of the Lord’s corrective and educational doctrines to them for their own edification, but they also needed to give particular heed to the Lord’s teachings if they are going to avoid being duped by these coming “false prophets.” The remnant’s crystal clear understanding of the truth will be their only means of detecting the false teachings and false prophesies of these “false prophets.”
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Now though at the outset of the remnant’s edification the Lord did not describe these “fruits” in any real detail. He did do so later on before returning to the Father; as for example in Matthew 24. Moreover He also provided for even further details about these “false prophets” and their “fruits” to be given to the remnant after He departed, which He gave to them particularly through the epistles of their apostles Peter, James, John, and Jude. Briefly and simply put, when the Lord in Matthew 24 set forth to His disciples the basic outline of the events that will transpire in the final installment to Israel’s program. He also set forth the basic outline regarding the actual coming and functioning of these particular “false prophets.” And according to what the Lord sets forth, there will be three main categories of these particular “false prophets” with their ‘false teachings and false prophesies,’ and they will correspond with three major stages of development during the final installment.
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
The first main category will be those that will begin to function early on in the opening stage to the final installment, during which time as the Lord says in Matthew 24:4–5, “many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” The main thrust and focus of their deceitful false teachings and prophesies will be that of contradicting and denying that Jesus of Nazareth is the real Christ, and that the preaching of theremnant about Him being the Christ is not true. In connection with this they will also declare that other things proclaimed by the remnant are not true, as they go about preaching “the gospel of the kingdom.” Furthermore these, and others like them, will also seek to infiltrate ‘the ranks of the remnant,’ so to speak, in order to seduce, deceive, and corrupt them from within by contrary doctrines of their own concoction, as well as by contrary doctrines that come from their mishandling, misunderstanding, and misapplying what is set forth in the law and the prophets.
2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
As noted earlier, further details about these “false prophets,” as well as about their effect upon the remnant, are given to the remnant in Hebrews through The Book of The Revelation; most especially in II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude, and The Book of The Revelation. And in accordance with this, further details about the function of this first main category of “false prophets” is set forth, for example, in II Peter 2:1ff; I John 2:18–27; 4:1–6. The second main category of “false prophets” and their ‘fruit’ will be those that will begin to function a little later on in the development of the final installment, when “the beginning of sorrows” of Matthew 24:7–8 is underway, with its particular turmoil of the nations that the Lord describes and its accompanying turmoil in the environment. Now in Matthew 24 the Lord does not actually deal with this particular category of “false prophets.” And this is undoubtedly because their primary focus will not be on the remnant of Israel. In other words these particular “false prophets” will not specifically be coming to the remnant for the purpose of deceiving them. Rather this category of “false prophets” will be focusing upon the nations in order to provide for the success of the Antichrist.
1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
These will deceive especially in connection with ‘putting an acceptable spin,’ so to speak, on the things that lead up to Israel’s acceptance of the Antichrist, as well as supporting the things involved in the implementation of the Antichrist’s policies during the opening portion of his reign and also leading up to his establishment of “the abomination of desolation.” As is set forth in Revelation 13, the second “beast” that arises after the “first beast,” (who is later on called “the false prophet”), is the specific “false prophet” that provides for the success of the Antichrist. However as is set forth especially in the prophets concerning what will be going on in the nations during that time, there will also be the activities of “sorcerers” and their “sorceries,” and of deceiving “signs” and the like, by which the nations are deceived. The third main category of “false prophets” and their ‘fruit’ will be those that will particularly function during the latter stage of the final installment, as the Lord talks about in Matthew 24:23–28. The main thrust and focus of their false teachings, prophesies, and “great signs and wonders” at that particular time will be that of attempting to deceive the members of the remnant that are in hiding at that time into thinking that the Lord has already returned and that they should come out of their places.
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries