“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; they speak a vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the LORD…. I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied'” (Jer 23:16, 21).
Having preached until the time of the temple’s destruction, Jeremiah lived on the fault line of a major shift in the history of his people. As the exile drew near, false prophets speaking in the name of the LORD began to multiply (see Jer 23:9, 11, 13-16, 21, 25-26, 28, 30-31, 33-34, 37). These prophets were self-appointed ear-ticklers who never stood in the “LORD’s council” and never truly heard God’s word (Jer 23:18, 22). In contrast to Jeremiah, who was hated for proclaiming hard truths, these prophets were loved by all and had vast followings (Jer 23:13, 32).
Let us learn from Jeremiah that the teachers with the most followers are not necessarily trustworthy.
Though I try as best I can to avoid making sensationalist eschatological claims, it certainly feels like we are rapidly approaching the end of an age. And just as in the days of Jeremiah, so today we see a multiplication of false prophets, teachers, and apostles. Let us learn from Jeremiah that the teachers with the most followers are not necessarily trustworthy. Let us, therefore, commit ourselves to recognizing God’s word when we hear it by making it part of our daily routine to meditate on the God-breathed Scriptures.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Tim 3:16—4:4).
