Testing the prophets

In order to distinguish between true and false prophets, God gave some criteria by which true prophets could be recognized. The most important are: ^{13For other tests of a true prophet, see Carlyle B. Haynes, The Gift of Prophecy (Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing, 1931), 108-124.}UEGW 231.1

1. What a true prophet says has to be in harmony with previous revela-tions of God’s will (Isa. 8:20). God does not contradict Himself.UEGW 231.2

2. What prophets predict must take place (Deut. 18:21). We must take into account, however, conditional prophecies, which are common in Scripture. They are based on a human response to God’s revelation and may be modified due to how circumstances develop (Deut. 28:1, 15). Examples include the story of Jonah, the temple in Ezekiel (Ezek. 40-48), and the untimely death of Josiah (2 Kings 22:14-20; 23:29). The principle behind conditional prophecy is explained in Jeremiah 18:7, 8.UEGW 231.3

3. True prophets witness of Christ. In his first letter, John wrote, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:1, 2). When John wrote these words, he was thinking of certain false teachers who denied that the Son of God had actually become a human being, they denied that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). In a broader sense, this test applies not only to the incarnation but to everything the Bible teaches about Christ—His sinless life, His atoning death, His resurrection and ascension, His high-priestly ministry in heaven, and His second coming. A true prophet is to recognize and teach all these things.UEGW 231.4

4. The lives of true prophets have to bear evidence of their calling. Jesus in Matthew 7:15, 16 says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” Not only must a true prophet teach the truth, but he or she must also live it out and lead others in advancing the work of God here on earth.UEGW 231.5

A true prophet will meet all these tests, not just one or two. Yes, God has made it possible for His people to distinguish between true and false prophets; and in the case of Ellen White, she passed all these tests with flying colors.UEGW 231.6