The True and the False

“Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon” (KJV).

Which prophet was it who gave this prophecy? Was it Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel? Or was it one of the minor prophets? And when was it fulfilled? How well do you know your Bible?

Well in fact it was a false prophet called Hananiah as recorded in Jeremiah 28:2-4 and it was never fulfilled.

I am not particularly saying that people ought to know their Bibles better. What I am saying is that the words of a false prophet, if taken out of context, cannot be distinguished from the words of a true prophet.

150 years earlier Isaiah had actually prophesied, “I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder” (14:25) (ESV) and Hananiah had probably read his words!

The thoughts and even the words were extremely similar, but one was a false prophecy from a false prophet, while the other was the word of God to his people from a true prophet.

The situations also were very similar. In Isaiah’s time the Assyrians had invaded the land and were oppressing Judah. In Jeremiah’s time it was the Babylonians.

But there was also a big difference. In Isaiah’s time King Hezekiah was faithful to God and so also were many of the people of Judah. By Jeremiah’s time they and their king were utterly corrupt and ripe for judgement.

So right words in the wrong mouth to the wrong people at the wrong time are wrong words. The word of God becomes the word of Satan.