Summary
The inability to discern a false prophet from a true prophet, will open the way for the deception of the False Prophet. "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Since the LORD Jesus will not excuse the world for allowing The False Prophet to deceive them into worshipping the Antichrist, why then would He allow His people to be ignorant of the false prophets of today, who are trying to deceive His sheep? Even the four-legged sheep-- beasts that they are-- recognize and follow their own shepherd.
o "3 The sheep hear his [the shepherd's] voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out... 4 he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers" (John 10:3-5).
Can there be any excuse for us, who are made in the "image of God" (Genesis 1:27), and led by a totally selfless and Divine Caretaker, to not know Him?
o "14 I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. 15 As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep... 27 My sheep hear My Voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:14-15,27).
"Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13). It is morally impossible!
The fundamental concept in identifying false prophets, is that a false prophet seeks to turn people away from the LORD Jesus Christ, i.e., "Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them" (Deuteronomy 13:2). It is not enough that "the sign or the wonder come to pass" . The success of the prophecy, its fulfilment and timing, does not define the character of the prophet. The fulfilment-- or lack of fulfilment-- must be viewed in light of the false prophets' call to obvious disobedience of the LORD, i.e., "Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them".
Therefore, in evaluating a modern prophet, your defining question should be, "Does this prophet provoke me to disobedience of the sure Word of God?"
o "Thy Word is Truth" (John 17:17). If "yes", then mark and avoid them.
o "Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them" (Romans 16:17). "To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them" (Isaiah 8:19-20).
If the prophet does not provoke me to disobey God, but rather, he does "provoke unto love and to good works" (Hebrews 10:24), then you have your answer.
o "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and Spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the LORD" (Colossians 3:16). "That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate" (1Timothy 6:18). "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification" (Romans 15:2).
The defining question should not be, "Did this prophet's words come to pass?" Because, if the answer is "yes", we are to not think it strange that even a false prophet can make the "sign or the wonder come to pass" (Ro 13:2)-- by the supernatural power of Satan.
o "For there shall arise false Christ's, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:24).
And if the answer is "No, this prophet's words did not come to pass." Then the prophet was either, (1) not from God, i.e., "hath spoken it presumptuously" (Deuteronomy 18:22), or,
(2) that a situation developed which changed God's mind, i.e., "that I may repent Me" (Jeremiah 26:3).
God is completely justified in holding back the fulfilment of a prophecy-- that He promised by the mouth of His prophets.
o "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not" (Jonah 3:10).
So, fulfilment-- or lack of fulfilment-- must be viewed in light of the prophets' character and call to obvious disobedience of the LORD, i.e.,
o "Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie" (Jeremiah 28:15).
Remember, before a prophet is labelled a false prophet because of the lack of fulfilment of his prophecy, we would do well to carefully study Jeremiah 26.