Deuteronomy 13:1–5

Paul warned the Ephesian elders that "fierce wolves" would come in among New Testament believers. He said men from among their own number would teach twisted things to draw away the disciples after them (Acts 20:29-30). In the same way, Moses warned Israel here of what might happen among them — and did happen. A prophet or dreamer of dreams might arise. He predicts something about to happen, and uses this to back up his leading of others to serve idols. The thing he prophesied might come true. In that case, some would think the prophet must be right. But in fact, his prophecy being correct proved something very different.

Supernatural power has not the smallest value. In fact, keep well away from it if it weakens consciences about the true God. The same Spirit who has the power of miracle is the Spirit of truth and the Holy Spirit. If truth is abandoned, that shows the power of Satan is the source, and not the true God.

So reject at once any pretended miracle, or apparent work of power, that backs up what is not the truth of the word. I may be unable to explain them: that changes nothing; they are not of God. He can only give testimony to the truth. Let the sign be one of real power, as we have seen in Deuteronomy 13. If it denies the Lord or His word, it condemns the worker. But it does not deceive the one who knows the Lord and walks with Him.

God had already claimed their allegiance as the true and only God. They could not give that up, whatever happened. It was a trial of allegiance to Him. So in the New Testament, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:8). For God had already revealed the true gospel.

But, blessed be God, all the resources of Satan are powerless against a heart governed by the love of the truth. The craft, the subtlety, the signs and lying wonders, all the machinery of hell — none of it can touch such a heart. God Himself shields, shelters and preserves a little child who knows and believes and loves the truth. Such a child is safe from the blinding and deceiving power of the wicked one. Suppose ten thousand false prophets were to arise and perform the most extraordinary miracles ever seen. Suppose they did it to prove that the Bible is not the inspired word of God, or that our Lord Jesus Christ is not God over all blessed for ever, or to set aside any other precious truth revealed in holy scripture. It could have no effect at all on the very simplest babe in Christ whose heart is ruled by the word of God.

Have we learned to tell apart the ways of God in different ages? From Moses until Christ was the age of law. Among other righteous rules, death was the penalty for false teaching. It is otherwise in this day of grace. We must sternly refuse those who would mislead souls about the fundamentals of the faith. John, in his Second Epistle, warned even a widow and her children not to show such people the courtesies of life. But beyond this we have no authority to go.

A prophet or dreamer of dreams might arise, predicting something about to happen and using this to back up his leading others to serve idols. The thing that he prophesied might come to pass. In this case, some would be inclined to think the prophet must be right. But the fact that his prophecy came true proved something far different.

So pretended miracles, or apparent works of power, if used to confirm what is not the truth of the word, are to be at once rejected. I may be unable to explain them: that alters nothing; they are not of God. He can only give testimony to the truth. Suppose the sign is one of real power, as we have seen in Deuteronomy 13. If it denies the Lord or His word, it condemns the worker. But it does not deceive the one who knows the Lord and walks with Him.

There are, indeed, two kinds of prophecy. One is true, the other false. One is divine, the other satanic. One is of God, the other of the devil. Spiritual help will draw the person nearer to God, strengthen him in the truth, and lead him in the paths of righteousness. Satanic deceit will lead him away from God and the truth, draw him into evil paths, entangle his soul, and lead him to eternal destruction.

The false prophet, or dreamer of dreams, confirms his claims by a sign or a miracle, yet his aim is to lead people into idolatry. False teaching, which leads away from God, is an abomination. It ends in the most awful moral corruption.

"You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams" — even though the sign or the wonder had come to pass. "For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." … Then, now, and always, the true moral security is having the heart fortified with the love of the truth. That is only another way of saying the love of God… If the enemy does not get the ear, he is not likely to reach the heart.

Suppose ten thousand false prophets were to arise and perform the most extraordinary miracles ever seen. Suppose they did it to prove that the Bible is not the inspired word of God, or that our Lord Jesus Christ is not God over all, blessed for ever… It could have no effect whatever on the very simplest child in Christ whose heart is governed by the word of God.

Satan can work signs and miracles. He does so in the deceptive systems of the last days, and God permits it to test His people… The false prophet to come, the personal and final Antichrist, will do lying wonders. The many who did not receive the love of the truth will be permitted to believe the lie. One does well to be on guard whenever teachers claim some special power or signs.

We all know how easily anything that looks like a sign or a wonder leads the poor human heart astray. This is even more so when such things are tied to religion. It is not confined to the nation of Israel; we see it everywhere and at all times. A prophet rising up among the people, and backing his teaching with miracles, signs and wonders, would be almost sure to get a hearing and gain influence.

A false prophet may do signs and wonders to prove by them that what he teaches is truth. Signs and miracles are therefore no evidence of the truth. Spiritualism and Christian Science claim to be the truth. They often point to supernatural displays and miraculous healings in their cults as evidence. Satan can work signs and miracles. He does so in these deceptive systems of the last days, and God permits it to prove His people by it.

Do not take even miracles as unanswerable proof that God sent the person who performs them... Someone may give a sign or wonder that really does come to pass, with the object of turning men from their loyalty to the true God... But the aim in each of these cases is to draw men away to what is apostate and evil. So test miracles by where they lead before you accept them as signs from God.

A fulfilled prophecy is to be judged not by the bare fact of its fulfilment, but by its teaching, by the moral and spiritual influence it has on the individual. In other words, a tree is known by its fruit.

More than that, such a prophet was to be put to death (v.5). His accurate prophecy only proved that he was influenced by satanic power. God was by this means proving Israel, as to whether they would put His word above the word of the most persuasive false prophets.

His threats, no less than the blessings He holds out to them, are there to prove what is in their hearts. He declares this again elsewhere (Deut. 8:2; Ps. 7:9; Jer. 17:10). But why test the creatures He has made, when He knows them perfectly and knows the outcome of every trial? Ah, it is the need of man himself and not of God.

It is the love of the truth that keeps us from error — however persuasive the error, however fascinating, however strongly backed by the powerful evidence of "great signs and wonders." It is not cleverness, intellectual power, mental grasp or wide learning. All these things are powerless in the presence of Satan's schemes. The largest human intellect must fall an easy prey to the schemes of the serpent.

Then, now, and always, the true moral security is a heart fortified with the love of the truth. That is only another way of saying the love of God. Think of the faithful Israelite who loved the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul. He would have a ready and final answer for all the false prophets and dreamers who might arise... "You shall not listen." If the enemy does not get the ear, he is not likely to reach the heart.

Does this not show it plainly? No claimed message from God could ever set aside that memorable word with which the Lord Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness — "It is written."

Paul warned the Ephesian elders that "savage wolves" would come in among New Testament believers. Men from among themselves would teach twisted things to draw disciples away after them (Acts 20:29-30). Moses gave Israel the same warning here about what might happen among them — and it did happen. A prophet or dreamer of dreams might arise and predict something about to happen. He would use this to back up his leading others to serve idols. The thing that he prophesied might come to pass. In this case, some would be inclined to think the prophet must be right. But the fact that his prophecy came true proved something far different. Israel was not to listen to his words (v.3). They were to hold fast to the truth of God and walk in His ways (v.4).

We are not called upon to analyse the false doctrine. We are not called upon to weigh the evidence put forward for it. We reject both, with firm decision, because we have the certainty of the truth and the love of it in our hearts. "You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams" — although the sign or the wonder had come to pass. The reason follows: "for the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

The craft, the subtlety, the signs and lying wonders, all the resources of Satan, all the machinery of hell are powerless against a heart ruled by the love of the truth. Suppose ten thousand false prophets arose and performed the most extraordinary miracles ever seen. Suppose they did it to prove that the Bible is not the inspired word of God, or that our Lord Jesus Christ is not God over all, blessed for ever. Suppose they did it to set aside the glorious truth that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses from all sin, or any other precious truth revealed in holy scripture. It could have no effect whatever on the simplest babe in Christ whose heart is ruled by the word of God.

Then, now, and always, the true moral security is a heart strengthened by the love of the truth. That is only another way of saying the love of God. Take a faithful Israelite who loved the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul. He would have a ready and conclusive answer for all the false prophets and dreamers who might arise. "You shall not listen." If the enemy does not get the ear, he is not likely to reach the heart. The sheep follow the Shepherd, "for they know his voice. A stranger" — even one showing signs and wonders — "they will not follow, but they will flee from him." Why? Not because they can discuss and argue and analyse. It is because "they do not know the voice of strangers."

God used the word "cleave" at the very beginning of human history. It describes the undivided, unchanging affection a man should keep for the wife of his choice (Gen. 2:24). This love is so close and unifying that by cleaving the "two shall become one flesh" (Eph. 5:31). Cleaving also expresses the loving obedience and worshipping service that should mark the people of God. Six times Moses and Joshua urged the children of Israel to cleave to the LORD their God (Deut. 10:20; 11:22; 13:4; 30:20; Joshua 22:5; 23:8).

There are two kinds of prophecy. One is true, the other false; one divine, the other satanic; one of God, the other of the devil. Spiritual help will draw the individual nearer to God, strengthen him in the truth and lead him in the paths of righteousness. Satanic deceit will lead him away from God and the truth. It will draw him into evil paths, entangle his soul, and lead him to eternal destruction.

A prophet or dreamer of dreams might come forward. He would predict something about to happen, and then use it to back up his call for others to serve idols. The thing he predicted might come true. In that case, some would be inclined to think the prophet must be right. But in fact, his prophecy coming true proved something very different.

Do not judge a fulfilled prophecy by the bare fact that it came true. Judge it by what it teaches, and by the moral and spiritual effect it has on the person. In other words, you know a tree by its fruit.

The dream might come from the true God; but "You shall not listen" if there was the smallest risk of going after other gods. Supernatural power has no value at all, and must in fact be strictly avoided, if it weakens the conscience about the true God. The same Spirit who has the power to work miracles is the Spirit of truth and the Holy Spirit. So if the truth is abandoned, that shows the power of Satan as the source, and not the true God.

False teaching, which leads people away from God, is detestable. In the end it produces the most awful moral corruption. A false prophet may do signs and wonders to prove that what he teaches is true. Signs and miracles are therefore no evidence of the truth. Spiritualism and Christian Science claim to be the truth. They often point to the supernatural signs and miraculous healings that take place in their cults. Satan can work signs and miracles. He does so in these deceiving systems of the last days, and God allows it in order to test His people... One does well to be on guard whenever teachers claim some special power or signs.

The human heart has no power at all to resist the pull of "great signs and wonders" put forward in support of the deadliest error. Only one thing can strengthen the soul and enable it to resist the devil and all his deadly deceptions: the word of God. Keeping the precious truth of God treasured in the heart is God's secret of preservation from every error, even error backed by the most astounding miracles.

His accurate prophecy only proved that satanic power was at work in him. In this way God was testing Israel, to see whether they would hold His word above the word of the most persuasive false prophets. Only the death of the false prophet could put the evil away from Israel's midst.

Have we learned to tell apart the ways God dealt with people at different times? From Moses until Christ was the age of law. Among other righteous rulings, death was the penalty for false teaching. It is different in this day of grace. Those who would mislead souls about the fundamentals of the faith must be firmly refused. John, in his second letter, even told a widow and her children not to show such people the ordinary courtesies of life. But beyond this we have no authority to go.