Adele Grobler – December  2024 

 

 

What do you do when you hear prophecies that contradict one another? How do we test prophecy?

 

It is so important to not just take prophetic words on when they resonate, but to examine them with God’s word and His heart. It is so important in these times to not just take every word from someone as accurate just because it resonates or if they have prophesied accurate things before. We are all human, and we all can make mistakes. So it is important to note this.

 

I have found in these last couple of years, a tremendous increase in folks releasing prophetic words on God’s judgment and publicly releasing judgment on people as “words from God” when the person they are judging, warning, correcting or condemning aren’t even present to hear the word. This is an issue and it can do great damage when prophetic words contain mixture, are false, or released when they should not be.

 

As an example, there have recently been prophetic words released that are “pro” Trump and prophetic words “against” Trump. And “pro” “American” prophecies and “against” America prophecies. Both coming from folks that have had track records of prophetic accuracy, and also from folks who do not have any track records. So the question is which is it? How do we weigh these words, as God is not divided against Himself:

 

Matthew 12:23-28 (NIV) – But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

 

God will not in one breath have a prophet prophecy “pro” things regarding Trump and at the same time have a prophet prophecy bad things regarding Trump. Please note, I am only using prophecies regarding Trump as an example to you as they are recent and good examples to use to teach on. I do not take political sides, but remain neutral on these matters so I can hear and move as God requires of me in prayer.

 

So what do we do in situations like these? When it seems like the prophetic is divided? It is clearly not enough to solely rely on your discernment, or when a word resonates in your spirit. If you are biased to one side, what resonates in your spirit and your discernment will lean towards the side you tend to side with more. That is human nature. Our emotions, our “inklings” and “what sits right with us” can all be altered and influenced to a degree by what we have been reading, listening to, watching and conversations we have been having as well as our own thoughts and imaginations.

 

So how do we test then?

 

By going back to the simplicity of the Gospel and looking at God’s Word in its entirety and His nature as a whole and compare it with the prophetic words we hear or read. God has given us His Word as a plumbline and His Word is useful in all circumstances:

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

And also by looking at God’s nature, we learn about His nature throughout scripture and also experientially as we walk with Him. God is constant, He does not change His nature:

 

Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV) –  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

James 1:17 (NIV) – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

 

If the prophetic word you read or hear is contrary to God’s nature and His Word, it is false. As God will never be against His own nature and His own word. And please note, I am saying both God’s nature and His Word. God’s word can be taken out of context, so if you do not know God’s nature and His heart as well, you can be deceived. Sometimes it is harder to spot. Sometimes some words contain parts of God’s Word and His nature, but there are parts in the prophetic word that do not resemble God’s heart, His nature or His Word well. These often point to prophetic words that have mixture in them. Meaning the person could be prophesying from second hand prophecy. Meaning if they have listened to similar prophetic words or reading words along the lines that they are prophesying, they often “pick up” parts of those prophecies and think it is the Lord speaking directly to them and then they prophecy from second hand prophecy. Other times, mixture can come from flesh contamination, as in the person releasing the word is speaking parts from their own emotion and imagination wrapped in with parts of pure prophetic.

 

Hence why it is so important to really know the Word of God in entirety and to know God’s nature. The more grounded you are in God’s Word and His nature, the more your discernment is heightened to pick up the “weight” of what is God and what is flesh. As His sheep knows His voice.

 

You can become “fixated” on only one part of God’s nature. What I mean by that is, if you spend more time focusing on the Old Testament and God’s judgments, you will tend to mainly prophecy that part of God’s nature and be drawn to those kind of prophecies. Which is not balanced.

 

God is a God of balance. He is a God of righteousness and judgment, but He is also a God of mercy, grace and love.

 

The difference between Old Testament prophets and New Testament prophets.

 

In the Old Testament, Jesus had not yet come to die for the sins of the world and the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out on those who believed. In the Old Testament, God raised up prophets whom He sent to bring words of correction, warning, hope and restoration to the people. As the people could not hear from God themselves unless God chose to speak to them directly. So the people were reliant on hearing God’s words from the prophets. God’s words tended to have a firm tone at times regarding His judgments and warnings. You have to bear in mind, when God looked at His people, He saw all their wickedness and filth as they were not covered by Jesus’ righteousness and blood yet. And even though God required His people to make animal sacrifices to atone for their sin, it was not enough. The sacrifices needed to be made again and again. So when God gave His prophecies through His prophets in the Old Testament, it often had “finality” points. As in God gave them enough opportunity for them to turn and then He would act until His wrath was lifted. We do see God at times relent and hold back His hand when the people repented. Other times it was a done deal.

 

From the New Testament onwards, after Jesus died and rose for the sins of the world, those who believe in Him and receive Him as Lord and Saviour, are covered by His blood and His righteousness. Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it. God loves the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that those who believe in Him will have eternal life. When God gives prophetic words it will resemble both His righteous nature and His redemptive nature. I have found that true prophets will always speak a balance. They will not just mainly speak words of coming judgment, warnings, wrath or correction. They will also speak God’s words of comfort, encouragement, hope, restoration and refreshment. This was true for Old Testament prophets as well as modern times.

 

If a person says they are a prophet, but the words they receive and release are always judgment, wrath and correction, there is a problem. Even in the midst of judgments and God’s wrath and His warnings, He still gave words of encouragement, refreshment, restoration and comfort to the people through the prophets so that they can be strengthened in the midst of it. So I would question as to whether that person truly is a prophet from God when all they speak is judgment, wrath, correction. The ultimate purpose of the Gospel is God drawing men unto Himself. And the purpose of prophets is not just to give words. The purpose of prophets is to share God’s words, make His heart and love known to mankind, to lead by example, to point the people to Jesus and righteousness, to teach the people what God requires of them so they can repent and be restored and not punished and perish. For God does not delight in punishing or bringing judgment on mankind. God Himself said in Isaiah 57:16 (NIV) –

I will not accuse them forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people I have created.

 

Ezekiel 33:11 (NIV) – Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?

 

So be mindful when people claim to be prophets and all they speak is judgment, wrath, warnings and correction and rarely release words of comfort, encouragement, hope, restoration and refreshment. And if a prophetic word does not have God’s redemption in it, to draw a person or people to Himself, that is a redflag that that prophecy could be false or have mixture. And that prophetic word or person are not speaking purely from God’s heart but would have parts of their own influence mixed in there.

 

God will judge the world, yes, and He does give warnings yes, but He also aims to draw the people to Him even in His words of warnings and judgments. For that is the whole point. If God only ever speaks judgment, wrath and warnings about impending destruction, and never releases hope, His restorative plans and comfort, the hearts of mankind will faint before Him. And God will be seen as this angry God who just wants to punish, judge, correct and condemn. Which is not God’s heart and nature at all. God is love.

 

The things I know about God’s heart and His nature, both experientially walking with Him and learning Him from scripture, I have never come across where God was violent, or promoted violence. Jesus said if someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek also (Matthew 5:39). Jesus, when He was angry, He over turned tables and made a wip and chased people and animals out of the temple area, but He never made a point of physically assaulting them. When God pronounced His judgments on people, He did not physically assault them, He took His protection away and allowed Israel’s enemies to overrun them. God would not contradict His nature or even His word even in symbolism, as He never changes. So be mindful when you hear prophecies of God physically assaulting people, even if in symbolic context.

 

When we look at scripture when God gave warning and corrective words to rulers, He send the prophets directly to the rulers to deliver a word. What is the point of a prophet releasing a warning, judgmental or corrective word regarding a person, when that person is not present and can’t hear God’s heart or verdict? How is that just? How would that person know that is what God decreed for them? How would they know to then turn and repent if they cannot hear it? In scripture I have found that every time God gave a corrective word to a prophet about a ruler or a person, that prophet spoke directly to the ruler or in hearing of the ruler. How can we call God just if He would have everyone hear a word of judgment and correction about a person without sharing it with the person themselves?

 

Lets look at a few scriptures:

 

Jeremiah 27:6 (NIV) – Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.

 

Isaiah 45 – “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
² I will go before you
and will level the mountains^[a];
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.
³ I will give you hidden treasures,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
⁴ For the sake of Jacob my servant,
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me.
⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not acknowledged me,
⁶ so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
⁷ I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the Lord, do all these things.

 

Exodus 7:3-4 (KJV) – And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt

 

Romans 13:1 (NIV) – Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

 

Philippians 1:15-18 (NIV) – It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

 

From scripture we see that there is no authority except that which God established. And the authorities that exist have been established by God. God has the power to overthrow governments, leaders and authorities. God also used Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, who both were powerful kings who did not follow God, to establish and accomplish His purposes on the earth. Despite these two kings who lived in immorality and pagan worship, God raised them up, blessed them with wealth, and made their paths straight to accomplish God’s will and purposes. They were His chosen instruments and God even called them His servants. So when there are God fearing believers in a nation, who pray to God to place in a governing position over them who He chooses, and pray for the better party to be elected, who can help bring more righteousness to a nation, would God not answer those prayers in accordance with His will? Would a person be elected that God did not choose?

 

I can tell you right now, no leader, no government, no man is more powerful to remain in a position unless God wants them there. And it does not always have to do with how righteous or moral a leader is. Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar are good examples of this. When they had fulfilled the purpose they needed to for what God ordained, He then dealt with them in His way and His timing. When God rebuked Nebuchadnezzar, He gave him a way out before God would bring judgment on him. God made known to him through the prophet Daniel that God was going to bring judgment on him if he did not repent. So how then will God bring a judgmental or corrective word on a person when he is not receiving it directly from a prophet and where there is no redemption in the word for him. It lacks the fundamental component of God’s heart and nature.

 

It might not be the fruit of the leader that is good, but if you look at the fruit of what is accomplished through that leader, what does it show and tell you? If the person who is elected, stands for Christianity, has plans to abolish abortion and transgender, and who proclaims God and Jesus, regardless of their own personal motives, agendas or sin, is that not a good thing for a nation? Israel had many kings, and some of them professed God and led people back to the Lord, even when they themselves were not perfect and fell short. Jehu was another example. He fulfilled God’s word about wrath on Ahab’s house and the death of Jezebel, when though he himself turned from God. But God used him and these rulers to clean the land and bring back righteousness on behalf of His people. Compared to leaders who bring in abortion, transgender and bring more corruption and wickedness into a nation so that they then increase their judgement and wrath before God? Which of the two do you think is God’s heart for a nation? To restore some principles of Godliness and righteousness or to increase promotion for wickedness? Like Philippians 1:15-18 says, even if someone professes Christ out of envy and rivalry, in the end Christ is preached, which is a good thing.

 

Each person will stand before God for their own deeds, actions and sin. But what I know about my God is that He is merciful, gracious and compassionate, and He always gives a way for redemption with His warnings. God’s will is for none to perish but all to have eternal life. And He uses who He wants, for how long He wants. But I have not known my God to only pronounce judgment and wrath on a person without them hearing it, and not giving them a way to redemption.

 

So if prophetic words that are released, don’t contain the ultimate reason for the Gospel, to draw men to God, I go…hmmm. This is not my Shephard’s voice. We know in part and prophecy in part, but true prophetic words will reflect God’s heart and nature in all parts towards His creation and mankind whom He loves.

 

You will know if these prophecies are true if they come to pass. If they do not come to pass, God has not spoken them. That is another way to know if prophecies are false, have mixture or are true.

 

The hour is urgent, and God is waking up His church. He will give warnings and corrections to help bring His people on the right track, but it is His kindness that leads to repentance. If you feel obligated or urgency to release prophetic warning words or words or correction to people or the church etc, may I caution you to not release words just because you feel the obligation or urgency. Examine the words first. See if it matches God’s heart and His nature and His word. For God will not contradict Himself.

 

Be blessed 😊

 

Adele Grobler

Director & Founder