False Prophets

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-20).   

Comment:

You asked about false prophets in general, and there are many warnings about them in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. This passage from Matthew, however, is the most commonly cited.

This is near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus strives to awaken within his listeners and followers the new spiritual Truth that we are all intrinsically one with the Presence and Power of the Divine. Having delivered this radical new message of personal empowerment to people who have seen themselves as victims all their lives, Jesus closes with some practical advice on how to live 'in the world but not of it.' They are not to judge others; they are to forgive freely, they are to focus on those who are 'ready to hear' their message and leave behind those who are not.

And here he is warning them—and us—that the brighter their light, the darker will be the shadows that are aroused and frightened by that light. Some of the most subtle of those shadows will appear to join in expressing the light. Be very careful, Jesus warns; they may seem to be gentle, lovable sheep, but in truth they are ravenous wolves in disguise. "A wolf in sheep's clothing" has become a familiar phrase ever since.

How can we tell, in effect, the good sheep from the wolves in sheep's disguise? Easy, Jesus says; you shall know them by their fruits. If they are truly centered in love, they will radiate that energy into their every day. Wolves in disguise, however, can't f fake love. They will be sowing seeds of fear, judgment, and resentment, no matter how lovely their false fleece may appear.

It's important to note that there is no judgment involved here—they are not evil people, they simply don't know who they pretend to be. Our job is not to judge these prophets as false, or shame them, or punish them. We are simply to be on guard so we aren't deceived or lured off our spiritual path by them. We are to stay centered in our Truth at all times and pay attention to what these would-be spiritual leaders generate in their work. Is it anger, judgment, and punishment? Do they attack those different from themselves? If so, you can be pretty sure there's a "ravenous wolf" hiding beneath the gentle, loving, lamblike facade they present to the world. 

Blessings!

Rev. Ed