NKJV 365 / Beguiling False Prophecy

NKJV 365 Day Reading Plan

Day 90 of 365 Beguiling False Prophecy Ezekiel gives a picture of how heathenism had crept into the prophetic office and made it an instrument of falsehood. He speaks of women prophetesses who, in their vanity, spoke not from divine inspiration but from their own inspiration. Clothed with magic bands and veils, possibly imitating the mantles of the prophets, they practiced some form of divination to give the impression they were prophetesses from God. Their lies threw suspicion on the pious but strengthened the hands of wicked men. Their false message produced a good feeling in those who were facing judgment. God's name was profaned by their lies. Such support from lying prophetesses tended to bring life to the evil and to endanger the righteous. Instead of always announcing good to people, the true prophet had to predict war, famine, death, and judgment. These precede the message of life. It is better to follow the message of death to life from the true prophet than the path of life to death of the false. Taken from The Devotional Daily Bible Ezekiel 13:17-23 NASB 17 "Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own inspiration. Prophesy against them 18 and say, 'Thus says the Lord G od , "Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to hunt down lives! Will you hunt down the lives of My people, but preserve the lives of others for yourselves? 19 For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death some who should not die and to keep others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies."'" 20 Therefore, thus says the Lord G od , "Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt lives there as birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let them go, even those lives whom you hunt as birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am the L ord . 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life, 23 therefore, you women will no longer see false visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will know that I am the L ord ."