The Identity of a True Prophet I. Prophecies During Times of Apostasy A. False Accusation B. Accurate Forecast C. Aggressive Cancer II. Is Outnumbered by False Prophets III. Is Known for Being a Man of God IV. Is Hated for His Style of Preaching V. Will Face the Temptation to Compromise VI. Is Faithful with God’s Words VII. Will Expose Pretenders

1. The Identity of a True
Prophet
I. Prophecies During Times of Apostasy
1Kgs 22:1-6
1 And they continued three years without war
between Syria and Israel.
2 And it came to pass in the third year, that
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the
king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants,
Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be
still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of
Syria?
4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with
me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat
said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my
people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel,
Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to
day.

2. 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets
together, about four hundred men, and said unto
them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or
shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord
shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
A. False Accusation
Acts 21:21
21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest
all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake
Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise
their children, neither to walk after the customs.
B. Accurate Forecast
Matt 24:10-12
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall
betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of
many shall wax cold.
C. Aggressive Cancer
2Thess 2:2-3

3. 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter
as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that
day shall not come, except there come a falling
away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition;
II. Is Outnumbered by False Prophets
1Kgs 22:6
6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets
together, about four hundred men, and said unto
them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or
shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord
shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
1Sam 14:6
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that
bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto
the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be
that the LORD will work for us: for there is no
restraint to the LORD to save by many or by
few.
Matt 22:14
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

4. Luke 13:24
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many,
I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall
not be able.
Rom 8:31
31 What shall we then say to these things? If
God be for us, who can be against us?
III.Is Known for Being a Man of God
1Kgs 22:7-8
7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet
of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat,
There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by
whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him;
for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but
evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Acts 19:13-15
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews,
exorcists, took upon them to call over them
which had evil spirits the name of the Lord
Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom
Paul preacheth.

5. 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a
Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus
I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
Matt 16:13-16
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of
Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,
saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man
am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John
the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias,
or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I
am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Luke 7:28
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are
born of women there is not a greater prophet
than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the
kingdom of God is greater than he.

6. John 3:30
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
IV. Is Hated for His Style of Preaching
1Kgs 22:8
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat,
There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by
whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him;
for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but
evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Rev 11:7-10 7 And when they shall have
finished their testimony, the beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make
war against them, and shall overcome them,
and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of
the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom
and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and
tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies
three days and an half, and shall not suffer their
dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall
rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall
send gifts one to another; because these two

7. prophets tormented them that dwelt on the
earth.
John 3:19-21 19 And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds
should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light,
that his deeds may be made manifest, that they
are wrought in God.
John 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it
hateth, because I testify of it, that the works
thereof are evil.
V. Will Face the Temptation to
Compromise
1Kgs 22:13
13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah
spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of
the prophets declare good unto the king with one
mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of
one of them, and speak that which is good.

8. Isa 30:11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out
of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to
cease from before us.
Hos 7:3 They make the king glad with their
wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
Amos 7:13-17 13 But prophesy not again any
more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it
is the king's court. 14 Then answered Amos,
and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither
was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman,
and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: 15 And the
LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the
LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my
people Israel. 16 Now therefore hear thou the
word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not
against Israel, and drop not thy word against
the house of Isaac. 17 Therefore thus saith the
LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city,
and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the
sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and
thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel
shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
VI. Is Faithful with God’s Words

9. 1Kgs 22:17-25
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the
hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the
LORD said, These have no master: let them return
every man to his house in peace.
18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat,
Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good
concerning me, but evil?
19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the
LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all
the host of heaven standing by him on his right
hand and on his left.
20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab,
that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And
one said on this manner, and another said on that
manner.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before
the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And
he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in
the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou
shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and
do so.

10. 23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a
lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets,
and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near,
and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which
way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak
unto thee?
25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that
day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to
hide thyself.
Num 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is
faithful in all mine house.
Matt 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done,
good and faithful servant; thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord.
1Cor 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards,
that a man be found faithful.
2Cor 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things
of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor
handling the word of God deceitfully; but by
manifestation of the truth commending

11. ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight
of God.
Col 4:17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to
the ministry which thou hast received in the
Lord, that thou fulfil it.
VII. Will Expose Pretenders
1Kgs 22:23
23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a
lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets,
and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.