#98 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – September 28, 2003

THE PROVISION OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM OF PERSONNEL FOR THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION – II

This message continues the study of the personnel provided by the world system for human moral religion. In the last message we dealt with the provision of priests who served as intermediaries between the adherents of a religion and the gods of that religion. People in the world system are vulnerable to authoritative religious leadership. They need religious leaders to make human moral religion work and prosper. In the last message I did not have the time to cover the three passages that present the Chemerim which were idolatrous priests. They were discussed in the last synopsis and are presented in the introduction of this message. In addition to priests are prophets and pastors in the world system form of religion. This outline presents the world system prophets and these will be presented in at least two messages. In the Old Testament the most mentioned representatives of world system religion are its prophets. Prophets provided revelation for the practice of religion and so set the standards for practice. They were an ongoing problem. The influence of religion from foreign nations was through its prophets. Within Israel and Judah there were prophets of the world system who contradicted the revelation from Jehovah and His true prophets and their prophecy. These were as much prophets of the world system as they were prophets from the foreign nations. When false prophets approached the people of Jehovah, they attempted to infiltrate biblical religion, to isolate their peculiar belief from the Torah, to indoctrinate any willing listeners and to implicate any potential adherents with extra biblical revelation through the soul. Historically the most familiar passages that present prophets of the world system are 1 Kings 18 where Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal on Carmel and 1 Kings 22 where Ahab is led to his demise by lying prophets with Jehovah's permission. Major prophecies dealing with prophets from the world system who attempted to sabotage Judaism are Jeremiah 23, 27, 28 and Ezekiel 13 and 14.

The Old Testament has nearly 340 occurrences of words that relate to prophets and prophecy. OT Scripture refers to prophets from the nations that confronted Israel as personnel of the Satanic world system to in nearly a hundred passages. False or lying prophets are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. The prophets of Baal are described in 1 Ki. 18:19, 22, 25. 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. The prophets of Israel that were not true prophets of Jehovah are isolated in 1 Ki. 22:6. 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. These were bogus prophets. Other nations had their own prophets that provided them with revelation for the practice of their religions. All religions had specific procedures that were followed by the prophets that validated their revelation and instruction.

The New Testament has less information concerning the prophets of world system religion. The word "prophet" is found 149 times and the verb "prophesy" 28 times. More specifically the compound word "false prophets" is found 11 times. The references to prophecy describe either the Old Testament office of prophecy, the New Testament spiritual gift or the false prophets of the world system.

The prophets were primarily responsible for revelatory pronouncements making predictions of the immediate or near revelation and the distant future or far revelation. The prophets always present their messages as having their origin with a god or gods.

B. deals with external marks that are used by the prophets of the world system to appear to be real authoritative prophets of their gods. Those who confronted Israel with their prophecy often tried to have the external appearance of a prophet. They wore the uniform of a prophet. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment [mantle or garment of hair] to deceive:⁵But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth (Zech. 13:4).

This is the same word used of the mantle worn by Elijah and that was provided for Elisha (1 Ki. 19:19; 2 Ki. 2:8). These people disguised themselves as true prophets of Jehovah in order to validate their postexilic prophecies. They were frauds in that they deliberately attempted to deceive any who might listen to their revelation. Ultimately such a prophet will admit that he is not a prophet at all but a farmer who tends cattle.

THE PROVISION OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM OF PERSONNEL FOR THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION – II

Prophets of Human Moral Religion -- #1

1 John 2:15

Proposition: To develop the data concerning the provision of prophets for the human moral religion of the world system and to show the characteristics of their proclamations and practices.

Introduction

A. The Necessity for Personnel for Human Moral Religion of the World System

B. The Vulnerability of People to Authoritative Leadership in World Religion

C. The Diversity of Personnel in Human Moral Religion

1. Priests Who Served for Access

~yrim'K. (cemahreem) – Idolatrous Priests

a. The Destruction of Idolatrous Priests with the Priests of Baal -- Zeph. 1:4

b. Josiah's Destruction of the Idolatrous Priests – 2 Ki. 23:5 (4-14)

c. The Departure of the Glory of the Calves in Bet haven – Hos. 10:5

2. Prophets Who Show Revelation for Authority

3. Pastors Who Shepherd the Adherents

D. The Identity of Personnel for Old Testament World Religions

E. The Enormity of the Problem of Prophets of System Religion in the Old Testament

F. The Identity of Major Passages Dealing with Prophets of the World System

1. Historical – 1 Kings 18, 22

2. Prophetic – Jeremiah 23, 27, 28; Ezekiel 13, 14

TRANS: The most influential group of the personnel for world system religion is the prophets that maintained the basis for their practice through revelation. These had a major influence on nations in the Old and New Testaments. Their primary focus was upon giving revelation for the practice of each religion and for the control and manipulation of its adherents.

II. THE PRONOUNCEMENTS OF PROPHETS WHO DELIVERED RELIGIOUS MESSAGES TO HUMAN ADHERENTS – HUMANS ENERGIZED TO BRING FALSE REVELATION FOR A RELIGION TO ITS FOLLOWERS – SETTING STANDARDS FOR WORLD SYSTEM RELIGION AGAINST THE REVELATION OF THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE

A. The Extent of the Influence of the Prophecy of the World System

1. The Role of Prophets in the Old Testament

a. 324 References to Prophets

(1). Aramaic – 3x – aybin> (nvee)

(2) Hebrew Masc. Noun – 315x – aybin" (nahvee) (1^st – Gen. 20:7)

(3) Heb. Fem. Noun – 6X – ha'ybin> (nveeah)

b. 115 Reference to Prophesying – Hebrew Verb – ab'n" (nahvah)

c. References to False Prophets

(1) False Prophets = Lying Prophets

(2) Heathen Prophets

d. The Types of Prophets in the Old Testament

(1) False Prophets

(2) Prophets of Baal – 1 Ki. 18:19, 20, 22, 25, 40; 19:1

(3) Prophets of Israel -- 1 Ki. 22:6

(4) Prophets of Gods of Nations

e. Activities of Appropriate Service

2. The Role of World System Prophets in the New Testament

a. profh,thj (prophetes) – 149 times in NT

b. yeudoprofh,thj (pseudoprophetes) – 11 times in NT

c. profhteu,w (propheteuo) – 28 times in NT

b. The Types of Prophets

(1) Old Testament Office

(2) New Testament Spiritual Gift

(3) False Prophets of the World System

3. The Responsibility for the Presentation of Revelation

a. Pronouncement of Revelation

(1) Near

(2) Far

b. Prediction of Prospects

c. Projection as a Message from Deity

B. The Evidence of External Marks of the Prophet by the World System

1. The Wearing of a Garment Marking One as a Prophet

a. A Garment or Mantle of Hair – Zech. 13:4, 5

b. Elijah and Elisha – 1 Ki. 19:19 [cf. 2 Ki. 2:9]

2. The Conflict of the Prophets of the World System with Divine Revelation – Jer 28:10,

3. The Attributing of False Prophecies to Jehovah – Jer. 23:25, 31

a. Profess Divine Origin = "in my name" – vs. 25

b. Proclaim Prophetic Form = "Thus saith the Lord" – vs. 31

4. The Replacement of Jehovah with other "Revelation" – Jer. 28:26-28

5. Their Revelation Is Lies – Jer. 28:30-32; Micah 3:5

6. The Declaration of What People Wanted to Hear Gaining Their Confidence – Jer.

6:13-15; Micah 2:11

7. The Obsession of Possession by an Evil Spirit May Be the Source – 1 Sam. 18:10

C. The Examination of the Prophets of the World System

1. They Err (Isa. 28:7) and Cause People to Err – Jer. 23:13

2. They Are Ashamed – Jer. 2:26

3. They Are Amazed – Jer. 4:9, 10

4. They Do Deceit and Falsehood – Jer 6:13, 14

5. They Are Seeking Gain by Violence – Jer. 8:10

6. They Are Polluted – Jer. 23:11

7. They Oppose True Prophets – Jer. 26:7, 8, 11, 16; 20:2

8. They Do Evil – Jer. 32:32

9. They Prophesy Lies – Jer. 23:25, 26, 32

10. They Teach Lies – Isa. 9:15

11. They Make Hearers Empty – Jer. 23:16

12. They Are Prophets of Deceit – Jer. 23:25

D. The Expressions of the Prophets of the World System

1. They Prophesy Lies

a. Isa. 9:15

b. Jer. 14:14-16

c. Jer. 23:25, 32

d. Jer. 27:14-16

e. Jer. 29:9

2. They Prophesy by Their Gods – Jer. 2:8; 23:13

3. They Abhor True Prophecy from Jehovah – Jer. 11:21; Amos 2:12

4. They Give False Anticipation and Hope

5. They Lead People Away from the God of Creation

E. The Establishing of the Test for a Prophet

1. Deuteronomy 18:22

2. Jeremiah 28:9

TRANS:Next week we will be examining the provision of false prophets by the world system as they are described in the New Testament. They also provided revelation that gives an objective authority for the practice of its adherents.

II. THE PROBLEMS WITH FALSE PROPHETS WHO DELIVERED RELIGIOUS MESSAGES TO HUMAN ADHERENTS – HUMANS ENERGIZED TO BRING FALSE REVELATION FOR A RELIGION TO ITS FOLLOWERS AND THE FOLLOWERS OF THE TRUE GOD – SETTING STANDARDS FOR WORLD SYSTEM RELIGION AGAINST THE REVELATION OF THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE

A. The Extent of False Prophets in the New Testament

1. False Prophets – 11 Times

2. Foreign Prophet – Titus 1:12

B. The Evidence of Ongoing Historical and Prophetic Problems with False Prophets

TRANS: False prophets were the resources for revelation that prevented its adherents from seeing the natural revelation of God. It got and held their attention so that they could be living in the realm of "the lie." They could live independent of the God of the universe with a good conscience since there was prophetic revelation that supported their practices.

Valley Baptist Church

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