When False Prophets Teach About False Prophets - Kris Vallotton Edition - By Rev. Anthony Wade

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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We've been enjoying our respite from Rev. Wade, but we are now forced to consider his latest screed. And it is a screed, a typically long one at 2215 words. But of course, that's what Rev. Wade does. He goes on and on about things without explaining anything. He doesn't quote a single Scripture aside from the introductory verse. He seems able only to toss around vague accusations and undocumented assertions.

We do not intend to defend Kris Vallotton, we only desire to examine the author's vain pronouncements.

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When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, - Acts 21:27 (ESV)

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(...) (Deleted long, irrelevant rant.)

Let us reason once more through a truly depraved mind.

"Have you ever wondered what a false prophet is? There's a lot of interest and buzz around the world (and especially in the US) about prophets and prophecy, so I wanted to take a bit of time this week to discuss the facts and fallacies surrounding them. In a nutshell: There are many Christians who don't believe in the gifts of the Spirit or the 5-fold ministry for today. Therefore, they believe that when Jesus said, "In the last days false prophets would arise," they think all the prophets in the last days are false ones. But if there are false prophets, there must be real ones!" - Kris Vallotton

The buzz of course is the aforementioned litany of false prophets who wrongly called the 2020 election for Donald Trump and the correct discernment among believers that this inaccuracy has determined them all to be false prophets. Now it is true that there are people who believe in cessationism and thus dismiss anyone calling themselves a prophet out of hand. To pretend these are the only ones calling out false prophets is disingenuous at best. I am not a cessationist for example but can still discern using my bible what is true and what is false. (A Bible left unopened on his desk.)

As for the real prophets in accordance with scripture one must believe that they speak only out of the final word of prophecy given by God in the bible. What passes for prophecy today is nothing more than clairvoyance or parlor tricks.

"There's a difference between Old Testament prophets and New Testament prophets. In the Old Testament we judge prophets. In the New Testament we judge prophecy. Jesus came to fulfill the prophets. (Matthew 5:17)" - Kris Vallotton

Jesus coming to fulfill to prophets simply means that He is the embodiment of what the prophets were pointing to. He fulfills the prophets and the prophecies they uttered. The rest here is a not so clever wordsmithing by Vallotton. Is there a difference between a prophet and the prophecy he speaks? Of course not. (An undocumented pronouncement.)

What Kris is trying to do is move away from the Old Testament rules regarding how to evaluate prophets. While it is true that stoning to death a false prophet in the Old Testament was judging the prophet, you must realize that it specifically was about the prophecy they spoke. (Rev. Wade in the space of two sentences goes from affirming OT standards to negating the OT practice of stoning. But only a few sentences later he will claim, there is no difference between prophets in the Old and New Testaments... So which is it, sir?)

Kris is trying desperately to separate out what was spoken from the man who spoke it and he fails miserably. If you had a friend who always lied to you, would you only judge the lies? (Spectacularly bad analogy. It should be, "if you had a friend who sometimes misspoke and occasionally lied, would you still treat him as friend?")

At some point wouldn't you judge the friend as at least being untrustworthy? (A friend who "always lied to you" is not a friend, and it isn't even close to being illustrative of the issue.)

Vallotton's opening gambit here is weak and transparent. The truth is there is no difference between prophets in the Old and New Testaments. Not one verse can be pointed to in order to prove anything has changed and why should it? (We accept the challenge offered by Rev. Wade, again overlooking his own continual failure to cite Scripture for any of his pronouncements. 

What has changed?

1) Prophecy was very narrowly bestowed in the OT, but it is widely distributed in the NT: 

He. 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. 

1Co. 14:5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy.

2) Prophecy in the OT was mostly directed at nations and peoples, and often spoke of God's judgment, while the NT prophetic is primarily edifying: 

1Co. 14:3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 

1Co. 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 

1Co. 14:31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.

Ro. 1:11-12 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong — 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 

3) Prophecy in the OT was a full articulation of what God said, but NT prophecy is incomplete. For we know in part and we prophesy in part... 1 Cor. 13:9

4) Prophecy in the OT flawless, but NT prophecy is partly obscured: Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1Co. 13:12 

5) We don't put false prophets to death, we ignore them or correct them: 1Co. 14:37-38 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.38 If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. 

2Ti. 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.

If you presume to speak on behalf of the creator of the universe you better be right.

"The prophets were proclaimed until John...then the Kingdom was preached. (Luke 16:16). What happens when you move an Old Testament prophet to the New Testament? The result is the prophet moves from judging nations to reconciling families." - Kris Vallotton

Huh? This brief snippet is a common ploy by Vallotton. He starts with something that is correct, albeit completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. The coming of Christ did move us from the law and prophets to the Gospel. That is the point of what is said in Luke. He uses the truism to reel you in and have you drop your guard before making a pious sound statement that has no foundation in scripture. The New Testament prophet moves from judging nations to reconciling families? Where on earth do you see that in the bible? Nowhere! (Again we rise to meet the author's challenge. The OT prophets frequently condemned nations and peoples, especially Israel's wayward tendencies:

Je. 13:25-27 This is your lot, the portion I have decreed for you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten me and trusted in false gods. 26 I will pull up your skirts over your face that your shame may be seen — 27 your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts on the hills and in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you be unclean?”

Mt. 23:37-38 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Thus a common activity of the OT prophets was to pronounce judgment. 

We have already documented the nature of NT prophecy.)

Let me make it real simple beloved. A prophet says they have HEARD from God. (Undocumented assertion. Perhaps true, perhaps not. But we are unable to accept Rev. Wade's assertions any longer.)

This is true in the Old and New Testaments. The way we judge them is whether the word they have spoken is true, period. (And we must put them to death, right?)

If it is not, we know God does not lie leaving the lying in the mouth of the false prophet. The bible says at that point we mark them as false and avoid them. ("The Bible says.." Why, oh why does Rev. Wade never quote Scripture?

So Rev. Wade began by saying that Kris Vallotton is an easy target [This was in the section we deleted, by the way]. So why doesn't Rev. Wade take his own advice and mark him as false and avoid him?)

"Getting a word wrong does not make you a false prophet. Agabus prophesied that the Jews would bind Paul and hand him over to the Gentiles (Acts 21:10). But what actually happened was that Paul was bound by the Gentiles and handed over to the Jews." - Kris Vallotton

Poor Agabus. The bible clearly declares Agabus to be a prophet so there is no disagreement there. The problem is that all of the false prophets today desperately need Agabus to be found false for his prophecy in Acts 21 (No, nobody wants Agabus to be false. Agabus clearly didn't get it 100% correct, yet he was still a prophet.)

because that may imply a different standard for the New Testament prophet; that it is ok for them to be wrong. Let me explain why that is absurd:

1. The bible does not work that way. (There's that pesky Bible again, the words of which he leaves unexamined.)

If God were making a major change in how we were to treat false prophecy (Rev. Wade already has tacitly acknowledged one significant change, that we no longer put false prophets to death, we mark them and avoid them.)

He would not leave it for Kris Vallotton to piece together by examining the Agabus scriptures. Not alone anyway. There would be supporting, directive scriptures. (Which we provided above.)

God is not the author of confusion. (But Rev. Wade certainly is.)

2. There is no indication from any of the particulars involved that they considered this to be a false prophecy from Agabus. (Because it wasn't a false prophecy. It was a true prophecy that just wasn't 100% correct.)

Luke's writing seems clear that this was mentioned specifically because it did come true. Where you might ask?

3. Verse 27, the key verse for today. Only 17 verses after the prophecy do we see it come to fruition. The Jews stirred up the Gentiles but it was the Jews that laid hands on him first. Just because it later states that the Romans bound him in chains that does not mean that he could not have been bound earlier. ("Could?" That's his defense?

Here's Agabus' prophecy about what would happen to Paul, inexplicably not quoted by the author:

Ac. 21:10-11 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, `In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles."

Here's what actually happened to Paul:

Ac. 21:30-33 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

This may be a minor point, but remember, we are talking about the need for 100% accuracy on every detail. Even the small ones. So, did the Jews hand him over to the Gentiles? No, they were going to kill him [vs. 31], and The Romans seized him to rescue him from the mob. Did the Jews bind him? No, because vs. 33 clearly says that once the commander saw him he ordered him to be bound.)

4. In Acts 28:16-17 we see Paul admit that he was delivered over to the Romans by the Jews. Moreover, the language Paul uses in 28 mirrors the language Agabus used in 21. (Language we are unable to view because the author is loathe to actually quote Scripture. Ac. 28:17:

Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

On first glance it seems Paul was affirming that the Jews voluntarily handed him over to the Roman Guard. So rather than being seized from the hands of the murderous Pharisees, Paul was delivered by them to the Romans. That would mean Agabus didn't get a detail wrong, and in fact was correct because Paul affirmed the detail.

The Greek word for "handed over" is paradidómi (παραδίδωμι): I hand over, pledge, hand down, deliver, commit, commend, betray, abandon. It is frequently translated as "delivered," but it is also translated as "betrayed" (Matthew 10:4, John 21:20).

John 21:20 is interesting, in that Judas did not physically deliver Jesus into the hands of the soldiers, he simply facilitated the event:

Jn. 21:20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)

It is clear that the passive act of the Pharisees is not necessarily the deliberate intent to deliver Paul to the Roman guard. Thus, we can find nothing in this verse where Paul particularly affirms Agabus' faulty detail. Paul was simply relating how he arrived in Rome.)

Sorry Kris, but the Agabus prophecy was true. (Which no one disputes.)

Interestingly enough, it is only in modern times with the plethora of false prophets do we see anyone doubting poor Agabus. (We doubt this is true. Perhaps it is, but because Rev. Wade asserts it we must doubt it absent documentation.)

"What makes a person a false prophet? A false prophet is not someone who gives a bad prophetic word, but instead is someone who has an evil heart." - Kris Vallotton

Uh, no. First of all, it is not a "bad" prophetic word, it is WRONG. Bad implies you left it out of the fridge to long. Wrong means you lied about what the creator of the universe had or had not said. Secondly and more important here, are you kidding me? The heart of man is inescapably evil Kris! It is the most wickedly deceitful thing ever made! You make a living by lying to people and misrepresenting God! How in the world is that not evil? Beloved, the bottom line here is Kris is actually making the argument that if your intentions are benign, then a false prophecy does not make you a false prophet. That is categorically absurd. A false prophet has lied about hearing from God. I could care less if he meant well. (A series of unrelated assertions, none of which are documented.)

"There are two types of false prophets: The first type is a person who has invited a spirit of divination into his or her life. (Acts 16:16) The second type of false prophet is a person who receives a call on his or her life to be a prophet from birth or sometime after they receive Christ, and then later falls away from God. Because the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable, that person is still able to operate in the gifts, even if they fall away from God." - Kris Vallotton

It is quite obvious that Kris Vallotton simply makes it up as he goes. (Irony alert.)

In his world, someone can be a false prophet and still be operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. No Kris they cannot. (Summary denial.)

The slave girl from Acts 16 was not a false prophet. (Again we are forced to quote the Scripture. Ac. 16:16-19:

 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned round and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place to face the authorities.

So from this brief account Rev. Wade is somehow able to determine this girl is not a false prophet. He will not document this claim.)

She used the spirit of divination to make money, not misrepresent God. (This is astonishing. This poor girl never misrepresented God? How in the world does Rev. Wade know this? It seems to us that every false spirit is always engaged in leading people away from the truth by deceiving them. But suddenly we must accept, without evidence, that divination in this one case was only about the money. Hmm.)

Now the gift of prophecy, as discussed, is the ability to HEAR from God. If someone had truly fallen away from God I think we can surmise they are no longer hearing Him or perhaps just ignoring Him. (Waaait. The poor little girl mentioned above spoke something true about Paul. But we know it was the wrong spirit. But somehow she is not a false prophet, despite the fact that her ability was demonic. 

We think Rev. Wade is confused.)

No Kris, I will give you the true two types of false prophets, understanding one can have characteristics of both. The first is what the bible calls a huckster. A peddler of God's word. They do it for the money.   (No Bible reference for this claim. We will assist this eminent teacher of the word. 2Co. 2:17: 

Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.

Of course, Paul is not condemning those who receive money for their ministry activities, he's referring to the humility he bears in writing to them.)

Jennifer LeClaire comes to mind. Cindy Jacobs. Ryan Lestrange. Practically anyone on Charisma News. This includes many of the itinerant "prophets" traveling through your city every week. I remember at my old AG church there was one on a Friday night prayer service who claimed God told him there would be 10 people there that night who would "sow" $300 into his ministry in exchange of some unforeseen windfall of blessing that would come to each giver over the next six months. It was obvious that he was lying through his teeth yet the altar was covered with money. Like PT Barnum is credited with saying, there's a sucker born every minute.

The second type of false prophet is just someone who was taught poorly. (Again no Bible reference for this claim.) 

Someone who was saved in a Charismatic church, where they were wrongly taught about the gifts. Maybe they attended one of the bogus "supernatural" schools like Bethel where they were taught how to falsely prophesy. They simply do not know any better. I can believe someone like Kris began as deceived before coming a deceiver. Once you start writing books about wealth on behalf of God, you must know what you are doing,

"The characteristics of a false prophet according to Matthew 7: They appear to be good. False prophets have their belief system founded on a few pet scriptures (sand), and not the whole counsel of God (the rock). False prophets have power." - Kris Vallotton

And the bible mangling continues. These verses from Matthew 7 of course have nothing to do with the characteristics of a false prophet. (Again and again the author makes claims. Let's quote the passage, Mt. 7:15-16, 22-23:

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them... 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The next word Jesus utters is, "therefore." That is, because there are false prophets, "therefore..." 

Mt. 7:24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Rev. Wade is wrong.)

Once again Kris tries to get you lost in the weeds. If someone truly had their belief system founded on the entire counsel of God then they would know what they were doing was not supported by the bible.

"5 Tests of a True Prophet Versus a False Prophet: Does the prophet believe in the redemptive work of the Son of God? False prophets do not like to listen to anyone - God tells them everything. False prophets are not motivated by love, but are motivated by a need to be noticed.

False prophets commonly use fear to motivate people. False prophets are not in covenant relationship with the body of Christ." - Kris Vallotton

Let's deal with these one by one. Belief in the redemptive work of the Son of God is not measurable in any way. Sure the false prophets all say the right thing. All false teachers do. (??)

No one walks into your church with a "wolf" sign around their neck. They are always in sheep's clothing. Remember though that even the demons believe in there is but one God and tremble. I tend to agree with his second point in that often false prophets present themselves as super-spirituals. It is as if they have a bat-phone directly to the throne room. While we might agree on this one point I do not agree however that the opposite personality type must be a true prophet. I see plenty of false prophets who play it cooler, such as Vallotton. Once again, we judge based on whether the prophecy comes true. The same concept goes for his third point. The super-spirituals love to be seen but if someone prefers a more low-key approach, say like Bill Johnson, that does not make them any less false. You can be motivated by love all day long and twice on Sunday. If your word is false then you are false. No do-overs or backsies. (That's a pretty high bar, one that Rev. Wade fails to hurdle. He has already told us several false things, so by his own standard he is false.)

Vallotton's fourth point is clever. Kris really does not like people who prophesy "doom and gloom." (This concept is not contained in Vallotton's quote.)

You know like John the Baptist and Jesus routinely did. The truth is you get bigger offerings if the prophet is all about cuddly teddy bears and love. So for Kris, if you run around prophesying repentance then you must just be false because you are using fear to motivate people. (This concept is not contained in Vallotton's quote.)

Whatever. Kris saves the best for last though as he attests that true prophets are in covenant relationship with the church and thus the false prophet is not. Since this entire piece was so wrong on every level it is only appropriate that we end on this note as well. There is no indication in the bible that prophets are in a covenant relationship with the church. (Again Rev. Wade's Bible remains closed on his desk.

We shall edify this false reverend. 1Co. 12:7-14:

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. 12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Paul is clearly teaching that the various ministries and gifts within the Body are part of the Body, and it isn't possible to say that one has no need of the others. Vallotton is exactly correct.)

What they need however, is a covenant relationship with the truth. If you claim to hear from the Almighty, you better be right. Kris Vallotton was false long before he falsely predicted the winner of this election like it was a sporting event. His withdrawn apology aside, this entire article is just about covering his tracks so that when President Trump does leave, Kris will just say that gosh darn-it he believes in the redemptive work of the cross and is only motivated by love so please look past this until the next stupid prophecy he gets wrong. Beloved, there is good news today. You do not need Kris Vallotton. You do not need carnal minded hucksters using psychic parlor tricks to read your future. God has given you His final revealed will. He did not forget something that He now needs Kris Vallotton to tell you. Mark Mr. Vallotton as the false prophet he is and avoid him as God says to do.