Echoes of Jezebel: Modern Warnings from Ancient Judgments - By Elizabeth Prata

Found here. Our comments in bold.
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It's been a couple of months since we last published a critique of an Elizabeth Prata article. We do not wish to dishonor her, but sadly, we cannot recommend her as a competent Bible teacher.

In today's article she attempts to apply Ezekiel's condemnation of false prophets to contemporary women and contemporary prophecy. It's clear that she's operating from the unstated premise that there are no prophets today. It would be helpful if she actually told us this, but we are consigned to guess it.

In particular, she is against women prophets. She writes: 

God rarely bestowed prophetic ability on women. 

This is what is sticking in her craw, women prophesying. She wants OT prophecy to be the domain of men only, then extend that to our day. So because only a handful of women prophesied in the OT, this would mean women prophesying today is unbiblical. This is the conclusion she wants us to draw.

But more to the point, what does the NT say about women prophesying? This is something Ms. Prata didn't bother to address. 

Ac. 2:17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Seems pretty clear. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost means God's servants, men and women, will prophesy in these "last days." We are still in the "last days," so women should still be prophesying.

1Co. 11:5, 16 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head — it is just as though her head were shaved... 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice — nor do the churches of God.

Women were praying and prophesying in the Corinthian church, but they failed to cover their heads. Paul corrected this, telling them that this is the only practice of the Church. Does Ms. Prata's church embrace Paul's position? 

Sometimes when we read Ms. Prata's teaching we are mystified at the level of misinformation (or perhaps deception) at work here. We must therefore deem this Bad Bible Teaching.

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In reading Ezekiel 13 I am once again struck by the majesty, sovereignty, and power of God. In this chapter God soundly condemns prophets who speak in His name things He has not said, nor did He send them. (We heartily agree.)

The false prophets are condemned with promises of judgments, especially woman prophets, beginning in verse 17. He pronounces breathtaking woes upon them! It’s a fierce chapter.

After I read it, I was pondering why false teachers today feel so free to speak words God never said? I know they are not unaware of these passages in the Bible. I know they read them. (Ms. Prata needs to connect Ezekiel's condemnations to contemporary circumstances. She will not do this.)

Maybe not focus on these woes too long, but they know. So why? Do they believe this will not happen to them? That they are somehow special, and can escape? Or that they can convice (sic) God they should not be punished?

Here are just a few sections of the chapter. I’d urge you to read the entire chapter to get the flavor of it. It is really quite astounding.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, ‘Listen to the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13:1-3).

They are following their own spirit, did you catch that? And we know the unsaved person’s spirit is full of sin and depravity. God calls them foolish and pronounces woes. Woe is serious.

Woe: Hoy!!! is an interjection. It is a short utterance, usually only one word that more or less comes forth with great force. It expresses great emotion and can be an interjection of warning or distress. It represents a thought transformed into a feeling and expressed in a word—hoy, “woe!” The word can also be translated “alas, ah,” or even “ha!” Hoy is used regularly in lamentations, songs, and poems written to remember or commemorate a tragic personal or national event (Jer. 22:18). Source: Holman treasury of key Bible words.

The women prophets fare no better:

“Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are talking like prophets from their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18and say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to capture souls! Will you capture the souls of My people, but keep the souls of others alive for yourselves? 19For handfuls of barley and pieces 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.”” (Ezekiel 13: 17-19).

Notice this: false prophecies capture souls.
Notice this: false prophecies profane God.

The people should have known better. God rarely bestowed prophetic ability on women. Deborah, Huldah, Miriam were briefly endowed with the ability to prophesy. Otherwise, such instances were rare. (Well, no. Ms. Prata list is incomplete.

The OT:

• Hannah [1Sa. 2:1-10]
• Deborah [Judges 5:1-9]
• Huldah [2Kg. 22:15-20]
• Miriam [Ex. 15:20-21]
• The queen of Sheba [2Ch. 9:5-8]

The NT:

• Elizabeth [Lk. 1:41-45]
• Mary [Luke 1:46-55]
• Anna [Luke 2:36-38]
• Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome [Mark 16:7]
• Philip's four daughters [Ac. 21:8-9]

Those are just the ones actually mentioned in Bible. Ms. Prata is not allowed to make an Argument From Silence. There may have been many women prophesying, but are just not mentioned.)

The Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. Commentary explains-

daughters—the false prophetesses; alluded to only here; elsewhere the guilt specified in the women is the active share they took in maintaining idolatry (Ez 8:14). It was only in extraordinary emergencies that God bestowed prophecy on women, for example on Miriam, Deborah, Huldah (Ex 15:20; Jdg 4:4; 2 Ki 22:14); and in the last days to come (Joe 2:28). The rareness of such instances enhanced their guilt in pretending inspiration.

Key phrase here: “The rareness of such instances enhanced their guilt in pretending inspiration.” (But, but... The quote says, "in the last days to come (Joe 2:28)." What about that? Did Ms. Prata's blinders hide that little phrase from her?

At this point Ms. Prata will inexplicably jump to present-day women. What does Ezekiel's condemnation of false prophets have to do with present day women? Ms. Prata doesn't explain.)

So when you see these women today running around saying God told me, like Beth Moore has done for years, or Sarah Young writing all those ‘devotionals’ allegedly directly from God, if any of these older ladies or younger Bible teaching women say ‘God told me’, RUN. If you have been feeling left out because it seems everyone hears directly from God but you don’t, and you wonder what you’re doing wrong, DON’T. Praise the Spirit for protecting you from these woes that will surely come upon these Old Testament, New Testament and today’s false prophetesses. (Ms. Prata deems these two women to be false prophetesses. She doesn't provide any evidence of this, but let's grant her some latitude and assent to this. This then begs the question: What about women who do not prophesy falsely?)

Remember, it’s not just an Old Testament problem. Revelation 2:20 promises punishment upon the false prophetess ‘Jezebel’ who “calls herself a prophetess”, meaning, God did not call this woman to speak for Him, she adopted the prophetic mantle herself. (Sigh... Let's actually quote it: 

Re. 2:20-22 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

It's seems possible Jezebel was a false prophetess, but this not what she is condemned for. She is condemned for immorality.)

Always a bad move. Doing so profanes God and causes woe for one’s self.

Many of these women today who carelessly utter ‘God told me’ statements and prophecies, would never call themselves a prophetess. They couch their prophecies and utterances in humble sounding verbiage and platitudes such as ‘check the scriptures yourself”. But how can I check the Bible to determine of their statement is correct when it comes from outside the Bible? (What??? Ms. Prata is unable to examine statements that aren't in the Bible? Then what is the purpose of her discernment? Doesn't she examine the statements of pastors and teachers for false teaching? How does she know that Beth Moore and Sarah Young are false unless she examined their statements?

Ms. Prata is confused.)

Do not be fooled. The end will come for these Jezebels and it won’t be pretty. Stay far away or you will become collateral damage, as Jesus promises will happen to ‘Jezebel’s followers in Revelation 2:23. (We actually quoted this Scripture above. It's not about Jezebel's followers, it's about those who committed sexual immorality with her.)

Read your Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate it to your mind. Listen to your pastor and ask the Spirit to apply his words to your heart. Watch videos or audio from old timey preachers and be encouraged. (How does Ms. Prata know the things these men say are biblical if she doesn't possess the ability to check statements that come from outside the Bible?)

There is no need to listen to vain women pronounce lies from their lips pretending they are God’s words. Stay on the narrow path and be blessed to receive His promise to be standing on Jesus’ right hand on Judgment Day.