How does Jeremiah 28:15 connect with Deuteronomy 18:20-22 on false prophecy? Setting the Scene - In Jeremiah 28, Hananiah publicly contradicts Jeremiah’s warnings of Babylonian domination, promising an immediate return of the exiles and temple vessels. - Jeremiah 28:15 records Jeremiah’s decisive rebuttal: “Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, ‘Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this people to trust in a lie.’” - This confrontation provides a living case study of the earlier standard God laid down in Deuteronomy 18:20-22. The Standard Given in Deuteronomy 18:20-22 Deuteronomy establishes two clear criteria for identifying a false prophet: 1. Unauthorized Speech - “If any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak… that prophet must be put to death.” (v. 20) 2. Unfulfilled Prediction - “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken.” (v. 22) Jeremiah 28:15 in Direct Dialogue with Deuteronomy 18 - Unauthorized Speech Recognized - Jeremiah states outright, “The LORD has not sent you.” Deuteronomy’s first test is met: Hananiah spoke without divine commission. - Unfulfilled Prediction Demonstrated - Hananiah said the yoke of Babylon would be broken “within two full years” (Jeremiah 28:11). - By contrast, Jeremiah declared long-term exile (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10). - Within the same year, Hananiah dies (Jeremiah 28:16-17) and Babylon’s grip tightens—concretely verifying Deuteronomy’s second test. A Seamless Continuity Between Law and Prophets - Deuteronomy provides the doctrinal benchmark; Jeremiah supplies the historical illustration. - The harmony underscores Scripture’s self-authenticating nature: • Law (Torah) lays down the principle. • Prophets (Nevi’im) apply and confirm it in real time. - Other passages reinforce the theme: • Deuteronomy 13:1-5 warns even signs and wonders do not validate a prophet who pulls hearts away from the LORD. • Ezekiel 13:6-9 denounces “false visions” and “lying divinations.” • 1 John 4:1 urges, “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” Practical Takeaways - God’s standard for prophetic truth has never shifted: divine authorization and perfect fulfillment are non-negotiable. - Jeremiah’s bold stand models fidelity to God’s word even against popular optimism. - Hananiah’s fate reminds believers that sincerity, charisma, or patriotic appeal cannot substitute for genuine revelation from the LORD. |
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