How does Jeremiah 28:5 connect to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 on false prophets? Setting the Scene “Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people standing in the house of the LORD.” (Jeremiah 28:5) Hananiah has just prophesied that Judah’s exile will end in two years. Jeremiah answers him—and everyone listening—in a moment that will test whose word truly comes from God. The Deuteronomic Standard: How to Test a Prophet Deuteronomy 18:20-22 lays down God’s timeless yardstick for prophecy: • “But the prophet who presumes to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak—or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must be put to death.” (v. 20) • “You may ask in your heart, ‘How can we know that a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’ ” (v. 21) • “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. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not fear him.” (v. 22) Key criteria: 1. The prophecy must align with God’s prior revelation. 2. The prediction must be fulfilled exactly. 3. If either test fails, the speaker is a false prophet. Jeremiah 28:5–9: Jeremiah Puts the Standard to Work • Jeremiah affirms his desire for Hananiah’s optimistic prophecy to come true (vv. 6-7). • Yet he reminds the crowd that “the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true” (v. 9). • Jeremiah is deliberately echoing Deuteronomy 18: if the word fails, the prophet is false—period. Side-by-Side: Points of Connection " Deuteronomy 18:20-22 " Jeremiah 28:5-9 " " — " — " " Warning against presuming to speak for God (v. 20) " Hananiah claims, “This is what the LORD says” (28:2) " " Test: wait and see if the word is fulfilled (v. 22) " Jeremiah: “Only if his prediction comes true” (28:9) " " Result: do not fear a false prophet (v. 22) " Jeremiah effectively tells the people not to bank on Hananiah’s word (28:15) " The Outcome: Deuteronomy Vindicated, Hananiah Exposed • Hananiah doubles down and breaks Jeremiah’s yoke as a sign (28:10-11). • God counters, declaring Hananiah’s message a lie and sentencing him to death that very year (28:13-16). • “In the seventh month of that same year, the prophet Hananiah died.” (28:17) • Deuteronomy’s test is fulfilled before everyone’s eyes: the prophecy failed, the prophet fell, and God’s word through Jeremiah stood firm (cf. Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 55:10-11). Implications for Us Today • God’s standard for discernment has never changed (1 John 4:1; Matthew 7:15-20). • Accuracy is non-negotiable; emotional appeal or majority approval is irrelevant (Galatians 1:8-9). • Scripture remains the final authority. Any “new word” must align with the written Word (Isaiah 8:20; Acts 17:11). • Like Jeremiah, believers can stand calmly on God’s promises, knowing that time will always vindicate divine truth (Psalm 119:160). |
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