How does Jeremiah 23:12 connect with Jesus' warnings about false prophets? Setting the Scene in Jeremiah 23:12 “Therefore their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness, and there they will fall. For I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah’s Picture of False Prophets • Slippery path – their teaching gives no firm footing. • Banished to darkness – they move away from God’s light into confusion and judgment. • Certain fall – divine punishment is fixed on God’s calendar. Jesus’ Warnings Echo the Same Theme • Matthew 7:15-20 – wolves in sheep’s clothing, identified by corrupt fruit. • Matthew 24:11, 24 – many will arise and deceive “even the elect” if possible. • Mark 13:22; Luke 6:39 – blind guides lead both themselves and others into a pit. Key Parallels • Deception wears a religious disguise (Jeremiah 23:11; Matthew 7:15). • Spiritual instability: “slippery” (Jeremiah 23:12) = “wolves” who cannot stay on the narrow road (Matthew 7:14-15). • Darkness versus light: Jeremiah envisions literal darkness; Jesus calls false teaching “great darkness” (Matthew 6:23). • Inevitable judgment: Jeremiah speaks of “the year of their punishment”; Jesus describes false prophets being “cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19). Why the Connection Matters • Same God, same standard: the LORD who spoke through Jeremiah is the incarnate Son warning in the Gospels (John 1:1, 14). • Continuity of danger: false voices plagued Judah before the exile and continue until Christ’s return (2 Peter 2:1-3). • Certainty of accountability: God never overlooks spiritual fraud, whether in ancient Jerusalem or modern pulpits. Living in Light of the Warning • Test every message by Scripture’s plain meaning (Acts 17:11). • Look for consistent godly fruit, not mere charisma (Matthew 7:20; Galatians 5:22-23). • Stay on the narrow, non-slippery path by clinging to the whole counsel of God (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). |
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