Traits of Israel's self-imagined prophets?
What characteristics define "prophets of Israel" who "prophesy from their own imagination"?

Key Verse – Ezekiel 13:2

“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Tell those who prophesy out of their own imaginations: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ ”


Portrait of the Counterfeit Prophet

From Ezekiel 13 (and parallel passages such as Jeremiah 23:16-22; 27:14-16) we can list clear traits that mark those who invent their own messages:

• Follow their own spirit, not the Spirit of God

 — v. 3 “foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.”

• Void of true revelation

 — v. 6 “They see false visions and speak lying divinations.”

• Quick to claim divine authority they do not possess

 — v. 6 “They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD has not sent them.”

 — Jeremiah 23:21 “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with a message.”

• Confident in the fulfillment of their empty words

 — v. 6 “yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.”

• Provide shallow comfort and illusionary security

 — v. 10 “saying, ‘Peace,’ when there was no peace,”

 — v. 10 “when a flimsy wall is built, they plaster it with whitewash.”

• Act like scavengers instead of protectors

 — v. 4 “Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among the ruins.”

• Neglect the hard work of intercession and defense

 — v. 5 “You did not go up to the gaps or build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle.”

• Speak lies seasoned with religious language

 — v. 7 “Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination… even though I have not spoken?”

• Lead God’s people astray

 — v. 10 “Because they have led My people astray…”

 — Jeremiah 23:32 “They lead My people astray with their reckless lies.”

• Ultimately opposed by the Lord Himself

 — v. 8 “I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.”

 — v. 9 “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions.”


Word Pictures That Expose Them

• Jackals among ruins (v. 4) – opportunistic, feeding on the nation’s collapse instead of rebuilding it.

• Whitewashed wall (vv. 10-15) – a façade of stability hiding fatal weakness; when judgment comes the paint cannot hold the structure.


Consequences They Cannot Escape

• Removal from fellowship and inheritance

 — v. 9 “They will not be present in the council of My people or be recorded in the register… nor will they enter the land of Israel.”

• Public exposure when their words fail

 — v. 12 “Surely when the wall has fallen, will it not be said, ‘Where is the whitewash…?’”

• Direct judgment from the Lord

 — vv. 13-14 Hail, windstorm, torrents—imagery of divine wrath dismantling their work.


Safeguards for God’s People Today

• Test every message by God’s written Word (1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11).

• Look for fruit that matches biblical standards, not charisma alone (Matthew 7:15-20).

• Value servants who “stand in the gap” through prayer, repentance, and truth-telling (Ezekiel 22:30).

• Reject soothing words that contradict clear Scripture, even if they promise immediate “peace” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).


Takeaway

Prophets who speak from imagination are self-driven, deceptive, superficial, and ultimately destructive. True servants of the Lord submit to His revelation, bear His heart, and build His people with uncompromising truth.

How can we discern false prophets as warned in Ezekiel 13:2 today?
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