False Anointed and False Prophets

[Ms_ladyblue]

Below is a commentary on False Anointed and False Prophets. It’s very concise and clear in it’s explanation of this topic and backed up by the scriptures. I hope you take the time to read it and tell me what you think.

Here are a few highlights below that particularly got my attention.

1) “Who are the ‘false anointed and false prophets’ that Jesus warned us about? How do we identify them? And what does ‘anointed’ mean anyway?​

When Jesus spoke of the difficult time (greek: thlipsis megale, or, great tribulation) that was to come upon Jerusalem (at Matthew 24:21), he went on to warn about certain people who would arise. Here’s a typical translation of his words from the International Standard Version:

‘At that time, if anyone says to you, Look! Here is the Messiah! or There he is!, don’t believe it, because false messiahs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.’ –Matthew 24:23-24, ISV (see other translations)

However, there may be an error in translation here.

In the original Greek text, the highlighted words above are, “pseudochristoi kai pseudoprophetai”, that is, “false anointed and false prophets”. You see, the way these words are translated in most English Bibles gives the impression that Jesus was only warning about people who would appear and say ‘I am Jesus’! Perhaps that is what he meant. However, if we look at it more literally, we see that he simply said that some people will falsely claim to be anointed ones. That does not necessarily mean people will be predending to be Jesus or some other savior.

This is how Matthew 24:23-24 appears in our translation:

Then if anyone should say: Look! Here (or there) is the Anointed One, don’t believe it! Because, false anointed and false prophets will arise and they’ll perform such great omens and signs that they could possibly mislead even the elected!

Also Mark 13:21-22 repeats it:

Then if anyone says to you, Look; here’s the Anointed One! or, Look; there he is! Don’t believe it! For false anointed and false prophets will arise bringing signs and omens that could possibly mislead even the elected!

So while Jesus could have been warning that some persons may claim to be the real Christ, or even him in resurrected form, he could have been warning against anyone falsely claiming to be chosen and anointed by God as some sort of savior to follow during the great tribulation. Perhaps it is a new prophet, guide, or other teacher claiming to be from God.”

2) The False Anointed

“Jesus warned against taking presumptuous titles (at Matthew 23:8-11):

‘Don’t [have people] call you rabbi, for you have but one teacher, while you are all just brothers. Nor should you address anyone on this earth as Father, because there’s just One that is your Father, the Heavenly One. Don’t even be called leaders, because you have but one Leader, the Anointed One. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever promotes himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.'

So according to Jesus, there would be no titles or division between true Christians. A truly anointed person would not use their status to elevate themselves over others. That would be, as Jesus said, promoting oneself, and promoting oneself would automatically disqualify you from being chosen! That would make as much sense as saying ‘I am the most humble person in the world.’

How can we recognize those who are falsely claiming to be ‘the anointed?’”

3) False Prophets
“One way to spot the false anointed is to use the same method recommended to spot ‘false prophets.’ The Bible provides a standard test to shows how to recognize true prophets from false prophets. It’s at Deuteronomy 18:20-22:

‘But, any prophet that uses My Name in an irreverent way by saying things that I didn’t tell him to say, or speaks in the name of other gods, must die! And if you ever wonder in your hearts which words Jehovah didn't say; [remember that] anything a prophet says in the Name of the Lord that doesn't come true, is something that Jehovah didn't say. So, that prophet has spoken wickedly; don’t have anything to do with him!’”

4) Are anointed ones infallible?
“If a Christian did make predictions, or teach things that later turned out to be false, it would fine if they had also originally stated that their prediction or interpretation was just a guess or possibility. A true Christian would never insist that they are right. Nor would a true Christian condemn, insult, or threaten those who disagree with them. A true Christian who displays humility would never have a problem; they could never be false prophets because they would never claim to speak in the name of God!

The problem arises when religious leaders and some charasmatic prachers claim to be anointed, or chosen by God, and guided or directed by Him. They insist that others must believe and agree with everything that they teach, because it comes from the spirit of their anointing. Anyone who does not follow them, they condem as selfish or as acting against the Lord. This arrogance betrays them immediately as false anointed.”



These and other comments given in this commentary gives one food for thought. I especially was alert to what Deuteronomy 18:20-22 has to say as to “false prophets.” The GB claims to speak in Jehovah’s name/ for Jehovah and does so falsely. And so it plainly says “DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM!” ( or THEM )

Because I believe in the end they’re going to lead the congregations into the ”pit.”
“Let them be. Blind guides is what they are. If, then, a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” ( Matthew 15:14 )


And finally, under the title Are anointed ones infallible? Those two paragraphs describe the GB/ WT completely!


Hope I wasn’t too wordy here but I found this of deep interest and thought I’d share it with others here.

False Anointed and False Prophets | 2001 Commentaries

commentaries.2001translation.org

 

[Summit]

Below is a commentary on False Anointed and False Prophets. It’s very concise and clear in it’s explanation of this topic and backed up by the scriptures. I hope you take the time to read it and tell me what you think.

Here are a few highlights below that particularly got my attention.

1) “Who are the ‘false anointed and false prophets’ that Jesus warned us about? How do we identify them? And what does ‘anointed’ mean anyway?​

When Jesus spoke of the difficult time (greek: thlipsis megale, or, great tribulation) that was to come upon Jerusalem (at Matthew 24:21), he went on to warn about certain people who would arise. Here’s a typical translation of his words from the International Standard Version:

‘At that time, if anyone says to you, Look! Here is the Messiah! or There he is!, don’t believe it, because false messiahs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.’ –Matthew 24:23-24, ISV (see other translations)

However, there may be an error in translation here.

In the original Greek text, the highlighted words above are, “pseudochristoi kai pseudoprophetai”, that is, “false anointed and false prophets”. You see, the way these words are translated in most English Bibles gives the impression that Jesus was only warning about people who would appear and say ‘I am Jesus’! Perhaps that is what he meant. However, if we look at it more literally, we see that he simply said that some people will falsely claim to be anointed ones. That does not necessarily mean people will be predending to be Jesus or some other savior.

This is how Matthew 24:23-24 appears in our translation:

Then if anyone should say: Look! Here (or there) is the Anointed One, don’t believe it! Because, false anointed and false prophets will arise and they’ll perform such great omens and signs that they could possibly mislead even the elected!

Also Mark 13:21-22 repeats it:

Then if anyone says to you, Look; here’s the Anointed One! or, Look; there he is! Don’t believe it! For false anointed and false prophets will arise bringing signs and omens that could possibly mislead even the elected!

So while Jesus could have been warning that some persons may claim to be the real Christ, or even him in resurrected form, he could have been warning against anyone falsely claiming to be chosen and anointed by God as some sort of savior to follow during the great tribulation. Perhaps it is a new prophet, guide, or other teacher claiming to be from God.”

2) The False Anointed

“Jesus warned against taking presumptuous titles (at Matthew 23:8-11):

‘Don’t [have people] call you rabbi, for you have but one teacher, while you are all just brothers. Nor should you address anyone on this earth as Father, because there’s just One that is your Father, the Heavenly One. Don’t even be called leaders, because you have but one Leader, the Anointed One. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever promotes himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.'

So according to Jesus, there would be no titles or division between true Christians. A truly anointed person would not use their status to elevate themselves over others. That would be, as Jesus said, promoting oneself, and promoting oneself would automatically disqualify you from being chosen! That would make as much sense as saying ‘I am the most humble person in the world.’

How can we recognize those who are falsely claiming to be ‘the anointed?’”

3) False Prophets
“One way to spot the false anointed is to use the same method recommended to spot ‘false prophets.’ The Bible provides a standard test to shows how to recognize true prophets from false prophets. It’s at Deuteronomy 18:20-22:

‘But, any prophet that uses My Name in an irreverent way by saying things that I didn’t tell him to say, or speaks in the name of other gods, must die! And if you ever wonder in your hearts which words Jehovah didn't say; [remember that] anything a prophet says in the Name of the Lord that doesn't come true, is something that Jehovah didn't say. So, that prophet has spoken wickedly; don’t have anything to do with him!’”

4) Are anointed ones infallible?
“If a Christian did make predictions, or teach things that later turned out to be false, it would fine if they had also originally stated that their prediction or interpretation was just a guess or possibility. A true Christian would never insist that they are right. Nor would a true Christian condemn, insult, or threaten those who disagree with them. A true Christian who displays humility would never have a problem; they could never be false prophets because they would never claim to speak in the name of God!

The problem arises when religious leaders and some charasmatic prachers claim to be anointed, or chosen by God, and guided or directed by Him. They insist that others must believe and agree with everything that they teach, because it comes from the spirit of their anointing. Anyone who does not follow them, they condem as selfish or as acting against the Lord. This arrogance betrays them immediately as false anointed.”



These and other comments given in this commentary gives on food for thought. I especially was alert to what Deuteronomy 18:20-22 has to say as to “false prophets.” The GB claims to speak in Jehovah’s name/ for Jehovah and does so falsely. And so it plainly says “DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM!” ( or THEM )

Because I believe, in the end they’re going to lead the congregation in to the ”pit.”
“Let them be. Blind guides is what they are. If, then, a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” ( Matthew 15:14 )


And finally, under the title Are anointed ones infallible? Those two paragraphs describe the GB/ WT completely!


Hope I wasn’t too wordy here but I found this of deep interest and thought I’d share it with others here.

False Anointed and False Prophets | 2001 Commentaries

commentaries.2001translation.org

Thanks for the commentary Ms Ladyblue, that is a great read, very concise and full of information. When we compare Jesus and what he did, he didn't go around spouting 'look at me i'm the anointed one', he didn't need to. His actions and how he treated others, and his works showed that he was. I imagine the false anointed ones will do exactly the opposite and will need to make others think they are first by stating that they are, making everybody hear that they are anointed, then will display signs and wonders to make them seem like they are actually of the anointed just as Mt 24:24-25 states. Probably they themselves will actually believe that they are which is why they seem so convincing to possibly mislead even the true chosen ones. Along with all the other information, I feel like the last paragraph from point 4 really drives the point home.

"The problem arises when religious leaders and some charasmatic prachers claim to be anointed, or chosen by God, and guided or directed by Him. They insist that others must believe and agree with everything that they teach, because it comes from the spirit of their anointing. Anyone who does not follow them, they condem as selfish or as acting against the Lord. This arrogance betrays them immediately as false anointed.”

Sounds alot like somebody we all know. The Watchtower has been spouting this for how long now? Faithful and discreet slave my ass...

 

[PJ54]

This has me wonder who will be legit & how to know who is who. The best guess I have at the moment is that they'll be despised by all around the world & society will frown on people associating with them.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

Thanks for the commentary Ms Ladyblue, that is a great read, very concise and full of information. When we compare Jesus and what he did, he didn't go around spouting 'look at me i'm the anointed one', he didn't need to. His actions and how he treated others, and his works showed that he was. I imagine the false anointed ones will do exactly the opposite and will need to make others think they are first by stating that they are, making everybody hear that they are anointed, then will display signs and wonders to make them seem like they are actually of the anointed just as Mt 24:24-25 states. Probably they themselves will actually believe that they are which is why they seem so convincing to possibly mislead even the true chosen ones. Along with all the other information, I feel like the last paragraph from point 4 really drives the point home.

"The problem arises when religious leaders and some charasmatic prachers claim to be anointed, or chosen by God, and guided or directed by Him. They insist that others must believe and agree with everything that they teach, because it comes from the spirit of their anointing. Anyone who does not follow them, they condem as selfish or as acting against the Lord. This arrogance betrays them immediately as false anointed.”

Sounds alot like somebody we all know. The Watchtower has been spouting this for how long now? Faithful and discreet slave my ass...

Think about this too…concerning what Jesus said at Matthew 22:14 “For there are many invited, but few chosen.”

So, wouldn’t this mean that, yes, many are invited ( maybe anointed) but won’t be revealed until the end who are “chosen” to rule with Jesus in heaven.

This is what he commentary states: “Jesus’ parable of the wheat field shows that it will not be clear who is a true Christian until the time when the angels come and extract the ‘weeds’ and burn them! Has that happened yet?”

 

[alan ford]

The problem arises when religious leaders and some charasmatic prachers claim to be anointed, or chosen by God, and guided or directed by Him. They insist that others must believe and agree with everything that they teach, because it comes from the spirit of their anointing.

I think Matthew 7:15-20 is a pretty good measuring stick for this.

 

[Watchman]

Jesus forewarned us there will be those who falsely claim to be anointed when he wrote to two of the seven symbolic congregations in Revelation. To the Philadelphians, he wrote: "Look! I will make those from the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews yet are not, but are lying—look! I will make them come and bow before your feet and make them know that I have loved you."

No one would claim to be of the Jewish race if they were not genetic Jews. As Paul explained, a real Jew is one on the inside, in other words, an anointed Christian. So, those of the synagogue of Satan who claim to be Jews falsely pass themselves off as anointed.

However, when he spoke of false christs these seem to be actual persons who will claim to be Christ. Whether actual persons or fictitious, Jesus warned us not to believe reports that he is here, in the inner chambers, or there, out in the wilderness. It seems highly unlikely that anyone would claim that an anointed person was here or there. Big deal, right?

 

[Bk Kevin]

This has me wonder who will be legit & how to know who is who. The best guess I have at the moment is that they'll be despised by all around the world & society will frown on people associating with them.

Scriptures to go along with your thought.​

Matthew 24:9​

9 “Then people will deliver YOU up to tribulationa and will killb YOU, and YOU will be objects of hatredc by all the nations on account of my name.d

Luke 21:17​

17 and YOU will be objects of hatred by all people because of my name.a

John 15:21​

21 But they will do all these things against YOU on account of my name, because they do not know him that sent me.a

 

[Summit]

Jesus forewarned us there will be those who falsely claim to be anointed when he wrote to two of the seven symbolic congregations in Revelation. To the Philadelphians, he wrote: "Look! I will make those from the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews yet are not, but are lying—look! I will make them come and bow before your feet and make them know that I have loved you."

No one would claim to be of the Jewish race if they were not genetic Jews. As Paul explained, a real Jew is one on the inside, in other words, an anointed Christian. So, those of the synagogue of Satan who claim to be Jews falsely pass themselves off as anointed.

However, when he spoke of false christs these seem to be actual persons who will claim to be Christ. Whether actual persons or fictitious, Jesus warned us not to believe reports that he is here, in the inner chambers, or there, out in the wilderness. It seems highly unlikely that anyone would claim that an anointed person was here or there. Big deal, right?

Isn't it interesting how the bible and prophecy seem to have a physical and spiritual manifestation of prophecy. The verse you quoted speaks of those who say they are Jews but are lying. In the physical world there actually is a group who claim to be semitic Jews, yet aren't. To the "Christian" folk of Christendom, they believe that group to still be the people of God, yet that group is not of original ancestry to the Israelite nation. We, on the other hand, understand the spiritual aspect to be exactly what you said, that to be Jew, is to be one of the holy ones. I just find it amazing that there are two outworkings of that prophecy, one in a physical sense, and of course one in the spiritual. I think the odds of that coincidence are too great to just ignore.

 

[Carl]

Isn't it interesting how the bible and prophecy seem to have a physical and spiritual manifestation of prophecy. The verse you quoted speaks of those who say they are Jews but are lying. In the physical world there actually is a group who claim to be semitic Jews, yet aren't. To the "Christian" folk of Christendom, they believe that group to still be the people of God, yet that group is not of original ancestry to the Israelite nation. We, on the other hand, understand the spiritual aspect to be exactly what you said, that to be Jew, is to be one of the holy ones. I just find it amazing that there are two outworkings of that prophecy, one in a physical sense, and of course one in the spiritual. I think the odds of that coincidence are too great to just ignore.

I agree... there seems to be a dual fulfilment of this prophesy. I believe Satan is using it to gin up hate against the Jewish people in order to trick the world into thinking his HOT is the beginning of Paradise on Earth. I've brought this up elsewhere, but it causes a lot of emotional pain to some who think it's hating on the Jews to talk about this topic. I don't see it that way. I actually think it's our duty to warn the Jews about Satan's plans and Jehovah true Kingdom. Regardless of their genetics, a lot of Jewish people are unknowingly under Satan's control. I don't know the specific numbers, but the vast majority of Jews follow the Talmud instead of the Torah. The Torah is from Jehovah, while the Talmud is from Satan. There are a lot of Jews waking up and coming to Christ, but the Zionist "Christians" don't believe Jews need Christ. We know that's a satanic lie.

 

[LuisMerino9412]

Interesting point. Maybe the false anointed will come out during the great tribulation and claim that they have been sealed to go to heaven. Who knows...
I can imagine some members of the governing body saying that, and who knows, maybe even announcing great signs and stuff like that.
Maybe when the Watchtower is gone, they will claim they are being persecuted or that we need to follow them to a "new light".
Perhaps they will even claim that because they have been sealed, they are like Christ then. Again, who knows?
Anyway, whoever claims to be Christ or a prophet during, before, or even after the great tribulation will be a false one. And following them will lead to eternal destruction.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

Interesting point. Maybe the false anointed will come out during the great tribulation and claim that they have been sealed to go to heaven. Who knows...
I can imagine some members of the governing body saying that, and who knows, maybe even announcing great signs and stuff like that.
Maybe when the Watchtower is gone, they will claim they are being persecuted or that we need to follow them to a "new light".
Perhaps they will even claim that because they have been sealed, they are like Christ then. Again, who knows?
Anyway, whoever claims to be Christ or a prophet during, before, or even after the great tribulation will be a false one. And following them will lead to eternal destruction.

I keep thinking about what Jesus said here at Luke 17:22-24 —
“Then he said to the disciples: “Days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, but you will not see it. And people will say to you, ‘SEE THERE!’ or, ‘SEE HERE!’ DO NOT GO OUT OR CHASE AFTER THEM. For just as lightning flashes from one part of heaven to another part of heaven, so the Son of man will be in his day.”

 

[Cristo]

I keep thinking about what Jesus said here at Luke 17:22-24 —
“Then he said to the disciples: “Days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, but you will not see it. And people will say to you, ‘SEE THERE!’ or, ‘SEE HERE!’ DO NOT GO OUT OR CHASE AFTER THEM. For just as lightning flashes from one part of heaven to another part of heaven, so the Son of man will be in his day.”

Thanks for posting all this Ms Ladyblue. Lots to consider indeed. In fact the scripture you just posted made me consider what does it mean that "days will come when you desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, but you will not see it."

It made me think of what is to come regarding the last days when the eighth king comes to rule. Throughout fairly modern history we have seen events that rhyme with what that scripture is stating. If we look at history and what happened after the French Revolution regarding the dechristianization of France for nearly a decade, followed by the communistic takeover of Russia, we can have some idea of what it will mean that we will desire to see one of the days of the son of man. If you want to have a more clear picture of what it will be like when the mark of the beast is forced upon mankind simply look at history. The link below draws somewhat of a clear picture I feel.

“The program of dechristianization waged against the Christian people of France increased in intensity with the enactment of the Law of 17 September 1793, also known as the Law of Suspects. It was used to carry out more actively the following measures: 1) all priests and all persons protecting them are liable to death on the spot, 2 )the destruction of all crosses, bells and other external signs of worship, 3) the destruction of statues, plaques, and iconography from places of worship. In 1793, the Christian calendar was replaced with one reckoning from the date of the Revolution and the festivals of Liberty, Reason, and the Supreme Being were officially established. During the two-year Reign of Terror, anti-clericalism became more violent than any other in history. [https://www.iwp.edu/articles/2018/0...ation-of-france-during-the-french-revolution/]

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

Thanks for posting all this Ms Ladyblue. Lots to consider indeed. In fact the scripture you just posted made me consider what does it mean that "days will come when you desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, but you will not see it."

It made me think of what is to come regarding the last days when the eighth king comes to rule. Throughout fairly modern history we have seen events that rhyme with what that scripture is stating. If we look at history and what happened after the French Revolution regarding the dechristianization of France for nearly a decade, followed by the communistic takeover of Russia, we can have some idea of what it will mean that we will desire to see one of the days of the son of man. If you want to have a more clear picture of what it will be like when the mark of the beast is forced upon mankind simply look at history. The link below draws somewhat of a clear picture I feel.

“The program of dechristianization waged against the Christian people of France increased in intensity with the enactment of the Law of 17 September 1793, also known as the Law of Suspects. It was used to carry out more actively the following measures: 1) all priests and all persons protecting them are liable to death on the spot, 2 )the destruction of all crosses, bells and other external signs of worship, 3) the destruction of statues, plaques, and iconography from places of worship. In 1793, the Christian calendar was replaced with one reckoning from the date of the Revolution and the festivals of Liberty, Reason, and the Supreme Being were officially established. During the two-year Reign of Terror, anti-clericalism became more violent than any other in history. [https://www.iwp.edu/articles/2018/0...ation-of-france-during-the-french-revolution/]

From the article you posted I can see the great potential for “history repeating itself “ when the eighth king comes to rule except on a far grander scale. It makes sense now what Jesus meant when he said that at that time ‘we will desire to see one of the days of the son of man.’

Thanks for sharing @Cristo

 

[DavidCJ]

The problem arises when religious leaders and some charasmatic prachers claim to be anointed, or chosen by God, and guided or directed by Him. They insist that others must believe and agree with everything that they teach, because it comes from the spirit of their anointing. Anyone who does not follow them, they condem as selfish or as acting against the Lord. This arrogance betrays them immediately as false anointed.”

And finally, under the title Are anointed ones infallible? Those two paragraphs describe the GB/ WT completely!

Here's their official stance: https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/governing-body-jw-helpers/

The Governing Body follows the pattern set by “the apostles and elders in Jerusalem” in the first century, who made important decisions on behalf of the entire Christian congregation. (Acts 15:2) Like those faithful men, the members of the Governing Body are not the leaders of our organization. They look to the Bible for guidance, acknowledging that Jehovah God has appointed Jesus Christ as the Head of the congregation.

Problem I always had is that if they are true to their word, then they can and will be wrong, as saying guided by the Bible is subject to human flaws and interpretations in the end. We are encouraged to guide our fellow brothers in the right direction when they err. If they are regular not inspired servants like the rest, then who will be the ones to admonish them when they get something seriously wrong?

At the same time while claiming they are only guided by the Bible(not directly by Jesus), they imply they represent the human organization of God. They compare to Apostles in Jerusalem of the first century, when they aren't even at the same level. Some knew Jesus personally! When they died, the mantle of responsibility has been handed off to various individuals few and far between, individuals who just like King David was at best faithful but also with serious flaws that are inherent to fallen humans.

IMO, the organization has been allowed to distill most of the fundamental knowledge of the scriptures precisely because Jehovah knew that this is the best humans can do. We humans do need discipline, structure, and guidance as we're growing up. At some point you are mature enough that you can do it on your own. We found Robert's site for the same reason that we became Jehovah's Witnesses in the first place - we can't do it alone.

The bible says that if the Israelites have not veered off as they have, then they would have received the ultimate blessing. What was Jehovah's confidence in the Israel's manner to become that savior of a kingdom? We don't know for sure, but regardless of the direction it was used as a Tool to accomplish his purpose. Same with the Watchtower Society. If they were true to their word as in the beginning when the organization formed until now, they would be the very organization people would find salvation in. It doesn't look like they are, but it still doesn't matter, it still accomplishes His purposes.