How Does One Identify a Prophet in the New Testament and How Does One Judge Their Prophecies?
1) Direct Answer
A New Testament prophet is a God‑set gift in the Body to whom the Word of the Lord comes, who speaks in line with the written Scripture, exalts Jesus Christ, and whose Spirit‑given predictions, when made, come to pass. We judge every prophecy by the Bible first, by the confession of Jesus Christ, by the fruit and order of the life and ministry, and by fulfillment—while keeping prophecy subject to the church for discernment.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- God sets prophets in the Church: Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28. We see examples like Agabus (Acts 11:27–28; 21:10–11).
- The absolute test is the Word: “To the law and to the testimony” (Isaiah 8:20). If any message contradicts the apostolic gospel, reject it—even if there are signs (Galatians 1:8–9; Deuteronomy 13:1–4; Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–10).
- The confession of Christ: “Test the spirits… Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:1–3). The true spirit of prophecy bears the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10) and glorifies Him, not man (John 16:13–14).
- Fulfillment of prediction: when one speaks “in the name of the LORD,” if it does not come to pass, the LORD has not spoken it (Deuteronomy 18:20–22). In Acts 11:28, the famine Agabus spoke came to pass.
- Fruit and life: “Beware of false prophets… by their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:15–20). Sound doctrine and holiness accompany a true vessel (1 Timothy 6:3–5; 1 Peter 1:15–16).
- Order and judging in the assembly: “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge… for the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Corinthians 14:29–33). “Do not despise prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20–21).
- No private interpretation: prophecy is by the Holy Ghost and must not twist Scripture (2 Peter 1:20–21).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Now notice: God never contradicts Himself. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible; He will not inspire a prophecy that crosses the written Word. If a message pulls you from the apostles’ doctrine, reject it—no matter how supernatural it looks.
- You see, signs alone are not proof (Deuteronomy 13; Matthew 24:24). The Word is the judge. The testimony must lift up Jesus Christ, not personalities, money, or looseness. If a man points you to himself or to compromise, is that the Spirit who said, “Be ye holy”?
- Distinguish “a prophet” from “the gift of prophecy”:
- Office of prophet (Ephesians 4:11; Acts 11; 21): a God‑set ministry repeatedly receiving the Word of the Lord, anchored in Scripture, with a proven life and unfailing accuracy when giving God‑claimed predictions.
- Gift of prophecy in the congregation (1 Corinthians 14:1–5, 29–33): given for edification, exhortation, and comfort. It is to be weighed by others. We judge it, keep what is good, and set aside what is not (1 Thessalonians 5:20–21). It never adds new doctrine or new Scripture; it applies the Word we already have (Ephesians 2:20).
- Therefore, how do you identify and judge?
- Does it stay with the Bible? Isaiah 8:20; Galatians 1:8–9.
- Does it confess and magnify Jesus Christ? 1 John 4:1–3; Revelation 19:10.
- Is the life and fruit clean and humble? Matthew 7:15–20.
- Is there order and accountability to the Body? 1 Corinthians 14:29–33.
- When it foretells, does it come to pass? Deuteronomy 18:20–22; Acts 11:28.
- Does it build up the saints, not confuse them? 1 Corinthians 14:3, 33.
4) Reinforcing statement
Stay with the Word. The true Spirit never leads away from the Scripture He inspired. If it is the Lord, it will line up with the Bible, glorify Jesus, edify the Church, keep holy order, and—when predictive—come to pass. That is how the New Testament tells us to know a prophet and to judge prophecy.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The Voice of the Sign
64-0214 §39
his credentials is that God has a-vindicated this person to be a seer. Now the English word a "prophet" just means a preacher, see. Anybody, every preacher is a prophet 'cause he's foretelling something. Preaching the Word under inspiration is called a prophet. But in the Old Testament they were more than that---they were seers, see. They were men who told things that was coming to pass, and it happened. That give him the rights to be the interpreter of the Word for that day, because God took the Word of that day a...
You must be born again
61-1231M §86
How do you test a true prophet? When he's got the true word. Then if it isn't a true word, it's got to be a false one. If it says something different from this Word, and this Word is God's Word, let every prophet's word be a lie and God's Word be true. And if that word that's coming from the prophet is the word of God, then he's a true prophet, because the Word come to the prophets, true prophets. We've always had false ones. True prophets, the true word. False prophets, false word---"our creeds, our denominations,...
Three kinds of believers
63-1124E §79
One man with the audacity to stand there in Ohio (just when Brother Kidd was healed), come out there on the platform and said, "Now Brother Branham is a prophet, no doubt at all, when he's under the anointing, but now," said, "when the anointing is off of him," said, "don't you believe his teaching, because it's wrong." And he didn't know that sitting in my room, the Lord revealed it to me, and I walked right down there (and many of you was there), and I said, "Why would a man say a thing like that when the Word .....
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-28
Before we close this section on the messenger of the Laodicean Age, we must seriously consider these two thoughts. First, this age will have ONE Prophet-Messenger. Revelation 10:7, says, "When he (singular) shall begin to sound." There has never been an age where God gave His people two major prophets at one time. He gave Enoch (alone); He gave Noah (alone); He gave Moses (he alone had the Word though others prophesied); John the Baptist came ALONE. Now in this last day there is to be a PROPHET (not a prophetess--t...
Demonology, religious realm, part 2
53-0609A §42
Now, in there, a prophet... You never seen anybody stand before Isaiah, Moses. One did stand, Korah, one day, and tried to dispute with him, and God said, "Separate yourself. I'm going to open up the earth." A prophet is born. Gifts and calling without repentance. That's the foreordination of God, from the baby up. Everything was perfectly right along, exactly what he said was the truth and vindicated and brought out. It's the Word of God, comes to the prophet. But a gift of prophecy is in the church.