Do you know how to recognize a false prophecy? This article will summarize a few things that the Church teaches about prophets and prophecy. You can learn how to distinguish a false prophecy from a true prophecy with the help of the Church and the saints. We will investigate what the Bible says, what the Magisterium teaches, what the Catechism says, and what the saints have taught us about messages from God. If you have received messages, there is a section from St. Ignatius of Loyola on the discernment of spirits in part 6.
Criteria for Discernment of False Prophecy vs True Prophecy
In part 7, I list six criteria for discerning modern-day prophets and prophesies. This is a huge report, so I’ve added a table of contents and navigation buttons to help you find the information needed. I recommend you read this entire document so you can fully understand the difference between a false prophecy and a true prophecy. After reading this article you will recognize a false prophecy better.
I also outline the new guidelines of the Magisterium on yet-to-be-approved prophesies and apparitions. This will help you understand the role of the Magisterium and the local bishop in discerning a false prophecy from a true prophecy and our role as the faithful in this process. The need to assent to the Magisterium is Biblical, and we will go over that.
Why Help Christians Discern False Prophecy through This Report?
I am publishing this article about false prophecy because we are at a time when contemporary prophets are everywhere and many have strange teachings (Hebrews 13:9). People from various spiritual traditions now claim to receive divine messages from God, and many are frightening and compelling. Some prophesies have a call to action and it is hard to know what to believe. Strange prophesies give you anxiety about what might happen if you do not heed their warnings. This report evaluates general criteria for determining whether these types of prophesies are of God. We are not supposed to let our hearts be troubled (John 14:1).
This is a large report but it is not comprehensive. This report should help Christians form their consciences and make wise decisions when exposed to contemporary prophets and prophesies through people they have met as well as those on the internet. If you have any doubt regarding the contents of this report you should ask your parish priest for clarity. He will help you understand official Church teaching about the end times and about the warnings in the Bible regarding false prophecy.
Since we are living in a time where evil no longer appears hidden, these messages cause anxiety and confusion for many Christians. Contemporary ‘seers’ give pronouncements about the future and private messages they claim are from God. They may tell us what God wants, thinks, feels, and even foretell what he will do. How do we know if they hear from God or not?
This article on false prophecy will explain how we can know whether or not we should trust these messengers. I will help you discern if a prophecy is true or false with various criteria. We will start by looking at what the Bible says. Then we will look at the Magisterium, followed by the prophetic messages of others and how you should discern them. Finally, we will talk about prophetic messages you may have received and how you should discern these. We will critique potential false prophecy using teachings from the saints as a guide.
Let’s now take a look at the contents of this page on false prophecy and true prophecy:
Table of Contents
This is a long post with several sections. Use this table to navigate each topic separately. This page explores how to recognize a false prophecy and a false prophet from a Biblical perspective, from the Magisterium of the Church, and from the saints. Have you received a message in prayer or from someone you know? Our final two sections discuss how to discern prophesies received while in private prayer.
What does the Bible Say about False Prophets? | What does the Bible Say about Church Authority? | Do I have to Believe Approved Private Revelations? | What does the Magisterium teach about Unapproved Prophets and Public Apparitions? | What does the Catechism Say? | What if I Think I got a Message from God? | Recognize False Prophecies with these 6 Criteria
Ready to get started? We will begin by looking at what the Bible says about false prophecy.
Part 1: What does the Bible Say about False Prophecy?
According to the Bible, false prophecy has several characteristics. When we know these common characteristics we can easily recognize false prophets. We are going to look at several passages of the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament that will help us recognize these false prophets and easily spot a false prophecy:
How to Recognize a False Prophecy from True Prophecy
Sometimes False Prophets have a True Prophecy
Every word that I command you, you shall be careful to observe, neither adding to it nor subtracting from it. If there arises in your midst a prophet or a dreamer who promises you a sign or wonder, saying, “Let us go after other gods,” whom you have not known, “and let us serve them,” and the sign or wonder foretold to you comes to pass, do not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer; for the LORD, your God, is testing you to know whether you really love the LORD, your God, with all your heart and soul. The LORD, your God, shall you follow, and him shall you fear; his commandments shall you observe, and to his voice shall you listen; him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast.
False Prophets can have a True Prophecy
This passage makes one thing clear. Just because a prophecy comes true does not make that a true prophecy nor does it validate the prophet as a true prophet. In another passage we will read a teaching from Jesus that says we will know them by their fruit.
So what is the most important takeaway from this first passage?
Well, if a prophet is teaching something contrary to the faith and he gets a prophecy correct, this doesn’t automatically make him a true prophet. The Bible clearly says that the LORD can and will test us to see if we really love him. And how do we pass that test? Well, we fear offending him, we are not swayed to follow a belief that is false even though a prophecy from it comes true. We observe God’s commandments faithfully, and hold fast to what we were taught.
How to Recognize a False Prophecy from True Prophecy
False Prophets Whose Prophesies do Not Come True
If a prophet presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.
Should you say to yourselves, “How can we recognize that a word is one the LORD has not spoken?”, if a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD but the word does not come true, it is a word the LORD did not speak. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not fear him.
Jeremiah 23:16-17
Thus says the LORD of hosts: Do not listen to the words of your prophets, who fill you with emptiness; They speak visions from their own fancy, not from the mouth of the LORD.
They say to those who despise the word of the LORD, “Peace shall be yours”;
And to everyone who walks in hardness of heart, “No evil shall overtake you.”
Ezekiel 13:9
My hand is against the prophets who see false visions and who make lying divinations. They shall not belong to the community of my people. They shall not be written in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
When Prophesies Don’t Come True
We see in the verses above that false prophets will typically make a false prophecy that will not come true in the future. If you are following an unapproved seer, look at his or her recorded prophesies. Are there historical events that have already passed? Has that prophecy come true? Or did they make a false prophecy? What does this tell you?
Why do false prophets do this? Perhaps they presume it’s God when it’s not. It could be a deception from the devil (we will dive into this in the third part when we look into the writings of St. Ignatius of Loyola about the discernment of spirits).
False prophets who make a false prophecy may do it to manipulate people out of greed. They may have a need for power. Maybe they believe they are a saint already. These characteristics are signs of pride and vainglory. Both of the passages from Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak to these things.
In Summary:
A prophet can make a false prophecy and be deceived by the devil, and likewise, a prophet can lie and deceive others because he has an ulterior motive. If a person makes a false prophecy but is not trying to deceive, they lack wisdom and knowledge.
We see Jesus clearly warning about the latter in the following Gospel passage:
How to Recognize a False Prophecy from True Prophecy
Jesus Warns Us about False Prophets
[Jesus says] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.”
Next we see Jesus warning us that in the last days there will be many false prophets giving a false prophecy.
How to Recognize a False Prophecy from True Prophecy
Jesus Tells His Disciples about the Last Days
Matthew 24:4-14,24
Jesus said to them in reply, “See that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place. All these are the beginning of the labor pains. Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come… False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect.”
False Prophets and Prophesies Can Have Signs and Wonders
Take a moment and think about the gravity of what Jesus is saying here. Jesus is referring to magicians who practice sorcery. Jannes and Jambres are Biblical examples. They were Pharaoh’s magicians in Egypt who could produce signs and wonders to rival the signs Moses brought through the power of God (Exodus 7:11 and Exodus 8:3). These magicians turned their staffs into serpents and they were able to overrun the land with an epidemic of frogs.
False Prophets are Punished
False prophets who do not follow Christ and his Church, who are not holy, and obedient to the Lord are punished.
The Apostle John writes, “But as for cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8).
Reflection:
Ask yourself, “Have I learned the Bible and have I studied the Catechism fully so that I might know my faith well and not be deceived?”
Ask yourself, “Do I look to unvetted, unapproved apparitions and prophecies because I want to believe in the signs and wonders they have proclaimed? If so, why? Might they be signs and wonders from dark arts, a trick from the devil?”
Ask yourself, “Do these prophets teach anything heretical to the Church or contrary to what the Bible says?”
Is the prophet bearing bad fruits? Is he or she unchaste? Does he or she act cowardly when put to the test? Does the prophet or the prophetic movement often “put to death” the voices of dissent to their novel teachings? Does the movement exhibit humility, charity, and obedience to Church authority?
How to Recognize a False Prophecy from True Prophecy
The Apostle John Warns Us about False Prophets
1 John 4: 1-6, Testing the spirits
“Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.”
If the True Gospel of Jesus Christ is Not Professed it is Not of God
Here we see that no religion can be true if it does not proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he has come in the flesh. Any prophet from any religion, any New Age practice, or anything occult cannot belong to God.
We understand that anything contrary to Christ is the spirit of the antichrist, even if it isn’t explicitly so. If a novel teaching is 90% true but has just a little falsehood added, one confusing novel and strange thing, the entire message must be completely rejected as false.
If a prophecy alters or changes the teachings of Christ and the Apostles it must be false. There can be no new deposit of faith, no new way of salvation, no new anything that isn’t already revealed in Scripture and supported in our Tradition by the Magisterium.
Reflection:
Are you are practicing a devotion that is not yet approved by the Church? If you discover a novelty that seems strange and possibly contradicts Church teaching, put that devotion away until the Church approves it. You should be spiritually safe rather than deceived. Obey the Church. Be patient and wait for the Church authorities to review and decide.
St. John tells us to test the spirits. We will learn later how to do this when we look at the writings of St. Ignatius of Loyola on the discernment of spirits.
Remember, confusion is not of God. Chaos is not of God. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of truth and of peace.
In the next section, we will look at the role of the Magisterium in the approval process of prophets, prophecy, and supernatural phenomena.
Part 2: What does the Bible Say about Church Authority?
How to Recognize a False Prophecy from True Prophecy
Trust the Authority of the True Church on Prophecy
2 Peter 1:19-21
[The Apostle Peter says] “Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.”
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
And what I do I will continue to do, in order to end this pretext of those who seek a pretext for being regarded as we are in the mission of which they boast. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, who masquerade as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. So it is not strange that his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
Trust the Magisterium of the Church to Determine a False Prophecy or True Prophecy
Here we see both St. Peter and St. Paul teaching us about the importance of the Magisterium to interpret teaching and to proclaim a prophecy of the Church. Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would guide his Church (John 14:16). His disciples became our first bishops and he chose Simon to lead them, renaming him Peter – “the Rock” upon which he would build his Church (Matthew 16:18). When we assent to the Magisterium as our teaching authority we can be confident that we are interpreting scripture properly, because we agree to interpret it according to what the Church says. Likewise, when we assent to the Magisterium regarding false prophets and false prophecy, we can be equally confident that an approved prophecy is not heretical or contradicts Biblical teaching.
The Bible Says Prophecy is not a Matter of Personal Interpretation
St. Peter instructs us that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of personal interpretation. We have to rely on the Holy Spirit who guides the Church as Jesus has said.
Secondly, we read St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians in which he is trying to explain to them the need to cling to Apostolic teaching over false apostles.
The Corinthians had broken up into various factions and had popular preachers with their own followers; these preachers were competing to be recognized as having the greatest authority.
Apostolic Authority Protects Us from False Prophets and False Prophecy
In Chapter 11 St. Paul famously insists on his apostolic authority. He lists his achievements to prove his point that their proud boasting and foolish posturing were not holy. He demonstrates to his readers that he can make this claim far better than any prophet or teacher of one of the Corinthian factions. Paul reminds them that he did not look for money precisely so they wouldn’t be tempted to follow false prophets and teachers.
Next, we will look at this idea of making prophesies for money from St. Peter’s perspective.
How to Recognize a False Prophecy from True Prophecy
False Prophets Will Teach Heresy and Ask for Money
2 Peter 2:1-3
“There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their licentious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. In their greed they will exploit you with fabrications, but from of old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction does not sleep.”
How to Recognize a False Prophet from a True Prophet
False Aceticism
1 Timothy 4:1-2
What is meant by “branded consciences”? Simply put, it’s the idea of telling people what they want to hear so that your “brand” of faith can become popular and favorable to the world’s people. It deceives the soul into accepting a lie as the truth. For the sake of marketability, the message is watered down and made palatable to those who want their sinful habits validated. It is a religion of hypocrisy and deceit.
Any Message that Involves a Heresy is a False Prophecy
False prophets who promote destructive heresies will take Bible verses out of context and use them to promote their own philosophies. They will avoid verses that contradict their ideologies and which disprove their heretical stance on a Biblical and historical truth. Notice St. Peter also says you will see promiscuousness involved. If this prophet also exhibits the vice of lust, is driven by money, and will lie in order to exploit you, then you understand their prophecy cannot be of God and they must be avoided.
The Apostle Peter explains that the pattern of false prophets from the Old Testament will keep reoccurring in the church. When people are victimized by a false prophet bearing false prophecy it brings a loss of faith in Christ and causes contempt for the Church. It is a grave sin to be in the Church and then turn away from it to promote a heresy and cause others to turn away from their faith as well.
False Teachers will be Punished by God
Saint Peter tells us in verses 4-6 that false teachers will be punished just as surely and as severely as were the fallen angels and the sinners in the time of Noah’s flood. He ends the chapter by giving a very stern warning to those who convert to the faith and then walk away from it.
He warns in 2 Peter 2:20-22, “Their last condition is worse than their first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them.“
Part 3: Do I have to Believe Approved Private Revelations?
What about Approved Private Revelations?
Now we will look at private revelations approved by the Magisterium.
I want to first begin by telling you that the Church does not require you to believe or practice devotions from private revelations officially approved by the Magisterium.
Church approval of private revelations means that the devotion is worthy of belief and does not contradict faith and morals. Any message containing anything contrary to official Church teaching is regarded as a false prophecy. When a saint is canonized, the Magisterium doesn’t automatically verify their mystical experiences as authentically supernatural. These are two separate things.
The Church, however, never canonizes a saint who professes heretical prophecies. For this reason, it is prudent to patiently wait until a saint is canonized and the new devotion has first been properly vetted by the Church’s Magisterium before practicing it.
With this in mind, we will now look at prophecies that come from sources that are not yet or may never be approved by the Magisterium as supernatural.
Part 4: What does the Magisterium teach about Unapproved Prophets and Public Apparitions?
Concerning the Prophetic Messages of Others
Recognizing a False Prophecy with the Aid of the Church
How do you know how to discern spirits? The Bible tells us to beware of false prophets and lying spirits. To fully understand how we are to discern, the Church relies on the Magisterium to guide our understanding. What is the Magisterium? It is the governing body of the Church, lead by the Pope, who is the Vicar of Christ, and all the bishops. The authority of the Magisterium comes from Jesus Christ, and is guided by Holy Spirit to be free from doctrinal error.
A New Ruling on Modern Day Prophets and on Public Apparitions
The Magisterium has recently released a document with rules for how bishops should respond to prophets who testify they have a message from God or people who claim to have seen an apparition.
The Magisterium has made these new declarations because they recognize the need. There are many contradictory messages from ‘seers’ in our time who all claim their messages are from God. The Magisterium recognizes the speed in which these prophecies are spread on the internet, and so they have published a new document to protect the faithful from false prophets, false prophecies, and heretical ideologies.
New Document from the Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith
The Magisterium’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith issued this recent document to amend and make public an established norm for the clergy that has been in practice for nearly 50 years. The new document is called Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Apparitions. It was published on May 17, 2024. This document contains guidelines for how the faithful should receive not only presumed apparitions and revelations, but also alleged apparitions, Eucharistic miracles, visions from seers, interior or exterior locutions they may receive, writings or messages of seers, and any perceived supernatural phenomena involving religious images, and finally, psychophysical phenomena.
Why did the Church publish such a document? This is because “there is the possibility of believers being misled by an event that is attributed to a divine initiative but is merely the product of someone’s imagination, desire for novelty, tendency to fabricate falsehoods (mythomania), or inclination toward lying.”
New Way to Scrutinize Private Revelations
The document changes the way private revelations are scrutinized by the Magisterium. The bishops will no longer determine the supernatural nature of the apparition with certainty in their local diocese. Instead, they will offer a Nihil Obstat, which looks at the spiritual fruits of an event and determines there is no negative effects from it. This does not declare the events to be supernatural. The Prefect for the Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith, Cardinal Fernandez, further clarifies this in the document by saying, “At the same time, this response naturally leaves open the possibility that, in monitoring how the devotion develops, a different response (than a Nihil Obstat) may be required in the future.”
Let’s look at how the fruits are measured by taking a look at the positive and negative criteria that the Magisterium has outlined in the document:
Positive Criteria for Discernment of Presumed Apparitions
- The Church takes into consideration the credibility and good reputation of the persons who claim to be recipients of supernatural events or to be directly involved in them. The Church also looks at the reputation of the witnesses, taking particular consideration for the seer’s mental equilibrium, sincerity, and humility. Is he or she honest? Does he or she live a moral life? Does the seer have a habit of being docile toward ecclesiastical authority? Does the seer have a willingness to cooperate with authority and promote a spirit of authentic ecclesial communion?
- Is the message in line with true theological and spiritual doctrine? Is it immune from error? The Church determines the doctrinal orthodoxy of the phenomenon and any messages related to it.
- The Church considers the nature of the phenomenon. Is it unpredictable? Is it evident that it is not the result of the initiatives of those involved in the phenomenon? The Church determines the probability of what ‘seer’ proposes to be true through a very serious investigation.
- Finally, the Church looks at the fruits of the seer’s Christian life. Does the seer have a healthy devotion to God and is he or she able to produce abundant and constant spiritual fruits? Does the phenomena produce a spirit of prayer, conversions, vocations to the priesthood and religious life, acts of charity, as well as sound devotion and abundant and constant spiritual fruits? The contribution of these fruits to the growth of ecclesial communion is to be evaluated.
Negative Criteria for Discernment of Presumed Apparitions
- The message includes an obvious error that is demonstrative without having to do an investigation. This is considered a manifest error concerning the fact.
- The message from the manifestation includes potential Doctrinal errors attributed to God himself, or to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or some saint. The Church does, however, take into account the possibility that a true seer could unconsciously add a purely human element or an error of the natural order to an authentic supernatural revelation, not due to bad intentions, but to the subjective perception of the phenomenon.
- A sectarian spirit that breeds division in the Church.
- There is evidence that the ‘seer’ is overtly seeking to gain a profit, power, fame, social recognition, or other personal interest closely linked to the event.
- There is evidence that the ‘seer’ or the seer’s followers committed gravely immoral acts in or around the time of the event.
- The ‘seer’ has psychological alterations or psychopathic tendencies that may have exerted an influence on the alleged supernatural event. This includes psychosis, collective hysteria, or other things of this kind. Any elements traceable to a pathological context should be considered.
Part 5: What does the Catechism Say?
Throughout the ages, there have been so-called "private" revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.
Christian faith cannot accept "revelations" that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such "revelations".
The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth brings Christ's faithful to share in his communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit prepares men and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ. The Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls his word to them and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and Resurrection. He makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God, that they may "bear much fruit."
God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.
All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
This concludes our section on the Magisterium’s guidelines for the content of the private revelations of seers offering prophetic messages to the public. Now that you understand the approval process for private revelations and what to be concerned with regarding unapproved apparitions, you can better discern the prophetic claims of contemporary seers.
Next, we will shift to personal mystical experiences while in private prayer. When a Christian experiences a supernatural phenomenon while in contemplative prayer, how can he or she be assured that it is from God and not a deception from the evil one? We will now look into the discernment of spirits regarding mystical experiences.
Part 6: What if I Think I got a Message from God?
St Ignatius of Loyola on the Discernment of Spirits
Let’s begin by taking a look at St. Ignatius of Loyola on the discernment of spirits. These rules will help you recognize when you have received a true message from God. What does St. Ignatius teach us about the discernment of spirits? There is a larger study on this subject, but we will look at a short overview to help us understand how to discern the origins of divine messages you have received.
To better help you discern a false prophecy from a true prophecy we will look at 8 rules from the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Demons can Inspire Our Dreams and our Imaginations
We know from St. Ignatius that the enemy can inspire our dreams, and suggest thoughts contrary to God’s will by putting them into our minds. Thoughts from the enemy can invoke many negative emotions including confusion, fear, doubt, abandonment by God, or despair. When you discern whether something is of God or an evil spirit, you must listen to the stirrings of your heart.
How can you listen to your heart and not be deceived? A man’s conscience must be formed. To form your conscience you must study the Bible and the Catechism. When you do this you will recognize natural law, how God operates in a soul, and God’s very nature. When you know God you are better able to recognize the Holy Spirit from a lying spirit.
When souls have a mystical experience, St. Ignatius tells us in one of his lessons that they can use their reason and apply the following eight rules of discernment to make a good judgment as to whether the experience is of God or from the evil one.
This lesson of St. Ignatius of Loyola is from: “Rules for the Same Effect with Greater Discernment of Spirits” and is published online as part of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius at Sacred Texts.
First Rule.
Consolations from God give you spiritual joy and a sense of peace. The evil one can also leave a soul with a false sense of peace, so we have to pray to God regarding these consolations and ask Him to take them away if they are a deception from an evil spirit.
If the consolation can be considered a falsehood about God, the Bible, and Church teachings, even if it is subtle; it must be rejected. Don’t worry, if you pray to God about a consolation being false, He will give you the grace to discern. Persist in prayer as sometimes God reveals the truth to you over a period of time and through multiple ways. When you are in doubt, ask your priest to guide you.
It is always best to ignore a consolation until you’ve prayed about it with patience and perseverance. Nothing is urgent. God knows your heart. Do you remember the very first passage we read above from Deuteronomy 13? God may be testing you. Do you truly love him with all your heart? Are you following his commandments? If you seek the truth, God will reveal more to you in his perfect timing. He loves you and he is merciful.
St. Ignatius writes:
“It is proper to God and to His Angels in their movements to give true spiritual gladness and joy, taking away all sadness and disturbance which the enemy brings on. Of this latter it is proper to fight against the spiritual gladness and consolation, bringing apparent reasons, subtleties, and continual fallacies.”
Second Rule.
We do not provoke the Holy Spirit to act through our own will. The Holy Spirit comes without cause as He wills.
This is very important. You cannot conjure the Holy Spirit to operate at will. We invoke the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and to enkindle within us a love for God. Prayer to the Holy Spirit should come from a place of humility and docility. We wait upon the Lord to act, and we pray with patience. If you find yourself conjuring the Holy Spirit at will and receiving messages on demand every time you seek it, this may indicate a deception.
Remember, in John 3:8 Jesus tells Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The proper disposition is one of docility and humility toward the Holy Spirit. We receive what he wills to give with gratitude, and we also pray in dryness when he wills not to give consolation. This also we do with gratitude.
If he makes his presence known we rejoice in it and we praise him. If he comes in silence and offers only peace we praise him and thank him for the peace we receive in prayer.
He is God and we are not.
St. Ignatius writes:
“It belongs to God our Lord to give consolation to the soul without preceding cause, for it is the property of the Creator to enter, go out and cause movements in the soul, bringing it all into love of His Divine Majesty. I say without cause: without any previous sense or knowledge of any object through which such consolation would come, through one’s acts of understanding and will.”
Third Rule.
Consolation can be a trick from an evil spirit. When you pray and receive consolations, it would benefit you to tell the Lord you do not need them or desire them and if it is not from him to please take them away from you.
What is a consolation? In mystical prayer it is a supernatural experience that cannot be otherwise explained. It could be a visible sign of God’s presence, like having rosary beads turn gold, or a strong smell of roses while in prayer. It could be a vision, or prophetic dream, hearing an angelic voice, or an outward sign through unlikely coincidence or signal grace.
You shouldn’t seek consolations or envy those who get them. Never beg for them. Be humble and content with what God wills to give you to show you his love for you. Be grateful and humble, recognizing that he knows what is best for your soul and gives what he wills for your salvation.
St. Ignatius writes:
With cause, as well the good Angel as the bad can console the soul, for contrary ends: the good Angel for the profit of the soul, that it may grow and rise from good to better, and the evil Angel, for the contrary, and later on to draw it to his damnable intention and wickedness.
Fourth Rule.
When you devoutly pray and you believe your consolations are from God you may feel comfort as you progress in what you believe is God’s will, but if it is not really God, but instead an evil spirit, you will begin having doubts and confusions. You will begin to see that something doesn’t add up. When you recognize deception, this is a huge red flag.
Asking for consolations is akin to asking God to “buy” your love through gifts. It is transactional. He doesn’t work that way. This is why it is so easy to be deceived by false consolations. If you are a weak Christian who doesn’t know your Bible or your Catechism, you will be deceived.
A soul can and does receive consolation from God, but a soul desiring consolation can and will be tricked by the evil one. We love God for his sake and not for the consolation he gives us. You may have fallen into this trap. You may eventually experience false consolations that lead toward a very negative result away from the truth, away from peace, and far from God.
St. Ignatius writes:
“It is proper to the evil Angel, who forms himself under the appearance of an angel of light, to enter with the devout soul and go out with himself: that is to say, to bring good and holy thoughts, conformable to such just soul, and then little by little he aims at coming out drawing the soul to his covert deceits and perverse intentions.”
Fifth Rule.
Sixth Rule.
Actively work against any attack from the evil one to disturb your peace. Work against it by doing more prayer, adding penances, and by examining the root causes of it. Do you have an unconfessed sin? Have you failed to forgive someone? Have you failed to reconcile or make restitution?
You may have opened a door to the evil one in your life. Repentance, penance, and a firm resolution to sin no more are simple ways to close the door. Pray and reflect and ask the advice of a priest or your spiritual director.
Seventh Rule.
As you progress in the spiritual life there is one general rule of thumb. If you are moving forward in holiness then the Holy Spirit will move sweetly and gently in your life and the evil spirits will try to disquiet you by distraction and noise. And if, on the contrary, you are moving away from holiness then the evil spirits will act on you sweetly and gently to keep you lukewarm while the Holy Spirit may respond in a more pronounced way to cause you to return toward more holiness. Be aware of where you are in your relationship with God.
And the above-said spirits touch in a contrary way those who go on from bad to worse.
The reason of this is that the disposition of the soul is contrary or like to the said Angels. Because, when it is contrary, they enter perceptibly with clatter and noise; and when it is like, they enter with silence as into their own home, through the open door.”
Eighth Rule.
Consolations should be put to the test and examined. This caution is necessary to avoid attributing a consolation to God when it is a false apparition or false prophecy from an evil spirit seeking to confuse and deceive. Our resolutions and opinions must be prayerfully considered with patience and good counsel. This is why it is important to have spiritual direction from someone in authority in the Church to help guide you toward proper discernment.
St. Ignatius writes:
When the consolation is without cause, although there be no deceit in it, as being of God our Lord alone, as was said; still the spiritual person to whom God gives such consolation, ought, with much vigilance and attention, to look at and distinguish the time itself of such actual consolation from the following, in which the soul remains warm and favored with the favor and remnants of the consolation past; for often in this second time, through one’s own course of habits and the consequences of the concepts and judgments, or through the good spirit or through the bad, he forms various resolutions and opinions which are not given immediately by God our Lord, and therefore they have need to be very well examined before entire credit is given them, or they are put into effect.
Part 7: Recognize false Prophecies with These 6 Criteria
Now that we have studied what the Church teaches about private revelation versus public revelation, types of prophecies, discernment of spirits, and our obligation as lay Catholics to obey the Magisterium we will look at six warning signs as a criteria for recognizing a false prophecy.
These warning signs reveal the possible presence of common vices in the prophet or the message of the prophecy given. If you see evidence of one of these vices in a prophetic message or prophetic messenger this may indicate a spiritual delusion or deception.
When one of the following six criteria is present in a ‘seer’ with a ‘word of knowledge’ or divine revelation from God, you may want to disregard the message as a possible deception:
- Pride
- Vainglory
- Weak and inexperienced mind
- Reckless zeal
- Disobedience
- Not knowing self and the divine scriptures
How to Recognize a False Prophecy
Step 1: Is the Vice of Pride Evident?
We learn from St. John of the Cross and The Dark Night of the Soul about the dangers of spiritual pride. He describes it as, “Beginners who feel themselves to be very fervent and diligent in spiritual things and in devout exercises often develop, through their imperfections, a certain kind of secret pride.”
He warns that as a result, they may become very satisfied with themselves and their spiritual progress, boasting of it and teaching others. He says they will grow in a fervor to perform more frequent acts to elevate themselves even more. St. John of the Cross warns that this grows their pride and presumption.
He also says, “Sometimes, too, when their spiritual masters, such as confessors and superiors, do not approve of their spirit and behavior (for they are anxious that all they do shall be esteemed and praised), they consider that they do not understand them, or that… their confessors are themselves not spiritual.”
This causes a proud prophet to seek out new superiors who will praise and encourage them, thinking as if they have already become saints.
Does the prophet boast about possessing secret knowledge? Does the prophet perform many prophetic acts that seem to be frequent? Do they seem to elevate themselves? Do they self-promote their prophecies? Is money involved in any way?
How to Recognize a False Prophecy
Step 2: Is the Vice of Vainglory Evident?
The vice of vainglory is similar to pride and has a need to be known and talked of and praised by others. Vainglory is the love of praise, honor, and esteem and this also means it is the fear of what the world will say or think of them. The desire of approval of mankind often leads the soul at risk of offending God.
St. Thomas Aquinas says, “Vainglory desires display of excellence. And since it seems to point to a certain excellence that one be not subject to another’s command, it follows that disobedience arises from vainglory.”
Does the prophet like the limelight? Does the prophet seek notoriety? Does the prophet worry about what others say and try to defend himself or herself from critics who disagree?
How to Recognize a False Prophecy
Step 3: Is a Weak and Inexperienced Mind Evident?
Demons are pure intellectual beings, not rational beings like us. They possess a superior knowledge of our weaknesses and dispositions which they use to tempt us. The devil knows how to exploit our instincts and passions, the weakness of our flesh and our pride. The demonic temptation generally affects the psychosomatic powers; viz., the imagination, memory, and sensory appetite, which are important for using and controlling our emotions. By tempting these powers, demons disturb the sensory appetite and indirectly affect the intellect and will. The experiences of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross verify this doctrine which is commonly accepted in spiritual theology.
For Aquinas, the devil can only act on the human mind through natural, physical, and psychological causes; conversely, all natural, physical, and psychological causes can be instruments of diabolic purposes. This view blurs the distinction between mental disorder which comes from internal causes and mental disorder which comes from diabolic agency, posing a difficult problem of discernment.
To deceive contemplative souls, the devil also counterfeits God. Temptations can be disguised as false apparitions of saints, or through profoundly beautiful and holy sentiments. St. John of the Cross says: “The devil often purveys objects to the senses, affording to the sense of sight images of saints and most beautiful lights . . . And to the sense of smell, fragrant odors; and he puts sweetness in one’s mouth, and delight in the sense of touch. He does all of this so that by enticing persons through these sensory objects he may induce them into many evils.”
St. Teresa of Avila writes, “The truth is, care should be taken to keep [the melancholic] from too much prayer and to persuade them, as far as possible, to take no notice of their fancies: the devil makes use of these weak souls to injure others, even if they themselves escape unhurt. There is need for caution both with feeble and strong souls at first, until it is certain from what spirit these things proceed. I maintain that, in the beginning, it is always wiser to resist these communications; if they come from God this is the best way to receive more, for they increase when discouraged. At the same time the soul should not be too strictly controlled or disquieted, for it cannot help itself in the matter” (Avila, 78).
How to Recognize a False Prophecy
Step 4: Is the Presence of Reckless Zeal Evident?
Zeal is a strong action that shows one’s fiery love for and friendship with God, but it becomes reckless when it lacks moderation, prudence, or even common sense. A Christian who is caught up in ungodly zeal will oftentimes feel as though they are aflame with the divine but their reckless zeal will destroy rather than purify or illuminate.
Too much zeal can cause someone to have the outward appearance of holiness but a lack of true charity. This ungodly kind of zeal divides and creates schism. Humility is the cure for reckless zeal which has its roots in pride.
We see the virtue of zeal in the life of Paul the Apostle, but we can also see reckless zeal in his life before his conversion. The Apostle Paul is a perfect example to show us what zeal looks like when it lacks knowledge and understanding (Galatians 1:14), as St. Paul pointed to when he described his reckless zeal as a persecutor of 1st-century Christians.
But Paul also shows us what zeal looks like when it is not reckless, and is full of knowledge and understanding. Ignorance of God will cause reckless zeal, but when a Christian is wise and full of knowledge and understanding of the faith he can be virtuously zealous (Romans 10:2-3).
To proclaim Christ we must first know the Scriptures and our faith through proper catechesis. If we believe we have a message to share we must first be humble enough to assent to authority and be instructed in the faith so that our zeal does not become reckless. Ignorance is not an excuse.
How to Recognize a False Prophecy
Step 5: Is Disobedience to Authority Evident?
Obedience to our superiors is required by God, so when one disobeys his superior’s command it is contrary to love of God. In Romans 13:2 we read: “He who resists those powers resists God’s ordination.”
Proper obedience leads to justice, so disobedience leads to injustice. When a Catholic openly and unapologetically disagrees with church teaching, and willfully disobeys what they know to be true, they commit the sin of disobedience. Saint John Henry Newman writes, “To those who are perplexed in any way, for those who seek the light but cannot find it, one precept must be given — obey. It is obedience which brings a man into the right path. It is obedience which keeps him there and strengthens him in it.”
Jesus obeyed the will of the Father even unto death on a Cross. If we are to imitate Christ, then we must die to ourselves and submit to the Church’s authority, believing with faith that it is guided in truth by the Holy Spirit.
If God gives you a mission and blesses you with a message to share, then it stands to reason he will also give you spiritual direction and ask you to humbly submit to authority regarding how that mission is fulfilled and the message is shared.
How to Recognize a False Prophecy
Step 6: Is There a lack Knowledge of Self, Sacred Scripture?
Does the prophet admit he or she struggles with discernment? This is likely because they lack Biblical knowledge and understanding. If a prophet has ignorance he can be easily deceived by an evil spirit and his or her message should be ignored.
Sometimes a prophet will add his or her prejudice and imagination into a vision or word of knowledge, changing the very meaning of it. This is why inexperienced seers making public pronouncements who lack knowledge of the Bible and the Catechism should not be faithfully followed or believed, especially if their messages have not been examined and tested by the Church authorities.
A prophet who lacks knowledge of God’s character or His ways will eventually be led to destruction through ignorance, to unbelief through darkness, or to rebellion through a total separation from God. The only recourse for such a prophet is to assent to Church authority, study the Bible and the Catechism, and grow in holiness. This will help to avoid being deceived by evil spirits due to ignorance, which is a lack of knowledge about something you are capable of knowing, and pride. There is no excuse for willful ignorance. Any prophet who proclaims a message from God that contradicts Sacred Scripture is not a true prophet.
In Chapter 3 of The Interior Castle St. Teresa of Avila warns against believing a message that contradicts Sacred Scripture. She says, “Take no more notice of any speeches you hear which disagree with the Holy Scriptures than if you heard them from Satan himself. Though they may only rise from your vivid imagination, look upon them as a temptation against the faith. Always resist them; then they will leave you, and cease, for they have little strength of their own.”
In Summary
Many people today promote themselves publicly as true prophets with messages from God. We’ve learned today how to discern whether their claims should be considered true or false based on what the Bible says, the Magisterium teaches, and what the saints tell us. We also learned how to protect ourselves from temptations from evil spirits when we receive consolations in prayer.
I hope this educational article was helpful to you. Please add a comment below if there is something you would like to add.
3 Responses
I am a stroke patient .l am begging you in the name of God for my problem .help me.
Dear Berhanu,
I will pray for you. Dear Father in Heaven, please grant Berhanu peace and healing. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide him through this difficulty that is so hard to understand. May he be given the Knowledge, understanding and wisdom of God and all the Gifts needed to endure this suffering as Our Lord Jesus brings forth His mercy and healing by the Will of His Father. Amen. I will keep you, Berhanu in my prayers each day as I recite the Most Holy Rosary. Immaculate Heart of Mary, intercede for Berhanu for his healing and peace. Amen.
Dear Berhanu, I can offer Masses for your intentions. Please know that we are all praying for your healing and for God’s grace in your life. Psalms 34:18-20 “The righteous cry out, the LORD hears and he rescues them from all their afflictions. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed. Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.” Berhanu, there is a man who has put all 150 Psalms into songs and they are available on YouTube. In this way you can listen and pray the Psalms all day long, every day as you offer up your suffering to God in union with Christ. Jesus is closest to us in our suffering. He hears you, Berhanu. I will lift you in prayer and have Masses said for your intentions. May God bless you.