Are There any True Prophets?

When one hears the word "prophet" a number of wild thoughts may flood the mind, such as cult leaders tricking their followers into drinking poisonous Kool-Aid, shot outs with the ATF and FBI, polygamous adulterers, etc. With all of the stigma behind prophetic claims, most people reject the idea of prophets outright, and understandably so.

However, did you know that the Bible actually records prophets and prophetesses existing after Jesus' ascension (Acts 11:27-30; 21:9-12)? One of the spiritual gifts for the church is also the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11-13). But Jesus also warned of false prophets who would perform signs and miracles, seeking to deceive the flock (Matt. 7:15; 24:24). So how do we know who is a true or false prophet?

God does not leave us in the dark concering this question, for in His Word He outlines a number of "tests" which can be applied to supposed prophets to see if they are of God or not. Many "prophets" pass some of these tests, but only a genuine prophet of God can pass them all.

The point of this booklet is to consider each of these tests and then to apply them on two of the most well known prophets of the 19th century: Joseph Smith of Mormonism and Ellen White of Adventism.