Ahab And His Four Hundred-Strong Prophetic Anointing Party
Last week we discussed the encounter of Paul and Silas with a demonically possessed maid in Acts 16. Today’s passage on spiritual deception is another place in the Bible where we see the fingers of demons explicitly displayed in the affairs of men. I bring the passage for the attention of members so we may learn a little more how our affairs are not only monitored, but directed, at times, by forces beyond our ordinary comprehension.[sgmb id=”1″]
Your understanding of the work of these forces will help you appreciate how weak you really are without the Lord Jesus Christ fully and completely in control of your life. It will help you understand your need to be wary of ALL and EVERY preacher (including this writer) that come forward to teach you about God. Your first DUTY before God is knowing His words as written in the Bible.
Then check and check again in line with the WRITTEN words of God whatever ANY man tells you about God.
That is His command in 1 John 4:1-2, Matthew 24:4-5, 2 Cor 11:14 and in numerous other Bible verses God has given in His words on demonic deception.
The major issue in our days is the work of demons and seducing spirits in the church. This work is carried out in the forms of fake, lying signs and wonders, tongues, Word-of-faith, New Apostolic Reformation and prosperity doctrines. In spite of their obvious preponderance in ‘Christian’ gatherings, we must understand these doctrines and their sources for what they really are: doctrines of devils.
We are called to stand firm with Micaiah and oppose, with all the resources at our disposal, the works of the four hundred-strong satan-led majority party now rampaging the Church of Christ.
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1Ki 22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
1Ki 22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?
1Ki 22:8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
1Ki 22:9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
1Ki 22:10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
1Ki 22:11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah(leader of the king’s prophets party) made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus says the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
1Ki 22:12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.
1Ki 22:13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spoke unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
1Ki 22:14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, what the LORD says unto me, that will I speak.
1Ki 22:15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
1Ki 22:16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?
1Ki 22:17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
1Ki 22:18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
1Ki 22:19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
1Ki 22:20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
1Ki 22:24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
1Ki 22:25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
1Ki 22:26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;
1Ki 22:27 And say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
1Ki 22:28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.
1Ki 22:29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
1Ki 22:30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
1Ki 22:31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
1Ki 22:32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.
1Ki 22:33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
1Ki 22:34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
1Ki 22:35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
1Ki 22:36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
1Ki 22:37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
Spiritual Deception Today
“…when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8b
The ratio of the fraudulent to the true is no longer 400 to one: it is more in the range of one million, possibly five million, to one.
Did you notice the prominence, not to mention the arrogance, of prophet Zedekiah in verse 24 of the passage? The prophet Zedekiahs of our day now come in the names of Enoch Adeboye, David Oyedepo, William Kumuyi, Chris Oyakhilome, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and the millions of their gangs in Word of faith, prosperity ‘gospel’, Pentecostalism, ‘Full Gospel’ and Charismaticism masquerading as Christianity.
Perhaps we can understand this sad arithmetic progression a little: if, in the country of Moses, Joshua, Caleb and Elijah, 400 of those calling themselves prophets of the Lord – mind you, these were not out and out prophets of Baal – had no contact with the God of heaven, how much less these millions of self-appointed prophets, bishops and ‘apostles’ from occult backgrounds in Nigeria, America, Italy, Canada, Mexico or Brazil thrusting themselves forward as God’s spokesmen and -women!?
May you be blessed as you listen to this embeded exposition of this passage by the Reverend Stephen Hamilton.
If you think you need prayer or help in any way, feel free to get in touch with us.
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