Jeremiah & Hananiah: Understanding the Prophetic Utterances
(Differentiating Between the False from the True)

(Read Jeremiah chapters 27 & 28)

Everything is not known about Hananiah but during the time of his confrontation with Jeremiah, He was known as a prophet who spoke during that time about the existing social views. He was popular at that time in the royal courts because of the words that he released. Many times it was because of what he said in a message that carried “a certain popularity” because it responded to the sentiment of those hearing it. But was it accurate?

Prophesies about moral decline of the government, or even accountability of the church were not considered favourable. Even messages that stated there would not be a military victory and words that spoke of repentance were not considered a good word. But what really is a good word? Aren’t we looking for the truth? Aren’t we willing to hear what God has to say even if it means that we need correction or rebuke.

Hananiah: the issue was whether the Lord was about to deliver the nation from the Babylonian stronghold and allowing them to return to Judah. Hananiah declared that in two years the Lord would bring back to the temple all the vessels of the Lord’s House which Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon took away and carried to Babylon. (Jeremiah 28:3)

Jeremiah: the issue was that the Lord said the people should remain at that time in captivity. It had a lot to do with the sin and that which was set upon them through their own disobedience. The Lord told Jeremiah to make a yoke and put it on his neck and declare that he had given the land into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. (Jeremiah 27:1-6)

Lord God Most High: spoke the words clearly to His prophet Jeremiah. God’s words for the children of Israel had a redemptive purpose and He also made it clear that any other prophet contradicting those words that — He (God) did not say them nor did He send him. This was an important turning point for Israel and it was important that Israel knew His heart in this matter.

In chapter 28 we see a major confrontation take place, Hananiah stands before the court and speaks in the presence of all including Jeremiah, and says that the yoke of the King of Babylon has been broken, and within 2 years the vessels of the house of the Lord will be brought back from Babylon and the people will be released. These were the words that the people wanted to hear. Hananiah spoke out of the imaginations of his own heart.

Jeremiah began to say that if these things come to pass, (the words that were spoken by Hananiah,) “that if the prophet prophesied of peace when the word comes to pass then the prophet shall be known, and truly the Lord has sent him.”

Jeremiah was saying that if these words were from God and that Hananiah would be well-known and it would evidence that Hananiah was God’s prophet. Hananiah then approaches Jeremiah and breaks the wooden yoke off his neck.

Jeremiah begins to leave and just in that moment the word of the Lord comes to him and He says to all, that the Lord has placed a yoke of iron unto those nations, and that Hananiah has made the people trust a lie. Because the Lord said he has taught them rebellion. Hananiah died the same year in the seventh month.

Walking in the calling of a prophet carries a high level of accountability with God. Walking in the integrity of God’s standard is an important issue with Him. Samuel was a prophet who walked in God’s standard. Amos spoke words of coming judgement because of their sin and rebellion. There are many different types of prophets, major and minor: speaking into governments, into regions and lands, and people rich and poor. The fulfilment of assignments prepared for God’s prophets are vitally important, in this hour.

There is no time for competition and comparisons, each one should be specifically aligned and assigned for encouragement, for building the body of Christ, to uncover the evil works of principalities and powers, to be ready watchmen armed with God’s word and prayer and so much more. Souls are literally hanging in the balance. It is important many times that we must continue to pray and seek God as we hear from Him to get a full understanding of what’s being revealed . I have said before that if we speak things that God is not saying, then the error is in our hearing, or in our understanding because God can not lie.

The timing of a matter may also be a difficult thing to decipher because as prophets see events, visions, hear utterances, have dreams and begin to receive the “knowing” of a thing, many times it may seem like tomorrow but they may occur years away. As prophets, we must know what is our prophetic ministry, and whether the message being released is more of a long term or current day prophetic word. Our end time scriptures must be revealed to us by the Holy Ghost for us to have a clear understanding as to how to interpret them in our times today.

It is important that when we are assessing a word that we don’t get carried away with only what we want to hear. We also can’t act as if we have all the answers either. But it is quite alright to take the word and look very carefully to see if it lines up with scripture. There are many questions that need to be answered concerning God’s rhema words.

Do we want to hear truth? Are we looking for what we think are reasonable solutions to what is going in the word around us. In those days they felt that they should be able to work out a treaty agreement, two years, and they were to come out of that captivity. The Lord saw it as arrogance, err and rebellion. Isaiah 55: 8-9 clearly tells us that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, nor our ways like His ways. Sometimes our perception of deliverance is skewed and the Lord is trying to reveal to us as to why we have found ourselves in the dilemma that we are facing. There are times that the Lord will send us down a path that seems to be different, unfamiliar to everyone but as time works into us His will all of problems that seems to be present become the promises that were being manifested and only God will get the glory for what has come to pass.

When we hear the word of the Lord does it turn our hearts towards God to receive? Does it encourage, build, and increase one’s level of faith and trust in the Lord? Do we look for a way to grow, to reconcile, and to the right resolutions? Does what we hear motivate us to pray, asking God to help us not make the same mistakes again? Is it confirmation to what you hear the Lord speaking to you? Does the word that we hear line up with the word of God? Is the truth of God’s word convince us, convict us or we able to differentiate what is culture, what is Christ’s, and what is crisis? Do we want to walk in His ways and His precepts?

These are very important questions that need to be asked even when determining true and false prophets. All these things should humble every prophet—because the words that proceed out of the mouth of a true prophet carries weight and is something to be considered.

My prayer is today:

Lord teach us to operate from a pure stream and not to prophesy out of imaginations of our own hearts. Let us walk in the integrity of Holiness, let the words that you place upon our lips represent you. Lord help us to keep, carry, and uphold your life and your light. We pray that it dispels darkness by the power of your glory. Lord, help us to hear clearly your words. We pray that in this hour of temptation that we don’t lead the people into a place of rebellion or a place of deception. Lord lead us into a greater understanding of the life of your words and what you are saying to us your people. Lord, you said in your words these words which I speak are spirit and life. Let us speak forth out of our mouths the sword of your truth that is able to cut through and cut away every evil in Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

My decree today is:

Oh Lord God Most High!
May we be changed to image of your dear Son,
May we speak words of life, light, strength and truth to every kindred, nation and tongue.
May we hear your words of instruction, reproof, rebuke, correction because You Love us and these words can direct us, teach us and guide us through every storms.
May we awaken more and more each day and may our understanding increase that we may know the fullness of the purpose by which you have called us.
May we thrust out from the land, allow Jesus to teach us and launch out into the deep waters that we may catch a great draught of fish.
We speak to lying words and say you have no power over us.
We speak to the lies of confusion that comes from the root of Babel and Babylon and you have no power over us.
We speak to apathy, inertia, laziness, depression, and hopelessness you have no power over us.
We speak that every system of this world that is not rooted in Christ Jesus will not have power nor dominion over us, In Jesus Name.

 

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Philippians 2:12-13 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Luke 1:51 “He has manifested His supreme strength. He has scattered those who were haughty in the thoughts of their hearts.” (WEY translation)

1 John 3:8 “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

John 3:21 “But he that practices the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God.” (DBY YLT NAS)

Romans 8:18 “Why, what we now suffer I count as nothing in comparison with the glory which is soon to be manifested in us.” (WEY)

 

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A Personal Message from Prophet Phyllis Ford to all readers:

I am personally asking you to stretch out in the area of giving and a sow a seed into this ministry — we are preparing to launch Apostolic Prophetic Leadership Ministry Training with schools of Apostolic Prophetic Ministry, Discipleship, Prayer Evangelism including Youth Ministries, with Live Streaming available. We are asking all of our subscribers to join us by sow a seed into this new work of the Lord . So many of you have emailed and shared how you have been impacted by the Lord’s prophetic releases from the West coast to the East coast from the Midwest region down to the south of the US to South Africa, Hong Kong to London and all the way to Israel — and many more. May God be glorified!!! Help the message of the Kingdom to continue. We encourage you to partnership with us as we continue to call out your names before the Lord. (We pray over all our subscribers.) We thank you and bless you in Jesus Name. May the blessings of the Lord God be mightily upon in this hour. May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above that you may ask or think according to the power that works within us.

 

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Prophet Phyllis Ford of Phyllis Ford Ministries is called by God’s grace as a prophet to the nations; now in ministry for 27 years. With yearly and monthly Words, she and husband Apostle Miles release the Word of the Lord via their website. Her ministry emphasises the Watchman call and duty in governance, as she teaches prophetic schools of ministry, intercession and deliverance workshops and tours worldwide, speaking into the lives of ministry leaders, encouraging prayer, and releasing regional strategies.