How to Recognize False Prophecy

Who is at the center?
Is Christ being exalted?
Or a person?
Or an angel?
Does the person claiming to have a word from the Lord point to Jesus Christ?
Does it reflect God’s word?
Does it reflect God’s heart?
Does the person encourage others to seek the Lord themselves?
Are the promises of God reflected in the word?
After hearing it, do you feel hopeless or encouraged?

Any person speaking for God has to reflect God’s word and God’s heart.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
When you hear a word that is from the Lord,
it will either display Christ’s character or not.
There is hope in His voice.
That will be evident, unless and until He has been completely rejected.
He’s waiting for the last soul who will receive Him.

Another way to know is if the prophecy comes to pass.
While some prophecies have still not yet been fulfilled,
there are some that gives dates and timelines about particular events.
And if thou say in thine heart,
How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord,
if the thing follow not, nor come to pass,
that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, 
but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously:
thou shalt not be afraid of him. Deuteronomy 18:21-22

It is important to point out the difference
between Condemnation and Conviction.
Condemnation gives you no way out.
It is a harsh judgment with no grace or mercy.
Conviction means God gives you a way to get out of your sin.
In other words, He gives you a hand to help you up to be able to overcome
whatever it is that has kept you from Him.
A way to remove the barriers.
God’s desire is to bring us all closer to Him
in the hopes that people will repent
and gain a relationship with Jesus, the Savior of the world.
There is no sin that God cannot forgive.
The word, both the Old Testament and the New Testament
has given many examples where God was angry, but then,
He forgave when the people earnestly sought Him and repented.

Jonah’s prophecy for Nineveh is an excellent example.
Too many prophets want to speak Hell and Brimstone, and yes,
that is coming, but there is still room to repent,
still time to learn about Jesus and draw close to Him
and learn how to receive His forgiveness and protection.
The whole city of Nineveh repented
because they were concerned that God was angry
and were hoping for His mercy.
They got it and Jonah was more concerned about his prophecy and his lost reputation.
God hears our hearts.
God hears every heart
and it’s not too late to reach out to God until it is too late.

It seems at present that God’s Judgment is falling on the world.
That does not mean God is not still listening to individual hearts.
On the contrary, Jesus is giving His final call to those who will listen,
those who are heeding His call to repent and follow Him.
It is not yet too late.