Testing is not the same thing as being tempted. It does not proceed from the same source. God is always interested in the heart of man. His tests are to prove our heart.

A false prophet is according to scripture allowed as a tester of our love and of our allegiance to God and His truth. The false prophet brings about a questioning of what we know or at least thought to be true. So the man of God is challenged to revisit his understanding. He digs deeper. He mines out the truth of God’s word, and he is able to discern the false from the true prophet, provided it is his motive to do so. God is the only one who truly knows our motives. It appears that He is on constant watch for the man and woman possessing a contrite heart.

So how do you know that what I just told you is true? Scripture is your basis for Truth. Teachers and prophets are judged by them. In the end you are judged by them. God has told us that a prophet can be discerned to be true if his words come to pass. But there is more concerning prophets that we can’t ignore.

There are false prophets whose words may come to pass, but that we know to be false because they will attempt to lead us to another god. So God has through His word made us to know who the false prophet is.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods whom you have not known and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

What we know is that Israel failed this test on several occasions throughout her Old Testament history.

Though she had gone after other gods in her past, when her Messiah was sent she stubbornly rejected Him. Her failure was in her refusal to believe her own Scriptures.

◦ And we know that some believers will also fail this same test during the coming Tribulation. The deceiver is, if nothing else, becoming expert in the area of deception. The Antichrist will produce signs which will come true, and apostasy will occur. The test will be a proving ground. The deceptions will be great. One such test is now in the making with alien spacecraft. Men will prove the level of their love for the Lord and their hearts condition as they pass or fail the tests that God does place in our path.

Therefore God says:

Exodus 22:20 “He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the Lord alone, shall be utterly destroyed.

Exodus 23:13 Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth.

— It would seem that this sin of turning to other god’s is a sin unto death. It is making an idol representing an object of worship or a god important in your life and that is a sin, one which maybe cannot be undone. This pronouncement seems to place off limits other scriptural promises where we are told to confess our sins one to the other. James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

A man once committed to follow Christ, who has failed this test concerning his love for God seems to no longer have rights or claims on the promises of scripture made to the righteous man. This test from God seems to be a pass fail test.

James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which [the Lord] has promised to those who love Him. (NASB2020)

John tells us that there is a sin unto death and we are not even to pray for the healing of one who has committed that sin.

1 John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. (KJV)

John knew God’s word, and he knew of God’s tests, so he concludes this message with the same warning:

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (KJV)

The God’s word translation states it (I believe) more correctly;

1 John 5:21 Dear children, guard yourselves from false gods. (GOD’S WORD)

When teaching on the things of the end times Jesus warned of the signs in the heavens. He warned of false prophets, and He told us to be not deceived. It seems clear that those days are to be days of deception. If you are following the claims being made involving false gods and alien involvement in the very creation; then you know the danger surrounding our days.

We are not to fear these our days, but we are to understand them for what they are. It is my current understanding that the Tribulation is not only Israel’s but mankind’s final test as mankind enters the valley of decision (see Joel) concerning his creator, and his final acceptance or rejection of Him, and of His own. Also see Matt. 25 concerning the judgment of nations when Jesus returns. Revelation 12 implies that the days approaching Jesus’ return are known to us because Satan’s wrath is unleashed upon the earth. He knows when his time is short. We will know also because of the events of these days.

Good will become evil and evil will become good. Men’s hearts will fail them because of what is coming upon the earth. The right to buy and sell will be denied to Jesus followers. The valley of decision will lead to both revival and reprobation. But we must also remember that apostasy is a sign of these days.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 The man of sin will come with the power of Satan. He will use every kind of power, including miraculous and wonderful signs. But they will be lies. (GOD’S WORD)