And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
Through Moses God gave ancient Israel one of His appointed tests for recognizing a true prophet. The test is the accurate fulfillment of his words. When the question rises in the heart how to discern a word the Lord has not spoken, the answer is that if one speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing announced does not follow nor come to pass, that is the word the Lord has not spoken. It was spoken presumptuously, and such a prophet is not to be feared. This power to communicate concerning the past and the future is what sets the true God apart from all false gods.
Through Moses God gave ancient Israel one of His appointed tests for recognizing a true prophet. The test is the accurate fulfillment of his words. When the question rises in the heart how to discern a word the Lord has not spoken, the answer is that if one speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing announced does not follow nor come to pass, that is the word the Lord has not spoken. It was spoken presumptuously, and such a prophet is not to be feared. This power to communicate concerning the past and the future is what sets the true God apart from all false gods.