The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is doing a study on the Last Days. Rather than attempting to set precise dates or map out speculative timelines, this study dives directly into Jesus’ foundational teaching in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:1–14) to discover how biblical prophecy is deeply practical. Scripture’s teachings on the end times were never intended to cause fear or fuel anxiety, but rather to prepare believers to stand firm in every season. As global turbulence, cultural pressure, and spiritual deception intensify around us, Jesus' words provide a clear road map for personal spiritual preparation—guiding us to cultivate discernment, anchor our confidence in God's sovereignty, and align our present-day priorities with His global mission.
In Session 2 we looked at the very first specific warning Jesus issues regarding the "world of the end." His first warning was: "Take heed that no one deceives you" (Matthew 24:4). In Session 3 we talked about how to fight deception with discernment.
Here in Session 4 we ask the question about prophecies of Isaiah concerning the death of King Hezekiah and the destruction of Nineveh by Jonah label them as false prophets because what they prophesied did not happen
Matthew 24:1-8 NIV [1] Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. [2] “Do you see all these thigs?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” [3] As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” [4] Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. [6] You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. [7] Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are the beginning of birth pains.
The last couple of weeks we have talked about deception and discernment.
Primary Dictionary Definitions of Deception
The act of deceiving: The practice or act of misleading, tricking, or causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.
The state of being deceived: Being misled or deluded by a false appearance, statement, or representation.
An instance of deceit: A trick, or scheme designed to mislead or trick someone (e.g., a fraud or illusion).
From a biblical perspective, deception is not merely a mistake or an inaccurate statement—it is a spiritual force, state, or deliberate scheme that leads the mind and heart away from God’s absolute truth into error, moral compromise, or spiritual darkness.
If deception was the first and most dangerous warning, how do we combat it? We combat it with discernment. Discernment is one of the primary biblical antidotes to deception . In spiritual and practical terms, if deception is the poison of subtle distortion, false authority, and half-truths, discernment is the spiritual capacity to distinguish truth from error and divine wisdom from counterfeit claims.
Remember the tests we talked about last week?
The Scripture Test (Acts 17:11; Isaiah 8:20): Does the teaching align with the full counsel of God's Word, or does it isolate verses, claim "new revelation," or contradict clear biblical commands?
The Jesus Test (1 John 4:2–3): Does the message confess and exalt the true biblical Jesus Christ—His incarnation, deity, finished work on the cross, and Lordship—or does it exalt human potential and self?
The Fruit Test (Matthew 7:15–20): What is the character and lifestyle of the teacher, and what spiritual fruit is produced in their followers?
The Fulfillment Test (Deuteronomy 18:21–22): Do specific prophecies or claims actually hold true and come to pass according to Scripture?
The Fulfillment Test (Deuteronomy 18:21–22): Do specific prophecies or claims actually hold true and come to pass according to Scripture?
While modern dictionaries often emphasize predicting the future, the biblical framework focuses primarily on forthtelling—delivering divine truth and alignment to a specific audience—rather than just foretelling.
Dictionary Definitions
In Scripture, prophets serve primarily as God's mouthpieces to call people back to his will, reveal his character, and declare his covenant obligations.
Prophet (Hebrew: Nabi - נָבִיא): Literally means "one who is called" or "one who bubbles forth/announces." It emphasizes someone appointed to speak on behalf of another (e.g., in Exodus 7:1, Aaron acts as a nabi or spokesman for Moses).
Prophet (Greek: Prophetēs - προφήτης): Derived from pro ("forth" or "before") and phemi ("to speak"). A prophetēs is literally "one who speaks forth" or an interpreter of the divine mind.
Prophecy (Scriptural Concept): Divine inspiration that conveys God's heart, warning, encouragement, or instruction. The Apostle Paul defines the core purpose of New Testament prophecy as "strengthening, encouraging and comfort" (1 Corinthians 14:3).
Key Distinction: Modern culture views a prophet as a "fortune teller," whereas the Bible defines a prophet as a "truth teller." Predicting future events is simply one aspect of revealing God's overall purpose and sovereign plan.
Scripture provides distinct tests to evaluate prophets and their messages. Because false prophets can perform impressive signs or speak with persuasive authority, the Biblical standard focuses on theological alignment, character, and spiritual discernment rather than supernatural displays alone.
The Discernment Principle: Supernatural power or persuasive rhetoric is never the ultimate validation of a prophet. The ultimate standard is whether their message aligns with God's revealed Word and produces christlike righteousness.
Read Deuteronomy 18:20–22. Moses instructs Israel that if a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name and the event does not happen, that prophet has spoken presumptuously and must not be followed.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 NIV [20] But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” [21] You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” [22] If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
Did Isaiah Pass the Deuteronomy Test?
The Hezekiah Incident: Read 2 Kings 20:1–6. The prophet Isaiah tells King Hezekiah: "Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover". Yet Hezekiah weeps and prays, God hears his petition, and God adds 15 years to his life.
2 Kings 20:1-6 NIV [1] In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” [2] Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, [3] “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. [4] Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: [5] “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. [6] I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ ”
The Key Question: Does non-fulfillment make Isaiah a false prophet under Deuteronomy 18?
Here’s the thing: Deuteronomy 18 is calling out fake prophets—people who just make stuff up and claim God said it. It’s not talking about the moments where God Himself decides to change direction because His people actually prayed and turned back to Him.
Prophetic warnings reveal what will happen if current conditions remain unchanged, but they serve as an invitation to pray and seek mercy.
What happened in Jonah’s prophecy for Nineveh;
Jonah 3:4-10 NIV [4] Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” [5] The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. [6] When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. [7] This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. [8] But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. [9] Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” [10] When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah declared: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown!" No conditions were explicitly attached. Yet when the city repented, God relented. Jonah was not a false prophet; the warning accomplished its intended purpose by driving the people to God.
The Principle of Conditional Prophecy
That is an example of a conditional prophecy;
Here’s a scripture that address a conditional prophecy
Jeremiah 18:7-10 NIV [7] If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, [8] and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. [9] And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, [10] and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.
God explicitly states that when He announces judgment against a nation, if that nation turns from evil, He will relent from inflicting the planned disaster.
Then there are Unconditional Covenantal Prophecies: Divine decrees anchored solely in God's unchangeable purpose.
Hebrews 6:17-18 NIV [17] Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. [18] God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
Genesis 22:16-18 NIV [16] and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, [18] and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
The question of whether God "changes His mind" is one of the most important theological questions in Scripture.
The short answer is no, God does not change His core nature, character, or ultimate decrees—but He does dynamically change how He interacts with people when they change their posture toward Him.
To understand this, we have to look at how Scripture balances two truths that seem to compete, but actually work together in harmony.
The Principle of God’s Immutability (God Does Not Change)
Scripture repeatedly declares that God’s character, promises, and eternal nature never change (immutability):
Numbers 23:19: "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
1 Samuel 15:29: "He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind."
Malachi 3:6: "I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not consumed."
James 1:17: God is the "Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
God does not suffer from human indecision, weakness, or ignorance. He never discovers new information that forces Him to say, "Oops, I made a mistake, let me re-evaluate."
The Language of "Relenting" (Nacham)
On the other hand, Scripture frequently describes God "relenting" or "repenting" of an announced judgment:
Jeremiah 18:7–8: "If at any time I announce that a nation... is to be uprooted... and if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent..."
Jonah 3:10: "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened."
2 Kings 20:5–6: God turns Isaiah back to tell Hezekiah that He has heard his prayer and added 15 years to his life.
In Hebrew, the word often translated "relented" or "changed His mind" is nacham (נָחַם). It describes God showing compassion, sorrow, or pivoting in response to a change in human hearts.
Why This Isn't a Contradiction: The Unchanging Rule of Grace
To understand why God "relenting" is not a flaw in His omniscience, consider God's fixed, unchangeable principle:
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)
This rule never changes. Therefore:
When a person or nation is in pride, sin, or apathy: God’s fixed posture toward them is judgment/warning.
When that person turns, weeps, or repents (like Hezekiah or Nineveh): They move themselves under God’s fixed rule of grace and mercy.
The Metaphor: Think of God like the Sun. The Sun constantly shines heat and light. If you stand behind a wall, you are in the cold shadow. If you step out from behind the wall into the open field, you feel warmth. The Sun didn't change its nature or behavior—you moved. When Hezekiah prayed or Nineveh repented, God didn't alter His character. God’s unchanging principle—extending mercy to those who humble themselves—was activated because the human heart changed its position.
Anthropomorphism: God Speaking Our Language
Why does Scripture use terms like "God changed His mind"?
The Bible uses anthropomorphism—describing God in human emotional terms so we can understand Him. If God were described as an impersonal, cold, unyielding cosmic computer, we would think prayer is useless.
Instead, God reveals Himself as a living, relational Heavenly Father who responds to His children. When God "relents," He is demonstrating that He is actively engaged in redemptive history, inviting humans to participate through faith, repentance, and prayer.
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