Copyright 2010 Theresa Harvard Johnson
For full understanding, please read Part I.
Sometimes we forget that God is on the throne. It’s as if we think He does not know what is going on around us, in his congregation and in the earth when in truth, WE are the ones who only see in part. He is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. Satan, the principalities of the air, spiritual wickedness nor the rulers of darkness can top that. We serve an all powerful God and a loving Father.
Jeremiah stood before the Kings, priests and congregations in the authority given to him by God. He didn’t get riled up and outraged when being openly humiliated, confronted or challenged. He didn’t put people “in their place” and tell them “who he was.” He knew that THIS was the Lord’s role in His life. In fact, he was actually laughing at Hananiah– this false prophet, when he found himself in that situation. I want you to see that Jeremiah KNEW that Hananiah was prophet — just not one sent by the Lord. For everything that God has created, satan has sought to bring forth a counterfeit. Jeremiah knew that this false prophet had managed to step onto the OTHER SIDE and was bold enough to think He could come against God.
There are many people who will not be able to see the PROPHET in you. They will only see the PERSON, the man, the woman, their competition or their rival. As a result, they will condemn themselves and walk right into God’s judgment as they disrespect you, your office and the message on the inside of you.
This message brought so much freedom to me. As there are people right in my midst who do not know who I am in the Lord. They continually see me as Theresa when this is NOT who I’ve been sent into their life to be. But instead of fighting for respect and honor, the Lord will often tell us to be still, to be quiet — because in due season truth will show itself and no man will need to speak. Get ready prophets! God is revealing who you are to those who have refused to believe!
Being treated this way by a lying prophet isn’t something that should hurt your feelings. It shouldn’t be strange, unique or a blow to YOU — not really. It is of detriment to them… and like Hananiah, they don’t even recognize the gravity of their situation. That is FOOLISHNESS in the eyes of the Lord. As prophets, we should FIRST recognize our own condition.
Take a look at what this foolish prophet, Hananiah did next.
Jeremiah 28:10 says:
10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it…
WOW! He PUT HIS HAND on the prophet of God. Mistake number THREE! His first bad move was challenging the prophet. His second, and most detrimental mistake, was lying on God and misleading his people.
You see, Hananiah PROPHESIES A GOOD WORD, A POSITIVE WORD, A PROSPEROUS WORD — one that DID NOT CONVICT A SINNING PEOPLE OF THEIR SIN. Sin was in their midst! Sin was in their midst! BLATANT sin was in their midst!
There is no way the Lord we serve would overlook that kind of sin, and release a blessing! Come on people of God! Some of us need to turn those light bulbs on! When a TRUE prophet comes, they come to point out sin that is operating in the midst of the people and then say go left or go right. BEFORE they can get to the blessing, they must first help the people COME OUT of that sin. This is YET another red flag that should BURN in your bones like fire when prophesy is going forth…
If there is SIN IN THE CAMP, God will deal with the sin first BEFORE sending the blessing. It’s a pattern he has set since the beginning of time! It doesn’t even take an apostolic or prophetic ear to grasp that — just obedience and the fear of the Lord. There’s something to be said about “digging your own grave” here. Hananiah surely sealed His coffin with this last move…
Now, in this passage of scripture is critically important. You see, Jeremiah was a prophet of demonstration. The yoke or bar around his neck was the same type worn by oxen. Now, this might seem ridiculous, but to Jeremiah and other men of God at that time — this was “THE PROPHECY.” I hope you get this!
Hear me now. Jeremiah was demonstrating what would happen to them as a result of their sin by wearing this yoke. He wasn’t entertaining. His ENTIRE PURPOSE in wearing this yoke was to DEMONSTRATE how desperate and dire their situation would be if they would not repent. (I often tell those who are truly sent by God into the “acting area” of the arts to take note of the prophetic actions of prophets in the scriptures. If they allow Father to guide them, they will come to know that they are PROPHESYING to the people, not entertaining them through the costumes, the dramatic actions and other acts he will have them do. They are literally interpreting the scriptures prophetically!) This wasn’t a SHOW! Jeremiah was literally expressing the depth of the bondage the “sinning people of God” were about to fall into…
So when HANANIAH, THE LYING PROPHET, ripped it from his neck, he was literally saying, “Get this ridiculous yoke from around your neck Jeremiah! You’re the lying prophet! What you’re prophesying is NEVER gonna happen…”
He was in fact, ANGRY, challenging Jeremiah again and attempting to SHAME HIM before the King, the priests and the people. No man should tempt God… and that’s what Hananiah did…
Have you been shamed? Shut down? Laughed at? Have you been told it doesn’t take all that?
Prophets! If they did it to Jeremiah, they will do it to you! But guess what, GOD’S PEOPLE ARE WATCHING! THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A WORD FROM GOD! And when all is said and done… you’d better have the word of truth in your mouth. Jeremiah is PROOF that we need not FEAR MEN, but FEAR GOD. And when we get to Part 3, you will clearly see that the Lord handles his own business…
In verse 11, the scripture says that after Hananiah snatched the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck he began to PROPHE-LIE again but this time through a FALSE DEMONSTRATION.
Hananiah “…said before all the people, This is what the LORD says: In the same way will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’ At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.”
WOW! When confronting a lying prophet we must understand that the battle is NOT OURS but the Lords! Do what you are called to do! Say what you are called to say! If they touch you, TAKE IT! If they kick you take it! But when God’s judgment is about to pass — WALK AWAY!
This lying prophet was wild with the lying words! My God, he not only snatched the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck here, but he came back and PROPHESIED AGAIN… a word that that was completely contradictory to that of Jeremiah. He even threw a time-line in there. I’ll talk about that later
Jeremiah discerned that judgment had passed! Come on prophets… receive the word… here..
You do not have to vindicate yourself against lying prophets in this season. God’s GOT IT! Jesus Christ is on the right hand side of the throne interceding for you DAY AND NIGHT. If you DIE, YOU DIE…. but GOD… has it all in control.
