Do False Prophets Perform Signs & Wonders?

Matthew 24:24 NKJV
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Do false prophets perform signs & wonders? Is it easy for them to deceive people?
The devil is able to perform physical and spiritual signs and wonders? The devil wants to be like God, and therefore he will try to imitate God. The devil desires to be worshipped and so he will create signs and wonders in order to deceive people into worshipping him and his acts.
It’s important to know that the devil is the father of lies and that he is able to counterfeit the signs and works of God so that he may deceive people and lead them astray.
For example, where God is able to give people the gift of prophecy by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), the devil has created a counterfeit ability by enabling people to foretell the future through divination, astrology and fortune telling and witchcraft (Leviticus 19:26)

God says in the scriptures, the following regarding false prophets who prophesy using divination, which the LORD expressly forbids – Jeremiah 14:14-15 “And the Lord said to me,” The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.”

Therefore Jesus warned that we should not be surprised nor deceived whenever we see false prophets prophesying falsely in the name of God (Matthew 24:24). They are wolves in sheep’s clothing whose agenda is to deceive and lead people away from God.

Exodus 7:8-12 NKJV
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

As you can see from the Exodus 7:8-12, when Moses and Aaron visited Pharaoh, you will notice that Pharaoh’s sorcerers were present to represent Pharaoh. Sorcerers rely on power from false gods and from the devil himself in order to perform signs and wonders. Therefore when Aaron under the instruction of GOD cast his rod before Pharaoh, Aaron’s rod became a snake. However, Pharaoh’s sorcerers under the power of the devil were also able to copy and imitate God’s sign by turning their own rods into serpents as well.
It’s therefore important to realize that the enemy can also perform signs and wonders and he can perform these wonders through false prophets. Our God is great and mighty however, and the devil can never defeat God. You will also notice in Exodus 7 that God’s rod swallowed up ALL the rods that belonged to Pharaoh’s sorcerers. This was God’s demonstration to Pharaoh, the sorcerers and the false gods that they represented that God is the only true, almighty and all powerful God and that He is above every false god.

False prophets will perform false prophesies and wonders that will dazzle you, and they will even appear true – but the SOURCE of those prophesies and wonders will NOT be from God but they will be from the devil.

Acts 16:16-19 NKJV
Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

Again you will notice that this girl had a spirit of divination which gave her the ability to foretell or predict people’s future. Under this spirit of divination she was able to have hidden knowledge of people’s specific current circumstances and also she was getting profit for her masters by fortune telling. This spirit of divination – a demonic spirit that possessed this girl even spoke what was true about Paul being a servant of God, but yet what annoyed Paul was the fact that this evil spirit was NOT of God and neither did it represent the kingdom of God.
God does not want us to gain or receive any secret or hidden knowledge from demonic spirits (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) – but rather God wants us to receive our knowledge from Him through His Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth (John 16:13-15).

Therefore truth is NOT found by consulting demonic spirits and the false prophets, but real TRUTH is found by knowing God’s word and through the Holy Spirit. Only the truth from God will set us free from the deception of false prophets and teachers.

So do false prophets perform signs & wonders? Yes they do.

TODAY. Pray for the gift of discernment from the Holy Spirit.