THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The Word of God does not condemn those who are truly His (who accept the gift of prophecy); far from it! Instead, it disapproves of those who falsely claim to speak on His behalf, as their prophecies contain elements of deception. Since these individuals have not received the truth, they say whatever they desire, leading them astray. We can discern whether a message is divinely inspired or spoken from human impulse. The Divine law confirms this. In Deuteronomy, God instructs us: If someone asks in their heart, 'How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken?' and if a prophet declares something in the Lord's name that does not come to pass, it is clear that the Lord did not speak through that prophet; they have spoken presumptuously—do not fear them (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
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The failure of any prophecy to be fulfilled serves as unmistakable evidence that it is not from God, for truth aligns with truth. This is echoed in the message of Jeremiah, where the Lord says, 'Am I only a God close at hand, and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? Do I not fill heaven and earth? I have heard what the prophets are saying, who prophesy lies in My name' (Jeremiah 23:23-25). After rebuking those who disregard Divine commandments, He presents the truth as a clear indication of what is from Him and what is not. He further states, 'Let the prophet who has had a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has My word speak it faithfully' (Jeremiah 23:28). Therefore, anything found in opposition to the truth serves as immediate evidence that the prophet is a deceiver, speaking ‘from his own heart and not from the mouth of the Lord,’ as written (Jeremiah 23:16).