False prophets can predict events accurately, but true prophecy isn't measured by predictive success. Old Testament prophets revealed the coming Messiah; New Testament prophets edify believers and point them to Christ's finished work. Samuel initially overlooked David when choosing a king, showing even true prophets can be wrong.
We need to talk about false prophets. A false prophet can actually get events right, and a true prophet can actually get events wrong. Now, you'll have to separate the Old Testament prophet from the New Testament prophet, and let's do that very quickly. The Old Testament prophets were trying to reveal the coming of the Christ, so most of the prophecies that the Old Testament prophets gave from the Lord was to usher in the lineage, the events and circumstances in which that will bring about the Savior of the world. The New Testament prophet is to edify and exhort people, or the gift of prophecy, not necessarily the office of prophet, to point people back to the finished works of that Messiah. Now, the office of prophecy that is given in the fivefold ministry in the New Testament context can function in both of those rites. Now I say all this to say that a prophet can get events wrong. For example, Samuel had to go to the house of Jesse and choose a king. That was the prophecy, right? There was going to be a king that comes from the root of Jesse. And he goes to the house of Jesse and picks everybody except David. David was the very last person to be summoned when the king was to be selected. So he was wrong until he was right. And then a false prophet can get things right. This is what we call soothsayers or diviners or fortune tellers and palm readers. There are aspects of this evil power that can predict events accurately, but that's not what makes them a prophet or makes somebody a prophet. Is connecting the mind of God to the heart of man, right? And the mind of man to the heart of God. That's really what makes a prophet. So we need to just make sure that that connection is what we focus on, or we will keep having this idea that prophets are fortune tellers, and that's not what they are. So hope this blessed you. Peace.
