God raises up both the true and the false prophet for His purposes. Throughout the centuries, the greatest challenge to the people of God has always been the false prophet within the ranks, rather than the military enemy outside. When Israel was right with Yahweh, no weapon formed against them could ever prosper. The clearest sign of God’s judgment is when He allows a people to have its carnal desires; when He gives them what they want but sends leaness to their souls; when He gives them over to the sin they crave (Romans 1) and allows them to embrace false prophets who lead them astray crying “peace,” “peace,” when there is no peace. As Jeremiah found to his own cost, when God’s hand of judgment comes on a people, the false prophet becomes more popular than the true. Its always been this way. When men refuse to embrace His truth, God sends them strong delusion so that they will believe falsehood.

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” – 2 Thess 2:9-12

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” – 2 Tim 4:3,4