What if the Miracles Are Real? Discerning True Prophetic Authority
Orientation
A genuine miracle does not automatically confirm a prophet's message as from God.
- God may allow false prophets to perform real signs and wonders.
- This is a test of devotion, not a sign of divine approval.
- The presence of supernatural power can be a proving ground for our loyalty.
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)
— Deuteronomy 13:1-3
Clarification
Miracles, even real ones, are not a substitute for alignment with God's truth.
- Jesus will reject those who performed mighty works but worked iniquity.
- False prophets can perform great signs capable of deceiving many.
- Supernatural acts can be wielded in direct rebellion against God's purposes.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22-23)
— Matthew 7:22-23
Structure
Biblical logic shows that the content of the message, not the miracle, is the measure of divine authority.
- The test in Deuteronomy reveals God's method: miracles test heart loyalty.
- Paul identifies Jannes and Jambres as performing real miracles to resist truth.
- The consistent pattern is that power divorced from truth leads to deception.
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (2 Timothy 3:8)
— 2 Timothy 3:8
Weight-Bearing Prose
The biblical witness dismantles the assumption that miraculous power validates a messenger. God’s allowance for false prophets to perform real signs (Deuteronomy 13) is a deliberate test of covenantal love, not an endorsement. This establishes a Pauline category: the sign is a neutral tool; the message is the essential truth. Jesus confirms this, stating He will reject workers of iniquity despite their mighty works (Matthew 7), showing that supernatural activity is not co-extensive with knowing Christ. Paul’s reference to Jannes and Jambres (2 Timothy 3) further illustrates that real miracles can be marshaled in active rebellion against God’s truth. The error to reject is making inheritance, sonship, or assurance contingent on displays of power rather than on Christ’s finished work. This shifts the ground from justification by faith to a justification by spectacle, emptying the gospel of its force. The only safeguard is the message itself—the alignment with the truth of Christ as revealed in the gospel.
Integration
Your safety and assurance are never found in evaluating signs, but in Christ alone. The testing God permits is not to make you anxious, but to settle you more deeply into the finished work that needs no miraculous confirmation. Your devotion is to a Person, not a power display. Christ is your righteousness, your anchor, and your truth. Any pressure to look to miracles for validation is removed here. Rest in the gospel. The message concerning Christ’s death and resurrection is the fixed point, the stable ground. Your discernment grows from resting in this assurance, not from straining to judge supernatural phenomena. You are secure in Him.