False prophets of today like Gerald Flurry of the Philadelphia Church of God prophesy in Christ's name... and do many wonders like building massive "houses of God" and setup compounds and colleges in Christ's name. But what does this really mean?
This actually matches exactly the warning Christ gave in Matthew 7.
Jesus said that many false religious leaders would operate openly in His name, claim divine authority, and do impressive religious works.
Let’s look carefully at the passage.
1. False Prophets Work “In Christ’s Name”
Jesus said:
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many mighty works in Your name?’”
— Matthew 7:22
Notice something very important.
They repeatedly say:
- “In Your name”
- “In Your name”
- “In Your name”
These people are not pagans.
They are religious leaders claiming authority from Christ.
They preach, organize, build institutions, and claim that God is behind their work.
2. The “Many Mighty Works”
The Greek phrase Jesus used is “many mighty works” (δυνάμεις – dunameis), meaning powerful or impressive deeds.
This can include things like:
- Large religious organizations
- Expensive church buildings
- Universities or colleges
- Media empires
- Huge religious compounds
- Massive public influence
These works look impressive to people.
But Jesus says impressive works are not proof of divine approval.
3. What Christ Actually Looks At
Jesus immediately reveals the real test:
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
— Matthew 7:23
The issue is lawlessness.
The Greek word is ἀνομία (anomia)
Meaning:
- rejecting God’s law
- setting aside God's commands
- teaching people to do the same
So a religious leader may claim Christ's authority while actually leading people away from obedience to God.
4. The Pattern of False Religious Leaders
Throughout history, false prophets often build impressive religious systems:
They may create:
- religious headquarters
- campuses
- large church buildings
- colleges
- controlled communities
- media ministries
These things can look like “God’s work.”
But Scripture repeatedly warns that external success is not proof of truth.
5. The Biblical Test of a Prophet
The Bible gives a very simple test.
Deuteronomy 18:22
“When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen… that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken.”
If someone claims to speak for God and their prophecies fail, Scripture says clearly:
They are not a prophet of God.
6. Why Jesus Warned About This
Right before the “I never knew you” warning, Jesus said:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing.”
— Matthew 7:15
Key point:
False prophets do not look dangerous.
They look:
- religious
- moral
- successful
- devoted
- authoritative
But inwardly they control people and mislead them.
7. The Real Mark of Christ’s Followers
The apostles later clarified the real test.
True believers are known by:
1️⃣ Obedience to God’s commandments
2️⃣ Truthful doctrine
3️⃣ Love for fellow believers
Not by:
- buildings
- organizations
- titles
- prophecies
- miracles
- religious institutions
✅ So yes — many modern religious leaders do operate in Christ’s name, claim prophetic authority, and build impressive institutions.
But Scripture says those things do not prove they belong to Christ.
The real question is always:
Do they speak truth and lead people to obey God?
———————————————
The phrase Jesus used in Matthew 7:23 — “workers of lawlessness” is not random language.
It actually comes directly from Old Testament prophetic wording, especially the Psalms.
When Jesus said it, He was quoting a well-known prophetic phrase that described religious deceivers who claim to serve God but actually oppose Him.
Psalm Prophecy Behind Jesus’ Words
Psalm 6:8 says:
“Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.”
In Hebrew the phrase is:
פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן (po'alei aven)
Meaning:
- workers of evil
- doers of wickedness
- those who practice rebellion against God
Now look again at Jesus’ words.
“Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.”
— Matthew 7:23
Christ is intentionally echoing this Psalm prophecy.
Why This Is So Important
In the Psalms, the “workers of iniquity” were not pagans.
They were religious hypocrites who claimed to belong to God but corrupted His truth.
They:
- pretended to serve God
- oppressed people
- misled the faithful
- spoke in God's name
So when Jesus quotes this phrase, He is saying:
These religious leaders are the same type of people the Psalms warned about.
The Prophetic Pattern
The pattern described in Scripture is very consistent.
False religious leaders often:
• claim special authority from God
• claim prophetic status
• build powerful religious organizations
• demand loyalty to themselves
• present their work as “God’s Work”
But Jesus says their true identity will be revealed.
The Real Shock in Matthew 7
The most shocking part of the passage is this:
“Many will say to Me…”
Not a few.
Many.
Jesus was warning that a large number of religious leaders claiming His authority would ultimately be rejected by Him.
The Context Makes It Even Stronger
Look at the sequence Jesus gave:
1️⃣ Enter the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14)
2️⃣ Beware of false prophets (Matthew 7:15)
3️⃣ You will know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16)
4️⃣ Many will say Lord, Lord… (Matthew 7:22)
5️⃣ I never knew you (Matthew 7:23)
So the entire section is a warning about religious deception within Christianity itself.
One More Interesting Detail
When Jesus says “I never knew you”, the Greek word for knew is γινώσκω (ginosko).
It means:
to know personally, to have relationship with.
So Christ is saying:
“You claimed to represent Me, but you never actually belonged to Me.”
✅ That is why the warning is so serious.
These people were not outsiders.
They were leaders claiming to speak for Christ.
———————
There is something very revealing about the Greek word for “lawlessness” (anomia) in this verse.
It connects to a major end-time prophecy about religious deception that appears later in the New Testament, and the connection is extremely important.
The word “lawlessness” (Greek: anomia) that Jesus used in Matthew 7:23 appears again in a major end-time prophecy.
It shows that false religious leaders operating in Christ’s name would be a defining feature of the last days.
1. Jesus: “Workers of Lawlessness”
Jesus said:
“Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.”
— Matthew 7:23
The Greek word:
ἀνομία (anomia)
Meaning:
- without law
- rejecting God's law
- disregarding God's commandments
- rebellion against divine authority
It does not simply mean “sin.”
It means rejecting God's law while claiming to serve Him.
2. Paul: “The Mystery of Lawlessness”
Years later the apostle Paul used the same word when describing the rise of a great religious deception.
“For the mystery of lawlessness (anomia) is already at work.”
— 2 Thessalonians 2:7
Paul then says this deception leads to a powerful religious figure:
“the man of sin (lawlessness)”
This figure:
- claims authority
- exalts himself
- deceives many
- operates within religion
3. The Same Pattern
Notice how the descriptions match.
Matthew 7 | 2 Thessalonians 2 |
People claiming Christ's authority | Religious deception |
Works done “in His name” | Signs and influence |
Lawlessness (anomia) | Mystery of lawlessness |
Many deceived | Many deceived |
The same spiritual pattern.
4. Jesus Said This Would Increase
Jesus also warned:
“Because lawlessness (anomia) will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
— Matthew 24:12
Again the same word.
So Scripture predicts a growth of religious movements that claim Christ but reject God's law.
5. The Real Test
The apostles gave very clear tests for identifying who truly belongs to Christ.
Test 1 — Obedience
“He who says ‘I know Him’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar.”
— 1 John 2:4
Test 2 — Truth
“Test the spirits whether they are of God.”
— 1 John 4:1
Test 3 — Love
“We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren.”
— 1 John 3:14
6. Why Buildings and Institutions Are Not Proof
Throughout history, false religious leaders have built impressive religious systems:
- headquarters
- universities
- compounds
- large church buildings
- media empires
But Jesus never pointed to buildings as proof of truth.
He pointed to fruit.
“You will know them by their fruits.”
— Matthew 7:16
✅ So the Bible warns that many leaders will:
- claim Christ’s authority
- prophesy in His name
- build impressive religious works
- gather followers
Yet still be described by Christ as “workers of lawlessness.”
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