“God Told Me…” — The Danger of Claiming New Revelation

 

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In Jeremiah 23:16–32, God strongly rebukes the false prophets in Judah who claim to speak for Him, but are actually speaking from their own hearts, dreams, and imaginations.

“I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.”
                                                                              — Jeremiah 23:21

It has become increasingly common in Christian circles to hear phrases like:

• “God told me…”
  

• “I was having coffee with God the other morning, and He said…”
• “The Lord gave me a word for you…”

          At first glance, such expressions may sound spiritual and intimate—evidence of a personal walk with God. But if we're not careful, they may also reflect a dangerous confusion between personal impressions, desires, emotions, one's inner feelings, and what is genuine divine revelation. In some cases, these statements amount to what Scripture warns against: false prophecy.   In this blog article, I will attempt to briefly explore the biblical meaning of biblical prophecy, the danger of claiming new revelation from God, and how Christians can speak about the Holy Spirit's leading without misrepresenting God.

What Is (and Is Not) Prophecy?
          Prophecy in Scripture involves speaking God’s words, not merely one’s thoughts or feelings. While there is both foretelling and forthtelling, all prophecy shares one thing in common: God is the source, not man.

• Foretelling: Predictive revelation about the future (e.g., Isaiah’s prophecy of Christ’s birth).
• Forthtelling: Bold proclamation of God’s truth and will (e.g., confronting sin, calling for repentance, preaching God's Word/Scripture).

          In both cases, the prophet does not speak from imagination, a lone feeling, or intuition, but by direct revelation from God.  In contrast, modern usage often confuses spiritual impressions, emotions, or personal insight with prophetic authority. We must remember: sincerity does not equal truth, and feeling prompted does not equal hearing from God. Claiming “God told me…”—when used to assert divine authority over personal thoughts, convictions, or guidance—is functionally a claim to new revelation, and that claim has serious theological implications, particularly regarding the sufficiency, authority, and uniqueness of Scripture.

The Danger of Saying “God Told Me…” When He Didn’t

1. You risk speaking lies in God’s name.

          “They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth.”
                                                                              — Jeremiah 23:16


2. You undermine the sufficiency of Scripture.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness…”
                                                                    — 2 Timothy 3:16

3. You blur the line between spiritual leading and divine revelation.

Modern Phrases That Deserve Caution

• “God told me to break up with you / marry you / take this job.”
• “God gave me a word for you.”
• “The Lord said this to me during my quiet time.”
• “Jesus appeared to me in a dream and told me or said…”

          Such phrases can quickly shift from sharing personal experiences to claiming prophetic, new revelation. Even if well-meaning, they can mislead others or add weight to decisions that are merely personal. We must remember that biblically, any time someone says “Thus says the Lord,” or “The word of the Lord came to me,” it is a prophetic formula—it means God is speaking directly, with infallible truth. If that’s what someone means by “God told me…,” then they are placing their words on the same level of authority as the inspired Word of God.

This Is Functionally New Revelation
          The Bible is a closed canon of God's revelation—complete and sufficient for all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:12). To claim “God told me something” that is not found in Scripture—and expect others to receive it as authoritative—is to suggest: God is still giving His Word of truth outside of the Bible.  This is functionally equivalent to adding to Scripture. Yet, the bible says clearly:

“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it…”

                                                                      — Deuteronomy 4:2

“If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book…”                                                        — Revelation 22:18

          God has already fully revealed Himself in the Scriptures, culminating in Christ. To speak “on behalf of God” apart from His Word is to challenge the finality of God’s revelation.  When someone says “God told me…,” and others treat it as binding, directive, or infallible, it creates a parallel authority to Scripture—whether intended or not.

• If someone says, “God told me you need to move to another city,” and you believe it, then you’re treating their word as equal to God’s Word.
• If someone says, “God gave me this truth that’s not in the Bible, but you should follow it,” they’re setting up their voice as equal with the apostles and prophets.

          This undermines Scripture alone as our final authority and leads to spiritual abuse, confusion, and doctrinal error. There is no example in the New Testament—after Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit—of God giving authoritative new revelation to an isolated individual or small group that was meant to bypass or be withheld from the entire body of Christ. 

          Additionally, there is no instance in the New Testament where a private revelation was considered binding or authoritative for the broader church without being tested and affirmed by the church or its leaders.  Prophecy was never given in isolation or in a way that bypassed the local church. It was corporate, spoken aloud, evaluated, and done in order—always for the edification of the church, not private or mystical experiences. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul gives instruction for prophecy in the church:

• “God gave me a word for just you…”
• “God told me something new that’s not in Scripture…”
• “God is revealing things to me that most Christians don’t know…”

          They are doing something that has no precedent in the New Testament post-Pentecost (after the coming of the Holy Spirit), and it is categorically warned against. These claims mimic false prophets, Gnostic teachers, or spiritual elitists—not biblical apostles or prophets.  Revelation was given for the building of the church, and once the apostolic foundation was laid, no further revelation was needed.

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son…”  

                                                                —  Hebrews 1:1–2

          Christ is the final and fullest revelation of God.  All divinely inspired (God-breathed) Scripture is now complete, sufficient, and authoritative (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Jude 3).

An Old Testament Warning with New Testament Weight

"But the prophet who dares to speak a message in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die."

                                                                              —  Deuteronomy 18:20

 Context and Meaning:

• This verse is part of a passage (Deut. 18:15–22) where God promises to raise up a true prophet like Moses (ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ—see Acts 3:22–23).
• He gives Israel guidance for how to discern between a genuine and a false prophet. True prophets speak only what God commands. False prophets speak from their own imaginations, or worse, in the names of false gods.
• In contrast, false prophets—those who claim divine authority for words God never gave—are guilty of a capital offense under the Mosaic covenant. 
• Verse 20 emphasizes how seriously God takes misrepresenting His voice.

While we are not under the civil penalties of the Mosaic law today, the moral weight of the verse remains: Speaking presumptuously for God is not a minor slip—it's a serious sin. God said, “That I have not commanded him to speak” – the problem isn’t just that the message is wrong; it’s that it is unauthorized. Even well-meaning messages are false prophecy if God didn’t give them. 

So What’s a Better Way to Speak?
         
Rather than claiming direct revelation, we should learn to speak with biblical humility:

• “I believe the Lord may be leading me to…”
• “As I prayed and studied Scripture, I felt burdened to…”
• “I sensed conviction from the Holy Spirit as I read this verse…”
• “This passage really spoke to my situation…”
• “I feel convicted after reading this passage.”
• “This seems wise and consistent with biblical principles.”

          These expressions reflect a Spirit-led, Word-saturated life—without claiming God’s voice where He hasn’t spoken. The Spirit leads believers, but never apart from or contrary to Scripture. We should be careful never to speak as if we have divine, infallible revelation, unless we are quoting chapter and verse.

The Spirit Still Works—But Always in Line with God's Word / Scripture
         
         In Scripture, the Holy Spirit is alive and active, but He never contradicts the Word He inspired. He illuminates Scripture, convicts of sin, leads in righteousness, and empowers for service. But He does not add to the Bible or speak in contradiction to it. The Holy Spirit never leads you to disobey Scripture, override Scripture, or replace Scripture.

Guarding the Name of God
         We must remember the Third Commandment:

“Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God…”

                                                — Exodus 20:7

          Using God's name to validate our preferences, decisions, or emotions is a form of misusing His name. Speaking as if from the Lord when He has not spoken is dangerous ground indeed.  Instead, we are called to be students of the Word, filled with the Spirit, and careful in speech. Let’s encourage one another to pursue genuine intimacy with God—but to do so with reverence, clarity, and truth.

Final Thought
You can have coffee in the morning, and you can meditate on Scripture and pray during that time—but be careful before saying to a friend that, “God told me over coffee…” unless you’re quoting what He already told us in His Word. God has spoken, and His Word is enough. 

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?