Characteristics of the True Prophet
Distrust false prophets. This recommendation is useful at all times, but especially at times of transition, when, like this one, a transformation of humanity is in the making and a multitude of ambitious and scheming individuals set themselves up as reformers and messiahs. It is against such impostors that one must be on guard, and it is the duty of all honest persons to unmask them. You will undoubtedly ask how they can be recognized. These are their signs: The command of an army is entrusted only to a competent general capable of leading it. So, do you think that God would be less prudent than humans? Be certain that he entrusts important missions only to those he knows are capable of fulfilling them, for great missions are heavy burdens that would crush individuals who are too weak to bear them. As in all matters, the master must know more than the apprentice; in order to enable humankind to advance morally and intellectually, individuals who are superior in morality and intelligence are required! That is why missions are always entrusted to spirits who are already very advanced after having completed their trials in previous lifetimes, and who now incarnate with this objective. If they are not superior to the environment in which they must act, their efforts will be fruitless. That said, we must conclude that true missionaries of God must justify their mission by their ascendancy, virtues and greatness, and the results and moralizing influence of their deeds. Let us draw a further conclusion: if by their character, virtues and intelligence they are either beneath the role they attribute to themselves or the personage under whose name they harbor themselves, they are nothing but histrions of low rank, who do not even know how to emulate their model.
Another consideration is that most true missionaries of God are unaware of the fact; they carry out the mission to which they have been called through the force of their genius, seconded by a hidden power that inspires and guides them without their knowing it, and with no premeditated plan. In other words, true prophets are revealed by their actions: they are discovered by others; whereas false prophets present themselves as messengers from God. The former are humble and modest; the latter are proud and full of themselves.
They speak with arrogance, and like all deceitful persons, always seem fearful of not being believed.
We have seen some impostors passing themselves off as apostles of Christ, others as Christ himself; and what is shameful for humankind is that they have found people gullible enough to give credit to such turpitudes. Nevertheless, one very simple consideration should open the eyes of the most blind, which is, if Christ were to reincarnate on the earth, he would come with all his power and all his virtues, unless we were to believe that he had degenerated – which would be absurd. Now, in the same way that if just one of God’s attributes were taken away, you would no longer have God; if just one of Christ’s virtues were taken away, you would no longer have Christ. Do those who present themselves as Christ possess all his virtues? That is the question. Observe them; scrutinize their ideas and actions and you will realize that, more than anything else, they lack the distinctive qualities of Christ: humility and charity, whereas they do possess what he did not: greed and pride. Moreover, notice that at this very moment there are many supposed Christs in various countries, just as there are many supposed Elijahs, St. Johns or St. Peters, and that obviously they cannot all be true. You can be certain that they are individuals who are exploiting the credulity of others and who find it comfortable to live at the expense of those who listen to them.
Therefore, distrust false prophets, especially during a time of renewal, because many impostors will say they are messengers from God. They provide themselves with vain satisfaction while on the earth, but a terrible justice awaits them; you can be sure of that.
Erastus (Paris, 1862)