Matthew 7:15-23

Welcome, Sons and Daughters of the True and Living God.

20 Matthew 7.15-23

May 24th 2026

So we left off at verse 14 of Matthew 7. Let’s keep reading as Yeshua continues, and gives a warning to His disciples, saying,

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

The word prophet originally meant a number of things but included a person – male or female - who foretells future events.

But over time the word prophets was applied to another type of person, one who was regarded as a public instructor

on the subject of religion

Because of this, the word came to mean anyone who was considered a religious teacher in that day of the nascent church.

Most scholars think that it is in this sense that the Greek word “pseudoprophetase” is used or false prophet.

A false prophet then, in the Apostolic Record, is more like a teacher of incorrect doctrine, or one falsely and unjustly lays claims to Divine inspiration or proposes false information.

Obviously, because he was speaking of that day and time, Yeshua was talking about the many false teachers among the Jews at that time.

Notice how He describes them – “Which come to you in sheep’s clothing.”

Now sheep are an emblem of innocence, sincerity, and harmlessness. To come in sheep's clothing then is to assume the appearance of sanctity and innocence, when the heart is actually evil.

Part of the reason I maintain my outward appearances is to more closely resemble the ways of John the Baptist than those who adorn themselves in silken robes, who seek to influence through outward appearances which makes deception far easier to accept.

Dress and look like me and only truth seekers are able to get their prejudices out of the way rather to hear and this approach stands in direct opposition to my trying to get people to listen to me by appealing to what pleases them.

It is to this very premise Yeshua is speaking – the premise where false teachers will appear acceptable – like sheep, but are inwardly full of ravenous doctrine, or, in comparison to their outward fleece, Yeshua says they are inwardly “Ravening wolves.”

In Matthew 23:25 Yeshua says that within them they are full of “extortion and excess.” Know what that means? “They want money, property, riches and even the widow’s mite.”

I have been accused even recently of being a false prophet. But all the external proofs of this – including my being full of extortion and excess or dressing up in sheep’s clothing should serve to signal the opposite to them.

Here in chapter 7 Yeshua tells them how to know them and so He says in the first line of (verse 16)

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits.

So, putting it all together, he says

1, they come in the appearance of sheep.

2, they are ravening wolves

3, they are full of excess and extortion

and then He says “we will know them by their fruits.” In other words, we cannot know the value of a tree by the color or texture of its leaves, or bark, or the size of its trunk. Neither can we know them by the flowers in bloom or its buds.

When it comes to assessing the purpose (and value) of a tree is primarily by its fruit. So, it is with prophets or teachers representing God and teaching in His name and cause.

Forget how they sound, appear, smell, or the condition of their bark or leaves. Listen and look beyond that and taste the fruit they produce and compare it to the STANDARD by which all truth is tested – the Scripture and the Fruit of the Spirit.

LISTEN – nothing else.

The fruit of the fruit tree is the chief reason for its existence and it is the chief benefit to Man. The shade it provides is nice. The lumber it may offer is secondary and not the purpose of its existence. The purpose of the fruit true, the vegetable plant, is its fruit.

So, in this parallel Yeshua teaches that it is by the fruit which a person who teaches the things of God that it should be evaluated just like the valuation of a fruit tree is the same.

All the pretentions of religion, all the outward wool suits and lofty words mean nothing IF the teachings, the messages, the fruit . . . is false both in comparison to the text AND in what it produces in another.

Years ago as I walked on a treadmill I watched a broadcast about the grand opening of City Creek Shopping Center here in downtown Salt Lake City.

The reporter said that this was the realization of a twenty year long dream the LDS Prophet Gordon B Hinckley had.

The camera showed how gloriously appointed, well decorated, it was how it hosted top of the line shops and stores.

Then standing behind a giant red ribbon stood the first Presidency of the LDS Church, who helped cut the ribbon opening the center and a Man named Thomas Monson said to the audience as he cut the thing, “let’s go shopping!”

The cost? Estimated at over 5 billion.

But the fruit? The leaves, and the bark, and the flowers, and the shade were magnificent, but what is the fruit behind these prophets words? Especially in light of verses like 1st John 2:16:

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

The notion of a tree appearing Good but being bad it seen in the following story.

Matthew 21:18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

This of course was a picture for the Nation of Israel that appeared to be fruitful from a distance – leafy and appealing – but the fact of the matter is it was barren of fruit – and because of this Yeshua cursed it and it withered away.

And even though Yeshua used His destroying the tree to tell them they will do greater works than that, another facet to the story relates to fruit bearing – which is the essence of the tree’s existence and the essence of a child of God.

Yeshua then adds an interesting line to His point back in verse 16, asking,

Do men gather “grapes of thorns,” or “figs of thistles?”

”Grapes” of thorns is paradoxical isn’t it?

“Figs” of thistles?

In other words, every tree produces the kind of fruit it was intended or created to produce.

An apple tree will not produce a bunch of roses. A banana tree will not produce a dozen eggs.

Fruit trees produce the fruit they were intended to produce and good prophets and bad prophets produce exactly the type of fruits that lie within them.

This is why Yeshua says

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Adding to the point, Yeshua says:

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Now this is really important when talking about prophets false and true.

Likening them to trees, Yeshua is saying that a good tree cannot produce both good and bad fruit.

A good apple tree will always produce apples and a good banana tree will always and only produce bananas. And when we eat these apples and bananas we can say,

“What a good tree.”

However, a bad apple tree will produce bad apples. There will be something wrong with them.

They’ll be sour, or soft, or deformed because the tree is bad.

I think that by likening this to false prophets we can say that a false prophet will always and only produce bad teachings (in the end) and a true prophets can and will only produce good teachings (again, in the end).

A false prophet CANNOT produce teachings that are good in the end and a true prophet CANNOT produce teachings that are bad or false in the end.

Now really think about this.

What Yeshua is saying in His explanation is even if a false prophet produces fruit which appears good, or seems good, even looks like it is good - it cannot be deemed good, because in the end, it will lead to bad.

A good prophet cannot produce bad teachings and a false prophet cannot produce teachings that are good any more than a good tree can produce bad fruit or a bad tree can produce good.

But we have to examine the end product. Judge the fruit for it is by this end product that you will know the tree and the prophet.

Speaking of false prophets Yeshua continues, saying:

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Using the idea or teaching about false prophets, Yeshua then sort of spring-boards into an extended thought.

False prophets speak and teach falsely for the Lord. They claim to know Him, receive His revelations, and promote what they say God wants and they do it all in His name.

So, Yeshua adds (in verse 21)

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

He goes on to say that many, on the ground of the profession, “Lord, Lord,” will claim admittance into his kingdom.

It is truly an interesting discussion.

On the one hand, there is this idea that those who use His name and claim to represent Him will go to heaven.

But here Yeshua teaches us that not everyone who is using His name will be admitted to heaven but only those who do the will of the Father which is in heaven.

So we have a bit of a bundle here. A true prophet must produce Good fruit and cannot produce bad AND anyone who uses His name must do the will of the Father.

This teaching makes it almost sound like we have to do the will (or earn our place) in order to enter heaven.

The question obviously becomes,

“How does a person do the will of the Father?”

Is it through giving our all to the poor?

Is it by becoming perfect in our flesh through moral reformation?

Is it living an ascetic life or even doing miracles?

We’ll answer this in a minute. But in verse twenty-two Yeshua takes a moment to give us an example. Listen to what He says:

22 Many will say to me in that day (meaning in the day when it comes time to entering into heaven) “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?”

In other words, there will be people who will justify their place in heaven by claiming to have done all sorts of apparently good and noble things in the name of the Lord.

Specifically, He chose to use these things as examples:

have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils?

and in thy name done many wonderful works?

He could have used anything as examples but He used these three, with the third sort of serving as all good works.

What is fascinating is that this all started by Him talking about good fruit but now He uses three examples of what apparently look like good fruits but He says in verse 23

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

They have actually, not pretended to, but actually apparently “prophesied in His name” this would make them appear to be true prophets, right?

They have actually cast out devils in His name, which seems like they had the power to do things in His name.

And they have actually done many, many WONDERFUL works (meaning, bearing an abundance of good fruit) in His name and He will say to them,

“I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (That are actually producing bad fruit because in the end that fruit amounted to them working iniquity.

In this response we find, in part, what the will of the Father is for all – to believe on His Son. This is the ultimate aim of a true prophet bearing good fruit.

What Yeshua is saying is that a false prophet would never bear witness of Christ and all that they say would lead away from Him and that they can do all sorts of apparently wonderful things but that He would call it all iniquity.

Where Yeshua said that he would reject them and keep them from entering into eternal life we know that He also said in John 17:3,

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Yeshua Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

And let me tell you all something, if and when a person knows Him, He too, will know them. And they will have worked the works of God, and produced Good Fruit of faith on Him and Love through His name.

Again, Yeshua said to these same disciples:

John 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Doing works in His name without knowing Him – even if successful in carrying them out – does NOT mean the person doing the works knows Him or that He knows them or that they are a true teacher or prophet.

It simply means God has allowed them to do many, many wonderful works in His name but those works will end up bad.

So here is the application, it seems –

If (if) the miracles of false men seem aunthentic, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PERSON DOING THEM IS AUTHENTIC NOR THAT THE FRUIT IS GOOD.

Scary huh?

Therefore, Yeshua is saying to them, beware of miracle-doing prophets and teachers who do NOT lead you to me – period.

In other words, listen carefully folks –

Miracles are not a fruit. Truth is a fruit. And He is the Truth. Do not trust anyone, no matter how miraculous their fruits and words seem to be IF they do not fully support sold out allegiance to Christ alone.

If a person is literally raising someone from the dead, but at the same time preaches another gospel, or adds steps to salvation, or takes the honor unto themselves, or preaches another way that Him alone their fruit is corrupt and they ought not be followed.

Even if a religious empire or institution does MANY, MANY wonderful works but does not teach Him as the way, truth and life ALONE, understand that according to this teaching their works will amount to Yeshua saying to them:

“I never knew you. Depart from me you that WORK iniquity.”

Get it?

God may for reasons of His own give the power of raising the dead or healing to wicked men. The truth or moral character of the one whom God works through is irrelevant.

Don’t seek signs. Don’t follow after the impressive. Don’t embrace the teachings of anyone really that ever insert themselves into the mix for salvation, for entrance into the Kingdom, for being a sold-out disciple.

According to Christ, many who have been endowed with powers of prophecy, or of miracles may be shut out completely from His kingdom and deemed iniquitous.

So, we test all things, we hold fast to what is truly good and that is fruit that lasts, that is eternal and that all comes from Him.

Remember what Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3?

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not agape love, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not agape love, it profiteth me nothing.

This all leads us to understanding how to do the will of the Father, referencing backward to verse 21 where Yeshua said:

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

(not everyone who does radical works including prophesy etc)

“but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

We might automatically think that to “do the works of the Father” would mean prophesying, or by DOING this, or DOING that.

But after Yeshua fed the masses one day, He departed. The next day they found Him and He could tell they were following Him because He fed them.

On this occasion Yeshua told these people (in more words or less) “Look, you ought to seek for the bread of life that will not perish.”

They were hanging on the miracle and He was redirecting them to seeking Him.

We then read them say (in John 6:28),

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”

Back in verse 21 of chapter 7 Yeshua said that only those who do the will of the Father will enter into the Kingdom, and then here in John 6, when the masses ask Him how they “work the works” of God, Yeshua answered them this way,

“This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent.”

The first premise of work for the true believing Christian is “believing on Him“ whom God has sent.

We maintain that this believing is spirit led and is not based in our wisdom or knowledge. Certainly, it is a real benefit to know Christ, His life, works and identity but it is the Spirit of Christ that was sent at Pentecost, not replications of the Mortal Messiah in flesh.

That Spirit governs those who seek Him over miracles, loaves of bread or gathering audiences and followers as false prophets.

In relation to what Yeshua is saying here in Matthew chapter seven, there will be people who will do many wonderful works who have never really known Him – nor He them . . . and He will so proclaim this when they try and enter heaven. But let me point something important.

Yeshua said in Matthew 7:21 that “only those who will enter the Kingdom are those who do the will of the Father.”

And we learned later that to work the will of the Father or to “works the works of God” is to believe on His Son.

But is belief all that there is?

(beat)

It is a long hard question debated among men for centuries. I suggest the following. That in that day, when the Nation faced the great and dreadful day after Pentecost, getting the Nation to believe was primary – and hence the teachings Yeshua and Paul give on faith.

Yes, salvation is by faith alone – hence the thief on the cross. No question – there is truly NOTHING we can do to save ourselves to the Kingdom but have faith on Him – done.

That said – remember, that said, the fact of the matter which is also taught and emphasized is that when someone has genuine faith in the King alone, they will bear fruits of selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love.

And this is the evidence for ourselves that our faith is genuine and real. The way to put this might be,

When a person has truly believed on Him whom God sent, that person WILL . . . love.

It is the double side coin of being a child of God. Where there is genuine faith there is genuine love and where there is genuine love (meaning love that is good fruit) there will be faith (LISTEN) because only God within can produce the kind of love-fruit that is good.

We cannot produce it ourselves.

Remember, back in 1st Corinthians the examples Paul uses when explaining love?

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

Faith – enough to move mountains, means nothing IF it is not accompanied by agape love, which is a love produced by and through our faith in the Lord and courses through to us like nutrients from the vine to the branches.

1st John summarizes the two commandments of all Christians perfectly, saying:

1st John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Yeshua Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

There are people who say “Lord, Lord,” who do not know Him.

There are people who have, can, and will “speak with the tongue of angels,” “who give all their goods to the poor,” who “prophesy in His name,” “cast out devils by Him,” who do “many, many wonderful works” – all in the name of Yeshua, in the name of the Lord, Lord, and He will tell them, “Depart from me, ye who work iniquity. I don’t know you.”

There are teachers and prophets that appear to produce genuinely good fruit but in the end it will not last and is therefore bad as they are bad.

There is only one source a prophet/teacher who is true will teach – HIM ALONE.

Now let’s conclude by taking a minute to reassure you of some things.

First of all, we have to notice that Yeshua did NOT say to those who did many wonderful works, “I once knew you, but now you have fallen away.”

These passages refer to people who never knew Him and whom He never know. And they were from that day and age.

Whatever might have been these types “pretended joys or hearts” they had never been regarded by the Savior as his true friends. Because if they had ever really believed, which is the means by which we become His friends, they would have chosen love for Him and would have led all to Him instead of to themselves.

Those who believe in Him realize, KNOW, the level of love by which He first loved us – and they will always react to this knowing by loving Him and others in response.

Not perfectly, not without fail, but in striving to love Him from the heart.

This love-fruit will never fail, and is certainly one of the tell-tale signs a person believes or has genuine faith.

I think it is safe to say that if a quarter represents a true Christian believer, on the “Head-side” we would find faith in the Lord Yeshua Christ (for He is our head) and on the tail side we would find agape love first for Him and then in our love for others, our fruits will last, be accepted and lead to Him and life eternal.

Thanks for tuning in!