Hananiah was a prophet. However, his message was directly contrary to the message of the prophet Jeremiah. He said everything is going to be hunky-dory. Jeremiah warns of destruction and woe. Jeremiah said he wished that he could believe in the up beat message but that was not what God was revealing to him. He concluded: the prophet who prophesies peace is recognized as truly sent by the LORD only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled. In other words, we only know the truth when we see how things turn out. Of course, we live in an age when we are bombarded with opposing opinions about what to do. We can’t wait for certainty but must act according to our best lights, trusting in God.
