# Dual Prophet Test

*Deuteronomy 18 + Deuteronomy 13*

**Strength:** Strong | **Tone:** Good | **Topic:** Authority

## Doorstep Question

> "God gives us two tests for prophets in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 18: even one false prophecy means that prophet is not from God. Deuteronomy 13: even with signs and wonders, if they lead you after a different God, reject them. Has the Watchtower ever made a prediction that didn't come true?"

## JW Claim

The Watchtower is Jehovah's sole channel of truth.

## Strategy

The Watchtower fails BOTH tests: false prophecies (Deut 18) AND a different Jesus (Deut 13). Even if a JW dismisses failed prophecies as 'expectations,' the Deut 13 test still stands.

## Key Insight

God's standard for prophetic authority is perfection. The Watchtower doesn't meet it — by either test.

## JW Responses & Counters

### Response 1

**JW says:** "Those weren't prophecies; they were expectations."

**Counter:** Even granting that, Deuteronomy 13 still stands: has the Watchtower changed what God revealed about the identity of his Son?

### Response 2

**JW says:** "We never claimed to be inspired prophets — we are imperfect men doing our best."

**Counter:** The Watchtower used the exact phrases "God's dates, not ours," "stamp of approval of Almighty God," "absolutely and unqualifiedly correct," and "of divine origin" about their predictions. They may not have used the word "inspired," but they claimed divine authority for their predictions — which is functionally identical. If a prediction carries "the stamp of approval of Almighty God" and fails, Deuteronomy 18:20-22 applies regardless of whether you call yourself a prophet.

### Response 3

**JW says:** "New understanding shows the light is getting brighter — Proverbs 4:18."

**Counter:** Proverbs 4:18 describes the path of the righteous getting brighter, not doctrinal flip-flops. A specific prediction that fails is not "light getting brighter" — it is an error. When the Watchtower said in 1969 that young people should "never grow old in this system," that was not dim light that got brighter. It was a false statement. Lloyd Barry described past teachings as "present truth for that period." As Raymond Franz responded: if today's truth becomes tomorrow's error, the word "truth" is meaningless.

## What to Avoid

Don't list all the failed prophecies yourself. Ask the JW if they are aware of any, and challenge them to research it.

## Homework

Look up what the Watchtower taught about 1914, 1925, and 1975. Then read Deuteronomy 18:20–22.

## Related Resources

- [Failed Prophecy Timeline](/timeline.md) — The dates the Watchtower set, what was predicted for each, and what actually happened.

## Next Moves

- [Deuteronomy 18 — A Prophet Like Moses, Singular and Eschatological](/arguments/deuteronomy-18-prophet-like-moses.md)
- [Three Dates, One Test](/arguments/prophetic-failure-meta-pattern.md)
- [1914 Dating Error](/arguments/1914-dating.md)

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*Source: Jeff Durbin*