‘And he (Gideon) said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me.’ ([Judges 6 : 16, 17].)
“And Hezekiah demands proof of the truth of Isaiah’s prophecy that he should be restored to health.
‘And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up unto the house of the Lord the third day?’ ([2 Kings 20 : 8].)
“It is, however, unnecessary to refer to instances, for it may be affirmed that upon all occasions, miraculous evidence of an alleged divine mission is stated to have been required and accorded.
“The startling information is at the same time given, however, that miracles may be wrought to attest what is false as well as to accredit what is true. In one place, it is declared that if a prophet actually gives a sign or wonder and it comes to pass, but teaches the people on the strength of it, to follow other gods, they are not to hearken to him, and the prophet is to be put to death.
‘If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.’ ([Deut. 13 : 1, 2, 3].)
“The false miracle is here attributed to God himself.
‘For the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.’ ([Deut. 13 : 3].)
“In the book of the prophet Ezekiel the case is stated in a still stronger way, and God is represented as directly deceiving the prophet.
‘And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.’ ([Ezek. 14 : 9].)