Some things a prophet will speak can seem out of time and do not align with current agreements among other prophets. These lone prophets will undergo scorn and dismissal until what they have prophesied comes to pass.

For three years, there was no war between Aram and Israel. Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel. During their visit, Ahab asked, “Do you realize that the town of Ramoth-Gilead belongs to us? And yet we’ve done nothing to recapture it from the king of Aram!” (I Kings 22:2-3). Jehoshaphat agreed with Ahab but added, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says” (vs. 5). It was in seeking the Lord’s word that their battle plan began to be dismantled.

Ahab assembled 400 of his prophets and asked them if he should go to war. Ahab’s prophets responded in unison, “Yes, go right ahead! The Lord will give the king victory” (vs. 6). But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of the Lord here? We should ask him the same question” (vs.7).

“Ahab responded, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah, son of Imlah” (vs. 8).

As all of king Ahab’s prophets were prophesying that a victory was a sure thing, a messenger went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success” (vs. 13). But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.” (vs. 14).

When pressed further for an answer, Micalah responded sarcastically, “Yes, go up and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”
“But the king replied sharply, ‘How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the Lord?'” (vs.16). Then Micalah told Ahab the hard truth about his demise.

As Ahab’s prophets continued to tell the king what he wanted to hear. Micalah said to Ahab, “The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.” (vs. 23).

Then one of Ahab’s prophets, a man named Zedikiah, approached Micalah and slapped him across the face for issuing his prophecy and said, “Since when did the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?” (vs.24). Micalah replied, “You will find out soon enough” (vs.25).

Micalah was arrested and put in prison. As he went off to prison, and Ahab went off to war, Micalah said, “Everyone, mark my words” (vs. 28).

As with all prophecies, we must mark the words of a prophet to see if what they said is true, even when their prophecy is contrary to what other prophets are saying. Time will always tell if what a prophet has said was a word from the Lord or not. In the battle, Ahab was killed, just as Micalah had prophesied.