Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist during the mid 1900s. Along with being an activist, he was also a Christian minister whose religious beliefs guided his activism. Some consider him to be a prophet, sent by God to deliver His messages to the public. Before we can evaluate the prophetic influence of Martin Luther King Jr., we must distinguish between true and false prophecy.

“I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land”

Martin Luther King Jr.

A prophet is one who speaks the truth for another who is usually a divine power. True and false prophecy differ in their legitimacy, intention, and reaction from the public. True prophets are those who are sent by God to speak His word. True prophets are not well liked among society. They say what people don’t want to hear because it coincides with how they live their lives. Many true prophets also often face persecution. False prophets, however, are much more popular. Instead, they tend to tell the people exactly what they want to hear, which can result in bad moral examples.

When looking at the preachings of Martin Luther King Jr., there are themes of a promised land, the power and truths of God, and justice. Consistent with the characteristics of true prophecy, King prioritized living as a people of God and called out the injustice he saw in society. His teachings, while highly supported by many, were seen as threats by a great deal of others. This, however, didn’t stop him because his devotion to God prevailed.

“But look at you! You put your trust in deceptive words to your own loss!”

Jeremiah 7:8

The same themes of true prophecy can be seen throughout the teachings of the prophet Jeremiah. Both King and Jeremiah pointed out the foolish nature of the people that they spoke to. They make a point to recognize their covenant with the one true God and to ignore any false teachings that would lead them to sin and moral judgements. With that being said, there is no doubt that the preachings of Martin Luther King Jr. are those that reflect a true prophecy.