יחזקאל, פרק י״ב, פסוק כ״ד

The era of illusions and empty promises is coming to an absolute end in the face of a rapidly unfolding reality. False prophets had long taken advantage of the public perception that true messages from God only applied to the distant future, allowing them to easily offer comforting lies of lasting peace. However, as God brings His warnings to life and the land faces imminent destruction, these deceptive promises will crumble on their own, and the prophets who spread them will perish completely [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

A popular saying among the public at the time suggested that every vision of the future would eventually fade away and fail. The reality, however, is quite different: only the false, artificially optimistic visions are destined to disappear [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The methods used to deceive the people relied heavily on manipulation. These individuals practiced forms of magic and divination to predict the future [רד״ק, מצודת ציון], combining these acts with smooth talk. By using flattery and pleasant lies, they told the public exactly what they wanted to hear [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The true danger lay in the smooth-talking nature of the false prophets themselves, who carefully crafted their deceptions to be irresistibly appealing to a desperate audience [רד״ק].