Does God speaking face-to-face with someone make that person a true prophet?
God speaking face-to-face with Balaam did not make him a true prophet. He remained a false prophet who practices enchantments and divination and depends on Satan's power, being a non-Israelite. Such direct communication does not validate someone's prophetic status, as Balaam's case proves.
Les explains that just because the Lord Jehovah dealt with Balaam and spoke with him face-to-face, that does not mean Balaam was a valid prophet. He is a false prophet from day one. Balaam used enchantments and divination and depended on the power of Satan. He was a non-Israelite, and one source Les read maintained he was even a chieftain of the Hittites, a people God had already marked for destruction. Les also recalls Sunday school material that tried to hold Balaam up as a misguided prophet who was a true believer, but Les cannot agree with that one iota. Balaam's face-to-face encounters with God did not change his false prophetic status or make him a true believer.