First, the apologies. Bethel’s Kris Vallotton has reposted his apology for predicting a second term for Trump – a post he made in November and then took down.

In the double apology, Vallotton tells his social media followers: “First of all, I want to really congratulate President Biden. And tell him that I will be praying for him as I did for President Trump, President Obama and also President Bush. All these years I have been praying for presidents. I just want to say that I pray for your success, I pray for the success of our country. I believe the lot has been cast – I believe the decision belongs to the Lord. You are not only the President of the United States, you are also my president …”

Perhaps this is a little churlish, but instead of one mistake to explain, he now has two: the first prophecy, then taking down his apology, before finally getting things right.

Jeremiah Johnson, a conference speaker and TV host who claims to be a prophet has also apologised: “First, I would like to repent for inaccurately prophesying that Donald Trump would win a second term as the President of the United States. I refuse to blame the saints and say, ‘It didn’t come to pass because they did not pray enough.’ Nor will I proclaim, ‘Donald Trump actually won, so I was right, but now it has been stolen from him.’ I believe the first statement seeks to alleviate the prophetic messenger from the responsibility of what he prophesied, and the second statement is filled with potential pride and an unwillingness to humble himself and admit he was wrong.

“I want to go on record: ‘I was wrong, I am deeply sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness,'” Johnson continued. “I specifically want to apologise to any believer in whom I have now caused potential doubt concerning the voice of God and his ability to speak to his people.”

Neither prophet has said that they will put a hold on their ministry as they consider what went wrong, or engage in an accountability process that might mean stepping back. Instead, the suggestion is that an apology is enough, rather than any explanation as to why a false prophet should not cause people to doubt their ministry.

At the Capitol. Eternity reported on the Christian imagery of the capitol riot, here. The evidence of the Christian involvement has only grown. David French, conservative columnist formerly of National Review, has gathered the evidence with the haunting headline “Only the Church Can Truly Defeat a Christian Insurrection.” The internet is saturated with the evidence, in fact. For example, a live-streamed video of a woman entering the building “in the name of Jesus” has become a TikTok video.

As this writer watched the CBS coverage, a Jesus flag was paraded through the building and into one of the legislative chambers. It was this flag (pictured, after the rioters left the building).

French asks “Are you still not convinced that it’s fair to call this a Christian insurrection? I would bet that most of my readers would instantly label the exact same event Islamic terrorism if Islamic symbols filled the crowd, if Islamic music played in the loudspeakers, and if members of the crowd shouted “Allahu Akbar” as they charged the Capitol.”

Now for the change of subject or deflection. On the “Victory Channel” (you can find it on YouTube), the prophets on the FlashPoint program (“FlashPoint: The Prophetic Voices Speak VICTORY! Dutch Sheets, Lance Wallnau, Kat Kerr and more!”) glossed over Trump’s defeat, while maintaining that Antifa, not Trumpers, invaded the Capitol. And they claim it was the devil – rather than the prophets – who was spreading confusion.

The Victory Channel was founded by Kenneth Copeland and belongs to the “word of faith” prosperity gospel faction. (Copeland has repeatedly falsely proclaimed an end to the coronavirus pandemic.)

On the “God’s Unfolding Plan” special on the night of the insurrection, Lance Wallnau claimed it was Antifa that invaded the Capitol (including the debunked claim that pictures of a horned man indicated that he belongs to Antifa). The implications of Trump’s defeat for prophecy were minimised: “Oftentimes when things happen like this, the spirit of fear tries to grip your heart, then changes your perspective,” said pastor Hank Kunneman of Lord of Hosts Church, Omaha, Nebraska, attempting to comfort his audience.

Kunneman continued: “God said something to me today. Many are attacking the prophets, are attacking the intercessors, attacking the Christians … I want you to know that I am [more] moved by what God has shown previously before all the events even of today, and even what took place on the night of the election and things going forward. God has been speaking, not only through this vessel [indicates himself], but also many vessels prophetically that have a track record, that have told a story.

“And just because the things that are happening right now does not mean that God has changed his mind, or somehow the prophetic pattern or story is somehow now having to adjust or be thrown out the window. No, the enemy is trying to insert himself. Now God is going to have his way. And this is what the Lord said: ‘Don’t allow the few to form your big picture. Always remember big God, little devil. Big God, little corrupt Democrat rat. Big God, little Republican, pathetic person that cannot stand for democracy.”

The dodge. Prophets simply want to assert their ability to discern, to claim an authority to say what God plans for the US, without explaining what their failed prophecies regarding Trump mean.

Instead of a setback, the Victory Channel speakers see an increased influence, even dominance, for the church in US society: “This is the hour when Christians need to be going to the top of the sphere of influence that they are in,” said Lance Wallnau, as part of the FlashPoint news program. “And not being ashamed of the gospel and not being ashamed of what they believe politically about America and what is its’ best intents …

“The quote that is coming up for me now is Winston Churchill, who said, ‘This may not be the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning.'”

Wallnau adds: “What happened in terms of the church and Donald Trump coming along and awakening, and the prophets coming along and prophesying about national issues, rather than personal destinies or church-related subjects – we have crossed over. This is a line of demarkation. This is the end of the beginning. Now we are entering into a reformation season. Nothing is going to happen now until we roll up our sleeves and get engaged in the business of reformation. We now have to transform our nation by occupying our spheres.”

The term “spheres” is used by some Christians who seek change in areas such as family, the media, government and business. It usually means a prayer movement, but there are those, like these prophets who genuinely believe that christians can seize power. The prophets may not have realised how their words were taken, but some insurrectionists rioted “in the name of Jesus”

Those on the right who got it right. Kudos to the 700 Club, a Pentecostal program whose host, Gordon Robertson, broadcast following the insurrection that it was clear that the Capitol invaders were Trump supporters. He pointed out how manipulated photos were being used (for example, that the ‘horned man’ was Antifa).

Robertson pointed out the 700 Club‘s social feed has been invaded by QAnon material. He pointed to the 700 Club‘s interview with Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (who is a Christian), who spoke up for truth, resisting the pressure from President Trump to find him 12,000 votes.

Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option, has apologised in the American Conservative to the “Never Trumpers”, the Conservatives who believed that Trump was unfit for his office. Dreher had not thought Trump posed a long-term danger to the Republican Party.

The future of Christian involvement in US conservative politics, with a clear over-reach exposed in the Capitol and a backlash by the left which has a streak of authoritarianism, means that the landscape has changed. In Australia we will be feeling the aftershocks for a long time.