In early 2016, false teacher and hurler of New Apostolic Reformation seven-mountains dominionism, Lance Wallnau got an “impression,” an “impression” from the Holy Spirit. It was about Donald Trump, specifically about Donald Trump becoming the 45th President of The United States. It was about Donald Trump being raised up by God just as He raised up Cyrus for His purposes.
By October 2016, Wallnau’s “impression” became a full-blown “prophecy.” Of course, keep in mind that when a prophecy has a coin-flip toss of being right, it’s “fore-telling” impact is more than slightly diminished, even if revelatory prophecy were still occuring today. (It is not. FYI.)
According to Charisma News – which, believe it or don’t, isn’t a parody site; people actually believe it – Wallnau was reinforced in his Trump prophecy by way of a couple of curious “divine” insights. Here’s what the Charisma News writer said:
“Wallnau told me he had an impression when he first met Donald Trump early this year that there was an anointing on him. He didn’t understand the impression since he preferred Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina. Then he saw a meme on Facebook showing Trump as the nation’s 45th president. About the same time, he felt the Lord tell him to read Isaiah 45, which says King Cyrus who is called the Lord’s “anointed” and later in the chapter says, “I have even called you by your name … though you have not known Me.” (Source)
But wait. Like a bad Sham-wow infomercial, there’s more!
“Wallnau then told me he felt he heard the Lord tell him “common grace,” and he found the term in a Charles Colson book. It was a term the Reformers used to contrast “saving grace,” when there was a basic understanding of God that influenced governments and societies even though the people who had this common grace might not have experienced “saving grace.” (Source)
(Guess what? There’s a term I found in a book too. “False teacher.” Found it in the Bible. Far more weighty than a Colson text. FYI.)
But, for Wallnau, it adds up, huh? Wallnau didn’t support Trump early on. Then he saw a meme. Then he “felt the Lord tell him to read Isaiah 45.” Then the Lord said the words “common grace” to him. And, wah-la Wallnau! A prophecy.
The tipping point of authentication? Not the voice of God. (If Wallnau heard anything, it wasn’t God.) The adjudicating validation for his prophetic claim was … SCRIPTURE. But, not Scripture rightly handled. (2 Timothy 2:15) It was Scripture thoroughly “mis-handled” that was the prophetic key.
Wallnau explains:
“With 15 candidates running, many who were clear conservative evangelicals, why would God be talking about Cyrus? I quickly looked up the number of the next president. I confirmed that Barack Obama is number 44. The next president will indeed be number 45. I kept reading Isaiah 45.” (Source)
If only we could insert mood lighting and drama-building sound effects when we write, you might apprehend how absolutely incredible this revelation is. It’s big. It’s huge. Wallnau predicted, with the accuracy of a coin toss, the outcome of the election … based on Scripture.
Trump is the 45th President. The “Cyrus” effect is found in … Isaiah 45. Who said America isn’t the new Israel? (I jest, of course.)
There’s just one problem with this. Though we have them now, the original Holy Spirit-inspired, Hebrew Scriptures didn’t have chapter divisions. There was no Isaiah 45. It seems like the Lord might’ve used some method other than Bible-chapter bingo to confirm his prophecy to Wallnau.
What if Wallnau accidentally misunderstood? What if it wasn’t Isaiah 45 he was to read, but Jeremiah 45? I mean, it’s just one book after Isaiah. If it was actually Jeremiah that Wallnau should’ve read, America could be in for quite a shock. Instead of “Wah-la Wallnau,” it could easily be “Woe, Wallnau.”
“Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 45:4-5
Now, I’m not making any prophecies or anything, but Jeremiah 45 sure seems close to what Americans are seeking via Trump … “do you seek great things for yourself?” What, again, was Trump’s campaign motto? Make America Great Again. Hmm.
Scripture itself is evidence that God is not seeking to hide Himself or His Truth from the world. We need not (and SHOULD NOT) play games with it to rationalize our desires or to justify presumed (and false) prophetic claims. We need to “abide” in the Word, (John 8:31) to apprehend its full truth, to be compelled to full obedience to it, and to learn from it the assurance we can have because we have an utterly sovereign God.
Beware the false prophets of the NAR who abuse God’s Word. Skip the spurious Cyrus prophecies. But, if you’re looking for a genuine revelation, pick up that Word and start reading. It’s the entire revelation of God that reveals “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).
And God … He doesn’t play bingo with His Word. Don’t tolerate, then, those who do.
[Contributed by Bud Ahlheim]
