By Anugrah KumarChristian Mail Contributor Monday, August 12, 2024

Josiah Johnson, brother of the widely followed self-described prophet Jeremiah Johnson, has publicly accused his sibling of fabricating prophetic visions and messages, particularly those involving former President Donald Trump.

Once involved in his brother's ministry, Josiah grew increasingly disillusioned with Jeremiah's claims, which influenced some Charismatic-minded Christians, according to The Washington Post.

Early one morning, pondering his worries, Josiah drafted a message to his social media. He questioned the integrity of those who might manipulate spiritual messages for personal gain, insinuating his brother's activities without direct accusation.

Get Our Latest For Free

Subscribe to receive a daily/weekly email with the best stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Jeremiah Johnson, 36, leads a ministry that touts him as a global prophetic voice, with extensive outreach through social media, conferences and $19.99 online courses, promising to teach “prophetic maturity,” WaPo notes, adding that his influence peaked with claims that God chose Trump to expose “darkness and perversion in America,” garnering millions of views and a large following that includes more than 328,000 on Facebook alone.

Despite their common upbringing under a priest-father in Indianapolis and similar early interests, the brothers' paths diverged dramatically. Jeremiah's portrayal of their childhood as bewitched stands in stark contrast to Josiah's claims of abuse and disappointment, which he shared with his wife, Jenn, and close confidantes, WaPo reports. Their father, a significant figure in their lives, reportedly favored Jeremiah, deepening the rift between the siblings, WaPo adds.

The public dispute escalated when Jeremiah responded to Josiah's criticisms with denial, casting his brother's accusations as slander and expressing his choice to remain silent in the face of familial betrayal.

The conflict spilled over into public forums, where supporters of both sides engaged in heated exchanges.

Josiah's frustration with what he sees as Jeremiah's manipulation of spiritual authority for fame and political influence led him to sever ties with the ministry, according to WaPo. His departure followed what he perceived as a betrayal when Jeremiah used Josiah's personal poem, “The Explosion in the Upper Room,” as a prophetic message without credit, Josiah and his wife say.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Jeremiah admitted to inaccurately prophesying Trump's victory, a confession that caused considerable backlash from his followers, including death threats and a significant loss of support, as The Christian Post previously observed.

“Over the last 72 hours, I have received multiple death threats and thousands and thousands of emails from Christians saying the worst and most vulgar things I have ever heard about my family and ministry. I have been labeled a coward, a sell out, a traitor to the Holy Spirit, and cursed at least 500 times. We lost ministry partners every hour and counting,” wrote the leader of Jeremiah Johnson Ministries at the time

He too confessed: “I would like to repent for inaccurately prophesying that Donald Trump will win a second term as the President of the United States. I refuse to blame the saints and say, 'It didn't happen because they didn't pray enough.' I'm also not going to proclaim, 'Donald Trump actually won, so I was right, but now it was stolen from him. I specifically want to apologize to any believer in whom I have now caused any doubt about God's voice and His ability to speak to His people. As a man, I missed what God said; however, rest assured, God Himself is NOT a liar and His written Word should always be the foundation and source of our lives as Christians.”

Amid ongoing family and public discord, Jeremiah has tried to turn his ministry away from direct political prophecy, focusing instead on general themes of spiritual warfare and redemption, the WaPo notes, adding that his brother's accusations continue to cast a long shadow over his. efforts to regain credibility and influence within the Charismatic Evangelical community.