A South African pastor who predicted that the Rapture would take place between September 23 and 24 has come under fire after the prophecy failed to materialize, leaving his followers disillusioned and critics vindicated.
Pastor Joshua Mhlakela went viral earlier this year after he claimed that Jesus appeared to him in a vision and told him the Rapture would occur during the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah. The Rapture, a belief held by some evangelical Christians, teaches that Jesus will return to take true believers to heaven while others remain on earth to endure tribulation before the world’s end.
The prediction fueled a wave of hysteria on TikTok dubbed “RaptureTok,” with believers and skeptics alike reacting to the pastor’s declaration. But when the dates passed without incident, disappointment quickly set in. Mhlakela hosted a livestream on the night of September 23 and, as the clock ticked down with no divine intervention, he urged viewers to be patient. He assured his audience that “the Lord is on his way” and would arrive “with a host of angels.” At 12:17 a.m. on September 24, he and his guests ended the broadcast by telling followers to “keep waiting” because “September 23rd, 24th. One of these two days, he is coming.” The livestream has since been deleted, and Mhlakela has not posted online since.
The fallout has been swift. Several faith leaders and influencers who had amplified his claims have since apologized. Among them was Australian preacher Tilahun Desalegn, who went as far as selling his car, believing he would no longer need it. “I won’t need her beyond September, because I’m going home to where my father in heaven is,” he said in a now-viral video. After the Rapture failed to occur, he admitted, “I will never publicly talk about the Rapture again.” Nigerian preacher Kingsalem Igwe also retracted his earlier support for Mhlakela, telling followers, “I’m here with all humility to apologize to everyone. I only believed a man who claimed Jesus told him.”
Many Christians were critical from the outset, warning that Mhlakela’s prophecy contradicted scripture. “Do not be deceived! No man knows when Jesus will return,” one viewer wrote in response to the livestream. Another urged him to admit he was mistaken: “Just admit you didn’t hear from God. He’s coming, but not when YOU said.” Prominent pastor and author Vladimir Savchuk echoed this, stating that anyone who sets a date for the Rapture “is directly contradicting Jesus’s word.”
Mhlakela first revealed his prophecy three months ago in an interview with CettwinzTV, insisting he had seen Jesus on his throne, who told him clearly that he would return on September 23 or 24, 2025. The claim not only unsettled believers but also sparked humorous reactions online, with some TikTok users joking about whether pets would be included in the Rapture. One widely shared video showed a man hoisting his dog into the air as if preparing it for salvation.
While many are now dismissing Mhlakela’s failed prediction as another chapter in a long history of unfulfilled prophecies, the incident highlights how quickly religious claims can gain traction online, and the consequences when they collapse under the weight of unmet expectations.
