If you are a Christian believer reading this, you are either already in heaven with the Lord or have been left behind by the Rapture. This is because the world was predicted to end on September 23rd or 24th, 2025, according to South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela.
In a YouTube video that went viral, garnering over 560,000 views, Mhlakela claimed he had a vision that the Rapture would occur on the specified dates.
Clips of his prophecy spread across TikTok under the hashtag #RaptureTok, with some viewers anxiously sharing prayers while others mocked it as just another failed doomsday prophecy. Today, Wednesday, September 24, is the last day of the purported rapture, and so far, so good, we are still on earth.
On June 17, 2025, in an interview with CettwinzTV, Pastor Mhlakela suggested that the ‘rapture’ was imminent. According to him, true believers would be taken to heaven. Recounting the divine vision, the South African pastor said that he saw Jesus sitting on his throne. He said Jesus told him, “I will come to take my church.”
He tied this prophecy to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, suggesting it was divinely significant. Since his claim, more than 295,000 videos have been posted on TikTok as part of the trending hashtag, and users are sharing what Christians must do to prepare for the rapture.
But this isn’t the first time someone has set a date for the Rapture and been proven wrong. The concept of rapture itself started getting recognition during the 1830s.
What Exactly Is the Rapture?
The Rapture is a Christian belief that true believers will suddenly be caught up to meet Jesus in the air before a period of great tribulation on Earth. While the word rapture doesn’t appear in the Bible, passages from 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, 1 Corinthians 15:52, and Matthew 24 are often cited in support of it.
The idea gained momentum in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially through the Scofield Reference Bible, which included Rapture teaching in its notes and popular Christian media like the film ‘A Thief in the Night’ and the ‘Left Behind’ novel series.
Failed Rapture Predictions Through History
1. William Miller and the “Great Disappointment” (1844)
In the 19th century, American farmer William Miller predicted Jesus would return between 1843 and 1844. Thousands of followers sold their belongings and gathered to await their ascension. When nothing happened, Miller recalculated and chose October 22, 1844. Again, nothing happened. The event became known as the Great Disappointment.
2. Mission for the Coming Days (1992, South Korea)
A Korean evangelical group predicted Jesus would return on October 28, 1992. Thousands gathered in churches awaiting the Rapture, but the date passed uneventfully.
3. Harold Camping (2011, USA)
California preacher Harold Camping predicted the Rapture for May 21, 2011. His media empire spent millions on billboards and broadcasting worldwide. When the day came and went, Camping revised the date to October 21, 2011. After that failed, he stopped making predictions.
4. Pastor Ade Abraham (Nigeria, 2022)
In Ekiti State, Pastor Ade Abraham of Christ High Commission made headlines after instructing his congregation to relocate to a camp where they were told to “wait for the Rapture.” Reports alleged that he even asked followers to pay a ₦310,000 rapture fee to guarantee their spot in heaven. The prophecy never came true.
5. Pastor Metuh (Nigeria, 2024)
Another Nigerian preacher, Pastor Metuh, reportedly set April 25, 2024, as the day of rapture, urging his congregation to prepare urgently. When the date passed uneventfully, he issued a statement on his X account explaining that his prophecy had not come to pass due to the intervention of God after he and his followers completed a 21-day fast and prayer.
6. Joshua Mhlakela (2025, South Africa)
The latest in a long line of failed prophecies, Mhlakela’s claim that the Rapture would occur on September 23–24 became a viral moment on TikTok, and religious commentators rushed to explain why it was false.
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Why Do These Predictions Keep Failing?
1. The Bible Warns Against Date-Setting
This is one of the strongest arguments against rapture predictions is the Bible itself. While many preachers claim to find hidden codes or divine revelations about the exact day of Christ’s return, Scripture consistently cautions believers not to set dates. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus said:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
2. Human Fascination With The End
Throughout history, wars, pandemics, and disasters have intensified apocalyptic fears. During World War I and World War II, many Christians believed the scale of destruction was a sign of the end times. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and conflicts like the Russia–Ukraine war, as well as the Israel-Palestine war, have been cited by some preachers as proof that the world is on the brink of collapse.
3. The Viral Era
Unlike past centuries when failed prophecies spread slowly through word of mouth, social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook have now turned local preachers into global voices overnight. Joshua Mhlakela’s prophecy is a clear example.
His YouTube video, uploaded just three months before September 23–24, racked up more than 560,000 views. On TikTok, the hashtag #RaptureTok quickly began trending, with thousands of users sharing videos, memes, and reactions.
The repeated failures of rapture predictions remind us that while humans are fascinated with the end, Scripture cautions against trying to calculate it. Instead of getting lost in dates and predictions, believers are called to faith, endurance, and hope. After all, the message of the rapture isn’t about fear, it’s about the promise of ultimate redemption.
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