Failed Prophecy Pastor Claims Rapture Imminent Again

Joshua Mhlakela, a South African pastor known for stirring anxiety with his failed prophecies, insists the Rapture arrives within days. He recently announced that believers will ascend to meet Christ between October 12 and 13. This specific event belongs to eschatology, the theological study of end times involving Jesus Second Coming and final judgment. Mhlakela states in interviews and videos that divine visions revealed both the timing and earthly consequences of this gathering. He declared with certainty that God instructed him on these dates because no other date exists for this true feast of trumpets. Critics have long questioned his claims after he incorrectly predicted the Rapture multiple times throughout 2025 alone. His assertion that the event would occur on September 23, 2025, pushed social media into a frenzy. Scores of followers sold homes and cars based on his online videos before the date passed without incident. On September 17, he insisted there was no other final rapture date available for him to announce. Now he argues previous mistakes were not errors but acts of God delaying judgment to allow more repentance time. He claims this delay fulfills scripture regarding shortened Tribulation days for the elect chosen before Jesus returns. The Rapture functions as a rescue removing believers instantly from Earth to avoid suffering during that chaotic seven-year period. Biblical texts describe the Tribulation as a time where evil rules globally before Christ establishes peace again. Mhlakela received his first visions of Jesus in 2018 while warning about the September 23, 2025 date linked to Rosh Hashanah. Some Christians connect this annual Jewish holiday to prophecy about God calling believers with an archangel voice and trumpet sound. However, Mhlakela now argues the Feast of Trumpets date is actually off by one month from what many assume. He pushes the actual Rapture timing roughly 30 days past the standard celebration of Rosh Hashanah. Many online sources show September 11 as the feast date yet he insists this is not the true time for his meeting with savior face to face.

The true Feast of Trumpets is actually in October," Mhlakela stated during a conversation with CettwinzTV. This assertion challenges what many believers hold as standard practice. A significant number of Christians have pushed back against claims that the Rapture's date has been revealed, arguing that trying to pin down such a moment contradicts the teachings of Jesus.

The pastor explained that his new calculation for the Rapture stemmed from additional visions he received from Jesus which pointed him toward later days. He claimed a specific vision involving two full moons convinced him the calendar itself was off by about a month. His reasoning was that the current celebration of Passover takes place under the astrological sign of Pisces, rather than where it should be. Mhlakela tied this gap to the Exodus story of Israel's departure from Egypt. He argued the 'true' Passover must fall when the sun is in Aries, just as tradition says it happened during the biblical Exodus. Consequently, he applied that same one-month shift to his new Feast of Trumpets date, placing it in mid-October.

However, a look at the text shows the Bible did not document the sun being in Aries during the Exodus. It simply states Passover falls in the first month of spring. The link to Aries comes from later writers such as Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, and not from the Exodus account itself.

Moreover, Mhlakela's end times predictions continue to receive pushback from many Christians who believe setting a definitive date for the Second Coming of Jesus goes against the teachings of the Bible. Vladimir Savchuk, a pastor, author, and YouTube preacher, voiced this concern last September. "If someone sets the date, they are directly contradicting Jesus's word," he said. He further debunked the Rapture claims by noting that Scripture says the son of perdition must be revealed first, referring to a figure often interpreted as the Antichrist. Savchuk pointed to 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which clearly states that Jesus is not returning until the Antichrist is revealed, and noted that this event has not happened yet.