Preacher who falsely predicted the Rapture awkwardly asks viewers to be patient

A South African pastor who predicted the Rapture would take place between September 23 and 24 is under fire after the prophecy failed to materialize, leaving followers disappointed and critics vindicated.

Pastor Joshua Mhlakela gained viral attention earlier this year after claiming Jesus appeared to him in a vision and revealed that the Rapture would occur during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish Feast of Trumpets. The Rapture, a belief held by some evangelical Christians, teaches that Jesus will return to take believers to heaven while others remain to endure tribulation before the end of the world.

Mhlakela’s claim fueled a frenzy on TikTok under the hashtag “RaptureTok,” drawing both eager believers and mocking skeptics. On the night of September 23, he hosted a livestream as thousands waited for the prophesied moment. As midnight passed without incident, he urged viewers to “be patient,” insisting that “the Lord is on his way 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.” The livestream has since been deleted, and Mhlakela has gone silent online.

The fallout has been swift. Several preachers who promoted his prophecy have since apologized. Australian preacher Tilahun Desalegn, who had even sold his car in anticipation, admitted, “I will never publicly talk about the Rapture again.” Nigerian preacher Kingsalem Igwe also retracted his support, telling followers, “I only believed a man who claimed Jesus told him.”

Criticism came from within the church as well. Many pointed out that Mhlakela’s prophecy contradicted scripture. “No man knows when Jesus will return,” one viewer wrote. Pastor and author Vladimir Savchuk echoed this, warning that anyone setting a date for the Rapture “is directly contradicting Jesus’s word.”

Mhlakela first shared his prophecy three months ago in an interview, insisting he had seen Jesus on his throne and been told the exact dates of September 23–24, 2025. While some believers were unsettled, the internet also responded with humor. One viral TikTok showed a man lifting his dog skyward, joking about whether pets would be included in the Rapture.

The failed prediction now joins a long list of unfulfilled end-times prophecies, highlighting both the speed at which religious claims can spread online and the disillusionment that follows when they collapse.