A South African pastor whose YouTube interview has gone viral said he received a vision in which Jesus told him he will return to Earth on Sept. 23 and 24, prompting widespread online reaction and renewed public discussion of end-times prophecy.
In a sit-down interview with CettwinzTV posted to YouTube, Pastor Joshua Mhlakela said he saw Jesus "sitting on his throne" and heard the words "I am coming soon," adding that Jesus told him, "He said to me on the 23rd and 24th of September 2025, 'I will come back to the Earth.'" The interview and excerpts of the vision were reported by the New York Post and have circulated broadly on social platforms.
Under the video, many viewers posted personal accounts and affirmations. One commenter wrote that a 10-year-old daughter had dreamed of a rapture; another said they do not usually watch such videos but felt compelled to after a perceived prompting from God. Other replies urged readiness while noting that "nobody knows the date or the time." YouTube comments were among the clearest signs that the message resonated with a subset of believers online.
Mhlakela tied his prediction to the Jewish observance of Rosh Hashanah, also called the Feast of Trumpets, a date some Christian groups have historically associated with prophetic events. The Rapture — a theological concept in some Christian traditions that describes believers being taken up to heaven prior to a period of tribulation — figures prominently in contemporary end-times conversation, though interpretations and timelines vary among denominations and theologians.
The vision comes amid heightened public attention to celestial events. Observers around the globe noted a "blood moon" on Sept. 7 and 8 when a full moon took on a reddish hue, and some commentators linked the sighting to Joel 2:28-31, a biblical passage that mentions the sun turning to darkness and the moon to blood before "the great and awesome day of the Lord." Separately, scholarly work has looked at astronomical conditions around the time traditionally associated with the crucifixion of Jesus; researchers including Colin Humphreys and W. Graeme Waddington have suggested a lunar eclipse may have reddened the moon over Jerusalem on April 3, AD 33, a theory that received attention on social media earlier this year.
Religious leaders and scholars caution that Christian scripture does not provide a precise date or hour for the Second Coming, a point that has long tempered doomsday predictions. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is often cited for its description of believers being "caught up" with the Lord, but mainstream Christian teaching typically discourages setting specific calendar dates for eschatological events.
Public reaction to Mhlakela's claim illustrates how digital platforms can amplify private religious experiences into broader cultural moments. For some viewers, the pastor's vision reinforced existing beliefs and inspired calls for spiritual readiness; for others, it prompted skepticism and reminders about the unpredictability of prophetic interpretation.
As Sept. 23 approaches, churches, online communities and social feeds are likely to continue hosting discussion and debate about prophecy, signs and timing. Whether the date heralds a theological milestone or passes without incident, the episode underscores enduring public interest in end-times narratives and the role of social media in circulating them.
