Pastor Joshua Mhlakela, a South African preacher, has once again claimed to have calculated the exact timing of the Rapture, a biblical event in which believers are said to be lifted into the clouds to meet Jesus Christ. Mhlakela asserts this event will occur between October 12 and 13.
Mhlakela, whose previous predictions of the Rapture have been widely disputed, stated in interviews and online videos that both God and Jesus have appeared to him in visions, revealing the timing of the Rapture and its effects on Earth. He has claimed, "God told me because there's no other date coming out, 12 to 13 October, which is the true feast of trumpets, which is when I will be meeting my savior face to face in the rapture."
In 2025, Mhlakela incorrectly predicted the Rapture would occur on September 23, a date that led some followers to sell possessions and quit jobs. He has since explained these past inaccuracies as God delaying judgment to allow more time for humanity to repent, a delay he believes fulfills scripture regarding the shortening of the Tribulation period for the "elect."
The Rapture is understood by some Christians as a rescue of believers from Earth to avoid a seven-year period of intense suffering and chaos known as the Tribulation, preceding Jesus's second coming. Mhlakela's initial visions, he said, began in 2018, leading him to predict the Rapture on the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, in 2025.
However, Mhlakela now contends that his calculation of the Feast of Trumpets has been off by approximately one month. He explained that a vision involving two full moons led him to believe the current calendar was misaligned, citing Passover occurring under the astrological sign of Pisces instead of Aries, as he believes it did during the biblical Exodus. This shift, he maintains, moves the true Feast of Trumpets to mid-October.
Mhlakela's pronouncements face significant skepticism from many Christians who argue that attempting to set a definitive date for the Second Coming of Jesus contradicts biblical teachings. Pastor Vladimir Savchuk has stated, "If someone sets the date, they are directly contradicting Jesus's word." Savchuk also pointed to 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which suggests the Antichrist must be revealed before Jesus's return, an event he notes has not yet occurred.