Pastor Revises Doomsday Prophecy After Failed Rapture Prediction

A South African pastor, Joshua Mhlakela, who previously predicted the Rapture would occur on September 23, has now claimed the event has been postponed to October 12 or 13. Mhlakela stated in a YouTube clip that "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."

Mhlakela's earlier prophecy failed to materialize, leading to disappointment among some followers. One individual posted on TikTok, "I didn’t do my exams because I [thought] it doesn’t matter. Now look at me." Reports suggest that some believers had quit their jobs and sold possessions in anticipation of the previous date.

Mhlakela attributed the revision to a new vision, explaining that the earlier date was miscalculated because the Passover celebration was occurring under the astrological sign of Pisces. He asserted that the "true" Passover would align with the sun being in Aries, similar to the biblical Exodus story, thus shifting the predicted date to October.

However, biblical scholars have noted that the sun was not in Aries during the Exodus. Other religious figures have also voiced skepticism. In September, YouTube preacher Vladimir Savchuk stated that setting a specific date for the Rapture contradicts Jesus's words. Another theologian commented that such predictions align with biblical descriptions of false prophets emerging as the end times approach.

Mhlakela had previously insisted on September 17 that September 23 was the "final date." He had claimed to receive visions from God and Jesus detailing the timing of the Rapture and Christ's second coming.