Pastor Revises Rapture Prediction, Citing New Divine Revelations

Pastor Joshua Mhlakela, a South African preacher who previously made unsuccessful predictions for the Rapture, has announced a new calculated date for the biblical event, claiming it will occur between October 12 and 13, 2026. The Rapture is a tenet of Christian eschatology, or the study of end-times events, describing the moment believers ascend to meet Jesus Christ.

Mhlakela asserts that he has received visions from God and Jesus, revealing the precise timing and implications of the Rapture. "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 stated in an interview.

This latest prediction follows previous instances where Mhlakela incorrectly set dates for the Rapture, including a widely publicized claim for September 23, 2025. Some followers reportedly sold possessions and quit jobs in anticipation of that date. Mhlakela has attributed his prior inaccurate predictions to divine intervention, suggesting God delayed the final judgment to allow more time for human repentance. He interprets these delays as fulfilling scripture that speaks of shortened Tribulation days for the "elect."

The concept of the Tribulation describes a period of intense suffering and chaos on Earth before the Second Coming of Jesus. The Rapture, in this context, is seen as a deliverance for believers, saving them from this period.

Mhlakela's initial visions, which he says began in 2018, led him to connect the Rapture to the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah. He now argues that his understanding of the Feast of Trumpets date was off by a month, based on further visions.

He explained that a vision involving two full moons led him to believe the current calendar was misaligned. Mhlakela drew a parallel to the Exodus story, suggesting that the timing of Passover should align with the sun being in Aries, similar to the biblical account. By applying a one-month shift to his calculation for the Feast of Trumpets, he arrived at the mid-October date. However, historical accounts, including those by the first-century historian Josephus, link the Feast of Trumpets to September, and the Bible itself does not specify the sun's zodiacal position during the Exodus.

Many Christian theologians and scholars have voiced skepticism regarding Mhlakela's claims. Pastor Vladimir Savchuk, an author and preacher, has stated that setting specific dates for Jesus's return contradicts biblical teachings. Savchuk also pointed to 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which suggests the Antichrist must be revealed before the Second Coming, an event he argues has not yet occurred.