People are saying the rapture is today largely because of a prediction made by Joshua Mhlakela, a South African pastor. He claimed in a YouTube video from earlier this year that Jesus told him the rapture would happen on September 23 or 24, 2025, around the time of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets). This prediction gained significant traction on social media platforms like TikTok, where thousands of videos have been posted discussing and preparing for the event. Some believers are genuinely concerned and sharing warnings, while others mock the prediction. Historically, many dates have been predicted for the rapture, but none have come to pass. The rationale behind the date is also linked to biblical interpretations of end times and contemporary global events like conflicts in the Middle East. Some suggest the uncertainty around the exact timing of this Jewish holiday also fuels the ambiguity about the rapture date.
After the predicted date passed on September 23, some proponents of the prediction have started to suggest the date may have been postponed or extended to September 25, 2025. Many who believed the prediction reacted with disappointment or loss of faith, while skeptics widely dismissed it as typical date-setting that contradicts biblical teachings that no one knows the day or hour of such events.
