why is the rapture happening on the 23rd

The rapture is predicted to happen on September 23, 2025, primarily because a South African evangelical pastor, Joshua Mhlakela, claimed that Jesus appeared to him in a vision saying the rapture would begin on the first day of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets. This holiday falls on either September 23 or 24 in 2025, depending on the lunar calendar. The Feast of Trumpets has biblical resonance, linked to Scripture passages that mention a trumpet call signaling the rapture event. This prediction has gained traction on social media, especially following the assassination of evangelical figure Charlie Kirk, which amplified the spread of rapture-related content. However, such date-setting for the rapture is not new and is widely regarded as speculative and unbiblical. Many Christian teachings emphasize that no one knows the exact day or hour of such events, citing verses like Matthew 24:36 where Jesus says only the Father knows the timing. The September 23 date is part of a recurring pattern of failed rapture predictions connected to various signs, visions, and interpretations of biblical prophecy, but no concrete or universally accepted basis for this specific date exists beyond individual claims and interpretations tied to Jewish calendar events and certain biblical passages. In summary, the rapture is said to be happening on September 23, 2025, due to a vision reported by a pastor linked to the timing of Rosh Hashanah, along with associated biblical symbolism and contemporary social media amplification, but this prediction is not supported by mainstream biblical scholarship or established doctrine and should be viewed as part of a recurring cycle of speculative end-time predictions.