Rapture 2025 Is Back On: Here's The New Date Some Christians Believe It's Going To Happen

The Rapture 2025 prophecy, which many expected to occur on 23–24 September, failed to materialise. The anticlimax led critics to dismiss it as another in a long line of unfulfilled doomsday claims.

However, some believers insist the event is still imminent. They point to the warnings of South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who has become a central figure in the debate. His comments about biblical calendars have been amplified on TikTok, where supporters argue the calculation was made using the wrong system.

According to these interpretations, the Rapture will now take place on 6–7 October 2025. The revised date has spread widely online, fuelling renewed discussion about prophecy, faith and the influence of social media.

TikTok and the Pastor's Warning

Pastor Mhlakela originally linked his prediction to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In recordings shared online, he suggested that differences between calendars might affect the timing of end-times prophecies. Followers took this to mean a 'calendar lag' had delayed the expected event.

TikTok creator @jubileedawns told viewers, 'Jesus doesn't know we changed our calendar. That's why it didn't happen on September 23.' The clip has been watched thousands of times and is one of many promoting the revised October date.

Believers claim that moving from the older Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar centuries ago led to miscalculations of prophecy. They argue that returning to the Julian system makes biblical timelines clearer.

Believers and Sceptics Respond

The reinterpretation has gained traction within the niche TikTok community known as #RaptureTok, where apocalyptic content regularly attracts large audiences. Some Christians view the updated date as a sign of divine patience, while others criticise it as fearmongering.

Associate Professor Landon Schnabel, a sociologist quoted in Cornell News, observed that '#RaptureTok follows the same pattern we've seen for centuries: prediction, failure, reinterpretation, new prediction.' He noted that final-judgement prophecies are often revised after dates pass rather than abandoned entirely.

Critics have compared the October recalculation to Harold Camping's failed 2011 predictions, which were postponed multiple times before eventually being dropped, according to The Guardian.

Calendar Disputes and Prophetic Tradition

At the centre of the controversy is the debate between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The Julian system, introduced under Julius Caesar, is still used by some Orthodox churches to determine religious festivals. Mhlakela's supporters argue that biblical prophecy should be read through this framework.

Supporters of Mhlakela argue that using the Julian calendar brings biblical prophecy into sharper focus. Sceptics counter that this is simply another way of moving the goalposts. As Deseret News noted, failed predictions rarely collapse belief systems. Instead, they often inspire new dates that keep movements alive.

The Next Date in Sight

As of 30 September 2025, supporters of Mhlakela's interpretation remain convinced that the Rapture will occur on 6–7 October. Reports suggest that some believers have cancelled plans or begun what they regard as spiritual preparations.

Whether October brings a world-changing event or another anticlimax, Rapture 2025 has already become one of the year's most discussed religious controversies. It also illustrates how ancient prophecies are continually reinterpreted and reshaped for the digital age.