Rapture 2025 New Date: Here's Why Pastor Joshua Mhlakela Said It Didn't Happen Last Sept. 23

For weeks, anticipation and anxiety swirled online over claims that the Christian Rapture, the belief that Jesus will return to take his followers to heaven, would occur on 23 or 24 September 2025. The prophecy, made by South African preacher Pastor Joshua Mhlakela, spread widely across YouTube, TikTok and church networks, prompting some believers to prepare for the end while others turned the prediction into memes.

But when the sun rose on 25 September, the world remained unchanged. Now, Mhlakela insists the Rapture is still imminent, just on a revised date.

Why 23 September Passed Without the Rapture

The initial prediction began when Mhlakela appeared on a video on Cettwinz TV's YouTube channel, declaring, 'The Rapture is upon us. Whether you are ready or not... On the 23rd and 24th of September 2025, I will come back to the Earth.' He described hearing Jesus say the words directly to him in a vision.

When nothing happened on those dates, scepticism grew both among the faithful and the broader public. Critics pointed to a long history of failed doomsday predictions, while some followers expressed confusion and disappointment.

Responding days later, Mhlakela argued that the Julian calendar, which lags 13 days behind the widely used Gregorian calendar, had caused the miscalculation. In a follow-up video, he announced the new Rapture date as 7 or 8 October, aligning it with what he called the 'real Feast of Trumpets'.

'The 7th and 8th of October is the real Feast of the Trumpets. I'm a billion percent sure,' he told viewers.

Supporters and Apologies

Mhlakela was not the only figure promoting the 23 September prophecy. South African singer-turned-preacher Danie Botha also repeated the claim in his own videos, saying he believed God had revealed it to him.

After the date passed uneventfully, Botha issued an emotional apology to his followers. 'I am very, very sorry,' he said, explaining that he felt 'disappointed and heartbroken' by the failure of his prediction, which had also left him with financial losses.

Still, Botha maintained that the 'signs of the end times' remain visible, a sentiment echoed by some evangelicals who continued to support the idea even after its non-fulfilment.

Viral Reactions on Social Media

The prophecy took on a life of its own beyond church circles, especially on TikTok, where users shared both preparations and humour.

Christian content creators like @kingdomwealth_christina urged followers to 'get your homes in order' and prepare their families for heaven. Others filmed tearful videos about what they believed would be their final days with loved ones.

But many approached the claims with irony. One viral video showed a woman jokingly 'preparing her husband for the Rapture' by teaching him basic household chores, while another TikToker offered to accept donations of life savings before the supposed end.

The frenzy has not ended there. Mhlakela's new October date is already stirring a fresh wave of content on TikTok, with some users openly mocking the revised prediction and others expressing hope that this time, it might actually be real.

What is the Rapture?

The word 'Rapture' itself does not appear in the Bible, but the concept is drawn from passages in the New Testament, particularly 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, which some interpret as describing a sudden gathering of believers when Jesus returns.

However, not all Christians agree on its timing or even its existence.

That has not stopped predictions from surfacing repeatedly in recent decades. From Harold Camping's failed 2011 prophecy to countless online claims linked to blood moons, eclipses or numerology, doomsday dates tend to attract attention and criticism.

Despite September's disappointment, Pastor Mhlakela remains resolute in his revised timeline. His insistence that 7–8 October 2025 will mark the 'true' Rapture date has once again sparked debate and curiosity.

Whether October will bring another global moment of anticipation or another series of 'rapture memes' remains to be seen.