Failed Rapture Prophecy Sparks Outrage, Followers Say They Were Misled

The failed rapture prophecy by South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela has left many of his followers in shock, despair and financial ruin, with some lamenting that they lost jobs, homes and personal belongings after believing his prediction.

Mhlakela had boldly declared that the rapture—the Christian belief that Jesus Christ will return to take his followers to heaven—would take place between Tuesday, September 23,and Wednesday, September 24. He claimed Jesus appeared to him in a vision, revealing that the world would end during the Feast of Trumpets, a two-day Jewish festival some Christians link prophetically to the second coming of Christ.

In an interview with CettwinzTV, the pastor insisted: “The rapture is upon us. I’m a billion per cent sure it is going to happen. The date of the 23rd is final and irrefutable.” His prophecy went viral, sparking mixed reactions. While skeptics dismissed it as another failed doomsday prediction, many of his followers sold property, resigned from jobs and prepared for what they thought would be the end of days.

On TikTok, the hashtag #RaptureTok trended as users documented their preparations. One follower, Hannah Gallman, said she believed God confirmed the prophecy in her own vision. Another, Spencer Vans, gave away his car and most of his belongings, convinced he would not need “earthly things” again.

Videos later emerged showing hundreds of people gathered in the woods, waiting to be “taken up.” Mhlakela also went live online, declaring that the rapture was imminent. But when nothing happened, he backtracked, telling his audience: “What I know is that it will happen within these two days but I cannot tell how God arranges the minutes and seconds.”

The disappointment quickly turned into regret. Some followers took to social media in tears, saying they felt deceived and spiritually broken. One lamented: “I quit my job and gave away everything because I believed. Now I feel foolish and lost. I don’t even know if I can still be Christian.”

Christian leaders have since condemned Mhlakela’s prophecy. Pastor Chris Okotie described it as the “spurious agitations of a religious charlatan” stressing that the Bible clearly states no one knows the day or hour of the rapture. The Christian Association of Nigeria also warned believers against “heretical preachers” with its National Director, Abimbola Ayuba, calling for sanctions against pastors who mislead vulnerable followers.

Similarly, Lagos State CAN Chairman, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, dismissed the prophecy as false and unbiblical. He said: “The Bible says no one knows the time or season when the Lord will come. For anyone to give a specific date is a fallacy and should not be respected by any serious-minded Christian.”

The failed prophecy has revived global conversations on the dangers of doomsday predictions, the misuse of religious freedom, and the devastating impact such claims have on vulnerable believers who take them literally.