Wait, It's Today?

This story shows just out of the loop I have been on weird and religious news of late. According to this one guy on TikTok the Rapture is today! Or tomorrow! Apparently it's the end of the world, folks. Again. Because it's not remotely like these predictions come out all the time, the world never actually ends, and all involved wind up looking ridiculous. I could be wrong this time, though, seeing as one guy on TikTok is such a authoritative, unimpeachable source.

The viral claim by Joshua Mhlakela, who says Jesus personally revealed the date of his return in a divine vision, has led some followers to sell possessions and prepare for what they believe is the end of days. The Rapture is a belief held by many evangelical Christians in which Jesus returns to take true believers to Heaven before a period of tribulation on Earth.

The one thing I will say I appreciate about this prediction is that it apparently is not another re-hashing of William Miller's calculations. Miller was responsible for predicting the end of the world in the mid-1800s based on a highly contrived method of interpreting scripture. Most pastors who come up with dates start with Miller and then tweak the calculations to arrive at some future date which becomes their prediction. At this point, though, it's been done so many times and has failed so many times that the logical conclusion should be that Miller was just wrong. Unverified personal gnosis is not necessarily better, but it's refreshing to see.

The term "rapture" does not appear in the Bible, but the concept is largely based on interpretations of passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. Some Christians believe the Rapture will occur before a period of global tribulation (pre-tribulationists), while others expect it to follow that period (post-tribulationists).

The phenomenon, which has gained momentum through TikTok under the hashtag #RaptureTok, centers around Mhlakela's assertion that the Rapture, when faithful Christians will be taken up to heaven, will align with the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, which falls on September 23 and 24 this year.

Rosh Hashanah does happen every year, so the question immediately becomes why this year. Nothing in the article really goes into that. Maybe there are reasons, but maybe it's just part of the alleged vision with no other support offered for why it's happening this specific time around.

The prediction has prompted a wide range of reactions, from genuine spiritual anticipation to open skepticism from religious scholars and mainstream pastors. Mhlakela first shared his prophecy in an interview with Centtwinz TV and on YouTube, claiming that Jesus appeared to him and declared he would "come to take my church" on September 23 or 24, 2025, aligning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

This assertion, though not grounded in any definitive scriptural timeline, resonated widely, particularly among evangelical TikTok users. Some pointed to signs in Revelation 12 and various astrological alignments involving the constellations Virgo and Leo as evidence that prophecy was being fulfilled.

So as always, we'll see. And by see, I mean that when the world is still here after the 24th with no sign of Jesus' return, we'll rack up one more wrong prediction by yet another pastor who somehow thought that they had the answer. Either that, or I suppose we won't be here to rack up much of anything. I mean, are random guys on TikTok ever wrong?