For at least the tenth time in recent memory, a widely circulated prophecy of the rapture has come and gone without incident.
The latest prediction came from South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who told podcast audiences that Jesus physically appeared to him in 2018 and revealed the rapture would take place Sept. 23–24, 2025, during the Feast of Trumpets.
The prophecy gained traction on TikTok and other social media platforms. One user, @romans.ten.9through11, posted farewell videos to her followers and pledged to apologize if the rapture did not occur. Others reportedly went so far as to sell possessions and transfer deeds to prepare for those they believed would be “left behind.”
The buildup echoed previous apocalyptic movements. In 2012, speculation tied the Mayan calendar to the end of the world. In 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult died in a mass suicide tied to the Hale-Bopp comet. More recently, “Blood Moon” eclipses around 2014 prompted predictions from pastors linking the phenomenon to biblical end times.
As the final hours of Sept. 24 passed without the promised event, some content creators fell silent, while others maintained hope of a late fulfillment. For the rest of the world, life continued unchanged.
If you’re reading this, you’re still here — and so is everyone else.