‘End of World’ Prediction for Sept. 23 Trends Online, Sparks Reactions

By Chemtai Kirui  ||  NAIROBI, Sept 23 

 

— A viral prophecy by South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela saying Jesus would return on Sept. 23–24, 2025 has gone viral online and stirred global debate after claims that the world could end today, through the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

 

The prediction suggests that the rapture would occur between September 23 and 24, coinciding with the Jewish Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), which some prophecy watchers link to biblical end-times events.

 

 

Videos of Pastor Mhlakela making the prophecy have circulated widely on TikTok, X, and YouTube under hashtags such as #RaptureTok and #Rapture 2025, has produced a mix of responses,  from memes and scepticism to posts by some users saying they were making life changes in anticipation, have spread widely across Africa and beyond

 

Religious leaders have however warned against date-setting, citing biblical passages such as Matthew 24:36, which says no one knows “the day or the hour.” In the Gospel, Jesus is quoted as saying, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

 

Leaders noted such predictions are not new, pointing to decades of failed date-setting around astronomical events or religious festivals.

 

Local reactions have been mixed. Some Kenyans took to X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok to joke about the prophecy, while others expressed genuine concern. “I prayed last night just in case,” one public post on X seen by Kass Digital, while another said, “If the world ends today, at least I don’t have to pay rent.”

 

Beyond the humour, experts caution that apocalyptic predictions can have real social consequences. In past instances, followers of such movements sold property, abandoned jobs, or withdrew children from school in anticipation of a global cataclysm that never came.

 

Authorities have not reported any unusual incidents in connection with the latest prophecy, but faith leaders are urging Kenyans to remain calm.

 

“Our role as Christians is to live faithfully every day, not chase after dates,” said a pastor from the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya.

 

As the date unfolds, many are watching — but experience shows such dates often pass quietly.