Pastor Joshua Mhlakela of South Africa has gone viral. In his videos he declares that Jesus appeared to him, stood beside him, and gave him exact dates:
The Rapture: September 23–24, 2025
The Tribulation: seven years for those left behind
The Second Coming: September 15, 2032
He insists this is “not 100% … 1000%.”
That line alone is a red flag. God does not need man’s exaggerated percentages to make His Word true.
Section II — His Words vs. God’s Word
Joshua Mhlakela: “Jesus gave me the exact day and hour.” Jesus Christ: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” — Matthew 24:36
Joshua Mhlakela: “On September 23 you will hear the trumpet, the graves will open, every true Christian and every child will be taken.” Paul the Apostle: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:2
The contradiction is unmistakable. Christ says no one knows. Mhlakela says he knows. Both cannot be true.
Section III — The Asteroid Borrow
Mhlakela also ties his timetable to Apophis, the asteroid passing close to Earth in 2029. Following the ideas of Thomas Horn, he claims this is the Wormwood of Revelation 8, striking in the middle of the Tribulation.
But Scripture does not name Apophis. Revelation 8 simply says a star called Wormwood fell and made waters bitter. It does not mention 2029 or April 13.
Science is also plain: NASA and global observatories have ruled out an Apophis strike in 2029 and for the next century.
To preach speculation as revelation is another red flag.
Section IV — The Two-Day Hedge
Notice too that Mhlakela gives not one date but two: September 23–24, 2025. Why two? The answer is simple — it is padding.
Time zones: What is September 23 in Jerusalem is September 24 in Sydney and still September 22 in Los Angeles. A global event would slice through all our calendars in a single instant.
Jewish feasts: The Feast of Trumpets is celebrated over two days on the Hebrew calendar, so date-setters stretch the window to cover both.
The joke tells the truth: “The Rapture passes Australia first.” But Paul said it will happen “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). One instant, not two rolling days.
Adding an extra day is not revelation. It is hedging to avoid being wrong. Another red flag.
Section V — The Right-Hand Problem
Mhlakela describes his vision this way: “Jesus was standing on my right side as we looked down on the earth.”
But Scripture never places Christ at our right hand. The picture is always the reverse:
“Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Acts 2:33)
“He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.” (Matthew 25:33)
By his own telling, Mhlakela put himself in the central seat, with Jesus at his right hand — which means from Christ’s perspective, he was standing on His left, the side of the goats. That inversion is not a minor slip. It reveals a vision that elevates the man and diminishes the Lord.
Section VI — The Test of Spirits
The Bible tells us how to discern:
“Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” — 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits.” — 1 John 4:1
“Even if an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary… let him be accursed.” — Galatians 1:8
If the figure contradicts Christ’s teaching, then it was not Christ. That leaves either deception by another spirit, or the man’s own imagination. Either way, it is not the Lord of Scripture.
Section VII — Why This Harms the Church
False prophecy does not stay contained. It produces:
Panic among believers
Mockery from outsiders
Disillusionment when dates fail
Damage to the credibility of the church’s witness
This is why Deuteronomy 18:22 gives such a hard test: if the word does not come to pass, it is not from the Lord.
Section VIII — The True Call
Jesus never commanded us to set dates. He commanded us to stay awake, live holy, and be ready every day:
“Stay awake… for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” — Matthew 24:42
“So then, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:6
“Be sober-minded, be watchful.” — 1 Peter 5:8
The urgency is not about a calendar. It is about repentance, discipleship, and daily faithfulness.
Conclusion
Joshua Mhlakela may be sincere, but sincerity does not sanctify error. His 1000% bravado, his date-setting, his asteroid borrow, his two-day hedge, and his right-hand inversion all fail the biblical test.
The church must not be swayed by viral visions. We are not called to 1000% prophets. We are called to the 100% certainty of God’s Word.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” — Matthew 24:35
Arete Gune: The Name on the White Stone 
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