The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned false preachers following the failed rapture prophecy of South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, which left many of his followers in distress.
Mhlakela had boldly declared that the rapture would occur between September 23 and 24, claiming Jesus revealed the date to him in a vision. He linked the event to the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, telling a YouTube channel that he was “a billion per cent sure” the world would end on those dates.
His prophecy spread quickly online, with TikTok users promoting it under the hashtag #RaptureTok. Some believers quit their jobs, sold or gave away their possessions, and gathered in anticipation of being taken to heaven. Videos later surfaced showing groups waiting in the woods while Mhlakela broadcast live, insisting the rapture was imminent.
But as the predicted dates passed uneventfully, disillusionment set in. Followers took to social media to express regret, anger, and loss of faith. Some lamented that they had given up everything, only to be left behind.
Prominent church leaders dismissed the prophecy as fraudulent. Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God Church called Mhlakela’s claims “spurious agitations of religious mountebankism” and stressed that the rapture “will not and cannot take place on a Jewish feast.”
CAN leaders were equally critical. National Director for National Issues, Abimbola Ayuba, described such predictions as dangerous and called for sanctions against “heretical preachers.” He quipped that Mhlakela “should be raptured into detention” for misleading people.
Lagos CAN Chairman, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, echoed that no Christian should take such prophecies seriously. “The Bible says no one knows the time or season when the Lord will come. For anybody to give a date is falsehood. These so-called prophets are seeking attention and material gain,” he said.
The failed prediction adds to a long history of doomsday prophecies that have ended in disappointment, often leaving vulnerable people with shattered lives and faith.
