“And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
Joshua Mhlakela, a man from South Africa, received worldwide attention last month when he claimed that Jesus had appeared to him in a dream, telling him that a pretribulation rapture (a popular belief among evangelicals) would take place on Sept. 23-24, 2025. With “one billion percent” confidence, and despite Scripture stating that “concerning that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36), Mhlakela livestreamed the date and claimed authority from God on the matter.
“I give you a billion percent that this day, we will be raptured,” Mhlakela said in that September livestream. “I want to say I give you my word. I will start by saying I give you His word, and I give you my word.”
Mhlakela’s promises were bolstered by many others rallying behind him, including those who likewise claimed to be having dreams and visions that confirmed his testimony. Some revealed how they were preparing for the event: leaving behind Bibles, selling their homes, quitting their jobs.
Of course, given the fact that we are still here, Mhlakela’s rapture did not happen. But instead of repenting, he doubled down. He claimed in an interview that, due to a difference in calendars, the correct rapture date was Oct. 7-8, 2025.
It should go without saying that this did not occur, either.
A World Enraptured with the Rapture
Now, the point of this blog isn’t to argue any eschatological position. Rather, the reason I bring up this recent story is because Mhlakela made the Church look bad. As 2 Peter 2 says of false prophets: “Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them, the way of truth will be blasphemed.”
Mhlakela’s predictions went viral—particularly on TikTok, where views of videos on the subject, labeled “RaptureTok,” soared into the millions. According to People, Google searches for the rapture even outpaced searches for Taylor Swift (one of the most searched for people on the web) on Sept. 22.
As Peter predicted, when Mhlakela’s declarations failed to come to pass, online sentiment towards Christian beliefs turned from vague interest to cruel words and mockery against it. Comments and videos condemned belief in any form of the rapture and Christianity as a whole. And because of fervorous belief in the lies of one man, Christians were made the butt of the joke.
Online Appearances
As the church body suffers the embarrassment of this incident, I think this experience is a good reminder to Christians to be mindful of the things we say and do online. Granted, most of us are not likely to be making such declarative predictions as Mhlakela’s. But we probably will reference our faith while we’re online, even if it’s just by a Bible verse in our social media bios. And if we present ourselves as Christians online, we must be careful that what we say and how we act matches that identification, lest we dishonor God.
We live in a time in which, thanks to the Internet, access to information about Christianity is easier than it has ever been. But this connection comes as a double-edged sword: Just as it allows us to shine Jesus’ light, it also allows us to act like fools before others.
And given that we are all sinful creatures, it is far easier for us to make fools of ourselves and our faith than we’d like to admit. I say this as one who has often played the fool in word and deed, as one who depends on God’s mercy and forgiveness for such words and deeds.
My soul aches for the times when my sins have impacted the way others view God—views that can last despite my own sincere regret and repentance of the sins that caused them. And though God is gracious to blot out the sins of those who repent of them and cling to Christ (Isaiah 44:22 and 53:11, 1 John 2:1), our misconduct on the Internet can nevertheless remain forever, where it may continue to negatively impact how others see Christians and God.
Even If It is True…
But what if what we say, believe or do is the truth? Well, it is still possible to act as a fool.
As Paul writes, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Truth, and even gifts of the Spirit, are only as valuable in our witnessing as how we act around and treat others.
Both the Westminster Confession of Faith and the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith warn Christians who hold to their confessions against misusing truth. In discussing God’s eternal decree, both confessions express that, because the topic of predestination is a difficult one to grasp, “the doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care.” In other words, the writers warn readers that, though they genuinely believe in this teaching, they shouldn’t handle it in a way that causes others distress or sows division.
To put it simply, even if we hold to truth, it is still possible to misrepresent God online by acting or speaking in a way that is contrary to how God would have us handle such truth. The Scriptures warn us, “Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge” (Proverbs 14:7). Let us, then, not act as fools as we profess the Truth of Christ—lest others believe that the knowledge of God we have is worthless, and the name of God is blasphemed among others because of us (Romans 2:24).
Conclusion
Whether we act as fools or as the faithful, social media only serves to amplify our actions, for better or worse. And when we confidently post predictions, opinions and comments that go against Scripture, we bring disrepute to ourselves and our God.
In light of this, let this current online embarrassment about the rapture be a cautious reminder for us to be careful with how we present ourselves and Jesus Christ online.
