A South African pastor’s viral vision has stirred up anticipation — and debate — across the Christian world.

Pastor Joshua Mhlakela recently shared in a YouTube interview with CettwinzTV that he received a divine vision where Jesus told him He would return to Earth on September 23–24, 2025, coinciding with the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah.

“The rapture is upon us, whether you are ready or not,” Mhlakela declared. “I saw Jesus sitting on his throne, and I could hear Him very loud and clear saying, ‘I am coming soon.’ He said to me on the 23rd and 24th of September 2025, ‘I will come back to the Earth.'”

The video has quickly circulated online, with viewers offering both encouragement and warnings in the comment section.

One parent wrote, “My 10-year-old daughter dreamt of the rupture recently.” Another viewer added, “Wow, I can read people, and Joshua is 100% telling the truth. I never even listen to videos claiming visions, but God told me to watch this.”

Others took a more measured approach: “I choose to be ready spiritually [for Jesus’ return] because nobody knows the date or the time.” Another agreed, “It’s better to be on the safe side than sorry. Rather than argue, let’s stay watchful and keep ourselves ready; only God knows the hour.”

The idea of the Rapture has long fascinated Christians, promising that believers will be taken up before the world endures the seven-year Tribulation described in Scripture. But while some see prophetic signs in current events, others are cautious, pointing to Jesus’ own words in Matthew 24:36: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Even so, Mhlakela’s claim strikes a chord at a time when unusual celestial events have many people looking skyward. Earlier this month, a dramatic “blood moon” was visible in parts of the world, evoking Joel 2:31: “The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”

End-times watchers have also noted fresh interest in research linking biblical events to astronomical phenomena. Oxford researchers Colin Humphreys and W. Graeme Waddington previously argued that a lunar eclipse occurred over Jerusalem on April 3, 33 AD — the day many scholars believe Jesus was crucified. NASA models back this possibility, matching Matthew 27:45’s description: “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.”

For some, such parallels are reminders to stay alert. For others, they highlight the dangers of speculation.

Whether September 23 brings the Rapture, a red moon, or simply another Tuesday, the pastor’s words have prompted many Christians to reflect on readiness. As one online commenter put it, “Rather than argue, let’s stay watchful and keep ourselves ready, only God knows the hour.”