South African preacher Joshua Mhlakela predicts that the end of the world will occur soon. His prophecies have gained massive popularity on social media, with videos of his sermons receiving millions of views. According to his prediction, the second coming will take place on September 23, 2025.
Mhlakela’s Vision and Warning
Mhlakela claims he recently had a prophetic vision.
“I saw Jesus sitting on his throne and clearly heard Him say, ‘I will come soon,’” the preacher said. “He told me, ‘On September 23 and 24, 2025, I will return to Earth.’”
He advised his followers to prepare for the apocalypse, noting that the date coincides with the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, known as the Feast of Trumpets, observed on the first day of the Jewish New Year with the sounding of the shofar, a special musical horn.
Some of Mhlakela’s followers have begun selling their possessions in anticipation of the dead rising and the faithful ascending to heaven. However, skeptics far outnumber believers, as this is far from the first prophecy of its kind—none have come true so far.
Historic False Prophecies
In 1987, American religious figure Elizabeth Clare Prophet predicted an apocalypse on March 15, 1990, claiming the USSR would launch a nuclear strike against the United States. Hundreds of her followers prepared bunkers near Yellowstone National Park, stocking them with supplies. When the date passed without incident, the USSR instead held a presidential election, won by Mikhail Gorbachev.
In 1992, nearly 20,000 members of the South Korean sect “Mission Dami” believed the world would end at midnight on October 28. They sold possessions, abandoned jobs, and even terminated pregnancies. When nothing occurred, the believers were left in shock and confusion.
In July 1999, apocalyptic fears swept Japan due to a misinterpretation of a Nostradamus prophecy predicting a “great king of terror.” Many Japanese feared disasters ranging from tsunamis to volcanic eruptions, but the predicted catastrophe never occurred.
Modern Warnings and the 2025 Japan Prediction
Another prophecy targeting Japan, from Ryo Tatsuki’s manga The Future I Saw (first published in 1999), warned of an oceanic fissure between Japan and the Philippines causing waves three times higher than the 2011 tsunami. The reissued manga in 2025 sparked hysteria, leading tourists—especially from Asia—to cancel trips. Tatsuki clarified that she is not a prophet and urged readers to trust expert opinions, but superstition caused real-world economic losses estimated in the hundreds of billions of rubles.
