A pastor recently found himself in an awkward situation after predicting the end of the world, which failed to occur during a live stream. Undeterred, he is standing by his belief that doomsday is imminent.
Joshua Mhlakela claims that he had a divine revelation seven years ago where he saw the Lord in a dream. In this vision, he was informed that on September 23 and 24 of the current year, Earth would experience a mighty upheaval and that God would redeem the Christians from the planet.
His prophetic confidence attracted followers who, seeking assurance in uncertain times, reportedly went as far as selling their cars and properties, expecting that material possessions would soon become irrelevant.
Despite the rapture not occurring as predicted, an online theory has surfaced suggesting it might still happen due to a calendar discrepancy. This theory posits that Jesus would have adhered to the Julian calendar during his lifetime. However, in contemporary times, the Gregorian calendar is in use, having been established in 1582 and later adopted by Britain in 1752.
At the time of its inception, there was an 11-day difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Today, this gap has expanded to 13 days, leading some to believe that the rapture could take place today, October 7.
“It clicked to me,” Mhlakela expressed to CENTTWINZ TV.
“People have to believe me. I repeat this. I saw Jesus face-to-face. There’s a narrative out there that it was not the real Jesus,” he declared. “We will see in days to come.”
Let’s hope, for Mhlakela’s sake, that his prediction is not fulfilled.
When addressing why people still fall for apocalyptic predictions, psychotherapist Tina Chummun noted: “People often get caught up in these belief systems during times of uncertainty because our brain is wired to seek patterns and certainty when life feels uncertain and unpredictable.”
“Neuroscience shows us that heightened stress and uncertainty increase our amygdala reactivity, making us more susceptible to black-and-white narratives that promise safety, salvation, or control.”
“When people want reassurance about the unknown, they piggyback on other people who seem to know what’s happening – even though they haven’t stopped to question whether what they’re aligning with is right.”
If the rapture doesn’t occur this time, should we be expecting another prediction soon, or is it safe to continue with our daily lives?