People start selling cars, houses after pastor's 'Rapture' claim goes viral on social media

Pastor Joshua Mhlakela claimed in a YouTube video that he had a divine vision in which Jesus Christ told him the Rapture would coincide with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

“The Rapture is upon us. Whether you are ready or not, the Rapture in 14 days from now is going to take place,” Mhlakela was quoted as saying by KSLA. “No human being on this earth is ready for what is coming. I began to hear literally in my ear the sound of the trumpet.”

The prophecy has trended widely on social media under the hashtag #Rapture.

Some believers have reportedly begun selling their belongings. A TikTok user, Tilahun Desalegn, said after selling his car as quoted by LAD Bible: “She’s got to go. I won’t need her beyond September. I’m going home, to where my father in heaven is.”

Another social media user claimed to have already transferred the deed to his house.

However, religious scholars have pushed back, citing Christian scripture that states no one knows the day or hour of the end times.

The concept of the Rapture refers to the belief that Christ’s followers will be taken up to Heaven while others will remain on Earth, leading to profound changes in human life, according to BBC reports.

The doctrine is particularly prominent among some evangelical groups in the United States, though not all Christians share this belief.