The Problem with “Jesus Told Me”
According to the Internet, back in June of this year (2025), Joshua Mhlakela claimed to have received a vision from Jesus, in which the Lord told him the “rapture” was about to occur. "The Rapture is upon us, whether you are ready or not.” He told a television station: “I saw Jesus sitting on his throne, and I could hear him very loud and clear saying, 'I am coming soon.'" He added: "He said to me, 'On the 23rd and 24th of September 2025, I will come to take my church.’” The information was also based on a prophecy which Mhlakela misunderstood. Of course, he is now chagrined and has apologized for his error. Earnest Bible students could have told him he was wrong.
One error is the doctrine of “the rapture.” The only passage in the New Testament that talks about Christians being caught up in the air is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. Paul explicitly writes that those who are dead in Christ will rise first and then living Christians will rise to meet the Lord in the air. This is a time of destruction for those who do not know God and who have not obeyed the gospel, as Paul points out in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10. On the day Jesus comes to be glorified and admired by His saints, He will also punish the others. In both instances Paul is referring to the end of the world (2 Peter 3:10-13) and the Day of Judgment. There is no such thing as a rapture while the world continues without Christians.
A second error is that Jesus did not speak these words to Mhlakela, who describes himself as a simple believer without a formal title. No one is bothered by his lack of a title because learned “doctors” and men with exalted titles have proven to be wrong on this topic previously. The problem is not that he lacks a title—but that he thinks Jesus spoke to him. Jesus and His apostles have spoken through the Word—which teaches that it is both sufficient and complete (2 Peter 1:3; Jude 3). There is a reason why we have the Holy Scriptures—so that we can ignore everybody’s claims that God or Jesus spoke to them. No message of such a personal, private nature can be verified—only eventually proven wrong.
People will try to convince others that Jesus told them where to find a parking place, where to go to worship, and when the world is coming to an end. No, He did none of those things. Neither He nor the Holy Spirit is talking to hundreds and thousands of people today about either trivial or important matters. Here is what Jesus did say to everyone who will listen: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). What people need to be listening to is the objective truth found in the New Testament—not some alleged private message that cannot be substantiated. The Scriptures contain the Word by which we will be judged (John 12:48).