Fact Check: Claims About the 2026 Rapture and Joshua Mlaka's Prophecies

The rapture is closer than you think. To be precise, it's supposed to take place as early as April 2026.

At least that's what someone is claiming this year, just as they do every year. And today, we're going to take a closer

look at this person. We're talking about the self-proclaimed prophet Joshua Mlaka from Africa who is speaking out on this

topic once again. He is now convinced that he has received a revelation that the rapture will take place this year

and is closer than many think. Many people know him because he had already confidently announced last year that the

rapture was supposed to take place in September 2025, which Jesus himself allegedly told him. Of course, that

didn't happen. But Joshua Mela is at it again and has named a new date when it is now supposed to actually happen. In a

broadcast on Scent Twins TV, he named April 4 and 5, 2026 as the dates for the rapture. So the new date is supposed to

be in early April of this year. But before anyone starts to panic, let's take a closer look at this. In the

interview, Joshua Mla also claimed that this time he is a billion% sure it will actually happen. Doesn't that sound a

bit familiar? He made the exact same statement when announcing September 2025, saying he was a billion% sure it

would happen. A report on the Scent Twins TV website from September 9th, 2025 quoted the following statement from

Joshua Ma. The rapture is upon us. Whether you are ready or not, the rapture will take place in 14 days from

now. I am a billion% certain. I literally began to hear it in my ear. The sound of the trumpet during the

tribulation. The exact date of the 23rd when the church will be raptured into heaven is absolutely irrefutable. This

specific date cannot be refuted or doubted in any way. Today, however, we can be certain that his prophecy was

false, which makes him a false prophet in the biblical sense. One might hope that he would show some insight and ask

God for forgiveness for having claimed in the name of his son things that did not come to pass, but he himself states

that he has no intention of apologizing for anything. Unfortunately, the damage this man has caused remains. The JPost

reports on this in an article from September 24th, 2025 about the consequences of his actions. The damage

that remains. Politico also reported that some believers allegedly quit their jobs and moved to another state in

preparation. In a Tik Tok video with over 1.5 million views, a woman cried because she would soon be separated from

her children. And others expressed their fear for their pets whom they did not expect to join them in heaven. The

damage this prophet has caused is real. And just as real is the fact that this setback did not teach him to ever

question the messages he receives, whether they truly come from the true Jesus of the Bible, or whether they

originate from other sources or from himself. It was further reported on the Cent

Twins TV podcast, which has 426,000 subscribers, the pastor said he was a billion% certain that the rapture would

take place on Tuesday. Previously in a video from June, he had claimed that Jesus appeared to him in a dream in 2018

and said, "On September 23rd and 24th, 2025, I will come to take my church." Given that this prophecy did not come to

pass, it is safe to say that Joshua Mhukella certainly did not receive this message from the Jesus of the Bible. The

Bible is clear on this matter. If a single prophecy made by someone in the name of God or his son fails to come

true, that person is classified as a false prophet. Let us read Deuteronomy 18:21-22.

And if you say in your heart, how can we know which word Jehovah has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in Jehovah's name

and the word does not come to pass or come true, then that is a word that Jehovah has not spoken. The prophet has

spoken it presumptuously. You need not fear him. The Bible also teaches us that we should test the spirits and that not

every dream or vision comes from God. Let us look at the following passages. Jeremiah 29:8-9.

For thus says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, do not let yourselves be deceived by your prophets who are among

you, nor by your divers, and do not listen to the dreams that you allow yourselves to dream, for they are

prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them, says Jehovah. It also says in Jeremiah 23:es 21,31, and

32, I did not send the prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. Behold, I am against

the prophets, says the Lord, who take their own tongues and say the word of Jehovah. Behold, I am against those who

prophesy false dreams, says Jehovah, and who tell them and lead my people astray with their lies and their deceit. But I

have not sent them, nor have I commanded them. They are of no benefit to this people, says Jehovah. This is exactly

what happened afterward. Many believed him and did things they later regretted and they were left in despair. According

to the Bible, the rapture cannot take place at this time, but more on that later. We also read in 1 John 4:1,

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets

have gone out into the world." It is not surprising that false prophets also come among God's people and try to lead them

astray. God himself warned his people that some would come in his name to spread nonsense as we have already

discussed. Jesus also warned us that the devil will try to mix his people in among God's children. Matthew 13:24-30.

He told them another parable. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who swed good seed in his field. But while

everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and swed weeds among the wheat and then went away. When the crop grew and bore

fruit, the weeds also appeared. The owner's servants came to him and said, "Sir, didn't you sew good seed in your

field? Where did the weeds come from?" He replied, "An enemy did this." The servants asked him, "Do you want us to

go and pull them up?" But he said, "No, lest in gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat along with them. Let both grow

together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, first gather the weeds and tie them in

bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." Jesus also explained to us who this enemy is and

what the weeds are as we also read Matthew 13 37-39. And he answered and said to them, "The

one who sws the good seed is the son of man. The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom,

but the weeds are the children of the evil one. The enemy who sws them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the

age. The reapers are the angels. Jesus also makes it clear here that until the end of the age, that is until the time

of his return, the wheat and the weeds will continue to grow together and among one another. which already implies that

until the end, the children of God and the children of the enemy will be among one another until the time when the Lord

returns and takes his own to himself. Believers will remain on earth until the end. And there is no rapture of all

believers into heaven before the tribulation. Peter also warned us not to believe everything, but to be vigilant.

1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober and watchful, for your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to

devour. The tribulation will come, but many will not prepare for it because they believe in a pre-tribulation

rapture, which the Bible does not teach, and will thus be more easily deceived when all this happens. This trick of the

enemy works because many will think that the tribulation has not begun when it actually has since they believe that

before it begins they would already have been raptured into heaven. The Bible does speak of a rapture of believers

into heaven. But this will only occur when the Lord returns. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.

For this we declare to you by a word of the Lord. We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not

precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself at the command with the voice of the archangel and the

trumpet of God will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are alive and remain

will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

This refers to the Lord's return and presupposes that believers, whether living or dead, must still be on earth

at that time. That is, they cannot have already been caught up into heaven. Although Revelation also speaks of a

place of refuge, this too will be on earth and is not a place for all believers. Since Revelation states that

even after the place of refuge comes into existence, there will still be believers who are not in this place of

refuge, but outside it within the devil's sphere of influence. Revelation 12:13-17.

And when the dragon saw that he had been cast down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male

child. And the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where

she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent spewed

water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that she might be swept away by the flood. And the earth

helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his

mouth. And the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring, those who

keep God's commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Note that the place of refuge exists here for only 3.5

years. Whereas one can assume that the antichrist has already been active for the past 7 years. Which implies that

this very place will only become active halfway through the antichrist's reign, making a rapture or a place of refuge

for believers from the tribulation highly unrealistic. Another verse that is repeatedly cited in connection with a

pre-tribulation rapture is Revelation 3:10. Because you have kept my word of steadfast endurance, I too will keep you

from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world so that those who dwell on the earth may be tested. Note,

however, that there is no mention here of being taken out of the world, but rather only of being preserved from the

temptation that is coming upon the earth. It should be clear that this cannot refer to the tribulation since we

are reading here about the temptation that is coming upon the world, not about the tribulation that comes exclusively

upon the believers. One could even see a connection to 2 Thessalonians 2 11-12 where Paul speaks of the deception that

will come upon the world. Therefore, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they may believe the lie in order

that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.

In other words, what we are protected from in Revelation is not the tribulation against the believers, but

God's judgment upon the unbelievers. That is a significant difference. If we look at the original text, it becomes

even more evident that this is not about being taken out of the world. The phrase keep from is toreso ek in Greek which

also appears in John 17:15 where this very act of keeping is contrasted with a taking away from the world which further

underscores that this keeping does not necessarily have to be viewed as a taking away from the world but let's now

return to Joshua Mallela our colleague has also made it clear in an interview with scent twins TV that he thinks more

highly of himself than is proper. My name is Joshua. I've thought about this for a long time. The other name for

Joshua is Jesus, the Greek name for Joshua. And what does the name Jesus itself mean? It means that God saves. I

was born for this. God wants to save through me. My colleague is making a very bold claim. But the Bible teaches

us that we recognize prophets by their fruits. Matthew 7:15-18 But beware of false prophets who come to

you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick

grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A

good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. We have already discussed in this video the kind

of fruit Joshua Mallela's prophecy has borne. It is therefore necessary to state that his claim about what God

intends to do through him cannot be true since his fruit classifies him not as a prophet of God but as someone who causes

harm to God's people. Humility looks different. We have clearly shown here that we would do well not to listen to

this prophet. But what is the reality regarding believers and the tribulation? Let us now delve a little deeper into

that as well. Jesus himself foretold that believers must go through the tribulation. That is, they will not be

raptured before it. Matthew 24:9, then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will

be hated by all the nations for my name's sake. Revelation also testifies that believers come out of the

tribulation which means they must have been in it beforehand. Revelation 7:14. These are the ones who have come out of

the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. This is also a

principle we find time and again in the Bible. Noah was saved by the flood which was the punishment for the wicked.

Israel was in distress in Egypt. Yet God saved his people from that as well. Daniel was thrown into the lion's den

and his friends into the fiery furnace. Yet God saved them from all of it. Not in the sense that they never entered

those places, but that they were in those situations. Yet Jehovah had mercy on them and did not leave them alone in

their afflictions. The righteous were not always spared from tribulation. Yet God led them out of it and was

constantly with them. If we investigate a bit, we also discover that the belief in a pre-tribulation rapture is actually

relatively recent. It first emerged in 1830 and was conceived by John Nelson Derby, who was also one of the leading

figures of the brethren movement. Before that, the doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture was largely unknown. Paul also

warned us against such a belief in his letter to the Thessalonians where we read 2 Thessalonians 2:es 1-4.

But we urge you brothers and sisters regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and are gathering together to

him. Do not be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed either by a spirit or a spoken word or a letter supposedly from us

claiming that the day of the Lord has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come

unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts

himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming

himself to be God. No one should think that the day of the Lord is near, unless the Antichrist has first appeared and

has seated himself in the temple of God. However, the temple of God is currently not standing and the Antichrist has

likewise not appeared on the world stage. What do we learn from this? If someone today wants to tell you that

Jesus could return at any moment or that the rapture is near, then they do not have that from scripture because there

is still much that must happen before the return of the Lord, things that have yet to take place. Many Christians are

unaware of these points and listen to those who claim that the return or the rapture is near. However, we have also

discussed in this video that this can lead to great difficulties. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, listen to

Paul and do not let yourselves be alarmed just because someone claims to have seen something that does not align

with scripture. And Jesus also testified that his return will not take place before the tribulation.

Matthew 24 29-31 But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and

the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they

will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. And he will send out his angels

with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.

Jesus and Paul describe it in the same way. At the return of the Lord, the believers will be caught up, taken to

the Lord. How would that be possible if the believers were already in heaven beforehand? It would simply be

illogical. Yet neither God nor his son can be illogical in any way. In the world, we still have tribulation as

Jesus said, "But he has overcome the world and made the way to the true God, the Father, open for us."

John 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you

will have tribulation, but take courage. I have overcome the world. In Jesus we have peace greater than the

world and anything the world could give. John 14:27. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give

to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Therefore, do

not be deceived. We also must overcome. But in all things, we are not alone. The Lord is with us and mighty to save. With

that, I wish you God's peace and blessing. If you enjoyed this, feel free to leave a like and don't forget to

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