Predictions about the rapture happening on Sept. 23 have stirred confusion and fear across social media. Prophecy speculations tied to Jewish feast days, celestial events and numerology have resurfaced, but history has shown such claims to be misguided. With another wave of end-time predictions gaining attention this fall, many believers are left asking what the Bible truly says about the return of Christ.
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
Pastor Greg Locke addressed the frenzy in a recent sermon. He laid out five clear reasons why the rapture will not occur this September, warning against the dangers of sensational predictions and pointing people back to the authority of Scripture.
1. History proves date-setting always fails
Locke pointed to past predictions that fell flat, including Harold Camping’s infamous 1988 prophecy. “Camping was wrong. So again, he predicted that the rapture would occur on Sept. 13, 1988, leading to a widely circulated best-selling book entitled 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Happen in 1988.” Locke added, “The biggest way I know is it’s 2025 and it hadn’t happened yet.”
Order Jonathan Cahn’s Newest Book, “The Avatar” on Amazon.com!
2. Scripture forbids predicting dates
Citing Matthew 24:36, Locke emphasized that no one can declare the exact day of Christ’s return. “Scripture is clear about date predictions. Write down Matthew 24:36. No man knows the day or the hour. Now, they gave us the very day multiple times. Sept. 23. No, no.”
3. Prophecies must be fulfilled before Christ returns
Locke explained that certain biblical prophecies remain unfulfilled, making any claim about a September rapture impossible. “The angels now, Jesus could come at any second. Well, He’s Jesus. He can do what He wants, but He also follows a pattern. And the pattern of Scripture is there are prophecies that must be fulfilled before Jesus comes again.”
4. False alarms damage faith
Using the fable of the boy who cried wolf, Locke warned that repeated failures make people skeptical of Christ’s return. “We’ve created this persona of He’s coming in September. He doesn’t come. He’s coming in February. He doesn’t come. He’s coming in 1988. Coming in 2011, 2017. He’s coming September the 23rd, 2025. Be ready. And everybody’s not ready because they know it’s a false flag.”
5. Jewish feasts point to Jesus, not rapture dates
Locke argued that the feasts of Israel were fulfilled in Christ, not meant as prophetic calendars for predicting the end times. “Jewish feasts have their significance and their fulfillment in Jesus, not in prophetic events. So what do they say? Oh, we’re coming into the feast of trumpets. Therefore, the trumpet’s going to sound. It’s in this month. Why we got to play games with the text?”
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
As Sept. 23 approaches, we must remember to root our faith in the Word of God rather than the predictions of men. “Don’t make the Bible say something that it wasn’t meant to say,” he urged. Believers are called to biblical literacy and discernment, holding fast to the truth that while Jesus will return, the timing belongs to God alone.
Prepared by Charisma Media Staff.
