Sopuruchi Onwuka, with agency reports

What was billed as a Christmas Day escape from the end of the world ended instead in confusion and disappointment after a Ghanaian pastor postponed his much-publicised doomsday prophecy.

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Thousands of followers drawn from Ghana and other African countries were left stranded after Prophet Eboh Noah announced that the world would no longer end on December 25, as he had earlier predicted.

Earlier this year, the young preacher sparked national attention after declaring that the world would be destroyed by massive flooding on Christmas Day. To save the faithful, he began constructing two large wooden arks, modeled after the biblical Noah’s Ark, which he said would carry believers to safety.

The prophecy triggered panic, curiosity, and intense debate across Ghana and on social media. Videos circulated showing men, women, and children trekking toward the ark sites with their belongings, some accompanied by their children, in scenes reminiscent of biblical exodus stories.

Authorities briefly arrested Prophet Noah over the prophecy, but later released him after ruling that making religious predictions, however alarming, did not amount to a criminal offence under Ghanaian law.

Undeterred, the pastor pressed on. As Christmas approached, he appeared publicly wearing a crude garment torn from a gunny sack, claiming it was a sign of divine instruction. He urged followers to prepare spiritually and physically for salvation.

However, just as congregants began gathering near the arks, Noah issued a new message. After what he described as “deep prayers and intercession,” he announced that the floods — and the journey to heaven — had been postponed.

“Through my prayers, I got a vision,” he said. “When you look at the number of people coming, the expansion of the ark was necessary. God has given us more time to build additional arks.”

He then instructed followers to return home, assuring them there was no need to rush anywhere. “Tomorrow, nobody should go to any location,” he said. “Please stay home, enjoy yourself. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

The sudden reversal left many followers frustrated and dispossessed after abandoning work, spending money on travel, and packing food supplies in preparation for the journey. Online reactions ranged from disbelief to ridicule.

“I don’t see lions, tigers, snakes, monkeys or elephants in that ark,” one commenter joked.
“Some people even carried foodstuffs they planned to eat in heaven,” another wrote.
Others questioned the pastor’s motives, mocked his appearance, or lamented wasted journeys to Ghana.

The incident has renewed debate about unregulated religious prophecies and the vulnerability of desperate believers. Faith leaders and commentators have urged Christians to be discerning, warning against preachers who thrive on fear, spectacle, and unverifiable revelations.

For now, Christmas has come and gone, the floods did not arrive, and Prophet Eboh Noah’s arks remain firmly on dry land — silent symbols of a doomsday that never came.