Summary:
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A viral prophecy sparks satire, anxiety, and debate online, with a pastor predicting Jesus’ return on Sept. 23–24.
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TikTok trend “#Rapture” emerges with jokes, skepticism, and serious followers as outsiders watch “RaptureTok” unfold like reality TV.
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Psychologists say apocalyptic predictions offer cognitive closure during uncertain times, triggering existential concerns amid global instability and climate change.
A viral prophecy claiming the world will change Sept. 23–24 has fueled satire, anxiety, and debate online.
A South African pastor’s prediction that Jesus Christ will return this week has created a viral trend on TikTok known as “RaptureTok.”
On June 16, 2025, pastor Joshua Mhlakela posted a YouTube video saying he had a vision in which Christ told him, “very loud and clear, ‘I am coming soon.’” He said the Rapture—the Christian belief that believers will rise to heaven at the end of time—would occur Sept. 23 and 24, coinciding with the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.
“The rapture is upon us,” Mhlakela said in an interview with CenttwinzTV hosts Innocent Sadiki and Millicent Mashile. “God took me to see the future and then he brought me back.”
@lilrotiniPlease let go of these pieces for the rapture tomorrow♬ original sound – arabella
Viral reactions online
The prophecy quickly gained traction on TikTok, where users post videos under the hashtag #Rapture. Some share “Rapture prep” jokes, while others question the logistics. Comedian Kevin Fredericks noted the time zone problem: “What time zone is it happening in? Because the whole thing about the rapture that I was taught was that no man knows the date or the hour… There are 24 time zones on Earth, 38 if you include the ones that have half-hour times.”
Forbes reported that outsiders are watching “RaptureTok” unfold like a reality series. Others treat it seriously. According to LADbible, some followers have quit jobs, sold cars, and even signed over property deeds ahead of the predicted date.
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@alpharoyce_ Repent!! 🙏🏾 #rapture #raptureready #satire #satirecomedy ♬ original sound – Gehl from South Ahh 🇿🇦
Psychologists say apocalyptic predictions tend to surface during uncertain times. Dr. Debra Kissen, CEO of Light On Anxiety Treatment Centers, told Forbes that assigning a date to the world’s end can offer “cognitive closure,” or a sense of predictability.
“Anxiety is built into the human experience,” Kissen said. “We are the only animal that is aware that we will one day die and our loved ones will die.”
Avigail Lev, director of the Bay Area CBT Center, said such claims “trigger existential concerns.” She noted that instability, climate change, and declining trust in institutions create conditions for apocalyptic thinking. “It’s been present in ancient religious texts, in medieval plague times and after every major war,” Lev said.
The Rapture is often linked to 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, which says believers will meet Christ “in the clouds.” The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association describes it as the first phase of Christ’s return, followed by tribulation on Earth.
This is not the first time doomsday predictions have gone viral. NASA has repeatedly debunked claims that a hidden planet called Nibiru would collide with Earth, calling it an internet hoax.
