Christian Rapture: Pastor's Prediction Goes Viral on TikTok, Causing Widespread Panic?

A South African preacher has claimed that the Christian Rapture will occur this week, sparking global concern online. The preacher announced that Jesus will return on 23 or 24 September 2025.

He said his prophecy came from a vision in which Jesus told him He would 'come to take my church'. Joshua Mhlakela shared his message first on YouTube and later in an interview with Centtwinz TV.

His prediction coincides with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which some Christians link to biblical prophecy.

Christian Rapture Prediction Goes Viral

The prediction made by Mhlakela, a pastor based in South Africa, quickly spread across social media. On YouTube, his video drew more than 560,000 views by 22 September, as per Al Jazeera.

On TikTok, the hashtag RaptureTok went viral, filling feeds with fear, humour and debate. Some users mocked the claim. TikToker Sonja (@sonj779) launched a comedic series called 'Rapture Trip Tips', joking that people should buy new underwear so their 'last impression' would not be old clothes. Yet others treated the prophecy with alarm and shared urgent warnings.

Netizens Urge Others to Repent

Many TikTok users reacted with emotional pleas. One account, christwillreturn, with more than 848,000 followers, showed a woman tearfully urging her best friend: 'You need to repent. Now. I don't want you to be left behind'.

She described a dream in which she screamed that Jesus was coming, yet no one listened. Other accounts echoed the same message. Christianquotes89 told viewers that believers would be taken to heaven while those left behind would face 'a troublesome period that's worse than any period since mankind was created'.

Who Believes in the Christian Rapture?

Not all Christians accept the idea of the Rapture. Bible scholar Bart Ehrman, author of Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says about the End, stressed that 'the word 'rapture' does not appear in the Bible'.

However, belief in the end times remains widespread. A Pew Research Center survey in 2022 found that 47% of Christians in the US believe we are living in the last days. At the same time, 58% of Americans overall rejected the notion.

Those convinced of the end times were also less likely to see climate change as a major problem.

What is the Christian Rapture?

The Christian Rapture refers to the belief that true followers of Jesus will rise into the sky to meet Him. Non-believers, however, will remain on Earth and suffer through tribulations, plagues and destruction.

The idea is often linked to biblical passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, which describe believers being caught up with Christ. According to Yahoo News, Mhlakela's chosen dates of 23–24 September align with Rosh Hashanah, also called the Feast of Trumpets, a festival some Christians view as prophetically significant.

RaptureTok Causes Widespread Panic

The flood of RaptureTok videos has led to growing alarm. Some followers have sold houses and cars, leaving possessions behind for those they believe will not be taken. Others have recorded emotional messages urging friends and family to repent immediately.

Mental health professionals have warned of rising anxiety. Clinical social worker Josie McSkimming explained: 'I have clients who have exited those churches, who have found themselves very dysregulated, very distressed, hypervigilant, fearing that this is the end times'.

She added that even those who reject the idea remain unsettled when pressured by loved ones repeating such claims.