I guess we have to talk about the 'Rapture' side of TikTok
UPDATE: Sep. 25, 2025, 2:15 p.m. EDT The Rapture expected by certain Christians on TikTok did not happen on either Tuesday or Wednesday, as believers had hoped. Maybe next time.
People have been predicting the end of the world for about as long as humanity's existed. This week, parts of TikTok are convinced they've got the date just right for the Rapture: Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (As in tomorrow, or today, or yesterday, or, you know, weeks ago, depending on when you're reading this.)
Spend enough time on the app, and you're likely to see folks prepping for the Rapture or, perhaps more likely, other people reacting to #RaptureTok. To be clear, there does seem to be a very real side of TikTok preparing for, in their minds, a very real rapture. They've gone as far as to offer advice on how to be raptured, giving advice on things like prepping others for their sudden departure or leaving their belongings accessible for the non-raptured.
People are also reacting to #RaptureTok, mostly with a mocking tone. Some are joking about what they'll do to get raptured (become a Pokémon master) or what they'll grab once the raptured leave (a nice car, maybe?).
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There are also videos breaking down #RaptureTok and its many tentacles. Some believers, for instance, have even claimed to have sold off their earthly possessions and posted a goodbye video — though this is the internet, and people will lie for attention. So keep that in mind as you scroll.
How did this all start? It seems to stem from South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who claimed in a viral YouTube video that Jesus revealed to him that the Rapture would come on Sept. 23 and 24. Those dates happen to also correspond to this year's Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish new year — which is also known as the Feast of Trumpets, which some are taking as the trumpet call of God bringing the Christians to heaven.
That's the belief behind the Christian Rapture: The saved will ascend, disappearing from earth, leaving everyone else behind. TikTok, as it is wont to do, has run with the prediction and added to it, with lots of folks sharing their "research" or prep.
It's worth noting that end-of-the-world predictions are quite common. Remember 2000, or 2012, or 1844, or 1524? It's something human beings seem hard-wired to do. So maybe Tuesday will be the rapture, but I wouldn't go and sell your car.
Topics TikTok
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
