Rapture predicted for today: TikTok users share tips and reactions

Jesus is gonna be back on earth for you if you are a true believer in the deeds of the divine, at least that’s what a Tik Tok trend is preaching.

A TIK Tok trend has proclaimed that today is the day of rapture, when Jesus Christ returns to Earth and takes true believers to Heaven. Most of these predictions are quoting the First Thessalonians, which some christians claim is in the bible, which says followers of Christ “who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”, as per the reports.

Many people have predicted the Rapture before by reading the Bible or saying they had visions, but none of these predictions have happened. On TikTok, the hashtag #rapturenow has over 311,000 videos — some users seriously promote the prophecy, while many others joke about it, as reported by The New York Times.

Rapture prediction from South Africa

For believers, TikTokers shared advice: don’t make weekend plans, leave your phone and passwords accessible for those left behind, and keep your house and car unlocked with keys visible. The date Sept. 23, 2025 came from Joshua Mhlakela of South Africa, who said in a June YouTube video: “I’m just a simple person, not a pastor, not a bishop… I’m just a believer”.

Mhlakela said Jesus appeared to him in a 2018 dream and told him: “On the 23rd and 24th of September, 2025, I will come to take my church”. He linked this to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, claiming chaos from the Rapture would mean “there will be no World Cup in 2026”. Interest in the prophecy spiked online around Sept. 20, with Google Trends showing rising searches for “rapture” and “the rapture Tuesday”, according to the report by The New York Times.

Past Rapture predictions in history

On TikTok, some creators urged conversions to Christianity, while others gave satirical advice, such as putting “demonic energy” items like designer clothes outside or planning outfits to match angel wings. This is not the first time. For example, in 2011, evangelical broadcaster Harold Camping predicted the Rapture would happen on May 21, based on calculations about 7,000 years after Noah’s flood. When it failed, he moved it to Oct. 21, 2011 — but it also didn’t happen.

Scholars note the Bible is full of numbers and symbolism, which leads people to try decoding patterns to set end-times dates. Professor Sherlock said that such beliefs reflect our uncertain times more than actual Bible prophecy, showing people’s need for answers during instability. After failed Rapture predictions, believers often struggle — some face a crisis of faith, while others wait for the next prophet to set a new date.

Christian theology more broadly teaches that Christians should live as if every day could be their last, since Christ “could return at any moment”. Professor Sherlock added: “Living like today is the end of the world is not so strange after all”. This report was written by Yan Zhuang, a Times reporter based in Seoul, who covers breaking news, as per The New York Times report.

FAQs

Q1. When is the Rapture predicted to happen?
Some TikTok users and Joshua Mhlakela predicted the Rapture for September 23–24, 2025.

Q2. Has the Rapture ever happened on a predicted date?
No, past predictions like Harold Camping’s 2011 dates did not happen, and experts say such forecasts are not reliable.