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What is the Rapture and why is trending? Memes erupt online in wake of ominous TikTok trend prediction

Evangelical Christians on TikTok claim Rapture would take place on September 23, 2025
posted by Madhurima Roy
Tuesday 9/23/2025 at 3:00AM EDT
  • A Catholic worshiper reads a bible. (Photo by Forrest Anderson/Getty Images)
    A Catholic worshiper reads a bible. (Photo by Forrest Anderson/Getty Images)

    The term Rapture is trending on social media platforms. Some internet users are celebrating the alleged upcoming event, creating guides on what to do at the moment.

    Rapture is an end-times belief system. In the Bible, it is mentioned that Jesus Christ will return to Earth and ascend to Heaven with his believers, both the living and the dead.

    Evangelical Christians on TikTok explained that believers would be lifted to heaven.

    They shared that the event would allegedly take place on September 23, 2025. The TikTok trend is known as RaptureTok among netizens.

    This viral news quickly spread on social media, and X users shared their thoughts with hilarious reactions, jokingly saying that they could not wait to be lifted to heaven. Here are some of the memes:

    The origin of the viral Rapture claim explored

    According to The Cut's report, the date originated from the South African pastor Joshua Mhlakel's interview. The pastor appeared on the YouTube channel CENTTWINZ TV in June 2025.

    In the interview, he discussed his life and the visions he seemingly received from Jesus Christ. Joshua Mhlakel said that in 2018, Jesus appeared in his dream and told him that the World Cup in 2026 would not happen, as the world would not be "business as usual" for those who would be "left behind."

    The pastor said that at the time, he knew nothing about soccer, so he searched online to see if the World Cup would take place in 2026.

    He was surprised to find out that the FIFA World Cup would be held that year.

    Later, he got another vision. The second time, he was awake and praying when Jesus Christ appeared in front of him, wearing a white cloak.

    That time, Jesus told him that the Rapture would take place on September 23 and 24, 2025.

    The World Cup in 2026 would not be held as there would be "chaos," "destruction," and "devastation" on Earth.

    "What he was telling me is that by June [of 2026], this world is gearing up towards a World Cup, right? But by June, they think the World Cup will happen. But after the rapture of September 2025, the chaos that would be in the world, the destruction, the devastation that would be in the world after the rapture, there would be no World Cup 2026," Joshua Mhlakel said.

    Joshua Mhlakel also shared that Jesus told him that for seven years after the event, people who were left on Earth would face great suffering. Then he would ascend to the Earth again and become the "king."

    "He says, 'There will be a seven-year tribulation on Earth on those left behind.' Then he says, 'On the 15th of September, 2032, I will return to earth as king,' the pastor stated.

    According to The Cut, Google searches for the event began spiking a few days ago. After that, Evangelical Christians on TikTok started making videos on the topic, causing it to go viral on the internet. Stay tuned for more updates.

    TOPICS: Rapture, Jesus Christ, meme culture, RaptureTok, TikTok, Viral