Online Christians denied rapture as viral world-ending prophecy fizzles out

'RaptureTok' has swept across social media and captivated millions, with many Christian social media users posting about their excitement for the event. But did it actually happen?

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‘RaptureTok’ has been taking over social media in recent days, with many Christian influencers warning of the imminent arrival of the end-of-days event.

It all started in June, when a South African YouTube show about religious prophecies and visions featured an interview with a guest named Joshua Mhlakela. Viewers described him as a “pastor,” although Mhlakela referred to himself only as a “simple person”, claiming to have had a vision of the biblical Armageddon.

He said, “The rapture is upon us, whether you are ready or not. God took me to see the future, and then he brought me back,” and revealed that the Christian messiah would return on Sept. 23-24, 2025.

While this is not the first time somebody has claimed to predict such an event, this perceived insight has garnered much attention online and become the latest TikTok obsession. At the same time, the doomsday prophecy has many serious supporters and believers, but most have posted about it in mockery.

Mhlakela’s promise of a rapture this week prompted celebrations and eager countdowns from Christian TikTok users. They spread the word to their followers and friends, and many of them had already amassed huge followings.

In one clip posted last week, which garnered over 2 million views, one woman said, “Six days, almost five days till rapture time. I’m so excited. Who else is excited?”

She confirmed it was her birthday and had hoped the Rapture would have happened early for it.

Another woman posted a video of her and her dog wearing tin foil hats as she told the camera, “Me and Max are ready for the rapture.”

In another strange video on TikTok, footage of many young people standing outside was captioned, “Pov—your school brings you outside for the rapture so the ceiling doesn’t prevent us from going up.”

However, not all Christians, including one pastor from Edmonds Presbyterian Church in Washington, were convinced that the Rapture would arrive.

Pastor Rob Christ told TikTok, “There is no rapture—not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Make plans for next week, enjoy life, and don't even give it a second thought. Why? Because it’s fake; it's always been fake.

“It isn’t in scripture, not really,” he continued, claiming, “Darby and the dispensationalists created it as a story to scare people.”

Unfortunately for many Christians who were so excited about the biblical event, it never seemed to materialize. Even the most prominent rapture influencers grew silent as September 24 passed by like any other day, and the jokes on social media began.

“The length of the line at the Chick-fil-A I just drove past seems to indicate that the Rapture didn’t happen today,” said one user on X.