People think the Rapture will happen tomorrow, September 23 or 24, 2025, mainly because a South African evangelical pastor named Joshua Mhlakela claimed in a widely viewed YouTube video that Jesus appeared to him in a vision and said the Rapture would begin on the first day of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, which this year falls on those dates. Rosh Hashanah is also called the Feast of Trumpets, which has biblical connections to trumpet calls mentioned in Thessalonians and Corinthians as signs of the Rapture. This prophecy spread widely on social media platforms like TikTok, sparking a wave of excitement and religious hysteria called "RaptureTok." Evangelicals interpret current world events, including turmoil and the recent assassination of prominent evangelical Charlie Kirk, as signs of the end times, increasing belief in an imminent Rapture. However, such predictions have happened multiple times before and have not come true, and mainstream Christian teaching discourages trying to predict the date of the Rapture, emphasizing that no one knows the exact time except God.
Background of the Rapture Belief
The Rapture is an evangelical Christian belief where all true believers in Christ, both living and dead, will be suddenly taken ("raptured") to heaven, leaving nonbelievers behind to endure a period of tribulation on Earth. This teaching is based on interpretations of passages from the Apostle Paul's letters about the "last trumpet" and being "changed in the twinkling of an eye".
Why September 23-24, 2025?
Pastor Mhlakela connected his vision to the timing of Rosh Hashanah, a Jewish festival associated with trumpet blasts that align with biblical symbolism of the Rapture's trumpet call. The announcement gained traction because it linked ancient biblical prophecy with a specific date tied to religious tradition and current events.
Social Media Amplification and Current Context
TikTok has played a major role in spreading the belief rapidly through videos offering guidance on what to do during the Rapture, warnings, and testimony of visions or coincidences involving the date. The political and social climate, including events like Charlie Kirk's assassination, have reinforced apocalyptic fears among evangelicals, fostering a ripe environment for this prediction to go viral.
Skepticism
Despite the hype, these predictions are widely regarded as unfounded. Previous high-profile failed Rapture predictions (1994, 2011, 2017) serve as precedents, and Christian doctrine typically warns believers to be watchful without setting dates. The likelihood of the Rapture occurring on these dates is considered very low.
Thus, the belief that the Rapture is happening tomorrow is driven by a mixture of one pastor's vision, interpretation of biblical symbolism tied to a specific Jewish holiday, social media spread, and the current socio-political atmosphere.
