A viral doomsday prophecy shared by a South African pastor has prompted some social media users to announce sudden resignations and liquidate possessions ahead of a predicted Rapture on Tuesday, with videos circulating under the #RaptureTok hashtag showing people claiming to have quit jobs, sold cars and transferred homes while urging others to prepare for what they believe will be the imminent return of Jesus Christ. Local newsrooms and national outlets tracking the trend reported a sharp spike in search queries and TikTok activity tied to the dates 23–24 September 2025, even as clergy and commentators pointed to biblical passages warning against assigning a day or hour to the end times.
The prediction is centered on Pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who gained wide attention after appearing on the Centtwinz TV YouTube channel to say a vision had provided him specific dates for the Rapture, aligning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish Feast of Trumpets. “The rapture is upon us, whether you are ready or not,” he said in the interview, adding, “I saw Jesus sitting on his throne, and I could hear him very loud and clear saying, ‘I am coming soon.’” In another clip cited by multiple outlets, he asserted: “He says to me on the 23rd and 24th of September 2025, ‘I will come to take my church.’” The claims, which Mhlakela frames as a direct message from Christ, have not been endorsed by major denominations and are disputed by Christians who cite scriptural prohibitions against date-setting.
As Tuesday approached, individual TikTok creators amplified the call to prepare with posts describing drastic personal decisions. A content creator named Tilahun Desalegn told followers he had disposed of his five-year-old car because he would be “catching a flight to heaven,” saying in a video, “She’s got to go. I won’t need her beyond September. I’m going home, to where my father in heaven is.” In a subsequent post he promised to “upload an apology video” on 25 September if the prophecy failed and acknowledged he was “very likely deceived” should nothing happen. Other posters claimed to have handed over property deeds or vowed to give away cars and household goods, reflecting a mix of fervent belief and possible satire that nevertheless added to the perception of a wave of pre-emptive divestment ahead of the dates.
Comedian Kevin Fredericks, who performs as KevOnStage and has commented on Christian culture for years, told his audience he was seeing believers “selling their cars, clothes,” and said “some people are making post-rapture kits for the people who are left behind.” He questioned the logistics of any timed event across multiple zones, asking, “What time zone is it happening in? Because the whole thing about the rapture that I was taught was that no man knows the date or the hour… There are 24 time zones on Earth, 38 if you include the ones that have half-hour times. No man knows how you all know.” His remarks echoed broader pushback within Christian communities that circulated alongside the viral clips promoting Mhlakela’s timetable.