Why Are TikTok Users Obsessed With Doomsday Prophecies?

In late September 2025, TikTok was swept up by #RaptureTok, a viral trend fueled by South African man Joshua Mhlakela’s prophecy that the world would end on September 23 or 24.

His YouTube video describing a vision of Jesus quickly spread online, sparking intense discussion, mockery, and fear. Millions of TikTok users followed the countdown, some treating it seriously while others turned it into memes and satire.

The prophecy, however, passed without incident, just like countless end-of-the-world predictions before it. From Harold Camping’s failed 2011 Rapture claim to William Miller’s “Great Disappointment” in 1844, history shows that such predictions often collapse, but their viral power remains strong. Experts note that global crises, such as wars in Gaza and Ukraine or rising climate anxieties, often make apocalyptic content more clickable and emotionally charged.

#RaptureTok highlights a wider pattern on social media: doomsday narratives thrive in times of uncertainty, generating massive engagement regardless of their accuracy.

While most viewers treated the prophecy with skepticism or humor, the trend shows how quickly fear and fascination can spread on platforms like TikTok.