(FOX40.COM) — People all over the world have been preparing for the rapture and the end of the world that is predicted to happen this month. But why?
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The rapture is a deeply held belief by some Christians that in the final days of the world, Jesus is coming back to rapture, or raise, all Christians (dead or alive) into Heaven. Primary scriptural support comes from Matthew 24 in the Bible that describes the unexpected nature of Jesus’ coming.
It talks about the Son of Man (Jesus) appearing in the sky, followed by the gathering of God’s elect with a great trumpet blast. It continues with, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”
In recent weeks, so-called prophets have predicted the apocalyptic event to happen in September 2025, particularly on Sept. 23. Additionally, Joshua Mhlakela, a South African pastor, said he had a vision of Jesus returning on Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday that goes from Sept. 22-24.
The prophecy has gone viral and has even dominated a portion of TikTok, which is now being referred to as #RaptureTok. There, some September rapture believers have been posting videos that show themselves selling items such as cars or homes and leaving letters to explain their disappearance after the rapture.
What happens after the rapture?
According to some Christian beliefs, after the rapture happens, the Church will be removed from the earth. Subsequently, evil, led by the anti-Christ, will rule and torture the remaining inhabitants of the world until it is ultimately destroyed by God.
While many people have seemingly made preparations for a September rapture, other Christians scoff at the prediction. The first part of the doubt stems from the fact that this isn’t the first time that someone has predicted the rapture. There have been at least 10 major rapture predictions that never came to pass.
Other critics of the September rapture point to another part of Matthew 24 in the Bible that says, No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father (God) knows.
Veronica Catlin
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