As our political climate remains in a troubling state, whisperings that the “end times” are near can be convincing — leading theories to spread rapidly in online spaces.
In mid-September, TikTok became flooded with videos surrounding the rapture, a belief largely residing in the evangelical sector of Christianity.
This belief is debated amongst Christians, with some believing that during the rapture, all faithful Christians will be brought up to heaven with Jesus before the seven-year-long Great Tribulation (the “pre-tribulation” theory), whereas others believe that Christians will be raptured after this time of suffering and destruction brought on by the Antichrist (the “post-tribulation” theory). Following the Great Tribulation, it is said that Jesus returns for a 1,000-year period to rule all the earth as one nation.
It is also debated among Christians whether the rapture is physical in nature or purely metaphorical.
Those who do not believe in the Christian faith must stay on earth through the Great Tribulation, inevitably experiencing the apocalyptic wrath that it brings. However, the Christian Bible states that many people inhabiting earth will become Christians during this time, leading them to remain on earth with Jesus when his 1000-year rule comes.
Though rapture or similar “end times” content recirculates online every so often — with around 15 dates being proposed for the “end times” already this decade — this time can be drawn back to a prophetic dream had by South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela.
On an episode of the I’ve Been Through the Most podcast hosted by CentTwinzTV back in June, Mhlakela shared a dream where Jesus revealed to him that the rapture would occur on Sept. 23 and 24 of this year, with that followed by seven years of “destruction” and “devastation.”
As we loomed closer to the proposed rapture dates, the interview began recirculating on TikTok, leading to a sudden wave of frightened users sharing videos of their rapture preparation and inquiries, while other users made satirical parodies of these videos — all 20,000 of which can be found under the #rapturetok page in the app.
Obviously, the rapture dates came and went, though Mhlakela has conjured new dates for the rapture to occur.
Regardless of belief systems, many who have studied the Bible assert that the rapture will never occur because no such prophecy of a “rapture” even exists in the Bible.
The rapture theories we see today were born from the rise of Dispensationalism in the 19th century by John Nelson Darby. Darby proposed a more literal interpretation of the Bible, introducing the “pre-tribulation” rapture theory. Both 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Revelation 3:10 are significant passages used to evidence the rapture when literalized.
The word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible, nor does an allusion to a date when a rapture-like event will take place. The Christian Bible also notes that nobody will know when this rapture-like event will happen, evident in the passage of Matthew 24:36.
Despite the lack of clarity around the rapture’s presence in Christian texts, why do rapture prophecies continue to garner such intense reactions?
It’s no secret that prophecies of mass destruction and suffering are pretty intimidating and could conjure some strong emotional reactions.
Predictions of the rapture are not new. Since the rapture-esque interpretations of Bible passages began to attract public attention in the 1800s, inaccurate estimations as to when Jesus will return have repeatedly appeared.
A couple centuries ago, it was far more difficult to circulate the newest theory as to when the “end times” would begin and Jesus would return. However, the digital age has brought a faster way to streamline these prophecies directly to the communities influenced by them: social media.
It is not a surprise to learn that social media algorithms push content that evokes emotional spectacle to encourage engagement by drawing upon wild, shareable news. Obviously, telling the internet that our world will soon be engulfed in disaster and only some will be lifted away from it paints quite a sensational picture — a picture perfect for wide algorithmic circulation.
Especially if these posts reach the right communities, others will continue to share equally sensational posts on the topic — whether they’re taking the issue seriously or making a joke out of it — bringing users to fuel the algorithm further by liking, commenting on and sharing these posts.
This is the algorithmic cycle.
According to Politico, rapture or “end times” prophecies often reappear in unstable political moments; when individuals feel powerless under destabilized political and economic realities, the hypothesis that apocalyptic times are upon us seems more viable.
As the Politico piece notes, the rise in political violence, especially within the context of the recent assassination of Christian conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, further solidifies “end times” anxieties specific to Christian communities.
The spread of rapture content is built upon anxieties — and understandably so, as the prospective event is not only terrifying, but it can also alter one’s trust in their faith. If someone deeply believes that the Bible states that the rapture will happen, how might their perception of their faith change if this does not end up occurring? This may also lead them to think that the rapture might’ve occurred and they were left behind, which is just as anxiety provoking.
Since social media algorithms are trained to spread emotionally triggering content, rapture prophecies make for the perfect new TikTok conversation that will keep users scrolling as they attempt to find answers to ease their anxiety.
Since social media is always also reminding us of our unsettling political reality, users were likely seeing disturbing political news juxtaposed with countless assertions that the rapture is coming, which demonstrates how the internet has cultivated an environment for anxiety-inducing topics like the rapture to spread and thrive.
Though rapture or “end times” theories are far older than the internet, the social media age fosters an environment where they can spread across the world like wildfire. Even if you’re not religious, you were likely exposed to the massive flood of rapture content online — which precisely demonstrates the power of algorithms.
With consideration to the meticulous work of algorithms, it is always a good reminder to take what you see online with a grain of salt and unplug from social media as often as you can.