“IT’S the end of days”.
Or, so say hundreds of US conservatives and Evangelical Christians on social media over the past few days.
When? September 23 or 24 this year, apparently – inspired by the prediction made by a South African pastor on YouTube.
So what is the rapture, and why are some Evangelical Christians and US Conservatives predicting that the end of the world could happen?
Here’s what you need to know:
What is the rapture?
The apocalypse, the end times. We’ve all heard of it.
Now, Christians don’t all share a belief in the rapture. The word itself doesn’t even appear in the Bible.
But for those who do, it is considered a prophecy that the end of Earth as we know it will end before Jesus returns – with true believers joining God in heaven and non-believers suffering below.
Why do people believe the rapture will happen today or tomorrow?
Pastor Joshua Mhlakela predicted these dates three months ago in a YouTube video.
But it only started to pick up popularity after far-right commentator Charlie Kirk's assassination and subsequent funeral this weekend , which was when the prediction started to trend on social media – TikTok predominantly.
Popular so-called "RaptureTok" videos include one by a woman quoting the Bible as evidence that people’s dogs, hamsters, and parrots will be raptured.
@sarah_g505 Replying to @youart2023 #rapture #raptureiscoming #raptureisnear #raptureready #endtimes #endtimesprophecy #jesuschrist #christian #christiantiktok #bornagainchristian #theword #christianity #jesus #jesusiscoming #rapture2023 ♬ Belonging - Muted
"I ask God all the time to please take my dogs when we’re raptured," one person wrote in response.
"I have prayed for my fur babies to be raptured with me," said another
Kirk’s assassination is taken as proof of the impending rapture by many American Evangelicals.
Prominent Republicans put fuel on the fire during the funeral on Sunday, with one speaker describing his death as part of a “spiritual war”.
Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, described Kirk as a "martyr for the Christian faith”.
