The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USScores of Christian TikTok creators were convinced the Rapture, or biblical end times, would come this week. While it hasn’t – yet – less than half of Americans believe they will make it to heaven should those doomsday forecasts come to fruition. Those now fretting the end timescan thank South African pastor, Joshua Mhlakela, who went viral this week with his warning. Mhlakela claimed that Jesus told him he would “come back to the Earth” on September 23 or 24. As those dates came and went, many who believed that Jesus would take true believers to heaven as an apocalypse destroyed the Earth were left confused and disappointed.While theories about the end times ran rampant online this week, only 46 percent of American adults believe they would “ascend to heaven” if the Rapture were to occur, according to a YouGov poll Tuesday. Of the remaining people polled, 18 percent said they would “be left behind,” while 36 percent said they were “not sure” what their fate would be.open image in galleryScores of Christian TikTokers were convinced the Rapture would come this week, on either Tuesday or Wednesday, but there was still no sign of end times on Thursday (AP2010)Republicans mostly accounted for those who believe they will go to heaven, with 63 percent saying they believe that is their fate. Only 40 percent of Democrats believe they would go to heaven.Most who believed they were heaven-bound were over the age of 45, with 48 percent of those aged 45-64 saying yes, and 53 percent of those 65 and older.The majority of those surveyed who were unsure were under 30. Of the respondents between the ages of 18 and 29, 39 percent said they were “not sure.” Slightly more women than men believed they would go to heaven in the event of the Rapture, according to the survey. Fifty percent of female respondents said they would, whereas only 42 percent of male respondents were positive about it. The idea of the Rapture — a belief not explicitly found in the Bible — has spread across social media, and TikTok is inundated with videos about the impending doomsday. Some users began referring to the app as “RaptureTok,” though it’s unclear how many videos were sincere. open image in galleryIn preparation for the Rapture, one women bought Bibles for those who would be left behind (Getty/iStock)Some TikTok users seemed to take it very seriously, including one man, Tilahun, who shared a video in August saying that he was selling his car to prepare for the Rapture. “Car is gone just like the Brides of Christ will be in September,” the user, who describes himself as “a prophet and evangelist to nations” in his bio, wrote in the caption.A woman on TikTok named Melissa shared a video saying she was preparing her house for “people who are left behind” by buying Bibles and marking a few scriptures. The Rapture is one of a list of doomsday theories that have captivated Americans over the years. Other memorable instances include the 2000 Y2K bug or in 2012, when the Mayan calendar predicted the world would end on December 21 that year.
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If the apocalypse does come, less than half of Americans believe they will go to heaven
