In a year already marked by viral internet challenges and apocalyptic predictions, TikTok has become the unlikely stage for two very different, yet equally sensational, stories. On one hand, a destructive door-kicking challenge has landed four Florida teens in legal hot water. On the other, a wave of rapture fever—sparked by a South African pastor’s prophecy and amplified by TikTok’s unique brand of fervor—has convinced some users that the end of days is imminent. Both tales, unfolding in late September 2025, highlight the powerful and unpredictable influence of social media on young people’s actions, beliefs, and even the law.
Let’s start in Okaloosa County, Florida, where what began as a seemingly innocuous prank quickly spiraled into a criminal matter. According to WEAR News, on the night of September 20, 2025, two 16-year-olds and two 15-year-olds donned face coverings and, under the cover of darkness, stormed a home on Hawthorne Circle in Fort Walton Beach. Their mission? To participate in a TikTok challenge that takes the old “ding-dong ditch” to a new, dangerous level: instead of just knocking and running, participants now kick in doors, record the chaos, and post it online for likes and laughs.
But the consequences were anything but funny. Surveillance footage captured the teens pounding on the door—hard enough to cause major damage. Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden told reporters, “We have, you know, four kids criminally charged—one with a felony and the others with misdemeanors just over this incident.” The damage totaled around $2,500, with the homeowners already out more than $600 to replace the battered door. Sheriff Aden, who didn’t mince words, remarked, “Everybody knows that the ding-dong ditch, where you knock on the door and then run, that it was innocent or benign enough back in the day. But that’s just taking it to a whole other level.”
The teens, once located by deputies, admitted to the crime. The sheriff’s office pointed out that this isn’t just a local phenomenon; similar incidents have been reported in nine states so far, and the trend has led to deadly outcomes. In Houston, Texas, earlier this month, an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed by a homeowner during a similar prank. In Fredericksburg, Virginia, an 18-year-old met the same tragic fate in May. “Per capita, we are one of the largest per capita gun owners in the state,” said Aden. “If not the country, I mean Okaloosa likes their guns.”
Neighbors in Fort Walton Beach were shaken. One resident, speaking to WEAR News, insisted, “I don’t think community service is enough. They have to really know what’s gonna happen.” The victims themselves, who were asleep when the incident occurred, remain unsure about pursuing charges. Still, they expressed a reluctance to ruin the teens’ lives over a single night’s mistake, even as the sheriff urged, “Just cause your friends are doing it, don’t do it. Kicking the door in, don’t do it. Don’t take part of that because we don’t wanna see you either in handcuffs or worse.”
While the Okaloosa teens face the real-world consequences of viral challenges, a very different TikTok trend has been sweeping across the app—one that deals not with property damage, but with the fate of humanity itself. Enter “RaptureTok,” a corner of TikTok where users are convinced that the end of days is upon us, specifically between September 23 and 24, 2025. This belief is rooted in a prophecy delivered by South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who claimed in a YouTube video earlier this year that Jesus Christ personally told him the world would end on those dates.
Mhlakela’s sermon, posted to the Centtwinz TV YouTube channel and viewed more than 570,000 times, quickly made its way to TikTok, where it spawned a fervent community of believers. In the hour-long video, Mhlakela declared, “He says to me, ‘On the 23rd and the 24th of September, 2025, I will come to take my church.’” He even linked the prophecy to the 2026 World Cup, claiming that the chaos and devastation following the rapture would prevent the event from ever taking place.
According to NBC News, the rapture belief—drawn from evangelical Christian tradition—holds that Jesus will return to Earth and ascend to heaven with his truest followers, leaving the rest behind to endure seven years of judgment. On TikTok, this prophecy has taken on a life of its own. Some users, like a woman named Christina, have been urging fellow believers to “unlock your phone” and remove passcodes, so that others can access messages about faith after the rapture. “I’ve also been downloading videos that I think would be very helpful for people to explain God’s Word and explain what is happening and what is going on. … Continue to pray for the people that have not yet given their life to Jesus,” she said in a recent post.
Others have interpreted personal setbacks as confirmation of the prophecy. Hannah, another TikTok user, claimed that losing her “dream job” was a sign from God, aligning perfectly with her prayer to be home with her family when the rapture occurs. “The confirmations that God has given me seem to be pointing to next week,” she explained. “I prayed and I asked God, ‘Whenever the rapture happens, whether it is next week, next month, next year, can you please just arrange things where I can be home with my family when it happens?’”
Evangelists like Tilahun have fanned the flames, posting videos urging followers to have faith and not doubt. “Our blessed hope is coming. We are going home. Guys, it’s going to happen. Believe, do not doubt. Faith is leading this hour,” he proclaimed, referencing the Feast of Trumpets, which some believe will signal the event.
But not everyone on TikTok is buying in. The platform has seen a wave of satirical and tongue-in-cheek responses. Arabella, a fashion influencer, joked about needing to discard “demonic” designer clothing before the rapture, quipping, “You will not be getting into heaven if you are still in ownership of a fall-winter 1996 Alexander McQueen piece.” Another creator, Jenna, offered her “rules for the rapture,” including wearing a denim miniskirt and vowing to livestream her ascent to heaven for those left behind.
The split reactions on TikTok—between sincere preparation and playful skepticism—underscore the app’s ability to amplify both belief and parody. As the supposed rapture dates pass, it remains to be seen how these communities will process the aftermath, whether with relief, disappointment, or simply the next viral trend.
From criminal charges in Florida to apocalyptic prophecies online, the stories of September 2025 reveal just how much TikTok shapes the real and imagined worlds of its users, for better or worse.
