This morning, I would like to discuss the rapture talk that I have been hearing over the past couple of months. I first heard about it back in June when someone sent me a clip from a podcast. In the clip, a man calling himself Brother Joshua called in and shared dreams and visions he’s had of conversations with Jesus.
He’s saying Jesus told him He’ll come back to rapture the church on September 23 or 24, 2025, but the Bible is clear that no one knows the day or the hour: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36; see also Acts 1:7.). Since that podcast, Brother Joshua has been featured on different platforms giving in person interviews about his prediction.
Part of why a dramatic "prophecy" like this can grab people so fast is that we as humans are wired for stories. Research on narrative transportation shows that when people become absorbed into a vivid story, they are more likely to accept the story’s message and to change beliefs and attitudes (Green & Brock, 2000). In short, the more “transported” a listener is into a narrative, the less likely they are to notice inconsistencies and the more likely they are to adopt the story’s conclusions. (Green & Brock, 2000).
Neuroscience also helps explain this. Compelling narratives can trigger neurochemical responses that increase bonding and trust; studies show that emotionally powerful stories can raise oxytocin levels and influence generosity, empathy, and cooperative behavior (Zak, 2015). That is part of why a confident storyteller can make listeners feel and act as if the story is true (Zak, 2015).
Online platforms amplify all of this. False, novel, or emotionally charged claims spread farther and faster on social media than mundane truths. Research using large Twitter datasets found that false news diffuses more rapidly and broadly than true news, driven largely by human sharing of novel, surprising content (Vosoughi et. al. 2018).
When thousands of people begin to act in the same extreme way because of a single story, the pattern has a name in public health and sociology. Mass psychogenic illness, also called mass sociogenic illness, is the rapid spread of beliefs, symptoms, or behaviors through a group without an identifiable organic cause (CDC, 1983; Weir, 2005). The phenomenon is real, it has been investigated by public health authorities, and it is often driven by anxiety, close social ties, and strong social signals.
People get swept up because some speakers tell a story so convincingly that it bypasses reason and feels true. We’re reminded not to be deceived; people can be misled by persuasive words and by those who seek gain (Galatians 6:7; 2 Peter 2:3). Scripture even says “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14.)
We need to be careful and not make any big decisions based on viral clips. There are people even giving away their cars, homes, and entire life savings on TikTok. Let’s slow down, get wise counsel, “without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22), test the messages against Scripture, and protect our family and finances. Don’t act in fear. The Bible also tells us “do not be anxious about anything” and to bring our concerns to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6).
Full citations
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Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701–721. PubMed
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Zak, P. J. (2015). Why inspiring stories make us react: The neuroscience of narrative. Available via PubMed Central. PubMed+1
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Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. (2018). The spread of true and false news online. Science, 359(6380), 1146–1151. PubMed+1
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Weir, E. (2005). Mass sociogenic illness. Canadian Medical Association Journal (review). PMC
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epidemiologic notes and reports: epidemic psychogenic illness. MMWR. CDC
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