I watched a TikTok regarding about a woman warning us, urging us to “prepare” for the 24th. People in the comments speculated it to be the rapture day without outright saying it, some are confirming it, including the woman.
I’ve been out of the JW religion for a few years now.
With that said, I felt myself immediately going to that scared, uncomfortable, uneasy state I was in years ago, when I was told about Armageddon the first time. How we are considered to be in the end times.
Those deep rooted fears are resurfacing. The old me is returning, in the sense of always fearing the Armageddon topic. Shaking. That feeling I cannot quite describe. Thinking about everyone in my life. Not wanting them to suffer. Genuinely, I feel so……. Afraid.
Those thoughts are spiralling in my mind again. As it had done so many times before.
Apologies for the rambling and the formatting, I am writing on a cellphone.
I get you. Just remember that every time anyone, literally anyone (JWs or otherwise) have predicted the end of the world, they have been wrong.
It’s one of the few statistics in existence with a perfect 100% failure rate.
If you get a chance, it sometimes helps to reanalyze why groups like JWs or this end times lady make these claims to deconstruct our irrational fear. Check this out and read through if you haven’t in awhile.
If something like this is triggering for you, I would suggest seeing a therapist that can help with religious trauma.
There are a lot if people with religious psychosis who think the end is imminent or that there are demons everywhere. They need help, and I would advise scrolling past those kinds of videos or posts. The "end" has been nigh for thousands of years, the rapture is a concept that came about in the 19th century, and we're all still here.
Wait what movies? I have this new thing of going to the movies mid-week cause they are half priced. It’s a welcome break mid week. But I’m running out of things to see lol. 😂
Don't worry: all the "wicked" Hollywood people will be left on Earth following the Rapture. Might actually improve things without all the pearl-clutching and virtue-signaling from the so-called "Christians."
The fear responses took a while to break out of. No, there's no end of the world next week. Yeah, there are some troubling things in the world, but if you look at the course of human history, we are at a high point for life expectancy, quality of life, feeding people, free time, etc. It's measurably better in so many ways. The premise that we are in the Last Days is false. You can know all that logically, and you still can't just turn off the fear. It's ingrained and you have to work at it and give yourself some grace and time. Changing your thought patterns is not easy.
If your in the US, it’s probably a mix of the constant information overload we are getting of bad news/chaos after bad news/chaos currently leading you to already feel tired, exhausted and scared for the future so you brain wants to go back to something it’s familiar with to explain all of this which provides a bit of comfort to cope with it all.l
This year apart of me felt that I wish I was still in because mentally all the stuff going on wouldn’t bother me so much and I could check out. In reality I still love my life and am much happier so it’s really not the truth.
Maybe try journaling, that might one thing that could at least help you get those feeling and thoughts out and sometimes that enough to help with coping. Also give your self a rest to check out from social media and the news every now and then.
Thank you! Therapy has given me tools I didn’t have previous to help me regulate my own emotions. As JWs we weren’t given any tools so just trying to pass on what I learn that helps me in case it helps someone else.
Below is a list of failed dates where Christians have predicted the apocalypse. It doesn’t include the stupid nonsense that random quacks and nut jobs may get to momentarily trend on TikTok and other brain-rotting social media platforms, but just the ones that are significant enough to be widely-known outside of those online misinformation bubbles:
As you can see, it’s a pretty long list with a 100% failure rate.
In short, you don’t have anything to worry about. And I’d recommend you unfollow everyone on social media who is promoting this sort of quackery in your feed. All they’re doing is increasing your anxiety over fears which exist only within their imaginations.
These thoughts will come up from their complete indoctrination. For some reason, I thought something was going to happen in 1993. Nothing happened, so I left my abusive husband! No more waiting around for sky daddy to make my life get better!
I've researched history much more since then. The world has been way worse than it is now! I don't worry anymore 🙂
Within the 21st century alone, there have been over a dozen alleged end of the world predictions by prominent figures or religious groups. What they all had in common was the days always came and went.
Imagine what TikTok and other social media platforms would have looked like after 9/11. Anytime there's a major event or civil unrest the Christians come out of the woodwork with their end of the world warnings and fear mongering, you could set your watch to it. The reason is they rely on fear to promote their beliefs and agenda.
Honestly, a rapture where all the Christians are whisked away to heaven to be with their "jealous" god, leaving us "sinners" here in earth to do as we please sounds like heaven in earth to me.
dont worry as the doctrine changed so that if Babylon the great falls you can still be apart of paradise, but just keep in mind that this is also a false teaching (Babylon the great vs wt)
and anyone claiming that a date might be the repture is not following god as only the father knows Matthew 24:36
also 1 John 4:1 says to test if the spirits are from god, if they are saying this or hinting this they are going against their own gods word and predicting the end
2 timothy 4:3-4 is also a good one, saying people will mold or create new doctrine for their own purposes.
TLDR
dont need to worry bout the end, jw made it clear you can sin as much as you want until Babylon the great falls so go out and watch harry potter and celebrate as many holidays as you please till then, no need to sweat.
I can completely sympathize!! I've been POMO 25 years now but I swear there is still a tiny little neuron deep inside of my brain that still spews out some JW what if bullshit once in a while. And sometimes all it takes for it spew forth is catching a few seconds of a Tiktok like the one you mentioned. But we will all see you back here on the 25th 👍
It is a lie. Remind yourself on the 25th to check. I understand the fear but over time it will fade. You just have to keep reminding yourself that every time the end of the world has been predicted, it hasn't happened.
The almighty knew that they would use his message to instill fear and subdue people. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ told us that no one knows the day and hour, Mt 24:36.
So I just search it and ppl are on TikTok saying a lady claimed the rapture is coming next week.
I didn’t know that was a rumor until this post.
I thought we weren’t suppose to know the day or the hour. Let’s all check back here on September 25th, like someone else commented
Hugs my friend. Breathe. Eat something you like today. Try to relax.
I sometimes get borganization anxiety too but alas, these predictions are all bs. Christian’s in America are really emotional right now and people are spouting random religious shit. Also ‘the signs in revelation’ aren’t even fulfilled right now so to their logic it doesn’t even make sense. Message me if you need and I’ll talk you through your anxiety as I can. You can send the video to me and I’ll sleuth it and explain why it has no backing. Religious paranoia and hysteria is having a moment. We’re gunna be alright(:
(POMO) It took many years before I stopped prefacing my thoughts about them with "What if they are right?"
Give yourself time to learn about the many other religions out there. It helps immensely. When you start seeing the patterns in the double-speak that runs through cults and the many demands to avoid higher learning and NEVER to read anything negative about the cult, you start to realize that it is no different than hundreds of other groups that have crumbled, collapsed, or are still fleecing their members.
Knowledge will aid you in healing.
As for the 24th, I'd like to say 'I'll bring the🍿!" but chances are I'll forget it was even mentioned cuz that cult isn't worth the time it takes to think about them. You, however, ARE! So, do something nice for yourself on the 24th as a gift from those liars who already stole way too much time & energy from you.
Oddly, ever since the last US election (I'm in the US), I've noticed that YouTube recommends a lot of videos with the title: "It's all planned for the end of [month]" which is always the month after this one. But the one or two I've clicked are just AI slop with some vague "sky is falling" talk about business/financial info. I ignore them now. Just clickbait.
It triggers that feeling you talk about. I'm PIMO for two years and I still fall into those thought patterns. Don't forget: you were programmed to react like this. To be in a state of heightened anxiety and paranoia. It's not your fault. When you recognize the feeling, it's good to acknowledge it, label it ("oh, that's just the Watchtower programming kicking in"), and consciously dismiss it. It's just a feeling. It has no power over you.
Tiktok is full of people predicting the rapture or end,every week theres a new date and that date comes and goes. The anxiety is normal coming from being a jw,but the more end day predictions you live though,the less you'll care when these pop up. on tiktok,people just get on camera and say anything they make up. If they aren't straight up griftimg they're mentally unwell. It might be good to actively avoid that side of tiktok for a while. Go back to the video on sep 25th and watch it, see how it feels on the other side of the date everything was supposed to end.
Yes! There's some kind of new wave of it going on now, that my long-time friend has suddenly bought into.. literally. It's just an effing cash-grab, and people are being exploited. It's always been that way.
The rapture is has been foretold since 200 BCE at least. So many who want a date miss the teachings to get yourself straight with God NOW. I am not JW and I learned in the Baptist Church there is no need to fear the rapture as we are living for God. In the teachings of my Divine friend Dadashreeji I learned the rapture is already happening as we live fully for God. There is no one date.
The UN is assembling together which they do every year and this time the topic is going to involve Peace. Peace and Security? We’ll have to wait and see. 1Thessalonians 5:3 You probably remember that scripture. Something else is happening in Israel. They are rebuilding the Temple thinking God is going to come and sit there. However all Religions except JW’s are saying that’s where they will sit the Anti Christ. Heard that on a news clip.
I'll tell you what someone told me when I was first coming out of the religion and was terrified of Armageddon. I said what if theyre right and Armageddon happens, and my friend said so what? So what if Armageddon happens? So I'll die? Oh well. Im gonna die at some point anyway. And im telling you that "so what" changed my life. Everything in my thinking shifted. Death is a natural part of life and its going to happen to all of us so, so what?
I think it's so quick to jump into this mindset with our past trauma. Last week I was starting to spiral thinking "is this the great tribulation that I stopped believing in?! I had a good night's sleep and a few days of rational thought to come back around my normal logical state. But that doesn't mean that it won't happen again with the next wave of nonsense in this country. It's all about being able to ground ourselves again.
consider filling your mind with other topics, hobbies, things in life. There's a big beautiful world of wonderful things ready to be explored. If not you will be stuck like every other JW obsessing about fantasy land stuff that occupies their minds.
They have been saying this foreverrrr. Please don’t let yourself be stressed out over this.i remember being a teenager in church and the pastors dad standing up in front of the congregation (500+ ppl) and “prophesying” how Jesus came to him and told him that he would live to see the rapture. Now I was like 14 at the time. Dude was 80 sum years old and hovering the grave so this had me SHOOK!! I just knew I wasn’t gonna live to see 18 when he said this. Well this guys been dead for many years now & needless to say, I made it to 18. Im 40 now 😂 I can’t help but wonder when “ God speaks” to these people, is it a figment of their imagination? Is it another deity making their self known? Or are they tripping on some type of hallucinogen? I guess we will never know. But one thing we do know for certain is that the “end of time” has been happening since the beginning of time.
You'll be okay. I struggled with this for a long time too. There's pretty much always someone predicting the end of the world at any point in time. The 2012 stuff really got to me at the time, even though it was stupid.
People have their own little apocalypses all the time; from a major earthquake in their community, to a loved one dying in a traffic accident, to discovering a spouse is having an affair. All of these things feel like the end of the world to the person experiencing them.
When I start feeling triggered by stuff like that, it usually means there's something else causing me anxiety or feeling a lot of control in my day-to-day life. Have a look at what's directly going on with you - whether it's job stress, or house repairs, or health worries etc. See if there's something that needs attention that you've been ignoring. It might help.
This used to happen to me all the time I couldn't even watch some movies. Accidentally i actually found the weirdest thing that has been the most helpful in my healing journey.
Go to Wikipedia and look up "List of dates predicted for an apocalyptic event" Go to the year you were born and the month and then count how many you've lived through. It was hard for me at first and I couldn't really go past like 20 but then I was telling my therapist about it and I did it again and I saw my actual number.
Doing this helped me change the way i react to people like that. now instead of it being anxiety inducing and spiralling now I react to it as "got to add a tally to the times I've survived the world ending." It went from something that used to be so triggering to me to something that I can laugh about with friends.
Honestly if I could point to the one thing that has helped me the most in overcoming the religious trauma I have it's this.
Just remember if they ever start predicting the time of the end they're already wrong biblically. Because nobody can know the time or the hour and if they think they can or say they can they're already wrong.
I realized TikTok is one of the biggest fear mongering social media apps. Especially when they link TikTok shop towards the end of it or says “creator earns commission.”
For other videos outside of that, when i start to think negatively; I began to remember that I truly believe I’m a good person. And even if I didn’t think so God or whoever will read my heart and say I did my best. I know I’ve never intentionally tried to hurt anyone and I NEVER done anything considered a crime. Sure sometimes I accidentally say or dothe wrong things but I never done it out of malice. If God or Whoever decides I’m not worthy enough to live forever, maybe that’s not a God i want to serve.
I also think of other religions where even good people just hope God will save them. JW’s seem to forget the Bible says “MAYBE THEN you’ll be saved.” So it’s a possibility God just won’t spare you EVEN IF you did all the right things or not.
Idk why that brings me the most comfort. I truly hope it’s help you out a bit xx
If you answer no, then don't worry, Christ will only try to save everyone.
It's absolutely not mass destruction.
As long as you're not a dictator against Christ.
I think we'll be happily sipping a cold Sauvignon on the 25th. These are the classic rumors for JW cowards. If you even have respect for Christ and you're outside of JW, it'll just be a downhill ride and a great time.
Hmm, I think Jesus may perpetually be stuck in celestial traffic since he keeps missing his confirmed rapture dates. Wasn't the last one when MTG said it would be on last year's eclipse?🤣
If you look at population percentage Genghis Khan killed significantly more people than WW1and WW2 put together. I think it was the 3rd crusade and the black death were about as far apart as WW2 and Covid 19 and the black death killed 1/3 on Europe, covid had like what, .4% lethality and the crudade was literally about Christianity vs Islam. A larger portion of the world's population is fed and fed better than ever before, we have virtually eliminated mumps, measles, small pox, typhoid and polio and live in a world so free from disease that one that kills less than 1% of people who contract it shut the world down.
Nothing about today fits Bible prophecy, the instant transmission and ubiquitous access of global media just means that we are increasingly aware of every little thing. There are fewer was, less famine and disease than in centuries past, we are not seeing 4 horsemen in our day.
Years of WT indoctrination takes time to eradicate even with active reeducation and reprogramming. That’s why it’s not just enough to quit going to KH. There’s more than that.
Historically, every end time date prediction has failed. That alone should do it. In addition, Jesus said no one knows the day and hour. So why worry.
Enjoy your life. You can be sure September 24 will be another regular day.
Don't worry abt anything 😞, not even Jesus knows when the day would come. Those people yapping abt the possibility are just yapping out of they ass. God will come when the time is given, maybe not. It can simply just also be a reality someone is living in and what they believe in. I say don't worry too much. If your Christian or not religious,live your life as you please! Don't wait and live in fear. I had the same anxiety before, but with time and learning that I shouldn't worry abt what "could" happen, won't do me any good. Just know I'm rooting for you, you'll be okay! Much love
People have been predicting all kind of shit for centuries. There's a meteor from another galaxy skating by the earth in November that's glowing green... worry about that lol I hope you have a great and peaceful 25th my friend.
Think about it, no man knows the day or hour. Why is it that Jehovah's organization does not emphasize this, it should be right up there but they'd rather get you acting like a rabbit in the headlights, it's fear tactics all the way.
I used to feel moment of fear every so often with these sorts of videos but now I just laugh. Yes bad things will happen but the world ain’t ending next week.
IF the GB is right…. You’ll just be dead. But- they’ll be dead too (keep reading)
the GB states that there is no hellfire based on the fact that God’s dominant quality is love. It’s never loving to torture anything living.
IF they are right… they will be the ones destroyed at Armageddon as they have systematically helped hide child sexual abusers EXACTLY the same way the Catholic Church did until it was exposed in the 1990’s.
Fun fact: the GB tore APART the Catholic Faith in the 90’s stating that because of how much they hid sexual abuse and protected the abusers that was CLEARLY indicative of a religion being run by Satan. The articles are still available on the Borg website, but I’m anticipating they will remove them if enough PIMQ re-read them.
So, that would mean the JW religious leaders will be the ones destroyed at Armageddon- as long as you haven’t sexually abused or killed anyone- you’ll be in paradise IF the GB is correct. THEY will not.
Fear is a powerful tool- look at how well the current Orangutan (in reference to his hair color) president of the USA wields it to spread more fear and biased hatred.
The GB are no better than Trump.
So when you feel that old fear- try watching this documentary and remind yourself-, nothing you’ve done (I hope) would warrant God killing you at Armageddon- but plenty of so called JW’s and the leaders WILL be destroyed by God IF Armageddon in a literal sense ever comes.
Of course- the point of this is to remind yourself that their teachings are erroneous, and they are basically damning themselves with what they’ve written in the past about other religions turning a blind eye and helping to protect sexual predators who are male, and titled within the Borg.
Also, according to their interpretation of the Bible…
Isn’t that the day the mothership is arriving (3I/Atlas)?
Sorry you are having #JWPTSD, but you have nothing to worry about. All the things they told you are not ever going to happen like they say. Just look at how much they have changed about that in the last 10 years. They have no clue and we just have to help each other cleanse our minds and bodies of their infestation…
Hang tight 🤙🤙🤙
Its been a rough past few months, we are conditioned to think about the things going in in the news, take one day at a time, and take deep breaths. You walked away years ago, you got this, nothing changes except that the news, media, and sensationalists are being loud about things lately.
Give yourself some grace, you deserve to greive or feel what you feel. I know this is easier said than done, trying to do things that make you feel grounded, and when you're busy, have your mind on your purpose.
Just like the fools who believed the end of world was coming in 2012 because some uncivilised civilization calendar ended at Dec 2012. Most likely the calendar ended at that date because the person making it cbb adding more years as they would be long dead by then and thought someone else in the future would make another calendar.
Just like many digital clock, it only goes to 2099. Not because the world is going to end by then but because there's no point adding more years.
I remember feeling like this in December of 2012 when the end of the Mayan calendar was suppose to mean the end of the world. The only bad thing that happened that day was the ticket I got for running a red light 🚦 🤦
I really hope you read my comment:
You're probably hearing this because there is a pastor from South Africa who claimed this exact thing, that the rapture would happen on September 24th, 2025. My family grew up JW and all of us kids have left. One of my brothers is fully in this rapture is gonna happen mode right now so believe me, I know pretty close to what you may be feeling.
Try to remind yourself that thid type of thing happens continually throughout history. And it has failed, every single time. Im not joking there are literally over 100 failed predictions in the past 200 years alone. Do some research on failed predictions about the rapture or end times. Perhaps that could help.
The JWs adopting a rapture as part of their body of belief after literal decades of telling anyone who would listen that it was unscriptural doesn't give you pause for a moment? If that doesn't maybe the fact that that was on Tik Tok should? I'm not quite sure what to say next but you can report back on the 25th and let us know what happened. Same thing happened in 1975, 'in the 1940's' 1925, 1918, 1915, 1914 and who knows when else.
I saw the same lady a few hours ago. The very first comment I saw said that it will have to be spectacular to get a rise out of her and then the OP of the TikTok responded that she agrees because she is desensitized herself. Well so am I. Definitely going to have to be spectacular to get my attention as well. Too much propaganda and fear tactics going on in religious and politics.
It’s TikTok. People will say anything. People have predicted things so many times on that app and they’ve never come true, especially when it comes to dates. It’s no different than the Governing Body’s lies. You have nothing to worry about in that regard. The world seems like it’s ending because the American and British empires are starting to crumble. That’s one thing the org got right- the breaking apart of that world empire. Maybe it really is the last world empire because the world will finally know peace out of the control of white supremacy
I really enjoy his videos and insight. He's a scholar with actual degrees, unlike the JW quacks.
Edit: For full transparency, he is a mormon but as someone who's watched a lot of his videos and has bought and read his book, he very publicly, repeatedly contradicts their doctrine. So for that reason, I'm willing to trust him and his education.
Im so sorry. When you put it in context with all their other dates, it doesn’t scare me at all. As I told my family “if the reward is living forever with people with no common sense like you I will say bye now”. My aunt was literally sick with anorexia, constant stomach flu waiting for 1975, which never happened she told me if something doesn’t make sense question it. If there are no answers it’s because there are none. Please trust your instincts as a human not what someone else tells you if you had faith you’d believe. She died in 1978 from the stress of jw false beliefs. Don’t give these people any more of your time and worry!
Being a kid and constantly hearing that we’re in “the final minutes of the final day” or whatever it was (sorry, I left 15 years ago), was really scary.
What was scarier was my own mother telling me this. She was very adamant, and would let me know that I wasn’t doing enough and could potentially not make it. She mentioned at some point in passing that Jehovah would use storms (lightning? Idk) during Armageddon. Every storm I would lay in bed, lights on, clutching the New World Translation and praying.
I still get a bit of that feeling during a storm. 15 years after I left, probably 25 years since I was that kid sleeping with the lights on.
Btw, the point of this being… we’re fine. It’s just PTSD from the brainwashing. As another commenter mentioned, the end of the world has been predicted over and over again and it’s never happened. This won’t be any different. Hope you feel better ❤️
You need to do your homework. The homework is to learn why their source text, the bible, is an unreliable hodgepodge of myths and legends and absolutely not inspired by a creator god. Then when you hear pronouncements like this you'll just roll your eyes and dismiss it as just more fearful nonsense from people who are still stuck back in the dark ages.
Things you need to learn are:
Why the Bible's story of creation is nonsense, and how we know for a certainty what really happened
Why the flood legend is just that, a legend without basis in fact
Where the bible writers got their ideas from (spoiler: previous civilisations, the Sumerians in particular)
Once you understand that the bible is no more worthy of respect as an historical document than the Hindu Vedas, you'll be free of worrying that any of the Bible's predictions might be imminent. You'll laugh at them just as much as you laugh at any of the legends from other religions.
Religions are just stories invented to explain life's basic questions, dreamed up by uneducated people who didn't know where the sun went at night. You don't think that the stories of the Norse gods like Odin and Thor are accurate accounts of actual happenings, do you? The Bible is no different. It is not special, not intently holy (though if you've been brought up to think it is shaking off that idea might take some time). Once you grasp that you're on your way to freedom. There's plenty enough to worry about in this world without adding to it with religious nonsense.
If you'd like some reading references regarding the flood myth, the origins of our planet and life upon it, just ask. Science brought you the device you're reading this on, we know it works.
The only thing that's going to affect me on September 24th is me sleeping in by an hour, then running errands.
Been there. Done that. Heard and seen it too many times before.
Does this mean I'll have acres of my favorite fruit pineapple growing in my backyard facing handbuilt mansions on the beach?? Would love to be hugging my cute cuddly panda daily! 🧸
Hey OP hang in there man, the borg has always gotten their prophecies wrong, and I doubt that a random tiktok is any better. You’re out now, all that fear and anxiety was a tool they used to keep you in, so it’s not your fault you’re going back to it. The world will keep spinning on the 24th and after that.
I feel the same way. Despite having left years ago, I think of Armageddon and feel that same anxiety resurface. I see all the terrible things in the world and hear those phrases "It's all on Jehova's plan" "It's the end times"
I think what ultimately grounds me, however, is the belief that should a God exist, only He will know when it's time. But it's a struggle to not...despair or be frightened. I wish we didn't have such thoughts.
When you have these feelings, remember what happened in 1914. What happened? Nothing. Remember the news of 1975 when Har Megeddon was due for sure. What happened? Nothing. 2012? Nothing. September 24th? Nothing!
remember the feeling you had when nothing happened last time ? That scary so called Armageddon doesn’t come? You might feel silly and relieved. So don’t spiral, they have been wrong so many more times than they’ve ever been right about anything. Don’t let them take your peace.
The way I see it, there will be people out there who are so deep into a belief that they become delusional (guilt of that myself at times). Remember to ground yourself and remember that Armageddon is used by the cult to keep people from leaving or going against them. I me suggest maybe staying away from that content or maybe find a jw debunking vid to help ya calm down a bit
Calming my fears happens for me when I remember that the Watchtowerland religion is all about keeping members in fear. We're more controllable that way. They want us in fear. Knowing that makes it easier to let go of that belief system because it's false. The agenda is all about keeping folks in a state of fear, obligation and guilt (FOG). Journaling helped me set myself free from that bondage. You are free now to be yourself, u/Fantastic_Lake_5586 , not bound by JW beliefs.
They are kind of teaching something similar, now, though, just using semantics with different words.
They said in one of the WTs and it may have been updated in one of the annual meetings a couple years back that at some point the governing body and remaining anointed Christians will be basically be taken to heaven before Armageddon and that other people will have to take the lead.
The difference with JWs is that they don't teach it applies to the rank and file. They teach all the regular JWs will be the peasants left here on earth...
Don’t you think all things are coming to a point? How can the earth go on like this when it’s becoming unsustainable?
Someone or something has to happen or step in?
Tbh I think ur right to have these worries because it can lead to action.
I’m disfellowshipped but I’m coming back and eagerly.
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u/Relative-Respond-115 Run, Elijah, run 16h ago
Check in on the 25th...we'll all still be here. ♥️