Distaem Winim Enitaem Bifor, Stap Wekap!
“Iumi mas no sleep olsem olketa narawan, bat iumi mas stap wekap and keepim gudfala tingting.”—1 THESSALONIANS 5:6.
1, 2. (a) Wanem kaen taon nao Pompeii and Herculaneum? (b) Planti pipol bilong Pompeii and Herculaneum no ting strong long olketa wanem warning, and wanem nao kamaot from datwan?
LONG first century bilong Common Era bilong iumi, tufala taon long Rome wea garem gudfala living, Pompeii and Herculaneum, stap klosap long Mount Vesuvius. Olketa richfala pipol bilong Rome laekem tumas for holiday long tufala taon hia. Olketa garem olketa stadium wea garem inaf spes for winim wan thousand pipol sidaon insaed, and long Pompeii population bilong full taon savve sidaon insaed wanfala maeti stadium. Pipol wea digimap Pompeii kaontem 118 hotel and samfala long olketa garem olketa rum for gambol or jury tu. Olketa piksa long wall and nara samting wea olketa faendem pruvim hao dirty fasin and wei for lovem material samting hem big tumas long there.
2 Long August 24, 79 C.E., Mount Vesuvius start for bosta. Olketa scientist wea studyim olketa volcano tingse firstfala bosta wea mekem powder and asis foldaon long tufala taon hia maet no mekem hem hard for pipol ranawe. Planti nao duim datwan. Bat, olketa narawan wea tingse hem no bigfala danger or no ting strong long olketa warning saen disaed for stap nomoa. Then, long midolnaet, wanfala bigfala landslide bilong hotfala gas, powder and ston kamdaon long Herculaneum and killim dae evriwan wea stap yet long datfala taon. Early long nextfala morning, nara landslide killim dae evriwan long Pompeii. Disfala nogud samting happen from olketa no duim samting followim olketa warning saen!
End Bilong System Bilong Olketa Jew
3. Hao nao wei wea Jerusalem finis evribit hem semsem witim samting wea kasem Pompeii and Herculaneum?
3 Wei wea Jerusalem finis evribit naenfala year bifor, hem moa worse winim nogud end bilong Pompeii and Herculaneum, nomata Jerusalem hem finis from samting wea olketa man duim, no from wanfala natural disaster. Samfala sei datwan hem “wanfala barava worse trabol long full history,” and olketa report showimaot winim wan million Jew dae. Bat, olsem datfala disaster long Pompeii and Herculaneum, pipol kasem warning tu bifor Jerusalem hem finis.
4. Wanem nao profesi saen wea Jesus givim for warnim olketa follower bilong hem hao end bilong wanfala system hem klosap, and hao nao diswan fulfill firstaem long first century?
4 Jesus Christ talem profesi hao datfala taon bae finis, and hem talem tu olketa samting wea bae kamap bifor datwan—kaen nogud samting olsem olketa war, wei for short long kaikai, olketa earthquake, and fasin for brekem law. Olketa false profet bae stap, bat olketa Christian bae preachim gud nius bilong Kingdom bilong God raonem full world. (Matthew 24:4-7, 11-14) Nomata toktok bilong Jesus fulfill long bigfala wei distaem, hem fulfill long smolfala wei long datfala taem. Record long history storyim wanfala bigfala hangre long Judea. (Acts 11:28) Jew man for raetem history, Josephus, hem raet abaotem wanfala earthquake long area bilong Jerusalem wea kamap no longtaem bifor datfala taon hem finis. Klosap long taem wea Jerusalem bae finis, olketa raoa kamap olowe, olketa war midolwan olketa politik grup bilong olketa Jew, and olketa killkill long samfala taon wea olketa Jew and Gentile stap. Nomata olsem, olketa Christian preachim gud nius bilong Kingdom “evriwea anda long heven.”—Colossians 1:23.
5, 6. (a) Wanem nao profesi toktok bilong Jesus wea fulfill long 66 C.E.? (b) Why nao staka pipol tumas dae taem Jerusalem finis long 70 C.E.?
5 Gogo, long 66 C.E., olketa Jew go againstim Rome. Taem Cestius Gallus leadim wanfala army for raonem Jerusalem, olketa follower bilong Jesus rememberim disfala toktok bilong hem: “Taem iufala lukim olketa army camp raonem Jerusalem, then iufala mas savve end bilong hem klosap for kam nao. Then olketa long Judea mas start for ranawe go long olketa maunten, and olketa wea stap insaed mas go aot from hem, and olketa wea stap aotsaed mas no go insaed long hem.” (Luke 21:20, 21) Hem taem nao for olketa lusim Jerusalem—bat hao? Seknomoa, Gallus tanem bak army bilong hem and diswan openem wei for olketa Christian long Jerusalem and Judea for obeyim toktok bilong Jesus and ranawe go long olketa maunten.—Matthew 24:15, 16.
6 Fofala year bihaen, klosap long taem bilong Passover, General Titus wea laek for finisim wei wea olketa Jew againstim Rome, kam bak witim army bilong hem. Army bilong hem raonem Jerusalem and buildim “strongfala fence witim sharpfala stik,” mekem no eniwan savve ranawe. (Luke 19:43, 44) Nomata olketa stap long danger from war, staka Jew from evriwea long Roman Empire kam finis long Jerusalem for celebratem Passover. Olketa no wei nao. Josephus talem hao big haf long olketa wea dae long hand bilong Rome, hem olketa visitor hia.a Gogo, taem Jerusalem hem finis, wanfala long evri sevenfala Jew insaed Roman Empire dae. Taem Jerusalem and temple bilong hem distroe, datwan finisim tu gavman bilong olketa Jew and system bilong religion bilong olketa wea garem faondeson long Law Bilong Moses.b—Mark 13:1, 2.
7. Why nao olketa faithful Christian stap laef taem Jerusalem finis evribit?
7 Long 70 C.E., olketa Jew Christian savve dae or kamap slave olsem eni nara man insaed Jerusalem. Bat, history showimaot hao olketa followim warning wea Jesus givim 37 year bifor. Olketa lusim datfala taon finis and no kam bak.
Warning From Olketa Aposol Long Barava Taem
8. Peter luksavve long wanem need, and luk olsem hem tingim wanem toktok bilong Jesus?
8 Distaem, wanfala wei for distroe wea big winim datwan and wea bae finisim disfala full system hem klosap for kam. Sixfala year bifor Jerusalem hem finis, aposol Peter givim important kaonsel wea barava fitim olketa Christian distaem: Stap redy! Peter luksavve hao olketa Christian need for wekapem “kliafala tingting” bilong olketa mekem olketa no ting nating long “komandment bilong Lord,” Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:1, 2) Taem hem encouragem olketa Christian for stap redy, luk olsem Peter tingim samting wea Jesus talem olketa aposol bilong Hem tu-thri day bifor Hem dae: “Go ahed for lukluk, go ahed for wekap, from iufala no savve long taem wea set finis.”—Mark 13:33.
9. (a) Samfala bae garem wanem kaen tingting wea danger tumas? (b) Why nao fasin for daot hem barava danger samting?
9 Distaem, samfala mekfani and ask: “Wea nao disfala taem wea hem promisim hem bae stap moa?” (2 Peter 3:3, 4) Luk olsem olketa hia tingse no eni samting hem change bat evriting hem go ahed semsem nomoa, olsem from taem God start for wakem world. Fasin for daot olsem hem danger samting. Olketa daot savve spoelem feeling bilong iumi for hariap, and leadim iumi for satisfaem seleva nomoa. (Luke 21:34) And tu, olsem Peter talem, olketa wea mekfani olsem forgetim Flood long taem bilong Noah, wea distroem world bilong datfala taem. Long datfala taem, world hem barava change!—Genesis 6:13, 17; 2 Peter 3:4-5, 6.
10. Wanem toktok nao Peter talem for encouragem olketa wea maet lusim patient fasin?
10 Peter laek helpem olketa wea readim leta bilong hem for mekem grow patient fasin taem hem remindim olketa why planti taem God no duim samting stretawe. First samting wea Peter talem hem: “Wanfala day long Jehovah hem olsem wanfala thousand year and wanfala thousand year hem olsem wanfala day.” (2 Peter 3:8) From Jehovah hem stap for olowe, hem savve tingim evri samting and chusim best taem for duim samting. Then, Peter talem hao Jehovah laekem pipol evriwea for repent. Patient fasin bilong God minim salvation for planti pipol wea bae dae sapos hem duim samting kwiktaem. (1 Timothy 2:3, 4; 2 Peter 3:9) Nomata olsem, patient fasin bilong Jehovah no minim hem bae nating duim samting. Peter hem sei: “Day bilong Jehovah bae kam olsem man for steal.”—2 Peter 3:10.
11. Wanem nao bae helpem iumi for stap wekap long spiritual wei, and hao nao diswan savve mekem day bilong Jehovah kam ‘moa fast’?
11 Wei wea Peter markem day bilong Jehovah witim man for steal hem barava fitim. Hem no isi for kasholem man for steal, bat maet hem moa isi for wanfala security gard wea stap wekap for full naet for lukim man for steal winim security gard wea sleep samfala taem. Hao nao wanfala security gard savve stap wekap? Hem moa isi for hem sapos hem wakabaot raonem area winim wei for sidaon full naet. Long sem wei, for busy witim olketa spiritual samting bae helpem iumi olketa Christian for stap wekap. Dastawe Peter encouragem iumi for go ahed busy long “holy fasin and waka wea showimaot fasin for lovem God.” (2 Peter 3:11) Waka olsem bae helpem iumi for go ahed for “tingting evritaem day bilong Jehovah wea bae kam.” Greek word wea olketa transleitim “tingting evritaem” savve minim “for muv moa fast.” (2 Peter 3:12; footnote) Tru nao, iumi no savve changem taem wea Jehovah markem for samting. Day bilong hem bae kam long taem wea hem markem finis. Bat distaem go kasem datfala taem bae go pas kwiktaem sapos iumi busy long service bilong hem.—1 Corinthians 15:58.
12. Hao nao iumi wanwan savve kasem gud samting from patient fasin bilong Jehovah?
12 So, eniwan wea feel olsem day bilong Jehovah hem delay kasem encouragement for followim kaonsel bilong Peter for weit long patient wei for taem wea Jehovah markem. Tru nao, iumi savve iusim long wisefala wei extra taem wea iumi kasem from patient fasin bilong God. Olsem example, iumi savve go ahed for mekem grow olketa important Christian fasin and tu sharem gud nius witim moa pipol. Sapos iumi stap wekap, Jehovah bae lukim iumi “klin and no dirty, and long peace” long end bilong disfala system. (2 Peter 3:14, 15) Datwan bae wanfala barava blessing!
13. Wanem toktok wea Paul talem for olketa Christian long Thessalonica hem barava fitim distaem?
13 Long first leta bilong hem for olketa Christian long Thessalonica, Paul tu storyim disfala need for stap wekap. Hem givim kaonsel olsem: “Iumi mas no sleep olsem olketa narawan, bat iumi mas stap wekap and keepim gudfala tingting.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 6) Distaem, from full system bilong world hem klosap for finis, iumi barava need for duim datwan! Olketa wea worshipim Jehovah stap insaed world wea fulap witim pipol wea no interest long olketa spiritual samting, and diswan savve affectim olketa. Dastawe, Paul hem givim kaonsel: “Iumi mas keepim gudfala tingting and werem breastplate bilong faith and love and olsem helmet disfala hope bilong salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8) Wei for evritaem studyim Word bilong God and hipap witim olketa brata long olketa meeting bae helpem iumi for followim kaonsel bilong Paul for no lusim disfala feeling for hariap.—Matthew 16:1-3.
Planti Million Go Ahed for Luk Aot
14. Namba bilong wanem samting showimaot planti distaem followim kaonsel bilong Peter for stap wekap?
14 Waswe, samfala distaem followim datfala encouragement for stap redy? Yes. Long 2002 service year, peak bilong 6,304,645 pablisa—wea hem 3.1-percent increase winim 2001—showimaot olketa stap wekap long spiritual wei taem olketa spendem 1,202,381,302 hour for story witim nara pipol abaotem Kingdom bilong God. Disfala waka hem no samting nating long olketa. Hem barava important part long laef bilong olketa. Planti long olketa garem sem tingting olsem Eduardo and Noemi long El Salvador.
15. Wanem experience from El Salvador showimaot planti stap wekap long spiritual wei?
15 Samfala year bifor, Eduardo and Noemi tingting strong long disfala toktok bilong Paul: “Wei bilong disfala world hem go ahed for change.” (1 Corinthians 7:31) Tufala mekem living bilong olketa moa simpol and join insaed full-taem pioneer ministry. Gogo, olketa kasem planti blessing and share for duim circuit and distrik waka tu. Nomata tufala feisim samfala bigfala problem, Eduardo and Noemi barava biliv hao olketa mekem stretfala disison taem olketa lusim olketa material samting for kasem privilege for duim full-taem service. Planti long 29,269 pablisa—and 2,454 pioneer—long El Salvador showimaot sem kaen spirit for sakrifaesim seleva, and hem nao wanfala reason why datfala kantri garem 2-percent increase long namba bilong olketa pablisa last year.
16. Wanem nao tingting bilong wanfala young brata long Côte d’Ivoire?
16 Long Côte d’Ivoire, wanfala young Christian man wea raet long branch office garem semkaen tingting: “Mi serve olsem wanfala ministerial servant. Bat mi hard for talem olketa brata for pioneer taem miseleva no showimaot gudfala example. So mi lusim gudfala waka bilong mi and distaem mi waka for miseleva wea minim mi garem moa taem for ministry.” Disfala young man hem kamap wanfala long 983 pioneer wea serve long Côte d’Ivoire, wea garem 6,701 pablisa last year, wea hem increase bilong 5 percent.
17. Hao nao wanfala young Witness long Belgium showimaot hem no fraetem wei wea samfala judgem iumi?
17 Long Belgium, wei wea pipol no acceptim, againstim and judgem 24,961 Kingdom pablisa long there, go ahed for kosim samfala problem for olketa. Nomata olsem, olketa strong and no fraet. Taem wanfala Witness girl wea 16 year herem olketa kolem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wanfala sect insaed wanfala class abaotem olketa biliv long skul, hem askem teacher for letem hem storyim tingting bilong olketa Witness abaotem datwan. Taem hem iusim datfala video Jehovah’s Witnesses—The Organization Behind the Name and datfala brochure Jehovah’s Witnesses—Who Are They?, hem fit for explainim hu nao olketa Witness. Evriwan tinghae long information and week bihaen olketa student kasem test wea evri kwestin insaed hem abaotem Christian religion bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.
18. Wanem pruv showimaot olketa problem saed long selen no pullim tingting bilong olketa pablisa long Argentina and Mozambique long nara samting?
18 Planti Christian feisim olketa serious problem long olketa last day distaem. Nomata olsem, olketa trae for no letem samting olsem for pullim tingting bilong olketa. Nomata Argentina kasem olketa problem saed long selen, olketa garem niu peak bilong 126,709 Witness last year. Poor living hem go ahed long evri part bilong Mozambique. Nomata olsem, 37,563 share long waka for givim witness, wea hem increase bilong 4 percent. Laef hem hard for planti pipol long Albania, bat datfala kantri garem nambawan increase bilong 12 percent, and kasem peak bilong 2,708 pablisa. Hem klia tumas, olketa hard samting no savve stopem spirit bilong Jehovah taem olketa servant bilong hem putim samting bilong Kingdom firstaem.—Matthew 6:33.
19. (a) Wanem nao pruvim planti pipol stap yet wea olsem sheep and wea hangre for Bible truth? (b) Wanem nao samfala nara samting long annual report wea showimaot olketa servant bilong Jehovah stap wekap long spiritual wei? (Lukim chart long page 12-15.)
19 Report bilong 5,309,289 Bible study wea kamap evri month raonem world last year showimaot planti pipol stap wea olsem sheep and wea hangre for Bible truth. Insaed datfala niu peak bilong 15,597,746 wea attendim Memorial, big haf no servem Jehovah yet. Iumi hope olketa bae go ahed for grow long savve and love, for Jehovah and olketa brata raonem world. Iumi hapi for lukim datfala “big crowd” bilong “nara sheep” go ahed for hipimap pipol taem olketa servem Creator “day and naet long temple bilong hem” witim olketa brata bilong olketa wea spirit anointim.—Revelation 7:9, 15; John 10:16.
Leson From Lot
20. Wanem nao iumi lanem from example bilong Lot and waef bilong hem?
20 Hem tru, nomata olketa faithful servant bilong God olketa savve lusim feeling for hariap for lelebet taem. Tingim Lot, son bilong brata bilong Abraham. Tufala angel talem hem hao klosap God bae distroem Sodom and Gomorrah. Disfala nius no mekem Lot sapraes from hem “feel nogud tumas long olabaot fasin bilong olketa pipol wea brekem law.” (2 Peter 2:7) Nomata olsem, taem tufala angel kam for leadim hem go aot from Sodom, hem “go ahed for delay.” Olketa angel hia klosap need for forcem hem and famili bilong hem aot from datfala taon. Bihaen, waef bilong Lot no followim warning bilong olketa angel for no luk bihaenem hem. From hem no ting strong long datfala warning, hem dae. (Genesis 19:14-17, 26) Jesus warnim iumi: “No forgetim waef bilong Lot.”—Luke 17:32.
21. Why nao hem moa important distaem winim enitaem bifor for stap wekap?
21 Datfala nogud samting wea happen long Pompeii and Herculaneum and samting wea happen taem Jerusalem hem finis evribit, and tu, olketa example bilong Lot and Flood long taem bilong Noah, showimaot hao hem barava important for ting strong long olketa warning. Iumi olketa servant bilong Jehovah luksavve long saen wea markem taem bilong end. (Matthew 24:3) Iumi stap separate finis from false religion. (Revelation 18:4) Olsem olketa Christian long first century, iumi mas “tingting evritaem day bilong Jehovah wea bae kam.” (2 Peter 3:12) Distaem, winim enitaem bifor, iumi mas stap wekap! Wanem nao iumiseleva savve duim, and olketa wanem fasin nao iumi savve mekem grow for helpem iumi stap wekap? Nextfala article bae storyim olketa samting hia.
[Olketa Footnote]
a Luk olsem population bilong Jerusalem long first century hem no winim 120,000 pipol. Eusebius tingse 300,000 pipol from province bilong Judea travel kam long Jerusalem for Passover long 70 C.E. Olketa narawan wea dae mas kam from olketa nara ples long datfala empire.
b Bat, long tingting bilong Jehovah, niu covenant changem Law Bilong Moses long 33 C.E.—Ephesians 2:15.
Hao Nao Bae Iu Ansa?
• Wanem nao happen wea givim chance for olketa Jew Christian ranawe taem Jerusalem hem finis evribit?
• Hao nao kaonsel wea aposol Peter and Paul raetem helpem iumi for stap wekap?
• Hu nao showimaot olketa stap wekap evribit distaem?
• Wanem nao leson wea iumi lanem from samting wea kasem Lot and waef bilong hem?
[Piksa long page 9]
Long 66 C.E., Christian community long Jerusalem followim warning bilong Jesus
[Olketa Piksa long page 10]
For go ahed busy savve helpem olketa Christian for stap wekap