Chapter 20
‘Omncinane Uba Luhlanga Olunamandla’
1. (a) Ngokubhekisele kumlinganiselo wokwanda kwabanquli bokwenyaniso, yintoni uYehova awayixela kwangaphambili? (b) Ngokwenene ngubani obangela oku, yaye njani?
ABO banqula uYehova kudala bembalwa xa bethelekiswa nabemi balo lonke uluntu. Kodwa kumhla wethu inani labo liyanda ngomlinganiselo ovuyisayo kubathandi bobulungisa. Ngokubhekisele kubukhulu bolwando, uYehova waxela oku kwangaphambili: “Omncinanana uya kuba liwaka, noweyeleyo [omncinane, NW] abe luhlanga olunamandla. Mna, Yehova, ndiya kukukhawulezisa oko ngexesha lako oko.” (Isaya 60:22) Njengokuba esi sibhalo sichaza, nguYehova obangela oku. Njani? Ngokuthi phakathi kwabakhonzi bakhe abangele kubekho imeko ebenza bahluke ngokupheleleyo kumaqela eentlanga ezibangqongileyo nethi ibatsale ngamandla abaneentliziyo ezinyanisekileyo.
2. (a) UIsaya 60:1, 2 ubhekiswa kubani? (b) “Ubuqaqawuli bukaYehova” benziwa bakhanya ngayiphi indlela kuye? (c) Intsalela ‘ikhanyise’ njani?
2 Oku kwaxelwa kwangaphambili kuIsaya 60:1, 2, apho uYehova athetha ebhekisa ‘kumfazi’ wakhe, oyintlangano yakhe ebunjwe zizidalwa zakhe ezinyanisekileyo eziyimimoya noonyana bakhe basemhlabeni abazelwe ngomoya, esithi: “Suk’ ume ukhanye, [wena mfazi, NW], kuba kufikile ukukhanya kwakho, nobuqaqawuli bukaYehova buthe chapha kuwe. Ngokuba, uyabona, ubumnyama buwugubungele umhlaba, isithokothoko sizigubungele izizwe; ke kuwe uYehova uthe chapha, ubuqaqawuli bakhe bubonakele phezu kwakho.” Isiseko salo mahluko yaba kukuzalwa koBukumkani obungoMesiya nobalawulwa nguYesu Kristu ngowe-1914. Ngoko kwakhanya ‘ubuqaqawuli bukaYehova’ kwintlangano yakhe yasezulwini, eyazala uBukumkani. Kwakukho unobangela wovuyo olukhulu phakathi kwabo. (ISityhilelo 12:1, 2, 5, 10-12) Ibe emhlabeni intsalela ethanjisiweyo yeendlalifa zoBukumkani nayo yavuya. Ukususela ngowe-1919, ‘yakhanyisa’ njengokuba yayiqalisa umsebenzi wokuvakalisa uBukumkani bukaThixo zwenibanzi njengethemba lokwenene nekuphela kwalo eluntwini.—1 Petros 2:9; Mateyu 5:14-16.
3. (a) Kutheni, ingakumbi ukususela ngowe-1914, ‘ubumnyama buye bagubungela umhlaba’? (b) Siyintoni isicombululo sokwenene ekuphela kwaso esikhoyo?
3 Ngokuchasene noko, ngowe-1914 amaqela eentlanga zehlabathi, esilwela ukulondoloza ulongamo lwawo, angena kwixesha logonyamelo nokunganqabiseki athe akaphuma kulo. Ukususela ngoko ukuxengaxenga kwezinto kubangele abaninzi baqonda ukuba, phezu kwayo nje “inkqubela yenzululwazi,” abanakamva linqabisekileyo abamele bakhangele kulo. Ngokwenyaniso, ‘ubumnyama bugubungela umhlaba.’ Kutheni bengenakufumana ndlela yakuphuma nje? Kungenxa yokuba iintlanga zimcekisile uYehova njengoMongami. Eyona nto yeyokuba, abalawuli abambalwa banikela inkonzo yohanahaniso ‘kuThixo’ ogama lakhe bangaze balisebenzise. Bazimisele ukuzenzela ngokwabo izinto, kodwa iingxaki abajongana nazo azinakuconjululwa mntu. (Yeremiya 8:9; INdumiso 146:3-6) Ihlabathi elikhoyo, nokubawa nokonakala kwalo, lingene ‘kwimihla yalo yokugqibela.’ Ayikho indlela elinokusinda ngayo kwintshabalalo eliyilindeleyo. Kuphela ngabantu abanokholo olupheleleyo kuBukumkani bukaThixo abanokukhangela kwikamva ngentembelo. Abantu abaninzi abaneentliziyo ezinyanisekileyo bayakuqonda oku ibe banxulumana ngenkuthalo namaNgqina kaYehova, angathethi nje kuphela ngoBukumkani kodwa akwathi ngokunyanisekileyo azabalazele ukuphila ngokuvisisana noko akushumayelayo.
‘OMNCINANANA UBA LIWAKA’
4. Ngokuzalisekisa uIsaya 60:4, nguwuphi umsebenzi wokuhlanganisa owanikelwa ingqalelo yokuqala?
4 Xa yaphelayo iMfazwe Yehlabathi I, ukuhlanganiswa kweendlalifa zoBukumkani kwakungekagqitywa. Kwakusekho “oonyana” “neentombi” ezingakumbi zeYerusalem yasezulwini ezazifuneka ukuze zilenze liphelele i-144 000 elaxelwa kwangaphambili nelaliya kulawula noKristu ezulwini. Phofu ke, uYehova wakuxela kwangaphambili ukugqitywa kwalo msebenzi, esithi: “Phakamisa amehlo akho ngeenxa zonke, ubone; bonke bephela bayahlanganisana, baza kuwe; oonyana bakho bavela kude, neentombi zakho zibelekwe ephangweni.” (Isaya 60:4) Ngenxa yokuvakaliswa koBukumkani okwenziwa ukususela kowe-1919 nasemva kwawo, amawaka angakumbi azahlulele kuYehova, abhaptizwa aza athanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele. Noko ke, lonke eli qela leendlalifa zoBukumkani kwathethwa ngalo nguYesu ‘njengelingumhlambi omncinane’ kuphela. (Luka 12:32) Ukuze kuzalisekiswe oko kwaxelwa kwangaphambili kuIsaya 60:22, ngokuqinisekileyo kwakuza kubakho abangakumbi ababeza kuhlanganiselwa kunqulo lokwenyaniso. Oko kube njalo ngokwenene!
5. Umthombo wolwando olungakumbi ukufanele njani okuchazwe kuIsaya 55:5?
5 KuIsaya 55:5 kuthethwa ngabo ngale ndlela: “Yabona, uya kubiza uhlanga ongalwaziyo, uhlanga olungakwaziyo wena lugidimele kuwe, ngenxa kaYehova uThixo wakho, ngenxa yoyiNgcwele kaSirayeli, kuba ekuhombisile.” Aba ngabantu abavela ngaphandle kuSirayeli wokomoya. Bavela kwiintlanga ezininzi kodwa baba ngabantu abamanyeneyo, bonke bebuxhasa ngokunyanisekileyo uBukumkani bukaThixo. ‘Baluhlanga’ intsalela yoSirayeli wokomoya ‘eyayingalwazi’ ngoko ngokwendlela eyayiziqonda ngayo iZibhalo, yaye naba bantu babekade bengagqalwa ngokufanelekileyo ngabakhonzi bakaThixo. Kodwa ngenxa yokushunyayelwa kweendaba ezilungileyo, baba nomdla kuba bayaqonda ukuba la maSirayeli okomoya anqula uThixo oyinyaniso nangenxa yokuba kuwo babona ubuhle bokomoya obunokuphumela kuphela kwintsikelelo kaThixo.
6. Isigidimi soBukumkani siphunyezwa kangakanani, yaye ngayiphi imiphumo evuyisayo?
6 Phezu kwako konke oko uSathana akwenzileyo ukuthintela ukushunyayelwa kwesigidimi soBukumkani nokususa ingqalelo yabantu ayise kwezinye izinto, ukukhanya kwenyaniso kuyaqhubeka kufikelela kwaneendawo ezikude zomhlaba. Umphumo ube njengoko uThixo kwakudala wathi ngokuprofetayo ‘kumfazi’ wakhe: “Uya kwandula ukubona ukhazimle, inkwantye yande intliziyo yakho; ngokuba iya kuguqulelwa kuwe intabalala yolwandle, ubutyebi beentlanga buya kuza kuwe. . . . beshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zeendumiso zikaYehova.” (Isaya 60:5, 6) Ewe, “isihlwele esikhulu” sabantu ababekhe bayinxalenye ‘yolwandle’ loluntu olutyekileyo kuThixo, abantu abanobomi obabenziwe mnyama ‘sisithokothoko’ esigubungele iintlanga, baye bathelela uSirayeli wokomoya. Emehlweni kaThixo, aba ngokwenyaniso bangabantu abaxabisekileyo abavela kuzo zonke iintlanga.
7. Ngendlela oluxelwe kwangaphambili ngayo ulwando, uYehova ukubonisa njani okuxabiseke ngokwenyaniso emehlweni akhe?
7 Ngexesha lokwakhiwa kwakhona kwetempile kaYehova eYerusalem, washukumisa umprofeti wakhe uHagayi ukuba avakalise oku: “Ndizinyikimise zonke iintlanga, zifike izinto ezinqwenelekayo zeentlanga zonke, ndiyizalise le ndlu ngobuqaqawuli; utsho uYehova wemikhosi.” (Hagayi 2:7) Oko kunyikimiswa nokuzanyazanyiswa kweentlanga ekugqibeleni kukhokelela ekutshatyalalisweni kwazo, kodwa ngaphambi kokuba oko kwenzeke “izinto ezinqwenelekayo zeentlanga zonke” zimele zihlanganiswe phakathi kwazo zize ziziswe kwitempile kaYehova enkulu yokomoya, indlu yokunqulwa kwakhe yendalo iphela. Apha baya kufumana inkuseleko xa eli hlabathi libhujiswa. Ngabanquli abaphile ngolo hlobo abaxabisekileyo kuYehova. Ubutyebi babo obuphathekayo asinto ayifunayo. (Mika 6:6-8) Into eyiyeyona ixabisekileyo nabamele bayinikele kuYehova lunqulo lwabo abalwenza ngomphefumlo uphela. Beza neminikelo yokuzinikela ngentliziyo neyenkonzo yenzondelelo, bonke ‘beshumayela iindumiso zikaYehova.’ Olunjani uvuyo oluziswe kukubonakala kwabo kubakhonzi bakaYehova abanyanisekileyo abasezulwini nabasemhlabeni!
8. Ziziphi iimbonakaliso iBhayibhile ezinikelayo ngokubhekisele kumlinganiselo wokuhlanganiswa kwabaza kuba ziindlalifa zasemhlabeni zoBukumkani?
8 Bangaphi aba banquli bakaYehova abathanda ithemba lobomi kumhlaba oyiParadisi abaya kubakho? IBhayibhile ayichazi nani. Ichaza nje ngokuthi ngabantu abaninzi abavela kuzo zonke iintlanga abaya kusebenzisa amalungiselelo kaYehova othando. Noko ke, imbonakaliso yoko simele sikulindele, ifunyanwa kuIsaya 60:8, ebachaza njengamavukuthu ‘abaleka njengelifu’—ilifu eliwenza mnyama ngokupheleleyo umhlaba ongaphantsi. Oku kubonisa ukuhamba kwenginginya yabantu ngexesha elifutshane. Ngokubhekisele kulo Mmbo nomXesibe wabanquli bakaYehova, kwaxelwa kwangaphambili ukuba, “omncinanana” woSirayeli wokomoya wayeya “kuba liwaka, noweyeleyo [omncinane, NW] abe luhlanga olunamandla,” ibe uYehova wathi wayeya “kukukhawulezisa oko ngexesha lako.” (Isaya 60:22) Ngaba oko kuchaza okuye kwenzeka ngenene?
9. Ulwando olunjalo luqhubeke ukusa kuwuphi umlinganiselo ukususela ngowe-1935?
9 Emva kwemfazwe yehlabathi yokuqala babe mbalwa gqitha ababe nesabelo ngokukhutheleyo ekunikeleni ubungqina basekuhleni obungoBukumkani. Kwathi kusiba ngowe-1935 kwabe kukho isimbuku sabangaphantsi kwama-60 000 zwenibanzi. Ngowe-1941 inani labavakalisi boBukumkani latsho ngaphaya kwe-100 000. Kwathi kusiba ngowe-1953, kwabe kukho abangaphezu kwama-500 000. Kwiminyaka elishumi kamva baba sisigidi. Kwathi kusiba sekuqalekeni kowe-1984, kwabe kukho i-2 652 323. Ngokwesilinganiselo, banikela iiyure ezingaphezulu lee kwisigidi ngosuku ukubonisa abanye isizathu sokuba kuphela ibuBukumkani bukaThixo obunikela ithemba lokwenene lekamva. Xa kuthelekiswa neli nani labantu, abangamaNgqina kaYehova, abanikela ubungqina bokuba bangabalawulwa boBukumkani bukaYehova obungoMesiya, kuyaphawuleka ukuba amazwe anokuba ngama-60 ehlabathi namhlanje ngalinye linabemi abambalwa kunolu “hlanga” lukhulayo. Noko ke, olu “hlanga” luncamisileyo, alunanxaxheba kwiipolitiki zehlabathi kodwa ngokupheleleyo lizinikele kwinkonzo yoThixo oyinyaniso.
10. (a) Ziziphi iimeko ezenza olu lwando lube ngummangaliso emehlweni ethu? (b) Yintoni ebonisa ukuba kuseza okungakumbi?
10 Ngaba lo ngumlinganiselo opheleleyo esiya kuthi esi siprofeto sizalisekiswe ngawo? Okusele kwenzekile kwanele ukufanela ingcaciso yeBhayibhile. Yaye kwakhona kuyamangalisa, xa siqwalasela iimeko oye wenziwa phantsi kwazo lo msebenzi—imiqobo eyoyiswayo, ubungqina bokwalathiswa kwawo nguThixo ukuze uphumelele, ukuzinikela okuboniswe ngabo banesabelo kuwo. Enye into emangalisayo, ziinguqulelo oye wazivelisa kubomi babantu. Kodwa ukwanda kwabantu abathi ngokuphandle beme ngakwicala likaYehova akunqumami, ibe kungahambi nakancinane. Ebudeni beminyaka yakutshanje, ngokwesilinganiselo, bekukho abantu abangaphezulu kuhle kwi-10 000 nyanga nganye abebezinikela ukuba bantywiliselwe emanzini, ibe eli nani belikhula nyaka ngamnye. Bonke aba, ngokuphila ngokuvisisana noko kufuziselwa lubhaptizo lwabo, basenokuba nethemba eliqinisekisiweyo lokusindela ‘kumhlaba omtsha.’
11. (a) IBhayibhile ibonisa njani ukuba ezi zigidi ziba yinxalenye yentlangano? (b) Iyintoni injongo eyintloko yaloo ntlangano?
11 Ezi zigidi zabantu abangobafundi beBhayibhile nje abazimeleyo, ngamnye ekhonza uThixo ngendlela eyiyakhe. Bangabantu abathi ngokuthobekileyo babe yinxalenye yentlangano kaYehova ebonakalayo. Njengokuba sesibonile, kwaqala ‘kwahlanganiswa’ iindlalifa zoBukumkani. Ngoku ‘kwezi ndlalifa kuza’ abanye abavela ezintlangeni, abanethemba lobomi basemhlabeni. (Isaya 60:4, 5) Baye baba ‘ngumhlambi omnye’ omanyeneyo phantsi ‘komalusi omnye,’ uYesu Kristu. (Yohane 10:16) Umpostile uPetros wawachaza amaKristu okwenyaniso ‘njengabazalwana’ bazwenibanzi, ibe uPawulos wawabongoza ukuba angazikhethi kodwa ‘ahlanganisane,’ yaye enjenjalo ngokungakumbi njengokuba imini yokuphunyezwa komgwebo wobuthixo isondela. (1 Petros 5:9; Hebhere 10:23-25) Ngaloo ndlela bayomelezwa baze baxhotyiselwe ukuba nesabelo kwinjongo ezukileyo le ntlangano ekholo yona. Yaye iyintoni loo njongo? Ikukuzukiswa kwegama likaYehova.—1 Petros 2:9; Isaya 12:4, 5.
UMSEBENZI OMELE WENZIWE
12. (a) UYesu wawubonisa njani umsebenzi thina sonke esimele sibe nesabelo kuwo? (b) Ubaluleke kangakanani, yaye ngoba?
12 Bonke abo banxulumana nentlangano kaYehova baye baqonde ngokukhawuleza ukuba abo bakuyo bangabasebenzi. Ngokuxelisa uYesu Kristu bonke bangabashumayeli abakhutheleyo boBukumkani bukaThixo, obuyindlela eliya kuthi igama likaYehova lithethelelwe ngayo. UYesu wathi: “Ndimelwe kukuba ndizishumayele iindaba ezilungileyo zobukumkani bukaThixo . . . ngokuba ndithunywe oko.” (Luka 4:43) Wathetha ngokunyanisekileyo ngemfuneko yokuba abanye bakhele ubomi babo ekwenzeni ukuthanda kukaThixo. Wabafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukwenza umsebenzi ofanayo awayewenza. Ethetha ngexesha esiphila kulo, waxela kwangaphambili ukuba “ezi ndaba zilungileyo zobukumkani” zaziya “kuvakaliswa kulo elimiweyo liphela, zibe bubungqina kuzo zonke iintlanga.” (Mateyu 24:14) Lo ngowona msebenzi ubalulekileyo nabani na wethu anokuwenza namhlanje. Kutheni kunjalo nje? Kungenxa yokuba ngawo sithi siphakamise ulongamo olufanelekileyo lukaYehova uThixo, yonke indalo exhomekeke kulo. Ngokuba nesabelo ngentliziyo iphela kulo msebenzi, sibonakalisa ukuba siyaluxabisa ubabalo olukhulu lukaYehova. Kwakhona sinceda abantu abangoowethu ukuba bafumane ekuphela kwamalungiselelo ekunokuthi ngawo kube nokwenzeka ngabo ukuba basinde kwimbandezelo enkulu esondelayo.—Thelekisa eyoku-1 kuTimoti 4:15, 16.
13. (a) KuIsaya 60:17, yiyiphi imeko eyaxelwa kwangaphambili ngentlangano kaYehova? (b) Yintoni esimele siyenze ukuze sikubone ngokupheleleyo oko? (c) Ngawaphi amathemba abanawo abo bakwenzayo oko?
13 Iimeko abazifumana bekuzo kwintlangano kaYehova zifudumez’ iintliziyo zabo. Kunjengokuba uYehova waxela kwangaphambili oku ngoIsaya: “Isiveleli sakho ndisenze uxolo, abaphathi bakho ndibenze ubulungisa.” (Isaya 60:17) Uxolo olwesameleyo aluyongcamango nje kodwa luyinto yokwenene, lusisiqhamo somoya kaThixo. Oku akuthethi ukuba ubani olo xolo ulufumana ngokupheleleyo ngenxa nje yokuba enxulumana nentlangano. Ngokobuqu umele ‘asukele izinto zoxolo, nezinto zokwakhana.’ (Roma 14:19) Kufuneka afunde ukubonakalisa ubulumko bokuhlonel’ uThixo ekuhlangabezaneni nokungafezeki kwabanye, ukuze anikele ubungqina bokuzeka kade umsindo nokuzeyisa, ukuze axolele abanye kwanjengokuba efuna uThixo amxolele. Ewe, kwakhona umele ‘enze uxolo.’ (Yakobi 3:17, 18; Galati 5:22, 23; Kolose 3:12-14) Abo bathi benjenjalo bafumana uvuyo olukhulu ekubeni yinxalenye ‘yohlanga olunamandla’ ngoku olukhulayo noluzinikele kwinkonzo kaYehova, “uThixo owonwabileyo.” (1 Timoti 1:11, NW) Ngamalungu olu “hlanga” aya kulondolozwa xa uYehova ephumeza umgwebo nxamnye nehlabathi lonke elizithoba kuSathana njengomlawuli walo.