Ukunqulwa KukaSathana Kwixesha Lethu
AKUTHANDABUZEKI ukuba uSathana ufuna ukunqulwa. Xa wayelinga uYesu, wamthembisa ukumnika umvuzo omkhulu kakhulu ngenxa nje yento enye eyile: “Ukuba uthe wawa phantsi, waqubuda kum.” (Mateyu 4:9) Kambe ke, uYesu wala, kodwa asinguye wonk’ ubani oye walandela umzekelo wakhe. Ukunqulwa kukaSathana kusasazekile kwihlabathi lethu lanamhlanje.
Ngokomzekelo, eKhanada iThe Calgary Herald yaba nongcelele lwamanqaku phantsi komxholo othi “Abafundi bakaMtyholi.” Eli phepha lacaphula ingxelo yepolisa elingumphengululi, lisithi: “Ngodliwano-ndlebe endiye ndalwenza ndiye ndafumanisa ukuba ukunqula uSathana akupheleliselwanga kulo naliphi na iqela elithile ebuthweni. Inkcazelo eyafunyanwa ngamaPolisa aseCalgary namaPolisa Asebukhosini eKhanada ityhila ukuba eCalgary kuphela kucingelwa ukuba kukho abantu abangama-5 000 abanqula uSathana.”
Ezinye iingxelo zamaphephandaba zibonisa ukuba ukunqulwa kukaSathana, ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo, kufikelela kwelaseUnited States naseYurophu. Kwanamapolisa abonisa umdla ekunquleni uSathana. Ngoba? Kuba kwizinto ezininzi afumana ukudibana phakathi kolwaphulo-mthetho nonqulo lobusathana. Kutshanje, kuye kwacatshulwa amazwi elinye ipolisa elingumcuphi athi: “Into esithetha ngayo lunqulo nabantu abakholelwa kulo njengokuba abanye bekholelwa kubuKristu, abanye kubuYuda okanye kubuSilamsi. Oko ukubonayo asilolwaphulo-mthetho olubangelwa lulwaphulo-mthetho, kodwa lulwaphulo-mthetho olubangelwa lunqulo.”
Omnye umzekelo obalaseleyo kukubulala okwakusenziwa liqela likaManson eCalifornia emva phayaa ngowe-1969. Ngokutsho kwenjingalwazi yezembali uJeffrey Russell, “UManson wazibanga enguKristu ekwanguye noSathana. . . . Umlandeli kaManson uTex Watson, wavakalisa oku xa weza kubulala uSharon Tate, ‘Ndingumtyholi; ndilapha ukuza kwenza umsebenzi kaMtyholi.’” Kodwa ukunqula uSathana akusoloko kubonakala ngolu hlobo.
Ubugqwirha, Ukukhafula, Nobugqi
Eneneni, ukunqula uSathana akupheleliselwanga ekumnquleni ngokuthe ngqo ngegama. Umpostile uPawulos walumkisa wathi: “Amadini eziwenzayo iintlanga, ziwenzela iidemon.” (1 Korinte 10:20) Yaye ukunqula iidemon ngokwenene kuyafana nokunqula uSathana, ekubeni uSathana ebizwa ngokuba ‘ngumphathi weedemon.’ (Marko 3:22) Luluphi uqheliselo ‘lweentlanga’ olunokuchazwa njengonqulo lweedemon, okanye unqulo lukaSathana? Amazwi kaThixo kuSirayeli asinika eminye yemizekelo yalo xa esithi: ‘Maze kungafunyanwa namnye kuwe ovumisayo, nolitola, nohlaba izihlabo, nokhafulayo, nobopha ngomabophe, nobuza koneshologu, nosiyazi, noquqela kwabafileyo. Kuba balisikizi kuYehova bonke abenza ezo zinto.’—Duteronomi 18:10-12.
Ngaloo ndlela, siyalunyukiswa nxamnye nokubingelela ngegazi nokunxibelelana nelemimoya okwenziwa ngabefundisi bevoodoo eBrazil okanye ngeehoungans neemambos zaseHaiti. Yaye silunyukiswa nxamnye noqheliselo olufanayo lweSanteria, oluqheliselwa ngabathinjwa abathile baseCuba abaseUnited States. Kwakhona, silunyukiswa nxamnye nabenzi bobugqi abazibanga benxibelelana nabafi besenzela ukufaka uloyiko kwabaphilayo.—Thelekisa eyoku-1 kaSamuweli 28:3-20.
Ubugqwirha besamele kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo zeAfrika. Ngokomzekelo, eMzantsi Afrika, amagqirha asebenzisa amandla amakhulu, yaye abantu bawajonga nzulu kakhulu. Amatyala akutshanje aye akhutshwa kumaphephandaba amayela namahlokondiba awatshisa abantu bephila ababetyholwa ngokubangela umbane ukuba ubethe aba bahlala nabo elalini! Amagqirha asekuhlaleni atyhola amaxhoba amsulwa ngezi zenzo “zingaqhelekanga” aza awabophelela emthini ukuze atshiswe. Ukukholelwa okunjalo kubugqi okanye kumlingo ngokukwanjalo kulunqulo lweedemon.
Noko ke, ubugqwirha abukho eAfrika kuphela. Ngowe-1985, uHerbert D. Dettmer, owayefumene isigwebo sokuvalelwa kwintolongo yaseVirginia, eU.S.A., wanikwa ilungelo yiNkundla yeSithili kwiSithili saseMpuma Virginia lokuba afumane impahla ukuze abe nako ukuqhelisela unqulo lwakhe entolongweni. Lwaluyintoni unqulo lwakhe? Ngokwengxelo yeNkundla, wayelilungu “leCawa yaseWicca (eyaziwa ngokubanzi njengenobugqwirha).” Ekugqibeleni, uDettmer waba nelungelo elingokwasemthethweni lokusebenzisa isulfure, ityuwa yolwandle, okanye ityuwa engenazo izibulala-ntsholongwane; amakhandlela isiqhumiso; iwotshi ekhalayo; nesambatho esimhlophe kunqulo lwakhe.
Enyanisweni, ngokwendlela izinto ezibonakala ngayo, ubugqwirha busasazekile eNtshona. Iphephandaba laseBritani iManchester Guardian Weekly lanikela le ngxelo: “Kwiminyaka emihlanu edlulileyo, bekuqikelelwa ukuba kukho amagqwirha anokuba ngama-60 000 eBritani: namhlanje [ngowe-1985] amanye amagqwirha athelekelela ukuba inani linyuke laya kutsho kuma-80 000. IPrediction, iphephancwadi lanyanga zonke lokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi nobugqi, linesilinganiselo soshicilelo sama-32 000.”
Ukunqula USathana Nomculo
UNjingalwazi Russell, kwincwadi yakhe ethi Mephistopheles—The Devil in the Modern World, utsalela ingqalelo yethu kwenye indlela ezihanjiselwa phambili ngayo iinjongo zikaSathana. Ubhala enjenje: “Ukunqula uSathana okucacileyo kuye kwaphela ngokukhawuleza emva kweyee-1970, kodwa izinto ezenziwayo zokunqula uSathana ngendlela ephuculiweyo ziye zaqhubeka zikho ngeminyaka yee-1980 ngomculo werock ‘onamandla’ othi ngamaxesh’ athile ukhuthaze ukusetyenziswa kwegama likaMtyholi nokuhlonelwa okuphawulekayo kwemilinganiselo kaSathana yenkohlakalo, iziyobisi, ububi, ukudandatheka, ukuzifica ngokugqithiseleyo, ugonyamelo, ingxolo nokudideka nokungabikho kolonwabo.”—Akekeliswe sithi.
Mhlawumbi iimvumi ezabandakanya izinto zokunqula uSathana emculweni wazo zazingakucingisisanga oko. Zisenokuba nje zazizama ukothusa abantu okanye ukuvela nento entsha. Sekunjalo, bambi kwabathabatheka msinya baye bachaphazeleka ngokunamandla kakhulu. UNjingalwazi Russell uphawula ukuba “inkqubo yobungendawo esoloko ingembi kangako iye yanemiphumo etshabalalisayo kwiingqondo ezibuthathaka. Omnye wayo uye waba kukungalawuleki okukhwankqisayo kolwaphulo-mthetho olungalindelekanga, kuquka nokonakaliswa kwabantwana nokuphathwa kakubi kwezilwanyana.”
Ityala elithile lakutshanje lothuse abemi baseNew York. Ngokwengxelo yephephandaba, inkwenkwe eneminyaka eli-14 ubudala, “eyayingenwe kakhulu luqheliselo lobuSathana” yahlaba unina wafa yaza emva koko yazibulala. Ngokwengxelo yephephancwadi iMaclean’s, umcebisi wentsapho waseKhanada wathi inani elikhulayo labakwishumi elivisayo abakhathazekileyo liyavuma ukuba uqheliselo “lweenkqubo zobusathana, lusoloko luhambisana neziyobisi neentlobo ezingakumbi ezicinelayo zomculo onamandla werock.”
Akuyonto Yamva Nje
Ngoku kukho into yamva nje exhesha abantu eUnited States ebizwa ngokuba lijelo. Ngokufuthi abantu bahlawula amakhulu-khulu eedola ukuze babe nenxaxheba kwiintlanganiso apho “ijelo,” oko kukuthi oneshologu, lizibanga (amajelo idla ngokuba ngabafazi) likunxibelelwano nomoya womntu owafa kudala. Iphephandaba lanikela ingxelo yokuba, kwimeko yelinye ijelo iinkqubo zejelo losasazo “ngamathub’ athile zisasazwa liliza likamabonwakude elinxityelelaniswe kumawaka abantu abakwizixeko ezininzi.” Olu qheliselo ngokucacileyo lukukungathobeli isiluleko seBhayibhile sokuphepha abaneshologu noosiyazi. Ngaloo ndlela, olu luhlobo lonqulo olunokuchazwa njengonqulo lweedemon. Yaye njengazo zonke iintlobo zokukhafula, lusekelwe kubuxoki bukaSathana bokuba umphefumlo womntu awufi.—INtshumayeli 9:5; Hezekile 18:4, 20.
Impembelelo KaMtyholi Kwihlabathi Elizele Yintiyo
Imeko ekhwankqisayo yoluntu kule nkulungwane yama-20 yenza ukuba sithandabuze enoba impembelelo kaSathana ayihambeli phambili kusini na. UNjingalwazi Russell uyakuchaphazela oku xa echaza esithi: “Namhlanje, ekubeni kukho amaziko ezixhobo zenyukliya ezithelekelelwa ziphindaphindwe kangangamashumi asixhenxe kunomlinganiselo ofunekayo wokubulala sonke isidalwa esiphilayo emhlabeni, ngenkani senza amalungiselelo emfazwe engayi kungenisela nabani na, naluphi na uhlanga, okanye naziphi na iingcinga zeenzululwazi kodwa eya kubulala ngokoyikekayo amawaka ezigidi zabantu. Ngawaphi la mandla asikhokelela mihla le kwindlela eyingozi ngakumbi? Ngubani oya kungenelwa ekutshatyalalisweni komhlaba ngenyukliya? Kuphela ngaloo mandla awathi kwasekuqalekeni anenkohlakalo nolunya olungenakulinganiswa athi abangela ukutshatyalaliswa kwendalo yonke.”
Angubani okanye ayintoni loo mandla? Le njingalwazi inikela impendulo yayo ngala mazwi: “UMtyholi uye wachazwa njengomoya ofuna ukutshabalalisa indalo kaThixo ukusa kumlinganiselo wamandla akhe. Ngaba amandla asiqhubela ekulweni ngezixhobo zenyukliya akanakuba ngafanayo nalawo ebesoloko ezama ukuzitshabalalisa? Kweli xesha lamanqam kumhlaba wethu, asinakukubetha ngoyaba ukuba oko kunokwenzeka.” Ngokuqinisekileyo amaKristu akakubethi ngoyaba okunokwenzeka! UYesu ngokwakhe wabonisa impembelelo enamandla kaSathana kweli hlabathi xa Wambiza ngokuba ‘ngumphathi walo eli hlabathi.’ (Yohane 12:31) Ichaza isimo sengqondo sikaSathana namhlanje, incwadi yeSityhilelo ibonisa ukuba ‘unomsindo omkhulu, esazi nje ukuba ixesha analo lincinane.’ (ISityhilelo 12:12) Ibhekisela koko uSathana azama ukukufeza kumhla wethu, kwale ncwadi inye ibonisa ukuba usebenzisa inkqubo yobudemon ukuqokelela abalawuli beli hlabathi “ukubahlanganisela emfazweni yaloo mini inkulu kaThixo, uSomandla.” (ISityhilelo 16:14) Ngoko, asinakuyikhupha engqondweni impembelelo kaSathana uMtyholi xa sizama ukufumana isizathu sokuba uluntu lulandele ikhondo lokuzitshabalalisa ngokuphambeneyo.
Umpostile uPawulos wambiza uSathana ngokuba ‘ngumphathi wegunya lesibhakabhaka, womoya lo usebenzayo ngoku kubo abangevayo,’ nangokuba ‘nguthixo weli phakade.’ (Efese 2:2; 2 Korinte 4:4) Akumangalisi ukuba abaninzi befuna ukuqonda ukuba zonke izenzo zenkohlakalo zesi sizukulwana senzululwazi “sikhanyiselweyo”—iimfazwe ezimbini zehlabathi, ukubhujiswa kohlanga eYurophu naseKampuchea, indlala ephenjelelwa zezobupolitika eAfrika, iiyantlukwano ezendeleyo zonqulo nezobuhlanga ehlabathini jikelele, intiyo, ukubulala, ukuthuthunjiswa okuqhubekayo, impembelelo yeziyobisi ebangela izaphuli-mthetho, ukukhankanya nje ezimbalwa—zazingenakuba zilandela amacebo ayintloko omoya othile onamandla, nombi otyekele ekuqhubeleni uluntu kude kuThixo yaye mhlawumbi nasekuzitshabalaliseni kwabantu zwenibanzi.
Ngoko, ungubani uSathana? Ngokwenene uzama ntoni? Thina njengabantu ngabanye sinokwenza ntoni malunga nale nto? Siyakumema ukuba uqwalasele ingxubusho yale mibuzo kumanqaku amabini alandelayo.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 7]
Ngoxa bephepha umculo wobusathana, abantu bakaThixo bafuna ulonwabo oluhlala luhleli