Uvuko—Luloloobani Ibe Nini?

LWENZEKA ngonyaka wama-32 C.E. eBhetani, apho uLazaro wayehlala khona noodade wabo ababini, uMarta noMariya. Aba dade babethumele umyalezo kuYesu wokuba uLazaro wayegula. UYesu wayemthanda uLazaro noodade wabo, kungoko wandulukayo waya eBhetani. Endleleni, uYesu waxelela abafundi bakhe oku: “ULazaro, umhlobo wethu, ulele; ndiyaya ukuba ndimvuse.” Abafundi babecinga ukuba uYesu wayethetha ukulala kokoqobo. Ngoko uYesu wacacisa ngokuphandle wathi: “ULazaro ufile.”—Yohane 11:1-15.

Iindwendwe zafika kwiintsuku ezine emva kokufa kukaLazaro. Wathi uYesu akumbona uMariya nabanye belila, “walila,” ebonisa uthando novelwano lwakhe olunzulu. (Yohane 11:17, 35) Isidumbu sikaLazaro sasingcwatyelwe emqolombeni. UYesu wayalela ukuba lisuswe ilitye elalivale ingcwaba. Wathandaza kuYise wandula ke wadanduluka ngezwi elikhulu esithi: “Lazaro, phuma.” ULazaro waphuma. Olunjani uvuyo okumele ukuba oku kwaluzisa koodade wabo!—Yohane 11:38-45.

Esi siganeko sinikela ithemba lokwenene lovuko. Noko ke, ngokuqhelekileyo, ukufa kulutshaba olubi olusuba ubomi babo sibathandayo kungekho themba lokuba uYesu uya kubavusa kwaoko. Njengoko sisazi kakuhle, uninzi lwaba bantu sibathandayo balungile yaye banobubele kakhulu. Kungenxa yoko, kuphakama umbuzo ocacileyo othi . . .

Kutheni Abantu Bemele Bafe Nje?

Ukuba sifuna impendulo echanileyo nenokuthenjwa, kufuneka sikhangele emva kwisiqalo soluntu kumyezo wase-Eden. Evavanya ukuthobela kuka-Adam, kulapho uThixo wamyalela khona ukuba angatyi kwisiqhamo somthi othile. UThixo wayethe ukuba yena noEva babedlile kweso siqhamo, ‘babeya kufa.’ (Genesis 2:17) Xa balingwayo nguSathana, abazange bamthobele uThixo baza basilela kolo vavanyo lwamanqam. Oko kwaphumela ekufeni.

Kutheni kwanikelwa isohlwayo esinjalo ngolwaphulo-mthetho olubonakala luluncinane? Isenzo sabo sasisincinane, kodwa ulwaphulo-mthetho lwalunzulu ngendlela egqithiseleyo—ukuvukela kwabantu abafezekileyo, uAdam noEva, ngokuchasene noMdali wabo. Babengasafezekanga, yaye uThixo wawisa isigwebo sokufa. Sekunjalo, uThixo ulungiselele ukuba eso sigwebo sisesikweni sirhoxiswe kwinzala ka-Adam. Njani? UPawulos wabhala wathi ‘uKristu Yesu wazinikela ukuba abe yintlawulelo yokukhulula abantu bonke.’—1 Timoti 2:5, 6; Roma 5:17.

Iyintoni Imeko Yabafi?

ULazaro wayefile kangangeentsuku ezine. Ukuba wawufile kodwa ngokwenene uphilile kwelemimoya kangangeentsuku ezine wandula ke wavuswa, ngaba ubungethandi ukuxelela abanye ngako oku? Kodwa uLazaro akazange athethe nto mayela nokuba wayekhe waphila kummandla othile ongomnye. IBhayibhile ithi: “Ke bona abafileyo abazi lutho.”—INtshumayeli 9:5; INdumiso 146:3, 4.

Qwalasela okuthethwa koko. Izigidi zabantu zikholelwa kwintlambululo-miphefumlo emva kokufa, nangona elo gama lingabonakali eBhayibhileni. Abaninzi ngakumbi bakholelwa ukuba kukho isihogo somlilo. Noko ke, kwanotshaba ubungenakulutshisa emlilweni ngonaphakade. Ukuba ubungenakuvuma ukwenza into ekhohlakele ngolo hlobo, ngaba uMdali wethu onothando ebeya kukwenza oko ngokuthi avise abantu iintlungu esihogweni somlilo? Kodwa khawuqwalasele isiqinisekiso esithuthuzelayo seBhayibhile esikhankanywe ngasentla—abafileyo “abazi lutho.”

Ngokutsho kweZibhalo, inani eliya kulawula noKristu ezulwini lincinane ngokwentelekiso. UYesu walichaza ‘njengomhlambi omncinane.’ (Luka 12:32) Umpostile uYohane wabona “iMvana [uYesu Kristu] imi phezu kwentaba yeZiyon [yasezulwini], kumi nayo ikhulu elinamanci mane anesine lamawaka . . . ababethengiwe emhlabeni.” (ISityhilelo 14:1-3) Ngoko, oku kuthetha ukuba, aba banjalo babekhe bangabantu, bafa, baza kamva bavuselwa ukuya kuphila ezulwini noKristu.

Njengoko usenokuqonda, abantu baye bancedwa ngokuqonda ezi nyaniso zeBhayibhile—zokuba akukho ndawo yantlambululo-miphefumlo kungekho nasihogo sivuthayo nokuba kukho ithemba lokuba abantu abafileyo banokuvuselwa ezulwini. Noko ke, ukuba abo bavuselwa ezulwini bambalwa kangako, liliphi ithemba elikhoyo ngabanye?

Uvuko Lwasemhlabeni

UYesu Kristu wavula, okanye waqalisa, indlela yokuvuselwa kubomi basezulwini. (Hebhere 9:24; 10:19, 20) Ngenxa yoko, uYohane uMbhaptizi akayi kuba nasabelo eluvukweni lwasezulwini kuba wabulawa ngaphambi kokuba uYesu afe aze avule indlela eya kubomi basezulwini. UYesu wathi: “Akuvelanga mkhulu kunoYohane umbhaptizi; kanti ke nomncinane kwabanye ebukumkanini bamazulu mkhulu kunaye.” (Mateyu 11:11) Nguwuphi umvuzo uThixo awugcinele le ndoda ithembekileyo nabanye abafana nayo abafileyo?

Tyhila iBhayibhile yakho kuLuka 23 uze ufunde indinyana yama-39 ukuya kweyama-43. Omnye wabenzi-bubi owayexhonywe ecaleni kukaYesu wathi: “Uze undikhumbule, Nkosi, xa uthe weza usebukumkanini bakho.” UYesu wamqinisekisa ukuba wayeya kuba seParadisi. Asililo izulu elo, kodwa yiparadisi yasemhlabeni, njengoko yayinjalo iParadisi yokuqala.

Uvuko—Umthombo Wentuthuzelo

Elo themba lokwenyaniso leBhayibhile limele libe lelithuthuzelayo, njengokuba sinesizathu sokulindela njalo. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba uYehova uluthando. (1 Yohane 4:8) Xa wavumela uNyana wakhe ukuba afe ukufa okulihlazo, ngokwenene uThixo wayebonisa uphawu lwakhe olumangalisayo lothando. Ngaxa lithile ngaphambili, uYesu wayethe: “Wenjenje uThixo ukulithanda kwakhe ihlabathi [uluntu], ude wancama uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze bonke abakholwayo kuye bangatshabalali; koko babe nobomi obungunaphakade.”—Yohane 3:16.

Naye uYesu Kristu wabonisa uthando olukhethekileyo ekunikeleni ngobomi bakhe njengentlawulelo yoluntu olukholwayo. Yena ngokwakhe wathi: “UNyana woMntu engezanga kulungiselelwa; weza kulungiselela, nokuncama ubomi bakhe, bube yintlawulelo yokukhulula abaninzi.”—Mateyu 20:28.

UCarolann, obekhankanywe kwinqaku lokuqala njengalowo walahlekelwa liqela labathandekayo bakhe kwingozi embi, waziva emelwe yingqondo emva kokuva oko. Kodwa wathuthuzelwa kukwazi ukuba abo bafileyo bathandekayo babengeva ntlungu. Yintoni eyamncedayo ngokongezelelekileyo ukuba akwazi ukunyamezela? Uthando novelwano lokwenene olwabonakaliswa ngabazalwana bakhe bokomoya, amaNgqina kaYehova, lwangqineka lunceda kakhulu.—INdumiso 34:18.

Ukuthandaza kuYehova nako kwamnceda kakhulu. Imihla emininzi ebusuku wayevuka aze acinge ukuba konke kwakuliphupha elibi, kodwa aphinde akhathazeke kakhulu akukhumbula ukuba oku kwakwenzekile ngokwenene. Ukukhunga kuYehova kwakumnika inzolo, ibe wakuxabisa ngokunzulu ngakumbi oko uPawulos wakubhalayo: “Ningaxhaleli nto; mazithi iingcelo zenu ezintweni zonke, ngako ukuthandaza nokukhunga, ndawonye nokubulela, zaziswe kuye uThixo. Lwaye uxolo lukaThixo, olugqithisele kuko konke ukuqonda, luya kuzigcina iintliziyo zenu neengqiqo zenu kuKristu Yesu.”—Filipi 4:6, 7.

UShirley unikela omnye umzekelo ongendlela elithuthuzela ngayo ithemba lovuko. Unyana wakhe omncinane uRiccardo wafa ngoko nangoko xa ilitye elinzima lekhonkile lawela esifubeni sakhe, ladlavula intliziyo yakhe encinane. Emva kwale ntlekele, ngoJanuwari 1986, uShirley waxelela izihlobo zakhe oku: “Kwakufana nephupha eloyikisayo.” ECaweni yamaKatolika weva la mazwi: “UThixo uya kugweba abaphilayo nabafileyo.” UShirley waqala ukucinga, ‘Ukuba uThixo uza kugweba abaphilileyo nabafileyo, ngoko ubani unokwazi njani ukuba abantu baya phi emva kokufa? Ukuba basezulwini, kutheni kamva bevuswa ukuze bagwetywe? Ngaphezu koko, banokuvuswa njani ukuba bayaphila ezulwini?’ Akukho ndawo apho iBhayibhile ikhankanya khona uvuko lwabantu abaphilayo kodwa kuphela olwabafileyo.

UShirley wabuza indoda yakhe ngale ngxaki, ekubeni yayiqhelene neBhayibhile. Wathi nje ukuba uShirley aqonde okuthile ngoko zikutshoyo iZibhalo ngalo mcimbi, akazange aphinde alubeke ecaweni. Isalamane esingomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova saqalisa ukufundisisa iBhayibhile noShirley nendoda yakhe ngoMatshi 1986, yaye kungadlulanga xesha lide babhaptizwa. Ngoku uqukumbela ngelithi: “Kuyamangalisa ngokwenene ukwazi inyaniso, ukwazi ngovuko, nokwazi ngohlobo olumangalisayo lomntu alulo uYehova.”

Uvuko—Nini?

Embonweni, umpostile uYohane wabona “isihlwele esikhulu, ebekungekho namnye unako ukusibala, siphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga, nezizwe, nabantu, neelwimi, simi phambi kwetrone naphambi kweMvana.” (ISityhilelo 7:9) Ukuma kwesihlwele esikhulu ‘phambi kwetrone kaThixo’ kuvumelana nesibakala sokuba kulindeleke ukuba siphile emhlabeni. (Isaya 66:1) Ukuba abanye baso bayafa ngoku, baya kuvuswa nini? IBhayibhile ayiwuchazi umhla, kodwa kuya kuba semva kwemfazwe esondelayo apho uThixo aya kuthi ashenxise emhlabeni bonke abo bangakufuniyo ukuphila ngokwemilinganiselo yobulungisa. (2 Tesalonika 1:6-9) Oko kuya kuvulela indlela iMini yoMgwebo nokuvuswa kwabo bonke abo uThixo abajonga njengabafanele uvuko lwasemhlabeni. (Yohane 5:28, 29; IZenzo 24:15) Ukuzaliseka kwesiprofeto seBhayibhile kungqina ukuba ezi ziganeko zichukumisayo nezimangalisayo ziza kwenzeka kungekudala!—ISityhilelo 16:14-16.

Abafundi bakaYesu bakha bambuza besithi: “Uya kuba yini na umqondiso wokufika kwakho, nowokupheliswa kwephakade eli?” Ekuphenduleni uYesu wakhankanya iimfazwe, ukunqongophala kokutya, iinyikima zomhlaba, iindyikitya zokufa, nokushunyayelwa kweendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani kuwo wonke umhlaba.—Mateyu 24:3-14; Luka 21:7-11.

Esi siprofeto sibalulekileyo besizaliseka ukususela ngowe-1914, xa kwaqalisa iMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Yabulala izigidi yaza yezisa indlala nokunqongophala kokutya kumazwe amaninzi. Imeko yehlabathi ebudeni nasemva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II yayimbi kakhulu.

Ngokumayela neendyikitya zokufa, abaninzi bavakalelwa kukuba owona mzekelo mbi nguGawulayo (AIDS). “Ubhubhani lo ukho kuyo yonke indawo ibe ubulala kakhulu kangangokuba iingcali zimthelekisa nobhubhani iBlack Death owabulala ikota yabemi baseYurophu kwinkulungwane yeshumi elinesine.”—IReader’s Digest, kaJuni 1987.

Ngenxa yobubi obukhoyo obulolo hlobo, esinjani ukumangalisa isiganeko oluya kuba siso uvuko! Iya kuba lixesha lovuyo olungathethekiyo xa iintsapho ebezahlulwe kukufa, ezifana naleyo yakuloCarolann noShirley, ziya kumanyaniswa kwakhona! Ngokucacileyo, ikhondo elisengqiqweni kuye ngamnye wethu kukuba ngoku siphile ubomi bethu ngokuvisisana nokuthanda kukaThixo size ngaloo ndlela sifanelekele ukuba sibekho xa uvuko lusenzeka.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

IBhayibhile ithi kanye njengokuba umthi usenokugawulwa uze uphinde uhlume, uThixo unokubavusa kwelabafileyo abo basenkumbulweni yakhe.—Yobhi 14:7-9, 14, 15