Kutheni Ilixesha Lokwenza Isigqibo Nje?

NGENKULUNGWANE ye-16 B.C.E., uThixo wakhetha amaSirayeli ukuba abe ‘yinqobo kuye kwizizwe zonke, uhlanga olungcwele.’ (Eksodus 19:5, 6) Kungekudala aphulukana nobungcwele bawo, ubunyulu bonqulo lwawo, ezivumela ukuba angcoliswe lunqulo-zithixo nazizenzo ezingendawo zeentlanga ezingabamelwane. Ngaloo ndlela azingqina engabantu “abantamo ilukhuni.” (Duteronomi 9:6, 13; 10:16; 1 Korinte 10:7-11) Ebudeni bethuba leminyaka engaphezu kwamakhulu amathathu emva kokufa kukaYoshuwa, uYehova wavelisa abagwebi, abakhokeli abathembekileyo ababefanele babuyisele amaSirayeli kunqulo lokwenyaniso. Noko ke, abantu, ‘abazange baziyeke iintlondi zabo nendlela yokuba lukhuni kwabo.’—ABagwebi 2:17-19.

Emva koko, uThixo wavelisa ookumkani nabaprofeti abathembekileyo ukuze babuyisele abantu kunqulo oluyinyaniso. Umprofeti uAzariya wakhuthaza uKumkani uAsa nabantu belizwe lakhe ukuba bafune uYehova: “Ukuba nithe namquqela, nomfumana; ukuba nithe namshiya, wonishiya nani.” UAsa waluhlaziya unqulo kubukumkani bakwaYuda. (2 Kronike 15:1-16) Kamva, kwafuneka ukuba uThixo aphinde adlulisele isimemo sakhe ngomprofeti uYoweli. (Yoweli 2:12, 13) Kwakhona, uZefaniya waphinda wababongoza abemi bakwaYuda ukuba ‘bafune uYehova.’ Ukumkani uYosiya oselula wenjenjalo kwiphulo lohlaziyo ukuze aphelise unqulo-zithixo nokunganyaniseki.—Zefaniya 2:3; 2 Kronike 34:3-7.

Phezu kwazo nje izenzo ezinjalo zenguquko, imeko yonqulo yabantu yayisiba mbi ngakumbi. (Yeremiya 2:13; 44:4, 5) UYeremiya wayigxeka inkqubo yonqulo eyayingcoliswe lunqulo-zithixo, eyichaza njengengenakuhlaziywa: “UmKushi unokuluguqula na ulusu lwakhe, nengwe inokuwaguqula na amabala ayo? ningaba ke ninako ukulungisa nani, baqhele ukwenza okubi.” (Yeremiya 13:23) Ngenxa yesi sizathu, uThixo wabohlwaya ngokuqatha ubukumkani bakwaYuda. IYerusalem netempile yayo yatshatyalaliswa ngowama-607 B.C.E., yaye abasindayo bathatyathelwa eBhabhiloni njengamakhoboka, baza bahlala apho iminyaka engama-70.

Ekupheleni kwelo xesha, uThixo wabonakalisa inceba. Wenza ukuba uKumkani uKoreshi awakhulule amaSirayeli, intsalela yawo eyabuyela eYerusalem ukuze iphinde yakhe itempile. Kunokufunda isifundo kuko konke oku, aphinda alushiya unqulo lokwenyaniso, ebangela ukuba uYehova uThixo aphinde adlulisele isimemo sakhe: “Buyelani kum, ndibuyele kuni.”—Malaki 3:7.

Isizathu Sokulahlwa KukaSirayeli

Yayinjani imeko yonqulo yamaSirayeli ngexesha likaYesu? Iinkokeli zonqulo ezingabahanahanisi ‘zazingabakhokeli beemfama abakwaziimfama’ zifundisa “iimfundiso eziyimithetho yabantu.” ‘Zaziwugqitha umthetho kaThixo ngenxa yesithethe sazo.’ Abantu babehlonela uThixo “ngemilebe yomlomo wabo,” kodwa iintliziyo zabo zikude lee kuye. (Mateyu 15:3, 4, 8, 9, 14) Ngaba njengohlanga babeza kufumana elinye ithuba lokuguquka? Akunjalo. UYesu wathi: “Ubukumkani bukaThixo buya kususwa kuni, bunikwe uhlanga oluzivelisayo iziqhamo zabo.” Wahlabela mgama wathi: “Indlu yenu,” itempile eyayiseYerusalem, “ishiywa nani ize.” (Mateyu 21:43; 23:38) Isono sabo sasisikhulu gqitha. Abazange bamamkele uYesu njengoMesiya yaye bambulala, bekhetha uKesare ocinezelayo waseRoma njengokumkani wabo.—Mateyu 27:25; Yohane 19:15.

AmaSirayeli akazange afune ukuqonda ukuba ixesha uYesu awayephumeza ngalo ubulungiseleli bakhe yayilixesha lomgwebo. Kubemi baseYerusalem abangathembekanga, uYesu wathi: ‘Akulazanga ixesha lokuvelelwa kwakho.’—Luka 19:44.

NgePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uThixo wayila uhlanga olutsha, okanye abantu, abafundi abathanjiswe ngomoya boNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu, ababeya kukhethwa kuzo zonke izizwe neentlanga. (IZenzo 10:34, 35; 15:14) Ngaba lalikho ithemba lokuba inkqubo yonqulo lwamaYuda yayiya kuhlaziywa kamva? Imikhosi yamaRoma yanikela impendulo ngowama-70 C.E., xa yatshabalalisa iYerusalem. UThixo wayeyilahle ngokupheleleyo loo nkqubo yonqulo.—Luka 21:5, 6.

Uwexuko Olukhulu LweNgqobhoko

AmaKristu athanjiswe ngomoya nawo ayeyila “uhlanga olungcwele, abantu abayinqobo.” (1 Petros 2:9; Galati 6:16) Kodwa kwanebandla lamaKristu okuqala alizange libulondoloze ixesha elide ubunyulu bonqulo lwalo.

IZibhalo zaxela kwangaphambili ngowexuko olukhulu, okanye ngokumka elukholweni lokwenyaniso. Umdiza wokomfuziselo kumzekeliso kaYesu, oko kukuthi, amaKristu obuxoki, wawuya kuzama ukuyiminxa ingqolowa yokomfuziselo, okanye amaKristu okwenyaniso, athanjiswe ngomoya kaThixo. Lo mzekeliso ubonisa ukuba ukwanda kobuKristu bobuxoki, obuxhaswa lutshaba lukaThixo oluyintloko, uMtyholi, kwakusele kuza kuqalisa, “xa baleleyo abantu.” Oku kwenzeka emva kokufa kwabapostile bakaKristu abathembekileyo, ebudeni bexesha lobuthongo bokomoya obalandelayo. (Mateyu 13:24-30, 36-43; 2 Tesalonika 2:6-8) Njengoko kwakuxelwe kwangaphambili ngabapostile, amaKristu obuxoki amaninzi anyebelezela emhlambini. (IZenzo 20:29, 30; 1 Timoti 4:1-3; 2 Timoti 2:16-18; 2 Petros 2:1-3) UYohane wayengumpostile wokugqibela ukufa. Malunga nonyaka wama-98 C.E., wabhala esithi “ilixa lokugqibela,” inxalenye yokugqibela yexesha labapostile, lalisele liqalisile.—1 Yohane 2:18, 19.

Ekumanyanisweni konqulo namagunya obupolitika ngumlawuli waseRoma uConstantine, imeko yeNgqobhoko yokomoya, eyemfundiso, neyokuziphatha yaba mbi ngakumbi. Ababhali-mbali abaninzi bayavuma ukuba “uloyiso lweCawa ebudeni benkulungwane yesine,” ngokwembono yamaKristu, ‘lwaluyintlekele.’ ‘INgqobhoko yaphulukana nomlinganiselo wayo wokuziphatha ophakamileyo’ yaza yamkela izenzo neemfundiso ezininzi zobuhedeni, ‘ezinjengokunqulwa kukaMariya’ nokunqulwa ‘kweengcwele,’ kwanengcamango kaBathathu Emnye.

Emva koloyiso lwayo lobuxoki, imeko yeNgqobhoko yawohloka. Imithetho nokucaciswa kwemfundiso okwakusenziwa ngoopopu namabhunga, singasathethi ke ngeeNkundla Zokuncina Amakholwa, iiMfazwe Zomnqamlezo, neemfazwe “ezingcwele” phakathi kwamaKatolika namaProtestanti, zabangela inkqubo yonqulo engenako ukuhlaziywa.

Kwincwadi yakhe ethi A World Lit Only by Fire, uWilliam Manchester ubhala oku: “Oopopu kwinkulungwane yeshumi elinesihlanu neyeshumi elinesithandathu babephila njengabalawuli baseRoma. Babengabona bantu bazizityebi ehlabathini, yaye bekunye neekhadinali zabo bazityebisa ngakumbi ngokuthengisa ngezikhundla ezingcwele.” Ebudeni bowexuko olukhulu, amaqela amancinane okanye abantu ngabanye bazama ukuphinda bafumane ubuKristu bokwenyaniso, bebonakalisa iimpawu zengqolowa yokomfuziselo. Ngokufuthi imiphumo yayisiba buhlungu. Le ncwadi ikwathi: “Maxa wambi kwakubonakala ngathi iingcwele zokwenene zobuKristu, amaProtestanti namaKatolika ngokufanayo, zazisiba ngabafeli-nkolo abatshiswe baba luthuthu.” Abanye, ekufane kuthiwe ngabaLweli boHlaziyo abanjengoMartin Luther noJohn Calvin, bakwazi ukuyila iinkqubo zonqulo ezomeleleyo ezazahlukile kwiCawa yamaKatolika kodwa zisadlelana nayo ngeemfundiso ezisisiseko. Kwakhona zazibandakanyeke ngamandla kwezobupolitika.

AmaProtestanti wona, ayesenza imigudu yoko kuthiwa kukuvuselelwa konqulo. Ngokomzekelo, ebudeni benkulungwane ye-18 neye-19, le migudu yaphumela kwiphulo elikhulu lomsebenzi wobuvangeli nakwamanye amazwe. Noko ke, njengoko kuvunywa nangabalusi, namhlanje imeko yokomoya yomhlambi wamaProtestanti ayikhuthazi konke konke. Umfundi ngezakwalizwi ongumProtestanti uOscar Cullmann kutshanje uye wavuma ukuba “ngaphakathi ezicaweni, kukho ingxaki yokholo.”

ICawa yamaKatolika iye yakhuthaza uHlaziyo namaphulo anxamnye nalo. Ukususela ngenkulungwane ye-11 ukusa kweye-13, ngexesha ekwakugquba ukunganyaniseki nokuba zizityebi ngokugqithiseleyo kwabefundisi, kwayilwa amaqumrhu eemonki noonongendi awayenamathela ngokungqongqo kwisifungo sobuhlwempu. Kodwa ayejongwe ngeliso elibukhali yaye, ngokutsho kwabaphengululi, ayecinezelwa ziinkokeli zonqulo. Emva koko ngenkulungwane ye-16 kwabakho iqela eliNxamnye noHlaziyo, elalixhaswa liBhunga laseTrent nelalinosukelo oluyintloko lokuphanzisa ubuProtestanti obuHlaziyiweyo.

Kwinxalenye yokuqala yenkulungwane ye-19, ebudeni bethuba lokuhlaziywa konqulo, iCawa yamaKatolika yathabatha isimo sengqondo esingqwabalala nesokubambelela kwiindlela zakudala. Noko ke, akunakuthiwa kwabakho uhlaziyo lokwenene lokubuyisela ubuKristu bokwenyaniso. Kunoko, oku kwakuyimigudu nje yokomeleza igunya labefundisi ekubeni kwakukho iinguqulelo kwiinkonzo zehlabathi, ezobupolitika nakwezentlalo.

Kutshanje, kwiminyaka yee-1960, kwakubonakala ngathi iCawa yamaKatolika yayifuna ukuqalisa utshintsho olukhulu kwibhunga lazo zonke iinkonzo leVatican II. Noko ke, ngesiquphe upopu owayekho ngelo xesha wakuthintela oko kufane kuthiwe kukuhlaziywa kwebhunga ukuze anciphise umoya wamalungu ecawa anenkqubela. Eli thuba, bambi abathi lelokuhlaziywa kukaWojtyła, elinye iqela lamaKatolika lilichaze ‘njengohlobo olutsha lolawulo lukaConstantine.’ Njengoko kubonisiwe kulindixesha wamaJesuit othi La Civiltà Cattolica, iCawa yamaKatolika, njengezinye iinkonzo, ijamelene “nengxaki enkulu yomhlaba wonke: inkulu kuba ibandakanya kanye iingcambu zokholo nobomi bamaKristu; yeyomhlaba wonke kuba ibandakanya zonke iinkalo zobuKristu.”

Eneneni iinkonzo zeNgqobhoko azizange zingenele inkqubo yohlaziyo, zingasayi kuba senza njalo, ekubeni ubuKristu bokwenyaniso babuza kuhlaziywa kuphela ngexesha ‘lokuvuna,’ ekuhlanganisweni kwengqolowa yokomfuziselo kwibandla elinye elicocekileyo. (Mateyu 13:30, 39) Izenzo ezininzi zolwaphulo-mthetho neziphosakeleyo ezenziwe egameni lonqulo, enoba luzibanga lulelobuKristu okanye akunjalo, ziphakamisa umbuzo othi, Ngaba kusengqiqweni ukulindela ukuba iNgqobhoko inokuhlaziyeka ngokwenyaniso?

Ngaba Ayinakuhlaziyeka?

Incwadi yeSityhilelo, okanye yeApocalypse, ithetha ngehenyukazi elikhulu lokomfuziselo elinegama eliyimfihlelo elithi “iBhabheli Enkulu.” (ISityhilelo 17:1, 5) Kangangeenkulungwane abafundi beBhayibhile bebefuna indlela yokucacisa intsingiselo yalo mfuziselo. Abaninzi bakruqulwa kukufuma nakukunganyaniseki kwabefundisi. Bambi bebecinga ukuba iBhabhiloni Enkulu imela ulawulo lwecawa. Phakathi kwabo singabala uJan Hus, umfundisi womKatolika waseBohemia owatshiswa ephila ngowe-1415, noAonio Paleario ongumTaliyane, owayelwela amalungelo abantu nowaxhonywa waza watshiswa ngowe-1570. Bobabini abazange baphumelele kumzamo wokuhlaziya iCawa yamaKatolika ngethemba lokuba iya kubuyela “kundiliseko lwayo lwantlandlolo.”

Ngokwahlukileyo koko, ISi isahluko 17 nese-18 seSityhilelo sibonisa ukuba iBhabhiloni Enkulu imela ubukhosi behlabathi balo lonke unqulo lobuxoki.a Eli ‘henyukazi likhulu’ liyintlanganisela alinako ukuhlaziywa kuba ‘izono zalo ziye zafikelela emazulwini.’ Enyanisweni, kule nkulungwane yama-20, phantse zonke iinkonzo, kungekuphela nje ezo zeNgqobhoko, zibekek’ ityala ngeemfazwe eziqhubeka ziphalaza igazi elininzi nangokuwohloka kokuziphatha okugqithisileyo okuthwaxa uluntu. Ngenxa yoko, uThixo uyigwebele intshabalalo “iBhabheli.”—ISityhilelo 18:5, 8.

Ngoku Lixesha ‘Lokuphuma Kuyo’

Ukuzaliseka kweziprofeto zeBhayibhile kubonisa ukuba umhla wethu ufanekisela ‘ukupheliswa’ kwale ‘nkqubo yezinto’ ingendawo. (Mateyu 24:3, NW) Nabani na ofuna ukukhonza uThixo ngokunyanisekileyo akanako ukulandela iingcamango zakhe noko kufunwa nguye. Umele ‘afune uYehova esenokufunyanwa,’ ewe, kanye ngoku, ngenxa yokuba “imbandezelo enkulu” eyaxelwa kwangaphambili nguYesu isondele. (Isaya 55:6; Mateyu 24:21) Njengokuba kwakunjalo kwimeko yabantu bakwaSirayeli, uThixo akasayi kukunyamezela ukunganyaniseki konqulo kuba nje luqhayisa ngokuba kudala lukho. Kunokuzama ukulungisa inqanawa ekubonakalayo ukuba iza kuzika, bonke abanqwenela ukwamkelwa nokusindiswa nguThixo ngokukhawuleza bamele bathobele umyalelo ophefumlelweyo okwiSityhilelo 18:4: “Phumani [kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu], bantu bam, ukuze ningadlelani nayo ngezono zayo, nokuze ningamkeliswa kwizibetho zayo.”

Kodwa ‘baphume’ baye phi? Lunokufumaneka phi usindiso? Ngaba akukho ngozi yokufuna ukuzimela kwindawo ephosakeleyo? Lunokubonwa njani okuphela konqulo akholiswayo lulo uThixo? Ekuphela kweempendulo ezinokuthenjwa zifumaneka eLizwini likaThixo. (2 Timoti 3:16, 17) AmaNgqina kaYehova ayakukhuthaza ukuba uhlolisise iBhayibhile ngakumbi. Uya kukwazi ukuqonda ukuba ngoobani abakhethwe nguThixo ‘njengabantu begama lakhe,’ aya kubakhusela ebudeni bemini esondeleyo yomsindo wakhe.—IZenzo 15:14; Zefaniya 2:3; ISityhilelo 16:14-16.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Ukuba inqanawa elunqulo lwakho iyazika, phethukela kwinqanawa enokukusindisa yobuKristu bokwenyaniso