Ixesha Lokuhlala Siphaphile

“Kumele ukuthi ke ukuqala kuvakaliswe iindaba ezilungileyo ezi kuzo zonke iintlanga. . . . Ke onyamezelayo kude kube sekupheleni, lowo wosindiswa.”—MARKO 13:10, 13.

1. Kutheni sifanele sinyamezele size sibe nenkalipho?

SIMELE sinyamezele—nangona siphila kwisizukulwana esingenalukholo nesigwenxa! Ukususela ngowe-1914 isizukulwana sabantu siye sonakala, kanye njengokuba kwakunjalo ngomhla kaYesu. Yaye namhlanje lo monakalo usemhlabeni wonke. Kule “mihla yokugqibela,” “amaxesha anomngcipheko [“ekunzima ukuhlangabezana nawo,” NW]” achazwa ngumpostile uPawulos athwaxa uluntu. ‘Abantu abangendawo noosiyazi, kukhona behambela phambili ebubini.’ Ngokucacileyo, “ihlabathi liphela lilele kongendawo,” uSathana uMtyholi, ngoku owenza umzamo wakhe wokugqibela wokonakalisa umhlaba. Kodwa khalipha! Kukho ‘imbandezelo enkulu’ ezayo eya kubakhulula ngokusisigxina bonke abathanda ubulungisa.—2 Timoti 3:1-5, 13; 1 Yohane 5:19; ISityhilelo 7:14.

2. Sazaliseka njani isiprofeto ngowe-1914?

² Okuvuyisayo kukuba ngoku uYehova uyibeke etroneni emazulwini iNkosi uYesu Kristu, elungiselela ukususa iintshaba ezicinezelayo zoluntu. (ISityhilelo 11:15) Njengokuba kwenzekayo xa uMesiya wafika okokuqala, nakule nkulungwane kuye kwazaliseka isiprofeto esimangalisayo esabhalwa nguDaniyeli. KuDaniyeli 4:16, 17, 32, sixelelwa ngokunqunyanyiswa kobukumkani obufanelekileyo phezu komhlaba ithuba ‘lamaxesha asixhenxe.’ Kwinzaliseko yawo enkulu, la maxesha asixhenxe alingana neminyaka esixhenxe yeBhayibhile ‘eyimihla’ engama-360 umnye, okanye iminyaka engama-2 520 xa iyonke.a Aqalisa ngowama-607 B.C.E., xa iBhabhiloni yaqalisa ukunyathelela phantsi ubukumkani bakwaSirayeli, aza aphela ngowe-1914 C.E., unyaka uYesu awabekwa ngawo etroneni emazulwini njengoKumkani ofanelekileyo woluntu. Andula ke “amaxesha eentlanga” aphela. (Luka 21:24) Kodwa iintlanga azivumanga ukuzithoba kuBukumkani bukaMesiya obuzayo.—INdumiso 2:1-6, 10-12; 110:1, 2.

3, 4. (a) Zinokufaniswa njani iziganeko ezenzeka ngenkulungwane yokuqala nezo zomhla wethu? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo enokuthanani noku enokubuzwa?

³ Njengoko kwakusondela iveki yama-70 eyiminyaka (29-36 C.E.), yaye kwakhona njengoko unyaka we-1914 wawusondela, abantu aboyika uThixo babelindele ukufika kukaMesiya. Ibe wafika! Noko ke, kwimeko nganye, ukufika kwakhe akuzange kube njengoko abantu babelindele. Kwakhona, kwimeko nganye, emva kwexesha elifutshane ngokwentelekiso, ‘isizukulwana’ esingendawo sitshatyalaliswa ngokupheleleyo ngokomyalelo kaThixo.—Mateyu 24:34.

⁴ Kwinqaku lethu elandulelayo, siphawule indlela isizukulwana samaYuda esingendawo esasifuna uYesu abulawe esaphela ngayo. Ngoko, kuthekani ngesizukulwana esonakeleyo sabantu ngoku esimchasayo okanye esingamkhathaleliyo? Kuya kuphunyezwa nini ukugwetywa kwesi sizukulwana singenalukholo?

“Hlala Uphaphile”!

5. (a) Kungenxa yasiphi isizathu esivakalayo le nto kungeyomfuneko ukuba silazi ixesha ‘lomhla nelixa’ likaYehova? (b) NgokukaMarko, uYesu wasiqukumbela ngasiphi isiluleko esisengqiqweni isiprofeto sakhe?

⁵ Emva kokuprofeta ngeziganeko ezaziya kukhokelela kwixesha ‘lembandezelo enkulu,’ uYesu wongezelela: “Akukho bani uwaziyo loo mhla nelo lixa; azazi nezithunywa zamazulu [“engazi naye uNyana,” TE], nguBawo yedwa.” (Mateyu 24:3-36; Marko 13:3-32) Akuyomfuneko ukuba sazi amaxesha athe ngqo okwenzeka kweziganeko. Kunoko, simele sigxininise kakhulu ekuhlaleni siphaphile, sihlakulela ukholo oluqinileyo, yaye sizigcine sixakekile enkonzweni kaYehova—kungekhona ekubaleni imihla. UYesu waqukumbela isiprofeto sakhe esibalaseleyo ngokuthi: “Hlalani nikhangele, hlalani niphaphile, kuba anilazi ukuba linini na ixesha elimisiweyo. . . . Hlalani nilindile . . . Oko ndikutsho kuni ndikutsho kubo bonke, Hlalani nilindile.” (Marko 13:33-37, NW) Ubumnyama beli hlabathi lanamhlanje buzaliswe ziingozi. Simele sihlale siphaphile!—Roma 13:11-13.

6. (a) Ukholo lwethu lufanele lumiliselwe kwintoni? (b) ‘Sinokuyibala njani imihla yethu’? (c) Ngokusisiseko uYesu uthetha ukuthini xa esithi “isizukulwana”?

⁶ Asimele siphelele nje ngokunikela ingqalelo kwiziprofeto eziphefumlelweyo eziphathelele le mihla yokugqibela yenkqubo engendawo kodwa simele similisele ukholo lwethu ngokuyintloko kwidini elixabisekileyo likaKristu Yesu namadinga kaThixo amangalisayo asekelwe kulo. (Hebhere 6:17-19; 9:14; 1 Petros 1:18, 19; 2 Petros 1:16-19) Belangazelela ukubona ukuphela kwale nkqubo ingendawo, maxa wambi abantu bakaYehova baye bathelekelela ixesha eya kuqhambuka ngalo “imbandezelo enkulu,” bade babala nobude bexesha eliya kuphilwa sisizukulwana ukususela ngowe-1914. Noko ke, ‘intliziyo elumkileyo,’ asiyizuzi ngokuthelekelela ukuba isizukulwana siphila iminyaka okanye iintsuku ezingaphi, kodwa siyizuza ngokucinga ngendlela ‘esiyibala ngayo imihla yethu’ sisizisa indumiso yovuyo kuYehova. (INdumiso 90:12) Kunokumisela indlela yokubala ixesha, ibinzana elithi “isizukulwana” njengokuba lasetyenziswa nguYesu ngokuyintloko libhekisela kubantu abaphila ngexesha elithile embalini, neempawu ezibahlulayo.b

7. Injingalwazi yezembali ibhala ithini “ngesizukulwana sowe-1914,” yaye oku kunxulumene njani nesiprofeto sikaYesu?

⁷ Ngokuvisisana noku kungasentla, injingalwazi yezembali uRobert Wohl yabhala kwincwadi yayo ethi The Generation of 1914: “Isizukulwana sembali asichazwa ngokubalwa kwemihla . . . Asiloxesha elithile elilinganiswa ngemihla.” Kodwa yabonisa ukuba iMfazwe Yehlabathi I yabangela “imvo enamandla yokwahlukana nexesha langaphambili,” yaza yongezelela yathi: “Abo basindayo kuloo mfazwe abazange bakwazi ukwahlukana nenkolelo yokuba kwaphela elinye ihlabathi kwaza kwangena elinye ngoAgasti we-1914.” Hayi indlela okuyinyaniso ngayo oko! Kutsalela ingqalelo yethu kweyona nqontsonqa yalo mbandela. “Esi sizukulwana” soluntu sisusela kowe-1914 siye sabona iinguqulelo ezibambis’ ongezantsi. Siye sabona ukuphalazwa kwegazi lezigidi zabantu emhlabeni. Iimfazwe, ukutshatyalaliswa kohlanga, ubugrogrisi, ulwaphulo-mthetho nokuchas’ umthetho kuye kwasasazeka ehlabathini lonke. Ihlabathi lethu liye lahlaselwa yindlala, izifo nokuziphatha okubi. UYesu waprofeta: “Kwangokunjalo nani [abafundi bakhe], xa nithe nazibona ezi zinto zisihla, yazini ukuba bukufuphi ubukumkani bukaThixo. Inene ndithi kuni, Asiyi kukha sidlule esi sizukulwana, zide zihle zonke ezi zinto.”—Luka 21:31, 32.

8. Abaprofeti bakaYehova bayibethelela njani imfuneko yokuhlala siphaphile?

⁸ Ewe, uloyiso olupheleleyo loBukumkani bukaMesiya lusemnyango! Ngoko, ngaba kukho into esiya kuyizuza ngokukhangela imihla nokuqikelela ixesha lokoqobo eliphilwa ‘sisizukulwana’? Akukho nencinane! UHabhakuki 2:3 ngokucacileyo uthi: “Umbono usaya kuba ngowexesha elimisiweyo, ukhawulezela ekupheleni, angathethi wona amanga; ukuba uthe wazilazila, wulinde, kuba uya kuza, awuyi kubuya umva.” Imini kaYehova yempindezelo isondela ngamandla.—Yeremiya 25:31-33; Malaki 4:1.

9. Ziziphi iziganeko ezenzeke ukususela ngowe-1914 ezibonisa ukuba ixesha lincinane?

⁹ Xa ulawulo loBukumkani bukaKristu lwaqalisayo ngowe-1914, uSathana walahlelwa emhlabeni. Oku kwabangela ‘uyeha kwabo bawumiyo umhlaba ngokuba uhlile weza kubo uMtyholi, enomsindo omkhulu, esazi nje ukuba ixesha analo lincinane.’ (ISityhilelo 12:12, akekeliswe sithi.) Ngokwenene, lincinane elo xesha, xa lithelekiswa namawaka eminyaka olawulo lukaSathana. UBukumkani busondele, yaye kunjalo nangomhla nelixa likaYehova lokuphumeza umgwebo kwesi sizukulwana singendawo!—IMizekeliso 3:25; 10:24, 25.

“Isizukulwana” Esidlulayo

10. “Esi sizukulwana” sifana njani nesomhla kaNowa?

¹⁰ Masiwahlolisise ngokusondele ngakumbi la mazwi kaYesu akuMateyu 24:34, 35: “Inene ndithi kuni, Asisayi kudlula esi sizukulwana, zingadanga zonke ezo zinto zibekho. Liya kudlula izulu nomhlaba, ke wona amazwi am akasayi kudlula.” (Akekeliswe sithi.) Amazwi kaYesu alandelayo abonisa ukuba “akukho bani uwaziyo loo mhla nelo lixa.” Okubaluleke ngakumbi kukuba ubonisa ukuba simele siyiphephe imigibe esijikelezileyo kwesi sizukulwana. Ngaloo ndlela uYesu wongezelela athi: “Ke kaloku, njengokuba ibinjalo imihla kaNowa, koba njalo nokufika koNyana woMntu. Kuba njengokuba babesithi, ngemihla ebingaphambi konogumbe, badle, basele, bazeke, bendise, kwada kwayimini awangena ngayo emkhombeni uNowa, bengaqondanga, wada wafika unogumbe, wabakhukulisa bonke: koba njalo nokufika koNyana woMntu.” (Mateyu 24:36-39) Apha uYesu wafanisa isizukulwana somhla wakhe neso somhla kaNowa.—Genesis 6:5, 9.

11. Ziziphi ‘izizukulwana’ uYesu awazifanisayo, njengokuba uMateyu noLuka benikela ingxelo?

¹¹ Abapostile babengaqali ukuva uYesu efanisa ‘izizukulwana’ ngolu hlobo, kuba kwiintsuku ezithile ngaphambili wayethe ngaye siqu: “NoNyana woMntu . . . umelwe kukuthi eve ubunzima obuninzi, alahlwe sesi sizukulwana. Njengokuba kwaye kuhle ngemihla kaNowa, koba njalo nangemihla yoNyana woMntu.” (Luka 17:24-26, akekeliswe sithi.) Ngaloo ndlela, uMateyu isahluko 24 noLuka isahluko 17 benza uthelekiso olufanayo. Ngemihla kaNowa “yonke inyama [eyayiyonakalisile] indlela yayo ehlabathini” neyatshatyalaliswayo ngoMkhukula ‘yayisesi sizukulwana.’ Ngomhla kaYesu amaYuda awexukileyo angazange amamkele uYesu ‘ayesesi sizukulwana.’ (Akekeliswe sithi.)—Genesis 6:11, 12; 7:1.

12, 13. (a) Namhlanje siyintoni “esi sizukulwana” simele sidlule? (b) Ngoku abantu bakaYehova bahlangabezana njani nesi ‘sizukulwana sigoso, nesigwenxa’?

¹² Ngoko ke, xa sizaliseka okokugqibela isiprofeto sikaYesu namhlanje, “esi sizukulwana” ngokucacileyo sibhekisela kubantu bomhlaba abawubonayo umqondiso wobukho bukaKristu kodwa bangazilungisi iindlela zabo. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, thina njengabafundi bakaYesu asivumi ukuba ubomi bethu buxonxwe yindlela yokuphila ‘yesi sizukulwana.’ Nangona sisehlabathini, simele singabi yonxalenye yalo, “kuba ixesha likufuphi.” (ISityhilelo 1:3; Yohane 17:16) Umpostile uPawulos uyasiluleka: “Izinto zonke zenzeni ningenakukrokra, ningenakuthandabuza, ukuze nibe ngabangenakusoleka, abangenabuqhinga; nibe ngabantwana bakaThixo abangenakubekwa bala esazulwini sesizukulwana esigoso, esigwenxa; enithi phakathi kwabo nibonakale ninjengezikhanyiso ehlabathini.”—Filipi 2:14, 15; Kolose 3:5-10; 1 Yohane 2:15-17.

¹³ ‘Ukubonakala njengezikhanyiso’ kwethu kuquka kungekuphela nje ukubonakalisa ubuntu obucocekileyo bobuKristu kodwa, ngaphezu kwako konke, ukuzalisekisa uthumo lwesiprofeto lukaYesu: “Ezi ndaba zilungileyo zobukumkani ziya kuvakaliswa kulo elimiweyo liphela, zibe bubungqina kuzo zonke iintlanga; kwandule ke ukufika ukuphela.” (Mateyu 24:14) Akukho mntu unokuchaza ukuba isiphelo siya kufika nini, kodwa siyazi ukuba “esi sizukulwana” sabantu abangendawo siya kuphela xa ubungqina bunikelwe ngendlela eyanelisayo kuThixo “kude kuse nasekupheleni komhlaba.”—IZenzo 1:8.

“Loo Mhla Nelo Lixa”

14. Sisiphi isiluleko uYesu noPawulos abasinikelayo ngokuphathelele “amaxesha namathuba,” yaye sifanele sisabele njani?

¹⁴ Xa ubungqina bunikelwe emhlabeni ukusa kumkhamo uYehova afuna ngawo, uya kufika ‘umhla nelixa’ lakhe lokuba ayiphelise le nkqubo yehlabathi. Akukho mfuneko yokuba siwazi kwangaphambili loo mhla. Ngaloo ndlela, elandela umzekelo kaYesu, umpostile uPawulos waluleka: “Ke kaloku ngawo amaxesha namathuba, bazalwana, akufuneki nganto ukuba ndinibhalele; kuba nani ngokwenu niyazi ngokucacileyo, ukuba imini yeNkosi, njengesela ebusuku, yenjenjalo ukuza kwayo. Kuba xenikweni baya kuthi, Luxolo nokunqaba, oko baya kufikelwa yintshabalaliso ngebhaqo, kwanjengenimba komithiyo; baye bengayi kukha basinde.” Phawula ukuba uPawulos uyijolisa phi ingqalelo: ‘Xenikweni baya kuthi.’ Ewe, xa kuthethwa ‘ngoxolo nokunqaba,’ ngoxa ingalindelekanga, imigwebo kaThixo iya kuphunyezwa ngequbuliso. Hayi indlela elifaneleke ngayo icebiso likaPawulos: “Ngoko ke masingalali, njengabanye aba; masiphaphe sibe ziingcathu [“siqabuke,” NW]”!—1 Tesalonika 5:1-3, 6; bona kwanendinyana 7-11; IZenzo 1:7.

15, 16. (a) Kutheni singafanele sicinge ukuba iArmagedon ikude ngakumbi kunokuba besicinga? (b) Lumele lukhuliswe njani ulongamo lukaYehova kungekudala?

¹⁵ Ngaba le mbono ichane ngakumbi ‘yesi sizukulwana’ ithetha ukuba iArmagedon ikude ngakumbi kunokuba besicinga? Nakanye! Nangona singazange siwazi ‘umhla nelixa,’ uYehova uThixo ebesoloko ewazi, yaye akaguquki. (Malaki 3:6) Ngokucacileyo, ihlabathi liya litshona ngakumbi ekonakaleni okungenakulungiseka. Imfuneko yokuba siphaphe ibaluleke ngakumbi kunokuba yakha yanjalo. UYehova usityhilele “izinto ezimele ukubakho kamsinya,” yaye sifanele sisabele ngemvo yongxamiseko ngokwenene.—ISityhilelo 1:1; 11:18; 16:14, 16.

¹⁶ Njengoko ixesha lisondela, hlala uphaphile, kuba uYehova sele eza kuyizisela intlekele yonke inkqubo kaSathana! (Yeremiya 25:29-31) UYehova uthi: “Ndiya kuzikhulisa, ndizingcwalise, ndizazise ngokwam emehlweni eentlanga ezininzi; zazi ukuba ndinguYehova.” (Hezekile 38:23) Loo “mini kaYehova” yamanqam iyasondela!—Yoweli 1:15; 2:1, 2; Amosi 5:18-20; Zefaniya 2:2, 3.

“Elitsha Izulu Nomtsha Umhlaba” Onobulungisa

17, 18. (a) Ngokutsho kukaYesu noPetros, sidlula njani “esi sizukulwana”? (b) Kutheni sifanele sihlale siyiphaphele ihambo nezenzo zokuhlonela uThixo?

¹⁷ Ngokuphathelele ‘zonke ezo zinto zimele zibekho’ uYesu wathi: “Liya kudlula izulu nomhlaba, ke wona amazwi am akasayi kudlula.” (Mateyu 24:34, 35) UYesu umele ukuba wayecinga ‘ngezulu nomhlaba’—abalawuli nabo babalawulayo—‘besi sizukulwana.’ Umpostile uPetros wasebenzisa amazwi afanayo xa wayebhekisela ‘kwizulu langoku, nawo umhlaba,’ zinto ezo “ziqwetyelwe, zigcinelwe, umlilo, kuse kwimini yomgwebo nentshabalalo yabantu abangahloneli Thixo.” Ngokulandelayo uchaza indlela ‘eya kufika ngayo imini yeNkosi njengesela, lithi izulu [elingoorhulumente] lidlule’ kunye nebutho labantu elonakeleyo, okanye ‘umhlaba,’ kunye nemisebenzi yalo yesono. Wandula ke lo mpostile asibongoze ukuba sibe ‘neehambo ezingcwele nokuhlonela uThixo; [njengoko] sikulindela, sikukhawulezela, ukufika kwayo imini kaThixo, eliya kuthi ngenxa yayo izulu lifakwe isikhuni, lichithakale, zithi neziqalelo zitshe zinyibilike.’ Kulandele ntoni? UPetros uguqulela ingqalelo yethu ‘kwelitsha izulu, nomtsha umhlaba, apho kumi ubulungisa.’—2 Petros 3:7, 10-13.c

¹⁸ Elo ‘zulu litsha,’ ulawulo loBukumkani lukaKristu Yesu nookumkani abaya kulawula naye, liya kuthululela iintsikelelo ‘komtsha umhlaba’ onobulungisa webutho labantu. Ngaba unethemba lokuba lilungu lelo butho labantu? Ukuba kunjalo, unesizathu sokulivuyela ikamva elizukileyo elizayo!—Isaya 65:17-19; ISityhilelo 21:1-5.

19. Liliphi ilungelo elikhulu esinokulinandipha kwanangoku?

¹⁹ Ewe, kwanangoku sekuqalisiwe ukuhlanganiswa ‘kwesizukulwana’ esinobulungisa sabantu. Namhlanje ‘umkhonzi othembekileyo noqondayo’ othanjisiweyo unikela imfundiso yobuthixo ngokuvisisana namazwi eNdumiso 78:1, 4: “Wubekeleni indlebe umyalelo wam, bantu bakowethu, wathobeleni indlebe amazwi omlomo wam. . . . Sobalisela isizukulwana esizayo iindumiso zikaYehova, namandla akhe, nemisebenzi yakhe ebalulekileyo awayenzayo.” (Mateyu 24:45-47) NgoAprili 14 walo nyaka, kumabandla angaphezu kwama-75 500 akumazwe amalunga nama-230, ngabantu abangaphezu kwezi-12 000 000 abebekho kwiSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaKristu. Ngaba ubuphakathi kwabo? Ngamana unganokholo kuKristu Yesu uze ‘unqule igama [likaYehova] ukuze usindiswe.’—Roma 10:10-13.

20. Ekubeni “ixesha lifinyele,” simele sihlale siphaphile njani, yaye sinaliphi ithemba?

²⁰ Umpostile uPawulos wathi: “Ixesha lifinyele.” Ngoko ke, lixesha lokuba sihlale siphaphile yaye sixakekile emsebenzini kaYehova kunanini na ngaphambili, njengoko sinyamezela izilingo nokuthiywa sesi sizukulwana sabantu abangendawo. (1 Korinte 7:29; Mateyu 10:22; 24:13, 14) Masihlale silindile, siphawula zonke izinto ezaxelwa kwangaphambili eBhayibhileni njengezo ziya kufikela “esi sizukulwana.” (Luka 21:31-33) Ngokuzisaba ezi zinto size sime sinenkoliseko kaThixo phambi koNyana womntu, ekugqibeleni sinokuzuza umvuzo wobomi obungunaphakade.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

Imibuzo Yempinda:

◻ Ekubeni sikuphawule ukuzaliseka kukaDaniyeli 4:32, sifanele “sihlale siphaphile” njani?

◻ Incwadi yeVangeli kaMateyu nekaLuka zisichaza njani “esi sizukulwana”?

◻ Njengoko silindele “loo mhla nelo lixa,” sibona ntoni, yaye sifanele sisabele njani?

◻ Ithemba ‘lezulu elitsha nomhlaba omtsha’ lifanele lisikhuthazele ukwenza ntoni?

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 17]

Uluntu olubandezelekileyo luya kukhululeka xa esi sizukulwana sinogonyamelo nesingendawo sidlula

[Inkcazelo]

Alexandra Boulat/Sipa Press

[Inkcazelo]

Left and below: Luc Delahaye/Sipa Press

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

Ngaphambili zonke izizwe zabantu zilindelwe lelizukileyo ‘izulu elitsha nomhlaba omtsha’