Kutheni Abantu Besoyika IApocalypse?

UDAMIAN THOMPSON, umbhali wezakwalizwi kwiphephancwadi iTime uthi: “Sele kungamashumi eminyaka amaKristu akholelwa kwizinto ezingokoqobo eprofeta esithi kukho uhlobo [oluthile] lokuwohloka kwebutho labantu oluza kwenzeka kungekudala. Ngoku into efika ibe ngumnqa kuwo kukuba, ezi ziganeko azaneli kugqalwa njengomba onzulu kuphela, kodwa zikwasasazwa ngabantu ababekade behlekisa ngazo: amagcisa eekhompyutha, iinkokeli zoosomashishini nezobupolitika.” Uthi ukoyika kwabantu ukusilela kweekhompyutha ngonyaka wama-2000 “kuye kwaguqula abantu abangalunanze nganto unqulo bazibona sebekholelwa kwiwaka leminyaka” besoyika ukuhla kweziganeko ezifana “neziphithiphithi, ukuwohloka koorhulumente, ukujijisana ngokutya, neenqwelo-moya ezintlaleka koorhec’ izulu bezakhiwo.”

Ukongezelela kwinkxalabo ehleli ikho, kukho izinto eziphazamisayo ezenziwa ngamaqela onqulo amancinane ahlukahlukeneyo, adla ngokubizwa ngokuba “ngawembubhiso.” NgoJanuwari 1999, kwinqaku elithi “Jerusalem and the Sirens of the Apocalypse [IYerusalem Kunye Nezilumkiso Zembubhiso],” iphephandaba lemihla ngemihla lesiFrentshi iLe Figaro lathi: “Abeenkonzo zomkhosi [bakwaSirayeli] baqikelela ukuba bangaphezu kwekhulu ‘abantu abakholelwa kwiwaka leminyaka’ abahleli kwiNtaba yeMinquma okanye kufutshane nayo belinde i-parousia okanye i-apocalypse.”

I-1998 Britannica Book of the Year iqulethe ingxelo ekhethekileyo ephathelele “iDoomsday Cults [Amahlelo Omhla Wentshabalalo].” Ithi phakathi kwawo kukho amahlelo akhuthaza ukuzibulala, anjengeHeaven’s Gate, iPeople’s Temple, iOrder of the Solar Temple, kunye neAum Shinrikyo (Supreme Truth), eyaququzelela uhlaselo lwegesi eyityhefu kwisikhululo sikaloliwe esingaphantsi komhlaba eTokyo ngowe-1995, kwaza kwafa abantu abali-12 kusenzakala abanye abangamawaka. Xa wayequkumbela le ngxelo, uMartin E. Marty, unjingalwazi wonqulo kwiUniversity of Chicago, wabhala: “Ukusondela kwekhalenda kunyaka wama-2000 kunempembelelo​—⁠kwaye mhlawumbi kuseza kuvusa iziprofeto ezininzi kuze kuyilwe nemibutho emininzi. Eminye isenokuba yingozi. Iza kuba ingeloxesha lakuyekelela umxakatho.”

Imbali Yokoyikwa Kwembubhiso

ISityhilelo ligama lencwadi yokugqibela yeBhayibhile eyabhalwa ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Ngenxa yokuba le ncwadi isisiprofeto yaye ubukhulu becala isebenzisa ulwimi olufuziselayo, isichazi esithi “apocalyptic” saye sasetyenziswa kuhlobo lweencwadi ezabhalwa kudala ngaphambi kokuba incwadi yeBhayibhile yeSityhilelo ibhalwe. Iintsomi zezi ncwadi zisusela kwiPersi yamandulo nangaphambili. Kungoko iThe Jewish Encyclopedia ithetha “ngezinto eyayibalasele ngazo iBhabhiloni ekuthethwa ngazo kwinkoliso yeentsomi ezikwezo ncwadi [ezithetha ngeapocalypse yamaYuda].”

Iincwadi zamaYuda ezithetha ngeapocalypse zanda ukususela ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesibini ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo ukusa ekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Echaza injongo yezo ncwadi, omnye umphengululi weBhayibhile wabhala: “AmaYuda ayelahlula ixesha libe ngamacandelo amabini. Kwakukho elo xesha awayephila kulo, elalizaliswe bubungendawo bodwa . . . Ngoko ke, amaYuda alinda ukuphela kwezo zinto zazikho. Kwakukho ixesha elaliseza nelaliza kuzaliswa bubulungisa bodwa, ixesha likaThixo loyolo ekwakuza kubakho uxolo, inkqubela kunye nobulungisa . . . Kwakuza kwenzeka njani ukuba elo xesha awayephila kulo libe lixesha elaliseza? AmaYuda ayekholelwa ukuba iinguqu zazingenakuziswa ngabantu yaye, ngenxa yoko, alindela ukuba uThixo angenelele ngokungqalileyo. . . . Umhla wokuza kukaThixo wawubizwa ngokuba nguMhla WeNkosi yaye wawuza kuba lixesha lonxunguphalo, intshabalalo kunye nomgwebo, zinto ezo ezaziza kuba yinimba yexesha elitsha. Lonke uncwadi oluthetha nge-apocalypse luxubusha ngezi ziganeko.”

Ngaba Sikho Isizathu Sokoyika Iapocalypse?

Incwadi yeBhayibhile yeSityhilelo ithetha ‘ngemfazwe yemini enkulu kaThixo uSomandla,’ okanye iArmagedon, apho abangendawo baya kutshatyalaliswa, kuze kulandele iwaka leminyaka (maxa wambi elibizwa ngokuba luLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka) aya kuthi ngalo uSathana aphoswe enzonzobileni aze uKristu agwebe abantu. (ISityhilelo 16:​14, 16; 20:​1-⁠4) KumaXesha Aphakathi, ezi ziprofeto zaziqondwa phosakeleyo ngabanye kuba “iNgcwele” uAugustine (354-430 C.E.) eyayingumKatolika yathi uLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka lwaqalisa ekuzalweni kukaKristu kwaye lwaluza kulandelwa nguMgwebo Wokugqibela. Kuyacaca ukuba uAugustine akazange ayicinge into yexesha, kodwa njengoko unyaka we-1000 wawusondela, abantu baphakuzela nangakumbi. Ababhali-mbali ababoni ngaso-nye xa kufikwa kumlinganiselo wolu loyiko lweapocalypse lwamaxesha aphakathi. Enoba lwalungundaba-mlonyeni kangakanani na, ngokuqinisekileyo lwangqineka lungenasizathu.

Ngokufanayo ke nanamhlanje, abantu abakholwayo kunye nabangakholwayo banoloyiko lokuba unyaka wama-2000 okanye owama-2001, uza kufika neapocalypse eyoyikekayo. Kodwa ngaba sikho isizathu sokuba noloyiko olunjalo? Kwaye ngaba isigidimi esiqulethwe yincwadi yeBhayibhile yeSityhilelo siyinto emele yoyikwe okanye, kunoko, siyinto esifanele sibe nethemba layo? Khawuqhubeke ufunda.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]

Uloyiko lwe-“Apocalypse” lwamaxesha aphakathi lwangqineka lungenasizathu

[Inkcazelo]

© Cliché Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 3]

Maya/Sipa Press