IApocalypse—Ngaba Imele Yoyikwe Okanye Inike Ithemba?
“Namhlanje i-apocalypse asiyonto nje ethethwa yiBhayibhile kodwa iyinto enokwenzeka ngokwenene.”—Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, owayesakuba ngusosiba-jikelele weZizwe Ezimanyeneyo.
UKUSETYENZISWA kwegama elithi “imbhubhiso” yinkokeli yehlabathi kubonisa indlela inkoliso yabantu eliqonda nelibona lisetyenziswa ngayo kwimifanekiso eshukumayo nakwimixholo yeencwadi, kumanqaku amaphephancwadi nakwiingxelo zamaphephandaba. Eli gama lisinika umbono wentlekele yendalo iphela. Kodwa lithetha ntoni kanye kanye igama elithi “apocalypse”? Yaye okona kubalulekileyo, sithini isigidimi sencwadi yeBhayibhile ebizwa ngokuba siSityhilelo?
Igama elithi “apocalypse” lisuka kwigama lesiGrike elithetha “ukubhenca,” okanye “ukutyhila.” Yintoni le yatyhilwayo okanye yabhencwa kwiSityhilelo seBhayibhile? Ngaba yayiqulethe isigidimi sentshabalalo kuphela, isandulela sokutshatyalaliswa kwabantu kuze kungabikho usindayo? Xa wayebuzwa ukuba ucinga ntoni ngeSityhilelo, umbhali-mbali uJean Delumeau, ilungu leInstitut de France, wavakalisa oku: “Yincwadi ethuthuzelayo nenika ithemba. Abantu baye bakubaxa oko ikuquletheyo ngokunikela ingqalelo kwiziganeko zayo ezoyikekayo.”
ICawa Yokuqala NeSityhilelo
“AmaKristu” okuqala asijonga njani iSityhilelo kunye nethemba esilibekayo loLawulo Lwewaka Leminyaka (uLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka) lukaKristu emhlabeni? Lo mbhali-mbali ukwamnye wathi: “Mna ndibona ngathi ubukhulu becala amaKristu eenkulungwane ezimbalwa zokuqala ayeyamkele ingcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka. . . . Phakathi kwamaKristu eenkulungwane zokuqala awayekholelwa kuLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka singabalula uPapias, ubhishopu waseHierapolis eAsia Minor, . . . iNgcwele uJustin, eyazalelwa ePalestina yaza yafela ukholo eRoma malunga nowama-165, iNgcwele uIrenæus, ubhishopu waseLyons owafa ngowama-202, uTertullian, owafa ngowama-222, kunye . . . nombhali wodumo uLactantius.”
Ithetha ngoPapias, ekuthiwa wafela ukholo ePergamo ngowe-161 okanye ngowe-165 C.E., iThe Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “UBhishopu uPapias waseHierapolis, umfundi weNgcwele uYohane, waba ngummeli wengcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka. Wayesithi le mfundiso uyifumene kubantu ababephila nabaPostile, kwaye uIrenæus ucacisa athi nezinye ‘iiNdwalutho Zecawa,’ ezazimbonile zaza zamphulaphula umfundi uYohane, zayifunda kuye inkolelo yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka njengenxalenye yemfundiso yeNkosi. Ngokutsho kukaEusebius . . . kwincwadi yakhe uPapias wema ngelithi uvuko lwabafi lwaluya kulandelwa yiminyaka eliwaka yobukumkani basemhlabeni obubonakalayo nobuzukileyo bukaKristu.”
Kusixelela ntoni oku ngempembelelo ebe nayo incwadi yeSityhilelo kumakholwa okuqala? Ngaba yayiwoyikisa okanye yayiwanika ithemba? Okubangel’ umdla kukuba ababhali-mbali babiza amaKristu amandulo ngokuthi ziichiliasts, ngokusuka kwigama lesiGrike elithi khiʹli·a eʹte (iwaka leminyaka). Ewe, uninzi lwawo lwalusaziwa ukuba lukholelwa kuLawulo LukaKristu Lwewaka Leminyaka, olwaluza kuzisa iparadesi emhlabeni. Ekuphela kwendawo eBhayibhileni apho ithemba lolawulo lwewaka leminyaka likhankanywa ngokukhethekileyo kukwiSityhilelo. (20:1-7) Ngoko, kunokuba soyikise amakholwa, ISityhilelo siwanika ithemba elimangalisayo. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Early Church and the World, unjingalwazi wembali yecawa waseOxford, uCecil Cadoux, ubhala athi: “Iimbono zee-chiliasts, nangona kamva zathi zachaswa, zazikhe zamkelwa kakhulu kangangexesha elide yiCawa, zifundiswa yinkoliso yababhali abaziwayo.”
Isizathu Sokuba Ithemba LeSityhilelo Lingamkelwa
Ekubeni nembali ngokwayo ingqina ukuba amaKristu okuqala amaninzi, mhlawumbi inkoliso yawo, yayinethemba loLawulo Lwewaka Leminyaka lukaKristu kumhlaba oyiparadesi, yenzeka njani into yokuba ‘iimbono zee-chiliasts zichaswe kamva’? Ngesizathu esivakalayo kwabakho abantu abazichasayo kuba, njengoko umphengululi uRobert Mounce watshoyo, “ngelishwa, uninzi lwee-chiliasts aluzange luzilawule iingcamango zalo ibe lwagqala ixesha leminyaka eliwaka njengexesha lokuzifica ngezinto eziphathekayo nokuziyolisa ngokugqithiseleyo.” Kodwa ke iimbono zaba bantu bazibaxayo izinto ngezazilungisiwe kunokuba kungamkelwa ithemba lokwenene loLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka.
Okunene ziyamangalisa iindlela ezasetyenziswa ziintshaba ukuze ziyenze ingamkelwa ingcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka. Xa ithetha ngomfundisi waseRoma uCaius (owayephila ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini, nasebutsheni beyesithathu), iDictionnaire de Théologie Catholique ithi “ukuze akatyise ingcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka, wayiphikisa ngokuphandle into yokuba ISityhilelo kunye neVangeli yeNgcwele uYohane zinokuthenjwa.” Le Dictionnaire ihlabela mgama isithi uDionysius, ubhishopu wenkulungwane yesithathu waseAlexandria, wabhala ingxelo eyayichasene nengcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka esithi, “ukuze abo banamathele kule ngcamango bangakwazi ukusekela inkolelo yabo kwiSityhilelo seNgcwele uYohane, akazange athandabuze ukuyichaza njengengenakuthenjwa.” Loo nkcaso inolunya eyayijoliswe kwithemba leentsikelelo zolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka ibonisa ukuphembelelana okungaqondakaliyo okwakukho kubefundisi belo xesha.
Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Pursuit of the Millennium, uNjingalwazi uNorman Cohn uyabhala: “Ngenkulungwane yesithathu kwenziwa umgudu wokuqala wokubhangisa ingcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka, xa uOrigen, mhlawumbi owayengoyena mfundisi unempembelelo kubefundisi beCawa bamandulo, waqalisa ukuchaza uBukumkani njengento eyayingayi kwenzeka ngokoqobo kodwa eyayiza kwenzeka kwimiphefumlo yamakholwa.” Esebenzisa intanda-bulumko yamaGrike kunokusebenzisa iBhayibhile, uOrigen walingxenga ithemba elibalaseleyo leentsikelelo zasemhlabeni ezaziza kuziswa buBukumkani bukaMesiya laba ‘sisiganeko esingaqondakaliyo esenzeka kwimiphefumlo yamakholwa.’ Umbhali ongumKatolika uLéon Gry wabhala: “Ukugqugqisa kwentanda-bulumko yamaGrike . . . kwazikatyisa ngokuthe ngcembe iingcamango zeeChiliasts.”
“ICawa Ayisenaso Isigidimi Esinika Ithemba”
Ngokuqinisekileyo uMseki Wecawa owaphumeza lukhulu ekuxubeni intanda-bulumko yamaGrike noko kwakubonakala kububuKristu ngelo xesha yayinguAugustine. Nangona ekuqaleni wayengummeli ophambili wengcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka, ekugqibeleni wayichasa nayiphi na ingcamango yoLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka lukaKristu emhlabeni kwixesha elizayo. Wajika ISityhilelo isahluko 20 esithi sinenye intsingiselo yokomoya efihlakeleyo.
IThe Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Ekugqibeleni uAugustine walikhupha latsola esithi soze kubekho ulawulo lweminyaka eliwaka. . . . Uvuko lokuqala, esithetha ngalo esi sahluko, uthi lubhekisela ekuzalweni ngokomoya kwakhona kukabani xa ebhaptizwa; isabatha yewaka leminyaka elandela iminyaka engamawaka amathandathu yembali, bubomi obungunaphakade xa buphelele.” IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Ingcamango ka-Augustine yokuba ulawulo lwewaka leminyaka linenye intsingiselo yokomoya efihlakeleyo yaba yimfundiso eyamkelekileyo yecawa . . . ABahlaziyi abangamaProtestanti abangabalandeli bakaLuther, uCalvin kunye namaTshetshi . . . baqhubeka benamathele kwiimbono zika-Augustine.” Ngaloo ndlela, amarhamente eecawa zeNgqobhoko abandezwa ithemba lolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka.
Ngaphezu koko, ngokutsho komfundisi waseSwitzerland uFrédéric de Rougemont, “ngokuzikhwebula kwinkolelo yakhe yokuqala yolawulo lwewaka leminyaka, [uAugustine] wadala umonakalo ongenakuthelekiswa nanto kwiCawa. Ngenxa yokuba wayenempembelelo enkulu, wavumela impazamo eyabandeza [iCawa] ithemba layo lokuphila emhlabeni.” Umfundisi ongumJamani uAdolf Harnack wavuma ukuba ukungamkelwa kwenkolelo yoLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka kwabandeza abantu abaqhelekileyo “unqulo ababeluqonda,” endaweni “yonqulo oludala kunye namathemba amadala” kwangena “unqulo ababengenakuluqonda.” Namhlanje iicawa ezikhal’ ibhungane kumazwe amaninzi zibonisa kakuhle ukuba abantu bafuna unqulo kunye nethemba abanokuliqonda.
Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Highlights of the Book of Revelation, umphengululi weBhayibhile uGeorge Beasley-Murray wabhala: “Ubukhulu becala ngenxa yempembelelo enkulu ka-Augustine kwelinye icala kunye nokwamkelwa kwengcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka ngamahlelo kwelinye, amaKatolika kunye namaProtestanti aye ema cala-nye ekuyichaseni. Xa ebuzwa ukuba liliphi ke elinye ithemba analo ngomntu kweli hlabathi aphendula ngokuthi: Alikho. Ihlabathi liza kutshatyalaliswa ekufikeni kukaKristu ukuze livulele umtyhi izulu kunye nesihogo esingunaphakade apho izinto zexesha elidluleyo ziya kuphelela khona. . . . Icawa ayisenaso isigidimi esinika ithemba.”
Ithemba Elimangalisayo LeSityhilelo Lisekho!
Kwelawo icala, amaNgqina kaYehova eyisekile kukuba aya kuzalisekiswa amadinga angummangaliso anxibelelene noLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka. Xa kwakudliwan’ indlebe naye kumabonwakude waseFransi kwinkqubo eyayinomxholo othi: “Year 2000: Fear of the Apocalypse [Unyaka Wama-2000: Uloyiko Lweapocalypse],” umbhali-mbali ongumFrentshi uJean Delumeau wathi: “AmaNgqina kaYehova anamathele kanye kwingcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka, kuba athi kungekudala . . . siza kungena—ewe, emva kwembubhiso—kwixesha leminyaka eli-1 000 yolonwabo.”
Oku koko kanye kwabonwa ngumpostile uYohane kumbono awuchaze kwincwadi yakhe yeSityhilelo. Wabhala: “Ndabona izulu elitsha nomhlaba omtsha . . . Ngako oko ndeva ilizwi elikhulu livela etroneni lisithi: ‘Khangela! Intente kaThixo iseluntwini, yaye uya kuhlala nalo, ibe lona luya kuba ngamaqela abantu bakhe. NoThixo ngokwakhe uya kuba nalo. Kwaye uya kuzisula zonke iinyembezi emehlweni alo, yaye ukufa akusayi kubakho, kungayi kubakho nakukhedama nasikhalo nantlungu kwakhona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlule.’ ”—ISityhilelo 21:1, 3, 4.
AmaNgqina kaYehova abandakanyeke kumsebenzi wehlabathi lonke wokufundisa iBhayibhile ukuze abantu abaninzi kangangoko kunokwenzeka bakwazi ukulamkela eli themba. Aya kukuvuyela ukukunceda ufunde okungakumbi ngalo.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]
UPapias wathi uyifumene ngokungqalileyo kubantu ababephila nabapostile ingcamango yoLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
UTertullian wayekholelwa kuLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka lukaKristu
[Inkcazelo]
© Cliché Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
“Ngokuzikhwebula kwinkolelo yakhe yokuqala yolawulo lwewaka leminyaka, [uAugustine] wadala umonakalo ongena-kuthelekiswa nanto kwiCawa”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]
Umhlaba oyiParadesi othenjiswe kwiSityhilelo uyinto enokulindelwa ngolangazelelo