Ukubalelwa Ekubeni Ngabafanelwe BuBukumkani

“Oku kububungqina bomgwebo wobulungisa kaThixo, okhokelela ekubalelweni kwenu ekuthini nifanelwe bubukumkani bukaThixo, enibandezeleka ngenxa yabo.”—2 TES. 1:5.

1, 2. UThixo unayiphi injongo ngokuphathelele umgwebo, yaye ngubani oya kugweba?

MALUNGA nowama-50 kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo, umpostile uPawulos wayeseAthene. Ecatshukiswa kukugqugqisa konqulo-zithixo apho, wanikela ubungqina obucokisekileyo. Waqukumbela intetho yakhe ngamazwi asenokuba ayithimba ingqalelo yabaphulaphuli bakhe abangabahedeni. Wathi: “Ngoku [uThixo] uxelela uluntu ukuba lufanele lonke kuyo yonk’ indawo luguquke. Ngenxa yokuba umise imini anenjongo ngayo yokuba agwebe umhlaba omiweyo ngobulungisa ngendoda ayimiseleyo, yaye ubanike isiqinisekiso bonke abantu ngokuba eye wayivusa kwabafileyo.”—IZe. 17:30, 31.

² Kubaluleke gqitha ukukhumbula ukuba uThixo ubeke umhla aza kulugweba ngawo uluntu. Loo mgwebo uya kuphunyezwa ngulowo uPawulos angazange amchaze kwintetho yakhe awayinikela eAthene kodwa esaziyo ukuba nguYesu Kristu ovusiweyo. Ukugwetywa nguYesu kuya kuthetha ukuphila okanye ukufa.

3. Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova enze umnqophiso noAbraham, yaye ngubani onendima ebalulekileyo ekuzalisekeni kwawo?

³ Loo Mini Yomgwebo iya kuthabatha iminyaka eli-1 000. UYesu uya kulawula egameni likaYehova njengoKumkani woBukumkani bukaThixo, kodwa akayi kuba yedwa. UYehova ukhethe abanye phakathi kwabantu ukuze balawule noYesu babe ngabagwebi ebudeni baloo mini iya kuthabatha iminyaka eliwaka. (Thelekisa uLuka 22:29, 30.) Malunga nama-4 000 eminyaka eyadlulayo, uYehova wabeka isiseko saloo Mini Yomgwebo xa wenza umnqophiso nomkhonzi wakhe othembekileyo uAbraham. (Funda iGenesis 22:17, 18.) Kucacile ukuba lo mnqophiso waqalisa ukusebenza ngowe-1943 B.C.E. Kambe ke, uAbraham wayengayiqondi ngokupheleleyo intsingiselo yalo mnqophiso kuluntu. Noko ke, thina namhlanje, ngokuvisisana namasolotya alo mnqophiso, siyaqonda ukuba imbewu ka-Abraham inendima ebalulekileyo ekuzalisekeni kwenjongo kaThixo yokugweba uluntu.

4, 5. (a) Ngubani oyena uphambili kwimbewu ka-Abraham, yaye wathini ngokuphathelele uBukumkani? (b) Ithemba lokuba yinxalenye yoBukumkani lavuleleka nini kwabanye?

⁴ Kwaye kwabonakala ukuba oyena uphambili kwimbewu ka-Abraham nguYesu, owathanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele waza wanguMesiya okanye uKristu othenjisiweyo ngowama-29 C.E. (Gal. 3:16) UYesu wachitha iminyaka emithathu enesiqingatha eyalandelayo eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani kumaYuda. Emva kokubanjwa kukaYohane umBhaptizi, uYesu wabonisa ukuba kwakukho abathile ababeza kulawula kobo Bukumkani xa wathi: “Ukususela kwimihla kaYohane umBhaptizi de kube ngoku abantu banosukelo lobukumkani bamazulu, yaye abo banolo sukelo bayabufumana.”—Mat. 11:12.

⁵ Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, ngaphambi nje kokuba athethe ngabo baza ‘kufumana’ uBukumkani bamazulu, uYesu wathi: “Inene ndithi kuni, Phakathi kwabo bazelwe ngabafazi akuveliswanga omkhulu kunoYohane umBhaptizi; kodwa umntu omncinane ebukumkanini bamazulu mkhulu kunaye.” (Mat. 11:11) Kwakutheni ukuze atsho? Kaloku, ithemba lokuba yinxalenye yoBukumkani lalingekavuleleki kwabathembekileyo de kwathululwa umoya oyingcwele ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. Ngelo xesha, uYohane umBhaptizi wayesele efile.—IZe. 2:1-4.

Imbewu Ka-Abraham Ivakaliswa Ingamalungisa

6, 7. (a) Kwakuza kwenzeka njani ukuba imbewu ka-Abraham ibe ‘njengeenkwenkwezi zasemazulwini’? (b) Yiyiphi intsikelelo eyafunyanwa nguAbraham, ibe yiyiphi intsikelelo efana naleyo efunyanwa yimbewu yakhe?

⁶ UAbraham waxelelwa ukuba imbewu yakhe iza kwanda ize ibe “njengeenkwenkwezi zasemazulwini” nanjengentlabathi eselunxwemeni lolwandle. (Gen. 13:16; 22:17) Ngamany’ amazwi, ngomhla ka-Abraham kwakungekho mntu ulaziyo inani labo babumba le mbewu. Noko ke, ekugqibeleni lade lachazwa elona nani layo lichanileyo. Ngaphandle koYesu, yayiza kuba li-144 000.—ISityhi. 7:4; 14:1.

⁷ Lithetha ngokholo luka-Abraham, iLizwi likaThixo lithi: ‘UAbraham wakholwa kuYehova; yaye uYehova wakubalela kuye oko njengobulungisa.’ (Gen. 15:5, 6) Liyinyaniso elokuba, akukho mntu ulilungisa ngokupheleleyo. (Yak. 3:2) Nakuba kunjalo, ngenxa yokholo lwakhe olubalaseleyo, uYehova wamphatha njengelungisa kangangokuba wada wathi ngumhlobo wakhe. (Isa. 41:8) Bekunye noYesu, abo babumba imbewu yokomoya ka-Abraham baye bavakaliswa bengamalungisa, yaye loo nto ibazisela iintsikelelo ezingakumbi kunezo zafunyanwa nguAbraham.

8. Ziziphi iintsikelelo ezivulekele amalungu embewu ka-Abraham?

⁸ AmaKristu athanjisiweyo avakaliswa engamalungisa ngenxa yokuba nokholo kwawo kwidini lentlawulelo likaYesu. (Roma 3:24, 28) Emehlweni kaYehova agwetyelwe esonweni yaye anokuthanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele ukuze abe ngoonyana bakaThixo bokomoya, abazalwana bakaYesu Kristu. (Yoh. 1:12, 13) Angena kumnqophiso omtsha ukuze abumbe uhlanga olutsha, “uSirayeli kaThixo.” (Gal. 6:16; Luka 22:20) Konke oko kulilungelo elingathethekiyo! Ngenxa yazo zonke ezi zinto azenzelwe nguThixo, amaKristu athanjisiweyo akanathemba lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni. Ayalincama elo themba ngenxa yovuyo olungathethekiyo lokusebenza noYesu ebudeni beMini Yomgwebo nelokulawula kunye naye emazulwini.—Funda eyabaseRoma 8:17.

9, 10. (a) Aqala nini amaKristu ukuthanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele, yaye yintoni awayekhangele phambili kuyo? (b) Luluphi uncedo olwafunyanwa ngamaKristu athanjisiweyo?

⁹ NgePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., iqela labantu abathembekileyo lanikwa ithuba lokuba phakathi kwabo baza kulawula noYesu ngeMini Yomgwebo. Abafundi bakaYesu abamalunga ne-120 babhaptizwa ngomoya oyingcwele, ngaloo ndlela besiba ngamaKristu athanjisiweyo okuqala. Noko ke, yayisesisiqalo nje eso kuwo. Ukususela ngoko, kwakuza kufuneka abonise ukunyaniseka kwawo kuYehova phezu kwazo zonke izilingo awayeza kuvavanywa ngazo nguSathana. Kwakuza kufuneka athembeke de afe ukuze afumane isithsaba sobomi basezulwini.—ISityhi. 2:10.

¹⁰ Ukuze akwazi ukwenza oku, esebenzisa iLizwi lakhe nebandla lamaKristu, uYehova ebenika amaKristu athanjisiweyo ukhuthazo alufunayo. Ngokomzekelo, umpostile uPawulos wawabhalela wathi amaKristu athanjisiweyo aseTesalonika: “Besixelisa ubawo kubantwana bakhe, sibongoza ngamnye wenu, sinithuthuzela yaye sinikela ubungqina kuni, ukuze niqhubeke nihamba ngokumfaneleyo uThixo onibizela ebukumkanini nakuzuko lwakhe.”—1 Tes. 2:11, 12.

11. Yiyiphi ingxelo ebhaliweyo uYehova awayilungiselela amalungu ‘oSirayeli kaThixo’?

¹¹ Kumashumi eminyaka emva kokuba uYehova ekhethe amalungu okuqala ebandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo, wabona kufanelekile ukuba kubhalwe ingxelo yobulungiseleli bukaYesu emhlabeni nendlela awawafundisa waza wawaphatha ngayo amaKristu athanjisiweyo enkulungwane yokuqala. Ngoko wongezelela iZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike eziphefumlelweyo kwezo zesiHebhere zazisele zikho. Ekuqaleni iZibhalo ZesiHebhere zazibhalelwe uSirayeli wokwenyama ngoxa wayesenolwalamano olukhethekileyo noThixo. Zona iZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike ngokuyintloko zabhalelwa “uSirayeli kaThixo,” abazalwana abathanjisiweyo bakaKristu noonyana baThixo bokomoya. Noko ke, oko akuthethi kuthi abo bangengomaSirayeli babengenakuzuza nto ngokufunda iZibhalo ZesiHebhere. Ngokufanayo, amaKristu angathanjiswanga ngomoya oyingcwele azuza lukhulu ngokufunda nokuphila ngemilinganiselo yeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike.—Funda eyesi-2 kuTimoti 3:15-17.

12. UPawulos wawakhumbuza ntoni amaKristu athanjisiweyo?

¹² AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala avakaliswa engamalungisa aza athanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele ukuze akwazi ukufumana ilifa lawo lokuphila ezulwini. Oku kuthanjiswa kwawo akuzange kuwenze ookumkani phezu kwamanye amaKristu athanjisiweyo ngoxa ayesesemhlabeni. Kuyabonakala ukuba, amanye amaKristu asithelwa sesi sibakala aza aqalisa ukuziphakamisa phezu kwabanye abazalwana ebandleni. Yiloo nto eyashukumisela uPawulos ukuba abuze lo mbuzo: “Nina sele nihluthi, andibi kunjalo? Sele nizizityebi, andibi kunjalo? Sele niqalisile ukulawula njengookumkani ngaphandle kwethu, andibi kunjalo? Yaye eneneni ndinqwenela ukuba beniqalisile ukulawula njengookumkani, ukuze nathi silawule kunye nani njengookumkani.” (1 Kor. 4:8) Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos wabakhumbuza oku abathanjiswa bomhla wakhe: “Asikuko ukuba siziinkosi phezu kokholo lwenu, kodwa singabasebenzi abangamadlelane ukuze nibe novuyo.”—2 Kor. 1:24.

Ukuzalisa Inani Elachazwa Kwangaphambili

13. Ukukhethwa kwabathanjiswa kwahambela phambili njani emva kowama-33 C.E.?

¹³ La maKristu athanjisiweyo ali-144 000 akazange akhethwe onke ngenkulungwane yokuqala. Aqhubeka ekhethwa ngexesha labapostile yaye kuyabonakala ukuba oku kwenzeka ngokuthe ngcembe emva koko. Noko ke, aye akhethwa nakwiinkulungwane ezalandelayo ukuza kuthi ga kutshanje. (Mat. 28:20) Ekugqibeleni, emva kokuba uYesu eqalisile ukulawula ngowe-1914, izinto zahambela phambili ngokukhawuleza.

14, 15. Yintoni eye yenzeka kwixesha lethu ngokuphathelele ukukhethwa kwabathanjiswa?

¹⁴ Okokuqala, uYesu wakhupha bonke abachasi bolawulo lukaThixo ezulwini. (Funda ISityhilelo 12:10, 12.) Emva koko wanikela ingqalelo ekuhlanganiseni amalungu aseleyo oBukumkani bakhe ukuze azalise inani elili-144 000. Phakathi kwiminyaka yee-1930, kuyabonakala ukuba loo msebenzi wawusele uza kugqitywa yaye abaninzi kwabo babesamkela iindaba ezilungileyo babengenawo umnqweno wokuya ezulwini. Umoya wawungangqinelani nabo ukuba bangoonyana bakaThixo. (Thelekisa eyabaseRoma 8:16.) Kodwa babevakalelwa kukuba ‘bazezinye izimvu,’ ezinethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade kwiparadesi esemhlabeni. (Yoh. 10:16) Ngoko, emva kowe-1935 kwagxininiswa ekuhlanganisweni ‘kwesihlwele esikhulu,’ esibumba abo umpostile uYohane wababona embonweni nabaya kusinda ‘kwimbandezelo enkulu.’—ISityhi. 7:9, 10, 14.

¹⁵ Sekunjalo, ukususela kwiminyaka yee-1930, kukho abambalwa abebekhethelwa ukuphila ezulwini. Ngoba? Kwezinye iimeko basenokuba bebengena ezihlangwini zabathile abaye abathembeka. (Thelekisa ISityhilelo 3:16.) UPawulos wathetha nangabanye awayebazi abashiya inyaniso. (Fil. 3:17-19) Ngoobani ababeza kukhethwa nguYehova ukuze bavale ezo zikhewu? Kambe ke, oko kwakuza kuxhomekeka kuye. Nakuba kunjalo, kwakuya kuba sengqiqweni ukuba angakhethi abasandul’ ukuguquka, kodwa akhethe abo—njengabafundi awayekunye nabo uYesu xa wayesungula iSikhumbuzo—baye bazingqina bethembekile ngokomlinganiselo othile.a—Luka 22:28.

16. Yintoni esinombulelo nesiqiniseke ngayo ngokuphathelele abathanjiswa?

¹⁶ Noko ke, kuyabonakala ukuba asingabo bonke kwabo bebekhethelwa ukuya kuphila ezulwini ukususela ngeyee-1930 abangena ezihlangwini zabaye abathembeka. Kuyacaca ukuba uYehova uye waqinisekisa ukuba amaKristu athanjisiweyo aya kuhlala ekho phakathi kwethu ukutyhubela imihla yokugqibela yale nkqubo yezinto de kutshatyalaliswe “iBhabhiloni Enkulu.”b (ISityhi. 17:5) Sinokuqiniseka ukuba inani elipheleleyo lamalungu ali-144 000 liya kuzaliswa ngexesha elifanelekileyo likaYehova aze onke aye kulawula njengookumkani. Siyakholelwa nakwiLizwi lesiprofeto lokuba esi sihlwele sikhulu sandayo siya kuqhubeka sithembekile. Kungekudala siya ‘kuphuma kwimbandezelo enkulu’ eza kuthwaxa ihlabathi likaSathana size ngovuyo singene kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo.

Sele Kuza Kugqitywa Ukuhlanganiswa Korhulumente Wasezulwini KaThixo!

17. Ngokutsho kweyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 4:15-17 neSityhilelo 6:9-11, kuye kwenzeka ntoni kumaKristu athanjisiweyo aye afa ethembekile?

¹⁷ Ukususela ngowama-33 C.E., amashumi amawaka amaKristu athanjisiweyo aye anokholo olomeleleyo aza ahlala ethembekile de afa. La maKristu sele ebalelwe ekuthini afanelwe kukufumana uBukumkani yaye kuyabonakala ukuba loo mvuzo ebewufumana ukususela ekuqaleni kobukho bukaKristu.—Funda eyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 4:15-17; ISityhilelo 6:9-11.

18. (a) Yintoni abaqiniseke ngayo abathanjiswa abasesemhlabeni? (b) Ezinye izimvu zibajonga njani abazalwana bazo abangamaKristu athanjisiweyo?

¹⁸ Abathanjiswa abasesemhlabeni baqinisekile ukuba kungekudala baza kuvuzwa xa behlala bethembekile. Xa zicamngca ngokholo lwabazalwana bazo abathanjisiweyo, izigidi zezinye izimvu ziyavumelana namazwi ompostile uPawulos owathi ngabazalwana abathanjisiweyo baseTesalonika: “Siyaqhayisa ngani phakathi kwamabandla kaThixo ngenxa yonyamezelo nokholo lwenu kuzo zonke iintshutshiso neembandezelo enizinyamezelayo. Oku kububungqina bomgwebo wobulungisa kaThixo, okhokelela ekubalelweni kwenu ekuthini nifanelwe bubukumkani bukaThixo, enibandezeleka ngenxa yabo.” (2 Tes. 1:3-5) Xa ilungu lokugqibela elithanjisiweyo lisifa, enoba kuya kube kunini na, oko kuya kuthetha ukuphelela korhulumente wasezulwini kaThixo. Oko kuya kubangela uvuyo olungathethekiyo ezulwini nasemhlabeni.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

Ngaba Unokuchaza?

• Yintoni uThixo awayityhilela uAbraham ngokuphathelele iMini Yomgwebo?

• Kwakutheni ukuze uAbraham avakaliswe elilungisa?

• Ukuvakaliswa njengamalungisa kukhokelela entwenini kwabo bembewu ka-Abraham?

• Yintoni aqiniseke ngayo onke amaKristu?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20]

UYesu wakhuthaza abalandeli bakhe ukuba batyhalele phambili ukuze bangene eBukumkanini

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]

NgePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uYehova waqalisa ukukhetha amalungu enxalenye yesibini yembewu ka-Abraham

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 23]

Ezinye izimvu zivuyiswa kukuba bezisoloko zikunye namaKristu athanjisiweyo kule mihla yokugqibela