Isahluko 5

UYohane Ubona UYesu Ozukisiweyo

Umbono 1—ISityhilelo 1:10–3:22

Umbandela: UYesu uhlola uSirayeli wokomoya emhlabeni aze anikele ukhuthazo olufudumeleyo

Ixesha lokuzaliseka: Le nkalo yemini yeNkosi isusela ngowe-1914 de kufe owokugqibela wabathanjiswa abathembekileyo aze avuswe

1. Umbono wokuqala unikelwa njani, ibe uYohane walibonisa njani ixesha lokusebenza kwawo ngokwenene?

UMBONO wokuqala okwincwadi yeSityhilelo uqalisa kwisahluko 1, indinyana ye-10. Lo mbono, njengeminye ekwiSityhilelo, uYohane uwuqalisa ngokuvakalisa ukuba uva okanye ubona into engaqhelekanga. (ISityhilelo 1:10, 12; 4:1; 6:1) Lo mbono wokuqala unikelwa ngokuvisisana neemeko zenkulungwane yokuqala yaye izigidimi ezidluliswa kuwo zibhekiswa kumabandla asixhenxe awayekho ngethuba likaYohane. Kodwa uYohane ubonisa elona xesha lokusebenza kwawo ngokwenene xa esithi: “Ngempefumlelo ndaba kwimini yeNkosi.” (ISityhilelo 1:10a) Inini le ‘mini’? Ngaba iziganeko ezothusayo neziphithiphithi ezikhoyo zinxibelelene ngandlel’ ithile nayo? Ukuba kunjalo, simele sinikele ingqalelo epheleleyo kwesi siprofeto, njengesichaphazela ubomi bethu—kwanokusinda kwethu.—1 Tesalonika 5:20, 21.

Ngemini YeNkosi

2. Iqalisa nini imini yeNkosi, yaye iphela nini?

² Kuzaliseka nini oku kubhalwe kwiSityhilelo? Kaloku, iyintoni imini yeNkosi? Umpostile uPawulos ubhekisela kuyo njengexesha lomgwebo nelokuzaliseka kwezithembiso zikaThixo. (1 Korinte 1:8; 2 Korinte 1:14; Filipi 1:6, 10; 2:16) Xa loo ‘mini’ ifika, injongo kaYehova iya kuzaliseka ngokuthe ngcembe. Loo ‘mini’ iqalisa ngokunikwa kukaYesu isithsaba, esenziwa uKumkani wasezulwini. Nasemva kokuba uYesu etshabalalise ihlabathi likaSathana, imini yeNkosi iyaqhubeka, ngokubuyiselwa kweParadesi nokufezekiswa koluntu, de ekugqibeleni uYesu ‘abunikele ubukumkani kuThixo uYise.’—1 Korinte 15:24-26; ISityhilelo 6:1, 2.

3. (a) Isiprofeto sikaDaniyeli ‘samaxesha asixhenxe’ sisinceda njani ukuba sibone ixesha lokuqalisa kwemini yeNkosi? (b) Ziziphi iziganeko ezenzeka emhlabeni eziqinisekisa ukuba unyaka we-1914 usisiqalo semini yeNkosi?

³ Ukuzaliseka kwezinye iziprofeto zeBhayibhile kusinceda sibone ixesha eqalisa ngalo imini yeNkosi. Ngokomzekelo, uDaniyeli wathetha ngokugawulwa kolawulo lomnombo kaKumkani uDavide. Emva ‘kwamaxesha asixhenxe’ yayiya kwaziwa into yokuba “Oyena Uphakamileyo unguMlawuli ebukumkanini babantu, yaye ubunika lowo athanda ukumnika.” (Daniyeli 4:23, 24, 31, 32) Eso siprofeto saqalisa ukuzaliseka ekutshatyalalisweni kobukumkani bakwaYuda, siganeko eso iBhayibhile ebonisa ukuba senzeka ngo-Oktobha wama-607 B.C.E. ISityhilelo 12:6, 14 sibonisa ukuba amaxesha ama-3 1/2 aziintsuku ezili-1 260; ngenxa yoko, amaxesha asixhenxe (akukuphindwa kabini kwelo nani) amele abe ziintsuku ezingama-2 520. Ekubeni ‘usuku lungunyaka,’ la ‘maxesha asixhenxe’ ayiminyaka engama-2 520. (Hezekile 4:6) Ngoko ke, uKristu Yesu waqalisa ulawulo lwakhe lwasezulwini ngasekupheleni kowe-1914. Ukuqhambuka kwemfazwe yehlabathi yokuqala ngaloo nyaka kwaphawula ‘ukuqala kwenimba’ eye yaqhubeka intlitha uluntu. Ukususela ngowe-1914, hayi indlela iziganeko zeli hlabathi lizaliswe ligazi eziye zaqinisekisa ngokuphawulekayo ngayo ukuba loo nyaka wawukukuqalisa ‘kwemini’ yobukho bukaYesu!—Mateyu 24:3-14.a

4. (a) Yintoni eboniswa ngamazwi eSityhilelo ngokubhekisele kwixesha ozaliseka ngalo umbono wokuqala? (b) Inzaliseko yombono wokuqala iphela nini?

⁴ Ngenxa yoku, lo mbono wokuqala nesiluleko esiqulethwe nguwo uzaliseka ngemini yeNkosi, ukususela ngowe-1914 ukusa phambili. Into yokuba lo mbono uzaliseka ngeli xesha ixhaswa sisibakala sokuba kamva, ingxelo yeSityhilelo ichaza ngokuphunyezwa kwemigwebo kaThixo yokwenyaniso neyobulungisa—ziganeko ezo iNkosi uYesu enenxaxheba ebalaseleyo kuzo. (ISityhilelo 11:18; 16:15; 17:1; 19:2, 11) Ukuba inzaliseko yombono wokuqala yaqalisa ngowe-1914, iphela nini? Njengoko ezi zigidimi ngokwazo zibonisa, intlangano ekubhekiswa kuyo libandla likaThixo labathanjiswa abasemhlabeni. Ngoko, inzaliseko yalo mbono wokuqala iphela xa ilungu elithembekileyo lokugqibela lelo bandla labathanjiswa lisifa lize livuselwe kubomi basezulwini. Sekunjalo, iMini yeNkosi kunye nokusikelelwa kwezinye izimvu ezisemhlabeni, kuyaqhubeka de kube sekupheleni koLawulo lukaYesu Kristu Lweminyaka Eliwaka.—Yohane 10:16; ISityhilelo 20:4, 5.

5. (a) Ilizwi eliviwa nguYohane lithi makenze ntoni? (b) Kutheni le nto indawo awayemi kuyo la ‘mabandla asixhenxe’ yayisenza kube lula ukuthunyelwa kwencwadi kuwo?

⁵ Kulo mbono wokuqala, engekaboni nto uYohane, kukho into ayivayo: “Ndeva emva kwam ilizwi elinamandla njengelexilongo, lisithi: ‘Oko ukubonayo kubhale emsongweni uze ukuthumele kumabandla asixhenxe, e-Efese naseSmirna nasePergamo naseTiyatira naseSardesi naseFiladelfi naseLawodike.’” (ISityhilelo 1:10b, 11) Ilizwi elinegunya neliyalela njengesandi sexilongo, lazisa uYohane ukuba abhalele ‘amabandla asixhenxe.’ Uza kufumana uthotho lwezigidimi yaye uza kupapasha izinto aza kuzibona naza kuziva. Phawula ukuba amabandla akhankanywe apha ayekho ngokwenene ngomhla kaYohane. Onke ayekummandla waseAsia Minor, kanye ngaphesheya kolwandle xa usePatmos. Kwakulula ukufikelela elinye xa usuka kwelinye ngokusebenzisa iindlela ezisemgangathweni zamaRoma ezazikho kulo mmandla. Umthunywa wayengayi kuba nangxaki ekuhambiseni umsongo ukusuka kwelinye ibandla ukuya kwelinye. La mabandla asixhenxe ayeya kufana necandelo lesiphaluka sanamhla samaNgqina kaYehova.

6. (a) Kubhekiselwa entwenini ngokuthi ‘izinto ezikhoyo’? (b) Kutheni le nto sinokulindela ukuba iimeko zebandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo namhlanje zifane nezo zomhla kaYohane?

⁶ Iziprofeto ezininzi ezikwiSityhilelo zaziza kuzaliseka emva kwexesha likaYohane. Zazibhekisela ‘kwizinto eziya kwenzeka emva kwezi.’ Kodwa isiluleko esiya kumabandla asixhenxe sithetha ‘ngezinto ezikhoyo,’ iimeko ezazikho ngokwenene kumabandla asixhenxe ngelo xesha. Ezi zigidimi zaziluncedo kubadala abathembekileyo nababemiselwe kuloo mabandla asixhenxe, kwanakuwo onke amanye amabandla amaKristu athanjisiweyo elo xesha.b Ekubeni lo mbono usebenza ngokuyintloko ngemini yeNkosi, okuthethwa nguYesu kukwasenza siqonde ukuba simele silindele iimeko ezifanayo nakwibandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo omhla wethu.—ISityhilelo 1:10, 19.

7. UYohane ubona bani kulo mbono wokuqala, yaye kutheni le nto oko kubalulekile yaye kuchwayitisa kangaka kuthi namhlanje?

⁷ Kulo mbono wokuqala, uYohane ubona iNkosi enguYesu Kristu enobuqaqawuli ikuzuko lwayo lwasezulwini. Yintoni enokufaneleka ngakumbi kwincwadi yeziprofeto ethetha ngemini enkulu yale Nkosi yayithunyelwe ivela ezulwini? Ibe yintoni ebaluleke ngakumbi kuthi baphila kwelo xesha nabawuthobela ngenyameko wonke umyalelo wayo? Ngaphezu koko, ekubeni iMbewu enguMesiya yanyamezela zonke iimvavanyo neentshutshiso ezaziswa nguSathana yaza yeva ubunzima bokufa okungcungcuthekisayo xa yatyunyuzwa “isithende” kwiminyaka emalunga nama-2 000 eyadlulayo, hayi indlela ekubachulumancisa ngayo abaxhasi bolongamo lukaYehova ukuqinisekiswa ngokuba ngoku iyaphila ezulwini, inikwe amandla okwenza injongo kaThixo ezukileyo ifezeke ngokupheleleyo!—Genesis 3:15.

8. UYesu ulungele ukuthabatha liphi inyathelo ngoku?

⁸ Kucacile ukuba uYesu ngoku ulungele ukuthabath’ inyathelo njengoKumkani obekwe etroneni. Umiselwe njengoMtshabalalisi Oyintloko ophantsi koYehova ukuba aphumeze imigwebo kaYehova yokugqibela kule nkqubo yezinto indala nengendawo nakuthixo wayo onguMtyholi, uSathana. Kwakhona ulungele ukugweba abo bebandla lakhe labathanjisiweyo nesihlwele esikhulu sabanxulumene nabo yaye ulungele nokugweba ihlabathi.—ISityhilelo 7:4, 9; IZenzo 17:31.

9. (a) UYohane umchaza njani uYesu Kristu ozukisiweyo ophakathi kweziphatho zezibane zegolide? (b) Ibonisa ntoni imeko efana neyasetempileni nesambatho esinxitywe nguYesu? (c) Ufanekisela ntoni umbhinqo wakhe wegolide?

⁹ UYohane uphethukela kwisandi selizwi elikhulu, ibe naku akubonayo: “Ndajika ukuze ndibone ilizwi elo lalithetha nam, ndaza, ndakuba ndijikile, ndabona iziphatho zezibane zegolide ezisixhenxe.” (ISityhilelo 1:12) Kamva, uYohane uyakuqonda oko kufuziselwa zezi ziphatho zezibane zisixhenxe. Kodwa into etsala iliso lakhe ngumntu ophakathi kwezi zibane zisixhenxe. Kwakukho ‘phakathi kweziphatho zezibane uthile onjengonyana womntu, ambethe isambatho esifika phantsi ezinyaweni, yaye ebhinqe esifubeni umbhinqo wegolide.’ (ISityhilelo 1:13) UYesu, ‘unyana womntu,’ apha uzibonakalisa njengomntu onobungangamsha nonobuqaqawuli phambi kwengqina eligubhayo kukoyika, uYohane. Ubonakala ekuzuko oluqaqambileyo phakathi kweziphatho zezibane zegolide ezivuthayo. Le meko ifana neyasetempileni ibethelela kuYohane isibakala sokuba uYesu uphumeza indima yoMbingeleli ongoyena Mkhulu kaYehova, enamandla okugweba. (Hebhere 4:14; 7:21-25) Isambatho sakhe eside esinomtsalane sibonisa ukuba ukwisikhundla sokuba ngumbingeleli. Njengababingeleli abakhulu bamaYuda bexesha lamandulo, ufake umbhinqo—umbhinqo wegolide esifubeni apho kukho intliziyo yakhe. Oku kufanekisela ukuba uya kuluphumeza ngentliziyo epheleleyo uthumo lwakhe lobuthixo awalufumana kuYehova uThixo.—Eksodus 28:8, 30; Hebhere 8:1, 2.

10. (a) Zibonisa ntoni iinwele zikaYesu ezimhlophe njengekhephu namehlo anjengedangatye lomlilo? (b) Iyintoni intsingiselo yeenyawo zikaYesu ezinjengobhedu olugqatsekileyo?

¹⁰ Ingcaciso kaYohane iyaqhubeka: “Intloko yakhe neenwele zakhe zazimhlophe njengoboya obumhlophe, njengekhephu, namehlo akhe enjengedangatye lomlilo.” (ISityhilelo 1:14) Iinwele zakhe ezimhlophe okwekhephu zibonisa ubulumko anabo ngenxa yokuphila ithuba elide. (Thelekisa iMizekeliso 16:31.) Ibe amehlo akhe anjengedangatye lomlilo abonisa ukuba usabela msinya yaye uphaphile, njengoko ephanda, evavanya, okanye ebonakalisa ingqumbo. UYohane unikel’ ingqalelo nakwiinyawo zikaYesu: “Iinyawo zakhe zinjengobhedu olusulungekileyo xa lugqatsekile eziko; lona ilizwi lakhe lalinjengesandi samanzi amaninzi.” (ISityhilelo 1:15) Kulo mbono, iinyawo zikaYesu zinjengobhedu, ziyabengezela yaye ziqaqambile—oku kubonisa ukuba unenzondelelo yaye unokuma okuhle phambi koYehova uThixo. Ngaphezu koko, ngoxa ngokufuthi eBhayibhileni izinto zobuthixo zifanekiselwa yigolide, izinto zabantu maxa wambi zimelwa lubhedu.c Ngoko, iinyawo zikaYesu ezivutha njengobhedu oluhle zisikhumbuza ngendlela iinyawo zakhe ‘ezazibukeka’ ngayo xa wayesemhlabeni eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo.—Isaya 52:7; Roma 10:15.

11. (a) Iinyawo zikaYesu ezinobuqaqawuli zisikhumbuza ngantoni? (b) Into yokuba ilizwi likaYesu “lalinjengesandi samanzi amaninzi” ibonisa ntoni?

¹¹ Eneneni, njengomntu ofezekileyo, uYesu wayenobuqaqawuli obabubonakala kwiingelosi nasebantwini. (Yohane 1:14) Iinyawo zakhe ezinobuqaqawuli kwakhona zisikhumbuza ukuba unyathela kumhlaba ongcwele kwintlangano kaYehova, anguMbingeleli Omkhulu kuyo. (Thelekisa iEksodus 3:5.) Ngokubhekele phaya, ilizwi lakhe livakala okwesandi sendudumo njengengxangxasi yamanzi enkulu. Linamandla yaye liyoyikeka, kanye njengoko kufanelekile ngalowo ubizwa ngokusemthethweni ngokuba nguLizwi likaThixo, lowo uzele ‘ukugweba umhlaba omiweyo ngobulungisa.’—IZenzo 17:31; Yohane 1:1.

12. Iyintoni intsingiselo ‘yekrele elide, elintlangothi-mbini nelibukhali’?

¹² “Esandleni sakhe sasekunene wayeneenkwenkwezi ezisixhenxe, yaye emlonyeni wakhe kwakuphuma ikrele elide elintlangothi-mbini, elibukhali, nobuso bakhe babunjengelanga xa likhanya ngamandla alo. Ndithe ke ndakumbona, ndawa ezinyaweni zakhe, ndanjengofileyo.” (ISityhilelo 1:16, 17a) Kamva uYesu ucacisa intsingiselo yeenkwenkwezi ezisixhenxe. Kodwa khawuphawule oko kuphuma emlonyeni wakhe: “ikrele elide elintlangothi-mbini, elibukhali.” Enjani yona ukufaneleka into! Kuba uYesu umiselwe ukuvakalisa imigwebo kaYehova yokugqibela kwiintshaba Zakhe. Ukuthetha kwakhe ngegunya kuphumela ekubeni kubulawe bonke abangendawo.—ISityhilelo 19:13, 15)

13. (a) Ubuso bukaYesu obuqaqambileyo nobukhanyayo busikhumbuza ngantoni? (b) Yiyiphi eyona nto ebalaseliswayo esiyifumana ekuchazeni kukaYohane uYesu?

¹³ Ubuso bukaYesu obuqaqambileyo nobukhanyayo busikhumbuza ubuso bukaMoses obakhupha imitha yelanga eqaqambileyo emva kokuba uYehova ethethe naye kwiNtaba yeSinayi. (Eksodus 34:29, 30) Kwakhona, khumbula ukuba xa uYesu wenziwa kumila kumbi phambi kwabapostile bakhe abathathu kwiminyaka emalunga nama-2 000 eyadlulayo, “ubuso bakhe bakhanya njengelanga, nezambatho zakhe zangaphezulu zaqaqamba njengokukhanya.” (Mateyu 17:2) Ngoko, ekuveleni kukaYesu embonweni ebudeni bemini yeNkosi, ngokufanayo ubuso bakhe bubonakalisa uzuko lobuqaqawuli balowo ukunye noYehova. (2 Korinte 3:18) Enyanisweni, eyona nto ibalaseliswa ngumbono kaYohane luzuko oluqaqambileyo. Ukususela kwiinwele ezimhlophe njengekhephu, kumehlo anjengedangatye lomlilo nobuso obukhanyayo ukusa ezinyaweni ezibengezelayo, ngumbono omangalisayo waLowo ngoku uhleli “ekukhanyeni okungenakufikeleleka.” (1 Timoti 6:16) Lo mbono ucace ngokwenene! Wathini uYohane owayephelile luloyiko? Uthi: “Ndithe ke ndakumbona, ndawa ezinyaweni zakhe, ndanjengofileyo.”—ISityhilelo 1:17.

14. Simele sivakalelwe njani xa sifunda ngombono kaYohane ongoYesu ozukisiweyo?

¹⁴ Namhlanje, ingcaciso entle neneenkcukacha yombono kaYohane ibavuyisa gqitha abantu bakaThixo. Ngoku, sele kudlule iminyaka engama-90 sikwimini yeNkosi, leyo ebudeni bayo lo mbono uqhubeka uzaliseka ngendlela echulumancisayo. UBukumkani bukaYesu sele buqalisile ukulawula, abulothemba lexesha elizayo. Ngenxa yoko, kufanelekile ukuba njengabalawulwa abanyanisekileyo boBukumkani sikhangele phambili ngomdla koko uYohane akuchaza kulo mbono wokuqala size siwathobele amazwi kaYesu Kristu ozukisiweyo.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 23]

Ukumbiwa kwezinto zakudala kwizixeko ezazinamabandla asixhenxe kuqinisekisa ukuchana kwengxelo yeBhayibhile. Izigidimi zikaYesu ezazisiya kumaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala zathunyelwa kula mabandla, yaye zilukhuthazo nakumabandla akhoyo ehlabathini lonke namahlanje

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