Kungani I-Apocalypse Yesatshwa?

“KUMAGAZINI i-Time, uDamian Thompson, umlobi wezenkolo, waphawula: “Sekungamashumi eminyaka amaKristu obufandamentali eprofetha ukuthi uhlobo [oluthile] lokuwohloka komphakathi kabanzi lusemnyango. Manje okuwamangazayo ukuthi le mibono ayigcini ngokubhekwa njengebalulekile kodwa futhi isakazwa yibo kanye abantu ababeyihleka usulu: abahleli bama-computer, abaholi kwezamabhizinisi nabezombangazwe.” Ugomela ngokuthi ukwesaba ukonakala kwama-computer emhlabeni wonke ngonyaka ka-2000 “kuye kwenza abantu abagxile kakhulu ezindabeni zezwe baba abantu abakholelwa eminyakeni eyinkulungwane abebengalindelekile,” abesaba ukuthi kuzovela izinhlekelele ‘ezinjengokuthuka kweningi, ukonakala kukahulumeni, imibango yokudla, ukushayisa kwezindiza amabhilidi amade.’

Ngaphezu kokukhathazeka okuvamile kunezinto ezikhathazayo ezenziwa amaqembu amancane ezinkolo ezihlukahlukene, ngokuvamile okuthiwa “awe-apocalypse.” Ngo-January 1999, iphephandaba lesiFulentshi i-Figaro, esihlokweni esithi “IJerusalema NabaBikezeli Be-apocalypse,” lathi: “Izinkonzo zabezokuvikela [zakwa-Israel] zithi ‘kunabantu abakholelwa enkulungwaneni yeminyaka’ abalinganiselwa ngaphezu kwekhulu abaseNtabeni Yeminqumo noma eduze nayo abalinde i-parousia noma i-apocalypse.”

I-1998 Britannica Book of the Year inombiko okhethekile ‘wamaHlelo Osuku Lwembubhiso.’ Phakathi kwalawo mahlelo ibala amahlelo anamalungu azibulalayo, anjenge-Heaven’s Gate, i-People’s Temple, i-Order of the Solar Temple ne-Aum Shinrikyo (Iqiniso Eliphakeme Kunawo Wonke), eyahlela ukuba kudedelwe isisi esinoshevu obulalayo emzileni ohamba ngaphansi waseTokyo ngo-1995, lapho kwafa khona abantu abangu-12 futhi kwalimala izinkulungwane. Efingqa lo mbiko, uMartin E. Marty, uprofesa wenkolo e-University of Chicago, wabhala: “Kungokushukumisayo ukuvula ekhasini lika-2000 ekhalendeni—futhi ngokuqinisekile kuzobangela izinhlobonhlobo zeziprofetho nezinhlangano. Ezinye zingase zibe ingozi. Kuyoba isikhathi okungafanele kubhekanwe naso ngokunganaki.”

Umlando Wokwesatshwa Kwe-apocalypse

I-Apocalypse, noma isAmbulo, igama lencwadi yokugcina eBhayibhelini, eyabhalwa ekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala C.E. Ngenxa yokuba kwayo neziprofetho kanye nolimi olungokomfanekiso olusetshenziswa kakhulu kule ncwadi, kwasetshenziswa isiphawulo esithi “ze-apocalypse” ezincwadini zalolo hlobo ezalotshwa ngaphambili kakhulu kokulotshwa kwencwadi yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo. Ulimi lwalezi zincwadi olungokomfanekiso lwezinganekwane olwasemuva ePheresiya yasendulo ngisho nangaphambi kwalo. Ngakho, i-Jewish Encyclopedia ikhuluma “ngesimo saseBabiloni ezicini eziningi zezinganekwane ezihlanganiswe kulezi zincwadi [zamaJuda ze-apocalypse].”

Izincwadi zamaJuda ze-apocalypse zachuma kusukela ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili B.C.E. kuya ekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili C.E. Sichaza isizathu sokulotshwa kwalezi zincwadi, esinye isazi seBhayibheli sabhala: “AmaJuda áhlukanisa sonke isikhathi saba izinkathi ezimbili. Kwakukhona lesi sikhathi samanje, esibi ngokuphelele . . . Ngakho-ke, amaJuda ayelindele ukuphela kwezinto zangaleso sikhathi. Kwakukhona inkathi ezayo eyayizoba yinhle ngokuphelele, inkathi kaNkulunkulu yokuchuma lapho kwakuyoba khona nokuthula, ukuchuma nokulunga . . . Inkathi yamanje yayiyoba kanjani inkathi ezayo? AmaJuda ayekholelwa ukuthi ushintsho ngeke lulethwe inhlangano yomuntu, ngakho-ke, ayebheke ekungeneleni okuqondile kukaNkulunkulu. . . . Usuku lokuza kukaNkulunkulu kwakuthiwa Usuku LweNkosi futhi lwaluzokuba isikhathi esibi kakhulu sovalo nencithakalo nesahlulelo esasiyoba imihelo yokuzalwa kwenkathi entsha. Zonke izincwadi ze-apocalypse zikhuluma ngalezi zenzakalo.”

Ingabe Zikhona Izizathu Ezizwakalayo Zokwesaba I-apocalypse?

Incwadi yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo ikhuluma ‘ngempi yosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke,’ noma i-Armagedoni, lapho ababi beyobhujiswa khona, eyolandelwa inkathi eyiminyaka eyinkulungwane (i-Millennium ngesiNgisi) lapho uSathane eyovalelwa khona kwalasha nalapho uKristu eyokwahlulela khona isintu. (IsAmbulo 16:14, 16; 20:1-4) EMinyakeni Ephakathi, lezi ziprofetho zaqondwa ngokungeyikho abathile ngoba “uSanta” Augustine wamaKatolika (wango-354-430 C.E.) wayethe iMinyaka Eyinkulungwane yaqala ekuzalweni kukaKristu futhi iyolandelwa uKwahlulela Kokugcina. Kusobala ukuthi u-Augustine akazange acabangisise ngesikhathi, kodwa lapho iminyaka eyinkulungwane isondela kwakhula ukwesaba. Izazi-mlando azivumelani ngokuphathelene nezinga lalokhu kwesaba i-apocalypse kwangeNkathi Ephakathi. Nokho, nakuba kwakusakazeke kangako, ngokuqinisekile kwacaca ukuthi kwakungasekelwe ezizathwini ezizwakalayo.

Ngokufanayo nanamuhla, kunokwesaba okungokwenkolo nokungokwezwe kokuthi unyaka ka-2000 noma ka-2001 uyoletha i-apocalypse eyesabekayo. Kodwa ingabe zikhona izizathu ezizwakalayo zalokhu kwesaba? Futhi ingabe isigijimi esisencwadini yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo, noma i-Apocalypse, singokuthile okufanele kwesatshwe, noma ngokuphambene, ingabe singokuthile okufanele sibheke phambili kukho? Siza uqhubeke ufunda.

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Ukwesaba i-Apocalypse kwangeNkathi Ephakathi kwakungasekelwe ezizathwini ezizwakalayo

[Umthombo]

© Cliché Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]

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