Umbono WeBhayibheli

UKristu Ukhona!

“UMANDELA uyeza! UMandela uyeza!” kwahlabelela izingane zaseSoweto, eNingizimu Afrika. Ukukhululwa kukaNelson Mandela etilongweni ngo-February 11, 1990, kwakulindelwe kakhulu njengokuqala kwenguquko eNingizimu Afrika. Nokho, eminyakeni eminingi ngaphambi kokuba akhishwe, ukuba-khona kwakhe kwakuzwakala. Nakuba ayesesetilongweni, wayelwe ngamandla “impi engapheli yokuqeda ubandlululo.” Njengoba omunye umagazini wezindaba okhishwa emazweni onke waphawula, iminyaka engu-27 yokuboshwa yayingazange “ikuqede ukuba-khona kwakhe—noma ukulwa kwakhe.” Ukukhululwa kwakhe etilongweni kuwubonisa kahle umehluko phakathi kokuza kanye nokuba-khona.

Ngokufanayo, lapho bebhekisela ekuthatheni kukaJesu Kristu amandla akhe obukhosi, abalobi beBhayibheli bekhulu lokuqala benza umehluko phakathi kokuza kanye nokuba-khona kwakhe. Ukuba-khona kukaKristu Jesu emandleni obukhosi kwakuyozwiwa futhi kuqashelwe iminyaka eminingi ngaphambi ‘kokuza kwakhe emafwini ezulu enamandla nenkazimulo enkulu.’ (Mathewu 24:30) Ukuba-khona kukaKristu okungabonakali (ngesiGreki, pa·rou·siʹa) kwakuyokwandulela lokhu kuza (ngesiGreki, erʹkho·mai) ukuzokhipha isahlulelo ngokumelene nesizukulwane esihlubukayo nesibi.

I-pa·rou·siʹa—Isho Ukuthini?

Igama lesiGreki elithi pa·rou·siʹa ngokwezwi nezwi lisho “ukuba malungana” futhi “laba igama elisemthethweni elibhekisela ekuvakasheni komuntu osesikhundleni esiphakeme, ika[khulukazi] kwamakhosi nababusi abavakashela isifundazwe.” I-Theological Dictionary of the New Testament ithi: “Elithi [parousia] libonisa ika[khulukazi] ukuba-khona ngenkuthalo.” Futhi maqondana nokuba-khona kukaKristu Jesu, incwadi ethi Parousia ithi: “ImiBhalo ayikhulumi ‘nge-Parousia yesibili.’ Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yayizoba njani, yayingokuthile okwakungajwayelekile, okwakungazange kwenzeke ngaphambili, okwakungayikuphinde kwenzeke futhi. Kwakuzoba ukuba-khona okuhlukile nokuphakeme kunakho konke okunye ukubonakaliswa kwakhe kubantu.”

Ekhulumela amazwi kaJesu angokwesiprofetho lapho ephendula imibuzo eyabuzwa abaphostoli eNtabeni yeMinqumo, uProfesa A. T. Robertson kwethi Word Pictures in the New Testament ubhala ukuthi uJesu ‘wayesebenzisa ukubhujiswa kwethempeli nokweJerusalema okwenzeka kulesosizukulwane ngo-A.D. 70, nanjengesibonakaliso futhi sokubuya kwakhe nesokuphela kwezwe . . . noma ukuphela kwenkathi.’ Kwakuyimiphi lemibuzo, futhi uJesu wayiphendula kanjani?

Isibonakaliso Sokuba-khona KukaKristu

Njengoba kulotshwe kuMathewu 24:3, abaphostoli babuza: “Sitshele ukuthi lokhu kuyakuba-nini‚ nesibonakaliso sokuza kwakho nesokuphela kwezwe siyakuba-yini na?” Empendulweni yakhe, uJesu wanikeza abafundi isibonakaliso esasiyoba isiqinisekiso esibonakalayo sokuba-khona kwakhe okungabonakali emandleni oMbuso. Isibonakaliso esiphelele sahlanganisa izimpi ezazingazange zibonwe ngaphambili, ukuntuleka kokudla okusakazeke emhlabeni wonke, ukuzamazama komhlaba okubhubhisayo, ubhadane lwezifo, nokwanda kobugebengu nokwesaba. Ukuba-khona kukaKristu kwakuyoba isikhathi sosizi nokukhathazeka kwembulunga yonke. Ohulumeni babantu nabaholi bomhlaba babengenakukwazi ukubhekana ngokuphumelelayo nesimiso esiwohlokayo.—Mathewu 24:7, 12; Luka 21:11.

Eqinisekisa ngokuba iqiniso kwamazwi kaJesu angokwesiprofetho, uprofesa wezifundo zezombangazwe, uJohn Meisel, wathi: “Inkathi eyinhloko ifinyelela ekupheleni, kuzongena esikhundleni sayo inkathi emumo wayo ungakaqondakali kahle.” Ngemva kokukhuluma ngokushabalala kobuKhomanisi, ukwehluleka kweSimiso Sokusebenzela Uhulumeni, kanye nokungagculisi kwesimiso sokuzisebenzela, uProfesa Meisel waqhubeka: “Izinkinga eziningi zabantu zingaphezu komkhakha wesayensi yezenhlalo futhi kudingeka zixazululwe ngezinye izindlela.” Futhi kusho ukuthini lokho? “Izisekelo zemibono yezwe lamanje ziyawohloka futhi kudingeka zithathelwe indawo.”

Ukuba-khona KukaKristu Okuhilela Umsebenzi

Naphezu kwezimo ezibucayi zesimo sezwe esiwohlokayo, ukuba-khona kukaJesu emandleni okubusa kwaqala eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-75 edlule futhi kuye kwezwakala ngendlela ecacile neqondile.a Naphezu kwencithakalo eyabangelwa izimpi zezwe ezimbili, iNkosi ebekwe esihlalweni, uKristu Jesu, iye yahlanganyela ngentshiseko ekumiseni isizwe esisha sabantu—abantu begama likaJehova ‘abavela kuzo zonke izizwe, nemindeni nabantu, nezilimi.’ Ukuba-khona kukaKristu okuhilela umsebenzi kuye kwashukumisa isimiso sokushumayela nokufundisa emhlabeni wonke esiye sathinta izinhliziyo zezigidi zabantu abanokuthambekela okuhle. Baye bashukunyiselwa ukuba bathathe ukuma kwabo ngasohlangothini loMbuso kaJehova osezandleni zikaKristu Jesu.—IsAmbulo 7:9, 10.

Naphezu kobufakazi bansuku zonke obandayo bokuthi isibonakaliso esinezici eziningi sokuba-khona kukaKristu siyagcwaliseka, busobala ukuze buqaphelise amaKristu ukuthi sibhekene nokuphela kwalenkathi. Manje sekuyisikhathi ‘sokuqaphelisisa,’ iNkosi ebekwe esihlalweni sobukhosi, uKristu Jesu. (Heberu 2:1) Uyasiyala: “Ngakho lindani ngesikhathi sonke, nikhuleke ukuba nibe-namandla okuphepha kukho konke lokhu okuyakwenzeka nawokuma phambi kweNdodana yomuntu.”—Luka 21:36.

[Umbhalo waphansi]