Kusho Ukuthini Konke Lokhu?

UMA ubungahlaziya izindinganiso zokuziphatha eminyakeni yamuva, ubungabona ukuthambekela okusobala. Ngaphandle kokungabaza, abantu abaningi ngokwandayo bazibukela phansi izindinganiso zokuziphatha. Lokhu kusho ukuthini ngempela?

Njengoba abathile besho, ingabe kusho ukuthi impucuko yethu naso sonke isintu sibhekene nenhlekelele, sisondela ekubhujisweni? Noma ingabe izinguquko ezinjalo ziyingxenye yokuguquguquka kwezimo zomlando?

Abantu abaningi bacabanga ngalo mbuzo wesibili. Babheka ukuwohloka kokuziphatha esikhathini sethu njengomkhuba nje, ophakathi kweminingi eye yafika yadlula emlandweni. Balindele ukuthi ekugcineni izimo zizoshintsha ngokuphelele futhi abantu baphishekele izindinganiso zokuziphatha eziphakeme. Ingabe baqinisile?

‘Izinsuku Zokugcina’

Ake sicabangele amaqiniso ngokwencwadi eyayamukelwa kabanzi njengegunya ezindabeni zokuziphatha amakhulu eminyaka—iZwi likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli. Kuyasiza ukuqhathanisa izwe lanamuhla nencazelo engokwesiprofetho eseBhayibhelini yenkathi engumnqamulajuqu emlandweni wesintu. Lena inkathi eliyibiza ngokuthi ‘izinsuku zokugcina,’ noma ‘isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:1; Mathewu 24:3) Njengoba lezi zinkulumo zibonisa, le nkathi izophawula ukuphela kwalesi simiso okuqinisekile nokuqala kwesimiso esisha.

IZwi likaNkulunkulu labikezela ukuthi izinsuku zokugcina zaziyobonakala ‘ngezikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo.’ Ukuze lisize izingqapheli zibone izinsuku zokugcina, iBhayibheli linikeza imininingwane eminingana enikeza incazelo ecacile, noma isibonakaliso esiyinhlanganisela, sale nkathi eyingqayizivele.

Izici Ezimbi Kubantu

Phawula esinye sezici esivelele zalesi sibonakaliso namuhla: ‘Abantu bayoba nesimo sokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kodwa bezibonakalisa bengathembekile emandleni ako.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:2, 5) Ayikho enye inkathi emlandweni eye yaphawuleka ngokulahla inkolo okunamandla nokuphelele ngale ndlela. Abantu kabanzi baye baphika ukuthi uNkulunkulu uwukuphela kwegunya, futhi abaningi abalamukeli iBhayibheli njengeliwukuphela komthombo weqiniso. Yiqiniso, zisekhona izinkolo, kodwa eziningi azinalo ithonya. Ziyahlobisa nje.

IBhayibheli likhuluma ngesinye isici sesibonakaliso: “Abantu bayoba . . . abangenakho ukuzithiba, abanolaka,” futhi “ngenxa yokwanda kokungabi namthetho uthando lwesibalo esikhulu luyophola.” (2 Thimothewu 3:2, 3; Mathewu 24:12) Igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “abanolaka,” phakathi kokunye lisho “ukuntula uzwela kobuntu.” Namuhla ngisho nezingane ezincane zibonakala ‘zinolaka’ futhi zenza ubugebengu obunobudlova kakhulu.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, intuthuko esheshayo yobuchwepheshe nomnotho, nobugovu okuye kwabuletha, kuye kwabangela ukuba abantu bazilahle nangokwengeziwe izindinganiso ezindala zokuziphatha. Ngaphandle kokucabangela abanye, basebenzisa noma iziphi izindlela, ngisho nezingathembekile, ukuba bathole okuningi ngangokunokwenzeka ukuze banelise izifiso zabo zobugovu. Obunye ubufakazi bobugovu ukwanda okukhulu kokugembula, futhi amanani ezenzo zobugebengu emashumini eminyaka ambalwa edlule akuveza ngokukhanyayo lokhu.

Isici esivelele kakhulu esikhathini sethu yilesi: “Abantu bayoba . . . abathandi bezinjabulo kunokuba abathandi bakaNkulunkulu.” (2 Thimothewu 3:2, 4) Esinye isibonelo salokhu ukuthi abantu bafuna ukwanelisa izinkanuko, kodwa abawufuni umthwalo wemfanelo wokuhlala nomngane womshado oyedwa ukuphila kwabo konke. Umphumela uye waba ukuwohloka okukhulu kobudlelwane bomkhaya, izingane ezingajabuli futhi eziqhelelene nemikhaya yazo, abazali abangabodwa nezifo ezithathelwana ngobulili.

Esinye isici sesibonakaliso siwukuthi “abantu bayoba abazithandayo, abathandi bemali.” (2 Thimothewu 3:2) Ngokukamagazini waseJalimane i-Zeit, “okwenza isimiso [somnotho sanamuhla] sithuthuke ubugovu.” Kunanini ngaphambili, ukuphishekela imali kuyinto ebaluleke kakhulu ekuphileni kwabantu abaningi. Ngenxa yokuphishekela izinto ezinjalo ngobugovu, ezinye izindinganiso zokuziphatha azishaywa mkhuba.

Izenzakalo Zezwe

Ngaphandle kokuchaza ukuwohloka kwezindinganiso zokuziphatha kubantu, iBhayibheli labikezela nokuthi izinsuku zokugcina zaziyobonakala ngezinxushunxushu ezaziyothinta umkhaya wesintu. Ngokwesibonelo, lithi “isizwe siyovukela isizwe, nombuso uvukele umbuso; futhi kuyoba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, futhi ezindaweni ngezindawo kube khona izifo eziwumshayabhuqe nokuswelakala kokudla.”—Luka 21:10, 11.

Ngaphandle kwekhulu lama-20, ayikho enye inkathi emlandweni lapho abantu abaningi beye bahileleka ezinhlekeleleni eziningi ezizamazamisa umhlaba esikhathini esifushane kangaka. Ngokwesibonelo, ngaleso sikhathi kwabulawa abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyikhulu ezimpini, okuyinani elikhulu ukwedlula inani labantu abafa ezimpini emakhulwini eminyaka ambalwa adlule ehlangene. Ekhulwini lama-20 kwaba nezimpi ezimbili ezihluke ngokuphelele kwezinye izimpi kangangokuba zabizwa ngokuthi izimpi zomhlaba. Izimpi zembulunga yonke ezinjengalezi zazingakaze zenzeke ngaphambili.

Amandla Amabi Ashukumisayo

IBhayibheli lembula nokuthi kukhona isidalwa somoya esibi, esinamandla, ‘esibizwa ngokuthi uDeveli noSathane,’ esinenjongo yokuyengela abantu kude nezindinganiso zokuziphatha zeqiniso futhi sibangenise shí ekuziphatheni okonakele. Lithi ezinsukwini zokugcina, lesi sidalwa sehlele emhlabeni, ‘sinentukuthelo enkulu, sazi ukuthi sinenkathi yesikhathi emfushane.’—IsAmbulo 12:9, 12.

IBhayibheli lichaza uDeveli ‘njengombusi wegunya lomoya, umoya manje osebenza emadodaneni okungalaleli.’ (Efesu 2:2) Lokhu kusho ukuthi uDeveli unethonya elinamandla kubantu abaningi, ngokuvamile bengaboni, njengoba ngezinye izikhathi singase singakuboni ukungcola okungabonakali emoyeni.

Ngokwesibonelo, ithonya likaSathane libonakala ezindleleni eziningi zokuxhumana zanamuhla: kuma-video, amabhayisikobho, ithelevishini, i-Internet, ezokukhangisa, ezincwadini, komagazini nasemaphephandabeni. Ukwaziswa okuningi, ikakhulukazi lokho okubhekiswe entsheni engaqaphile, kugcwele imikhuba eyeqisayo nenyanyekayo, njengokubandlulula ngokohlanga, ukulumba, ukuziphatha okubi nobudlova obunonya.

Abantu abaningi abaqotho baye bahlatshwa umxhwele ukufana kwencazelo yeBhayibheli yezinsuku zokugcina nezimo ezingokoqobo emhlabeni osukwini lwethu. Yiqiniso, kunezinye izimo emlandweni ngaphambi kwekhulu lama-20 ezazibonakala zifana ngandlela-thile nencazelo yeBhayibheli. Kodwa kuphakathi nekhulu lama-20, nelama-21 kuphela, lapho zonke izici zesibonakaliso zibonakala khona.

Inkathi Entsha Ezayo

Labo abakholelwa ukuthi isintu siyobhujiswa nalabo abathi izinto zizoqhubeka njengoba zinjalo abakhulumi iqiniso. Kunalokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ngokusobala ukuthi umphakathi wezwe wanamuhla obusa umhlaba uzothathelwa indawo okuthile okusha ngokuphelele.

Ngemva kokubala izici eziningi zesibonakaliso sezinsuku zokugcina, uJesu wathi: “Kanjalo nani, lapho nibona lezi zinto zenzeka, yazini ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu useduze.” (Luka 21:31) Isihloko esiyinhloko sokushumayela kukaJesu kwakunguMbuso kaNkulunkulu wasezulwini. (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Futhi uNkulunkulu wamgcoba ukuba abe iNkosi yalo Mbuso, onguhulumeni ozobusa ngokushesha emhlabeni wonke.—Luka 8:1; IsAmbulo 11:15; 20:1-6.

Ekupheleni kwezinsuku zokugcina, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu wasezulwini ophethwe uKristu uyobhubhisa zonke izitha zawo—uDeveli nabasekeli bakhe—futhi esikhundleni somphakathi wamanje onokuziphatha okonakele, uyoletha umhlaba omusha wokulunga. (Daniyeli 2:44) Kulo mhlaba omusha, abantu abanhliziyo ziqotho bayojabulela ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oguqulwe waba ipharadesi.—Luka 23:43; 2 Petru 3:13; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

Labo abakwenyanyayo ukuwohloka kokuziphatha kwanamuhla futhi abaqondayo ukuthi izenzakalo zamanje zigcwalisa isibonakaliso esiyinhlanganisela sezinsuku zokugcina bangabheka ngokulangazela ekusaseni eliqhakazile. Ngakho sibonga uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, osikhathalelayo futhi onenjongo enhle ngendalo yakhe, umhlaba.—IHubo 37:10, 11, 29; 1 Petru 5:6, 7.

OFakazi BakaJehova bakumema ukuba ufunde okwengeziwe ngoMdali wethu onothando nangethemba lokuphila emhlabeni ohlanzekile ngokokuziphatha, awugcinele bonke abantu abawufunayo. Njengoba iBhayibheli lisho, “lokhu kusho ukuphila okumi phakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nangalowo owamthuma, uJesu Kristu.”—Johane 17:3.

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Abantu abanhliziyo ziqotho bayojabulela ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi