Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ingabe UNkulunkulu Uyayivumela Impi?
YEKA ukuthi kukaningi kangakanani ababusi, ojenene ngisho nabefundisi bememezela noma begunyaza impi ngegama likaNkulunkulu! Ngo-1095, uPapa Urban II wabusisa iMpi Yenkolo Yokuqala eyaphuma iyothumbela eLobukholwa “iDolobha Elingcwele” iJerusalema. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba lifeze umgomo walo, iqembu lamabutho eMpi Yenkolo laqothulwa amaTurk, antshiseko yawo ngo-Allah yayifana nokholo lwamabutho eMpi Yenkolo kuZiqu-zintathu.
Ngo-August 1914, umJalimane osemusha wabhala ekanise ematendeni ngeMpi Yezwe I: “Uma kukhona ubulungisa nokuqondisa kwaphezulu emlandweni—okuyinto engiqinisekayo ngayo—khona-ke kufanele sinqobe.” Ngayo leyo nyanga efanayo, uMbusi uNicholas II waphaka amabutho aseRussia ukuba ayolwa neJalimane ethi: “Ngiwafisela inhlanhla amabutho ami anesibindi nezihlobo zami eziqavile. UNkulunkulu unathi!”
Seziqiniswe idolo, izigidi zamasosha ziye zaya empini zikholelwa ngokuphelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu unazo. Abantu abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi uNkulunkulu uyakuvumela ukulwa okunjalo ukuze kutholwe inkululeko, futhi lokho bakusekela ngokukhomba izimpi okukhulunywa ngazo emiBhalweni yesiHeberu (evame ukubizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elidala). Ingabe iqondile indlela abachaza ngayo iZwi LikaNkulunkulu?
Izimpi Zakwa-Israyeli Wasendulo
UJehova uNkulunkulu wakhipha umyalo wokuthi u-Israyeli kufanele alwe ukuze axoshe amaKhanani onakele eZweni Lesithembiso. (Levitikusi 18:1, 24-28; Duteronomi 20:16-18) Njengoba uNkulunkulu ayebajezisé ngesikhukhula abenzi bokubi bangosuku lukaNowa nangomlilo abaseSodoma naseGomora, wayesesebenzisa isizwe sakwa-Israyeli njengenkemba yakhe yokukhipha isahlulelo.—Genesise 6:12, 17; 19:13, 24, 25.
IBhayibheli lithi u-Israyeli walwa nezinye izimpi ngaphansi kokuqondisa kukaNkulunkulu, ngokuvamile ukuze axoshe izitha ezaziwusongo. Lapho lesi sizwe silalela uJehova, sasinqoba empini. (Eksodusi 34:24; 2 Samuweli 5:17-25) Kodwa kwakuvame ukuba nenhlekelele uma u-Israyeli ezama ukulwa ngokuphambene nomyalo waphezulu. Cabangela indaba yeNkosi uJerobowamu. Engasinaki isixwayiso esiqondile esiyisiprofetho, wathuma ibutho lakhe elikhulu empini yombango noJuda. Uma lowo monakalo uphela ekugcineni, kwakunamabutho kaJerobowamu angu-500 000 ayefile. (2 IziKronike 13:12-18) Ngisho neNkosi uJosiya ethembekile yake yalwa impi eyayingaqondene nayo. Yafa ngenxa yokuthatha isinqumo ngokuphamazela.—2 IziKronike 35:20-24.
Lezi zenzakalo zibonisani? Ukuthi kwa-Israyeli wasendulo, uNkulunkulu owayenza isinqumo sokulwa empini. (Duteronomi 32:35, 43) Wayevumela abantu bakhe balwe ngenxa yezinjongo ezithile. Kodwa lezi zinjongo kade zafezeka. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJehova wabikezela ukuthi labo abamkhonza ‘ezinsukwini ezizayo babeyokhanda izinkemba zabo zibe ngamakhuba bangabe besafunda ukulwa.’ (Isaya 2:2-4) Kusobala ukuthi izimpi zaseBhayibhelini azizivuni izimpi zanamuhla, okungekho neyodwa kuzo elwiwa ngaphansi kokuqondisa noma komyalo ovela kuNkulunkulu.
Umphumela Wezimfundiso ZikaKristu
Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni, uJesu wabonisa indlela yokuba nothando olungenabugovu esikhundleni senzondo, ethi: “Nithandane njengoba nje nami nginithandile.” (Johane 15:12) Wabuye wathi: “Bayajabula abanokuthula.” (Mathewu 5:9) Lapha, igama lesiGreki elithi “abanokuthula” lisho okungaphezu nje kokujabulela isimo sokuthula. Lihilela ukuhlakulela ukuthula, ukusebenza ngentshiseko ukuze uthuthukise ubudlelwano.
Lapho uJesu eboshwa, umphostoli uPetru wazama ukumlwela ngesikhali esibulalayo. Kodwa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu yamkhuza, yathi: “Buyisela inkemba yakho endaweni yayo, ngoba bonke labo abaphatha inkemba bayobhubha ngenkemba.” (Mathewu 26:52) AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala awasebenzisa kanjani lawo mazwi? Phawula izingcaphuno ezilandelayo.
“Ukuhlolisisa konke ukwaziswa okukhona [kubonisa] ukuthi, ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaMarcus Aurelius [121-180 C.E.], akukho mKristu owaba yisosha; futhi akukho sosha elaqhubeka lisenkonzweni yempi ngemva kokuba umKristu.”—The Rise of Christianity.
“Ukuziphatha kwamaKristu [okuqala] kwakuhluke kakhulu kokwamaRoma. . . . Enqaba ukuba ngamasosha ngoba uKristu wayeshumayele ukuthula.”—Our World Through the Ages.
Ngenxa yokuthi abafundi bakaKristu benqaba ukukhonza emabuthweni ombusi, amaRoma ababulala abaningi babo. Kungani amaKristu akhetha ukuhlala engathandeki? Ngoba uJesu wawafundisa ukuba abe abenzi bokuthula.
Impi Yanamuhla
Cabanga ngesimo esesabekayo ebesiyoba khona ukube abalandeli bakaKristu bebengalwa emabuthweni aphikisanayo, bezama ukubulalana bodwa. Isimo esinjalo besiyophikisana nezimiso zobuKristu. Ngempela, labo abalalela uNkulunkulu weBhayibheli bebengenakulimaza muntu—ngisho nezitha zabo.a—Mathewu 5:43-45.
Kusobala ukuthi uNkulunkulu akazibusisi izimpi zabantu zanamuhla. Njengoba enokuthula, amaKristu eqiniso asekela ukuthula okuyoba khona emhlabeni wonke ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu.
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a IBhayibheli likhuluma ‘ngeHar–Magedoni,’ ebizwa nangokuthi ‘impi yosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.’ Lokhu akubhekiseli empini yabantu, kodwa ekubhubhiseni kukaNkulunkulu abenzi bokubi. Ngakho iHar–Magedoni ayinakusetshenziselwa ukuvuna izimpi zabantu zanamuhla noma ukucabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyazibusisa.—IsAmbulo 16:14, 16; 21:8.
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UJenene Francisco Franco waseSpain, emi nedlanzana labefundisi bamaKatolika
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U.S. National Archives photo
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Amabutho lapho ebusiswa abapristi bama-Orthodox abangamaGreki ngaphambi kokuba ahambe aye eKosovo, ngo-June 11, 1999
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AP Photo/Giorgos Nissiotis