Liphokophelephi Leli Zwe?

IBHAYIBHELI labikezela ukuwohloka kwesimilo kwamanje esikhathini eside esidlule, futhi lakuchaza ngale ndlela: “Ezinsukwini zokugcina kuyofika izikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo. Ngoba abantu bayokuba abazithandayo, abathanda imali, . . . abangalaleli abazali, abangabongiyo, abangathembeki, abangenalo uthando, . . . abanolaka, abangenalo uthando lokuhle, abakhapheli, abanenkani, abakhukhumele, abathandi benjabulo kunokuba abathandi bakaNkulunkulu, abanesimo sokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kodwa bewaphika amandla ako.”—2 Thimothewu 3:1-5.

Mhlawumbe uzovuma ukuthi lesi siprofetho seBhayibheli silichaza ngokunembile izwe lanamuhla. Kodwa salotshwa eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 000 edlule! Lesi siprofetho siqala ngamazwi athi: “Ezinsukwini zokugcina.” Isho ukuthini leyo nkulumo ethi “ezinsukwini zokugcina”?

‘Izinsuku Zokugcina’ Zani?

Isivame kakhulu inkulumo ethi “izinsuku zokugcina.” EsiNgisini nje sisodwa, iye yaba ingxenye yezihloko zamakhulukhulu ezincwadi. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela incwadi yamuva ethi The Last Days of Innocence—America at War, 1917-1918. Isandulela siyacacisa ukuthi lapho isebenzisa inkulumo ethi “izinsuku zokugcina,” le ncwadi ibhekisela enkathini ethile ngokukhethekile, okuye kwaba nokuwohloka okukhulu kwesimilo phakathi nayo.

Lesi sandulela siyachaza: “Ngo-1914, leli zwe lalishintsha ngokushesha okukhulu kunanini emlandweni walo.” Yebo, ngonyaka ka-1914 wonke umhlaba wangena shí empini eyayingakaze ibe khona ngaphambili. Le ncwadi ithi: “Lena kwakuyimpi ehlanganisa konke, kwakungeyona impi ephakathi kwamabutho amabili kodwa wonke amazwe ayebambene ngezihluthu.” Njengoba sizobona, le mpi yenzeka ekuqaleni kwenkathi iBhayibheli eliyibiza ngokuthi “izinsuku zokugcina.”

Kuyimfundiso yeBhayibheli ukuthi leli zwe laliyobhekana nenkathi ekhethekile okuthiwa “izinsuku zokugcina” ngaphambi kokuba liphele. Empeleni, iBhayibheli lithi kwakunezwe eseladlula, noma elaphela, futhi liyachaza: “Izwe langaleso sikhathi labhujiswa lapho limbozwa amanzi.” Yisiphi leso sikhathi, futhi liyini izwe elaphela? ‘Kwakuyizwe lasendulo labantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu’ langezinsuku zendoda okuthiwa uNowa. Ngokufanayo, izwe lanamuhla lizophela. Kodwa labo abakhonza uNkulunkulu bayosinda kulokhu kuphela, njengoba noNowa nomkhaya wakhe basinda.—2 Petru 2:5; 3:6; Genesise 7:21-24; 1 Johane 2:17.

Lokho UJesu Akusho Ngokuphela

UJesu Kristu naye wakhuluma ‘ngezinsuku zikaNowa,’ lapho “kwafika uzamcolo, wabakhukhula bonke.” Wafanisa izimo ezazikhona ngaphambi kweSikhukhula—ngaphambi nje kokuphela kwalelo zwe—nezimo ezaziyoba khona phakathi nenkathi ayibiza ngokuthi ‘isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.’ (Mathewu 24:3, 37-39) Ezinye izinguqulo zeBhayibheli zisebenzisa inkulumo ethi “ukuphela kwezwe” noma “ukuphela kwenkathi.”—I-Jerusalem Bible, i-New English Bible ne-New International Version.

UJesu wabikezela ukuthi ukuphila kwakuyoba njani emhlabeni ngaphambi nje kokuphelwa kwezwe. Ekhuluma ngempi, wathi: “Isizwe siyovukela isizwe nombuso uvukele umbuso.” Izazi-mlando ziye zaphawula ukuthi lokhu kwenzeka kusukela ngo-1914. Ngakho isandulela sencwadi eshiwo ngenhla sathi unyaka ka-1914 waphawula ukuqala ‘kwempi ehlanganisa konke, okwakungeyona impi ephakathi kwamabutho amabili kodwa wonke amazwe ayebambene ngezihluthu.’

Esiprofethweni sakhe, uJesu wanezela: “Kuyoba khona ukusweleka kokudla nokuzamazama komhlaba ezindaweni ngezindawo. Zonke lezi zinto ziwukuqala kwemihelo yokucindezeleka.” Waqhubeka wathi phakathi kokunye kwakuyoba khona ‘ukwanda kokwephulwa komthetho.’ (Mathewu 24:7-14) Ngokuqinisekile siye sakubona lokhu kwenzeka osukwini lwethu. Ukuwohloka kwesimilo namuhla kubi kangangokuba kugcwalisa isiprofetho seBhayibheli!

Kufanele kube njani ukuphila kwethu kulesi sikhathi sokuwohloka kwesimilo? Phawula lokho umphostoli uPawulu akubhalela amaKristu aseRoma mayelana nokuwohloka kwesimilo. Wakhuluma ngabantu ‘abanezifiso zobulili eziyichilo,’ ethi: “Abesifazane babo bashintsha ukusetshenziswa kwabo kwemvelo bakwenza okuphambene nemvelo; ngisho nabesilisa ngokufanayo bakuyeka ukusetshenziswa kwemvelo kowesifazane basha kakhulu ekukhanukelaneni kwabo, abesilisa nabesilisa, benza okuyichilo.”—Roma 1:26, 27.

Izazi-mlando zithi nakuba umphakathi wesintu ngaleso sikhathi wangena shí ekuwohlokeni kwesimilo, “idlanzana lamaKristu elalikhona laliwakhathaza amaqaba athanda injabulo ngenxa yokuzinikela nokuhlonipheka kwalo.” Lokhu kufanele kusenze sime sizibuze ‘Kuthiwani ngami nalabo engibakhetha njengabangane? Ingabe kuyaphawuleka ukuthi sihlukile, siziphatha ngobuqotho, ngokungefani nalabo abaphila ngokuziphatha okubi?’—1 Petru 4:3, 4.

Umshikashika Esibhekene Nawo

IBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi nakuba sizungezwe ukuziphatha okubi, kudingeka sibe “abangasoleki nabamsulwa, abantwana bakaNkulunkulu abangenasici phakathi kwesizukulwane esigwegwile nesisontekile.” Ukuze senze lokhu, kudingeka ‘silibambe ngokuqinile izwi lokuphila.’ (Filipi 2:15, 16) La mazwi eBhayibheli anikeza isihluthulelo sendlela amaKristu angahlala ngayo emsulwa ekuwohlokeni kwesimilo—kudingeka abambelele ngokuqinile ezimfundisweni zeZwi likaNkulunkulu futhi aqaphele ukuthi izindinganiso zalo zokuziphatha ziyindlela yokuphila engcono kakhulu.

“Unkulunkulu walesi simiso sezinto,” uSathane uDeveli, uzama ukukhanga izinhliziyo zabantu. (2 Korinte 4:4) IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi “uziguqula ingelosi yokukhanya.” Izikhonzi zakhe, ezimkhonza ngokuziphatha njengaye, nazo zenza okufanayo. (2 Korinte 11:14, 15) Zithembisa inkululeko nenjabulo, kodwa njengoba iBhayibheli lisho, ‘zona ngokwazo ziphila njengezigqila zokonakala.’—2 Petru 2:19.

Ungazikhohlisi. Labo abazishaya indiva izindinganiso zokuziphatha zikaNkulunkulu bayobhekana nemiphumela ebuhlungu. Umhubi waseBhayibhelini wabhala: “Insindiso ikude nababi, ngoba abazange bazifune iziqondiso [zikaNkulunkulu].” (IHubo 119:155; IzAga 5:22, 23) Ingabe siyaqiniseka ngalokho? Uma kunjalo, masivikele izingqondo zethu nezinhliziyo kuyinkulumo-ze ekhuthaza ukuyekelela.

Kodwa abaningi, ngobuwula bathi, ‘Uma engikwenzayo kungangqubuzani nomthetho, kulungile.’ Kodwa akunjalo. Ngothando, uBaba wethu wasezulwini unikeza isiqondiso sokuziphatha ukuze akuvikele, hhayi ukuba enze ukuphila kwakho kube nesithukuthezi futhi akubekele nemingcele. ‘Uyakufundisa ukuze uzuze.’ Ufuna ukuba ugweme inhlekelele futhi ujabulele ukuphila. Yebo, njengoba iBhayibheli lifundisa, ukukhonza uNkulunkulu “kunesithembiso sokuphila kwamanje nalokho okuzayo.” Lokho-ke “ukuphila kwangempela,” ukuphila okuphakade ezweni lakhe elisha alithembisile!—Isaya 48:17, 18; 1 Thimothewu 4:8; 6:19.

Ngakho qhathanisa izinzuzo zokulandela izimfundiso zeBhayibheli nobuhlungu benhliziyo obugcina behlele labo abangazilandeli. Ukuzuza umusa kaNkulunkulu ngokumlalela ngempela kuyindlela yokuphila engcono kakhulu! UNkulunkulu uyathembisa: “Ongilalelayo, uyohlala ngokulondeka angaphazanyiswa yingebhe yenhlekelele.”—IzAga 1:33.

Umphakathi Onesimilo Esihle

IBhayibheli lithi lapho leli zwe lidlula, ‘omubi uyobe engasekho.’ Libuye lithi: “Ngabaqotho abayohlala emhlabeni, futhi ngabangasoleki abayosala kuwo.” (IHubo 37:10, 11; IzAga 2:20-22) Ngakho zonke izinsalela zokuziphatha okubi ziyosuswa emhlabeni, kuhlanganise nabo bonke abenqaba ukulalela izimfundiso ezinhle zoMdali wethu. Khona-ke, kancane kancane abathandi bakaNkulunkulu bayokwenza ipharadesi, elifana nalelo uNkulunkulu abeka kulo umbhangqwana wokuqala ongabantu, linabele emhlabeni wonke.—Genesise 2:7-9.

Cabanga ngenjabulo yokuphila emhlabeni onjalo ohlanziwe omuhle njengepharadesi. Phakathi kwalabo abayoba nelungelo lokuwubona kuyoba nezigidi zezinkulungwane zabavuswe ekufeni. Jabula ngalezi zithembiso zikaNkulunkulu: “Abalungile bayokudla ifa lomhlaba, futhi bayohlala kuwo kuze kube phakade.” “[UNkulunkulu] uyosula zonke izinyembezi emehlweni abo, ukufa ngeke kusaba khona, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu ngeke kusaba khona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlulile.”—IHubo 37:29; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 9]

Lapho izwe liphela, abantu abesaba uNkulunkulu basinda

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Ngemva kokuphela kwaleli zwe, umhlaba uyoba ipharadesi