Chapter 5
Umbono Othembekile Wekusasa Lesintu
1. Kungani isiprofetho seBhayibheli njalo sibonakala singesinembayo?
SINEZIZATHU ezizwakalayo zokuthembela kulokho iBhayibheli elisitshela khona ngekusasa. Iziprofetho zalo azisekelwe ekuqageleni kwabantu abaye bafunda izimo ezithile base benza izibikezelo. “Kasikho isiprofetho sombhalo esingachasiselwa ngumuntu ngokwakhe; ngokuba akuzange kuvezwe isiprofetho ngentando yomuntu, kepha abantu beqhutshwa nguMoya oNgcwele bakhuluma okukaNkulunkulu.” (2 Petru 1:20, 21) Ngenxa yalokho, isiprofetho seBhayibheli siye sabonakala sinemba kuyo yonke imininingwane.
2. Nikeza izibonelo zeziprofetho ezikhulumela izindaba zezwe.
2 Labikezela ngokudlondlobala nokuwa kwemibuso yezwe ngamagama—iBabiloni, iMedo-Peresiya neGrisi. Lamemezela cishe emakhulwini amabili eminyaka ngaphambili indlela iBabiloni elaliyokuwa ngayo kanye negama lomnqobi walo. Lokhu kwagcwaliseka ncamashí. Labikezela ukuthi umuzi waseBabiloni ekugcineni wawuyoba yincithakalo, ungaphinde futhi wakhiwe. Lesosimo siyaqhubeka kuze kube namuhla. (Daniyeli 8:3-8, 20-22; Isaya 44:27–45:2; 13:1, 17-20) Ezinye izizwe ezingabizwanga ngagama eBhayibhelini zachazwa kusengaphambili ngemininingwane esobala kangangokuthi abantu abanolwazi oluhle bangasheshe babone ukuthi iziphi.
3. Ingabe zikhona iziprofetho ezingabekiwe ngendlela yezibikezelo?
3 Nokho, kumelwe kuqashelwe ukuthi kunohlobo olungaphezu kolulodwa lolwazi olungokwesiprofetho eBhayibhelini. Sesikubonile kakade lokhu ngokuqondene nezimangaliso zikaJesu, ezasebenza njengezibonelo zalokho isintu esiyokubona ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ezinye izingxenye zemiBhalo ezingase zingakhulumi ngendlela ezwakala iwukubikezela nazo zinezici ezingokwesiprofetho.
IZIBONELO EZINGOKWESIPROFETHO EZITHAKAZELISAYO
4. Senziwa kanjani ukuba siqaphele ukubaluleka okungokwesiprofetho koMthetho kaMose?
4 Ngokwesibonelo, incwadi yeBhayibheli yamaHeberu, ivula amehlo ethu ekubalulekeni okungokwesiprofetho ezindabeni umfundi ovamile angase azibheke njengezingumlando nje. Yembula ukuthi “umthetho [kaMose] unesithunzi sezinto ezinhle ezizayo.”—Heberu 10:1.
5. Yini ebonisa ukuthi izinto ezithile zingase zifanekisele okuthile okukhulu?
5 Ngezinye izikhathi izinto ezithile zazisetshenziswa ekwenzeni izibonelo ezingokwesiprofetho. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokuqondene nethende elingcwele, noma itabernakele, elakhiwa uMose ngokuqondisa kukaJehova, kanye nezinkonzo ezazenzelwa kulo, umlobi wamaHeberu ophefumlelwe ngokwaphezulu uyachaza ukuthi ‘lalingumfanekiso nesithunzi sokwasezulwini.’ Lafanekisela ithempeli likaJehova elingokomoya elikhulu, eliNgcwelengcwele yalo isezulwini. Kanjalo-ke, “lokhu uKristu esefikile, engumpristi omkhulu wezinto ezinhle ezizayo, wadabula itabernakele elikhulu neliphelele kunalelo, elingenziwanga ngezandla, okungukuthi elingesilo lalokhu-kudalwa, wangena kanye kuphela endaweni engcwele, kungengegazi lezimbuzi nelamathole kepha ngegazi lakhe, ezuzile ukukhululwa okuphakade. . . . UKristu kangenanga endaweni engcwele eyenziwe ngezandla, engumfanekiso waleyo okuyiyo ngempela, kepha wangena ezulwini uqobo ukuba manje abonakale ebusweni bukaNkulunkulu ngenxa yethu.” (Heberu 8:1-5; 9:1-14, 24-28) Kunezinzuzo ezinkulu eziza kumaKristu ngalezizinto zoqobo ezingokomoya ezichazwe lapha, futhi ukwazisa ngalezi kumelwe kubonakale enkambweni yethu yokuphila.—Heberu 9:14; 10:19-29; 13:11-16.
6. Yikuphi ukubaluleka okungokwesiprofetho okunikezwe abantu (a) kwabaseGalathiya 4:21-31? (b) kuMathewu 17:10-13?
6 Abantu okubhekiselwe kubo emiBhalweni basebenza futhi njengezibonelo ezingokwesiprofetho. KwabaseGalathiya 4:21-31 isibonelo esiningiliziwe salokhu sichaziwe ngokuqondene nomka-Abrahama uSara (okuthiwa ufanelana ‘neJerusalema laphezulu’), nencekukazi uHagari (ofaniswa ‘neJerusalema [lasemhlabeni] lakalokhu’) nabantwana babo. Kwenye indaba uJesu wasiza abafundi bakhe ukuba baqonde ukuthi uEliya umprofethi wayenesimo esifana nesikaJohane uMbhapathizi, lowo, njengoEliya, owayengesabi ukudalula imikhuba yenkolo yobuzenzisi.—Mathewu 17:10-13.
7. Bamfanekisela ngokuqondene nani uJesu Kristu laba: (a) uSolomoni? (b) uMelkisedeki?
7 USolomoni, owayedume ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe nokuchuma nokuthula kokubusa kwakhe, wamfanekisela kahle uJesu Kristu. (1 AmaKhosi 3:28; 4:25; Luka 11:31; Kolose 2:3) Nakuba indaba ekuGenesise ngokuqondene nokuhlangabezana kuka-Abrahama noMelkisedeki imfushane, iHubo 110:1-4 libonisa ukuthi, nayo futhi, inokukhulu ekushoyo, ngoba uMesiya wayezoba “umpristi omkhulu ngokokuma kukaMelkisedeki,” okungukuthi, wayeyothola ubupristi bakhe ngokumiswa uNkulunkulu ngokuqondile, hhayi ngenxa yomkhaya ayeyozalwa kuwo. Kamuva, incwadi yamaHeberu iyaningiliza ngalokhu futhi ihlanganise ukwazisa amaqiniso anjalo nokuvuthwa kobuKristu, okuyimfanelo ebalulekile ngalabo abafuna ukuthokozisa uNkulunkulu.—Heberu 5:10-14; 7:1-17.
8. (a) Isiphi isibonelo esibonisa ukuthi okuhlangenwe nakho ekuphileni kungaba okungokwesiprofetho? (b) Ingabe zonke izici zokuhlangenwe nakho okunjalo ziyoba nezikufanekiselayo ekugcwalisekeni kwakho?
8 Kusobala ukuthi izibonelo ezingokwesiprofetho zihilela okungaphezu nje komsebenzi noma isikhundla somuntu. Zihlanganisa futhi okuhlangenwe nakho kwabo ekuphileni. Ngesinye isikhathi lapho abaholi benkolo yobuJuda bebonisa ukungakholwa kwabo, uJesu wathi kubo: “Isizukulwane esibi nesiphingayo sifuna isibonakaliso; kepha asiyikunikwa-sibonakaliso, kuphela isibonakaliso sikaJona umprofethi. Ngokuba njengalokho uJona wayesesiswini somkhomo izinsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu, kanjalo-ke neNdodana yomuntu iyakuba-sebuthunjini bomhlaba izinsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu.” (Mathewu 12:38-40; Jona 1:17; 2:10) Nokho, uJesu akazange asho ukuthi yonke into ekuphileni kukaJona yayifanekisela lokho yena ayezobhekana nakho. Lapho enikezwa isabelo nguJehova, uJesu akazange abaleke, njengoba uJona ayezame ukubalekela eTharishishi. Kodwa njengoba uJesu abonisa, okuhlangenwe nakho kukaJona esiswini senhlanzi enkulu kwahlanganiswa embhalweni weBhayibheli ngoba kwasiza ekunikezeni imininingwane engokwesiprofetho ngokufa kukaJesu ngokwakhe nokuvuswa.—Mathewu 16:4, 21.
9. (a) Iziphi izici ezingokwesiprofetho uJesu aziveza ezikhathini zomlando ezimbili? (b) Ngaphansi kokuphefumlelwa, imiphi imininingwane eqhubekayo uPetru ayithintayo?
9 Ezithile izikhathi zomlando nazo zinikeza imibono engokwesiprofetho ethakazelisa ngokukhethekile. Lapho ekhuluma ngesikhathi esiholela ekwembulweni kwakhe emandleni oMbuso, uJesu wasebenzisa izibonelo zezikhathi ezimbili lapho isahlulelo saphezulu sikhishwa kwababi. Wakhuluma ‘ngezinsuku zikaNowa’ ‘nezinsuku zikaLoti’ njengezibalulekile, ikakhulukazi eqokomisa ukuhileleka kwabantu bangalesosikhathi ezindabeni zokuphila zansuku zonke. Wasikhuthaza ukuba sithathe isinyathelo esisheshayo, singabuyeli emuva ngokulangazelela izinto esizishiye emuva njengoba kwenza umkaLoti. (Luka 17:26-32) Encwadini yesibili ephefumlelwe kamphostoli uPetru kuphawulwa imininingwane eyengeziwe ebalulekile—ukungalaleli kwezingelosi ngaphambi kukaZamcolo, umsebenzi kaNowa wokushumayela, ukudumazeka uLoti aba nakho ngenxa yokunganaki kokweqa umthetho kwabantu baseSodoma, iqiniso lokuthi ngokuqothula ababi ngesikhathi sakhe esifanele uNkulunkulu wayebeka isibonelo sezinto ezizayo, nobufakazi bokuthi uNkulunkulu angazikhulula futhi uyozikhulula izinceku zakhe ezithembekile.—2 Petru 2:4-9.
10. Ngokuqhathanisa uJeremiya nesAmbulo, bonisa ukuthi iziprofetho esezagcwaliseka zingaba nokubaluleka okungokwesiprofetho okuqhubekayo.
10 Lapho iziprofetho sezigcwalisekile, akusho ukuthi manje sezingezesithakazelo nje esingokomlando. Kokubili isaziso sangaphambili sokwakuzokwenzeka nendlela okwagcwaliseka ngayo ngokuvamile kuyisiprofetho sezenzakalo ezifinyelela kude esikhathini esizayo. Kunjalo ngalokho okwalotshwa ngeBabiloni lasendulo, umbuso owawungowenkolo ngokukhethekile nalowo othonya lawo lisezwakala emhlabeni wonke osukwini lwethu. Nakuba iBabiloni lanqotshwa amaMede namaPeresiya ngo-539 B.C.E., incwadi yesAmbulo, eyalotshwa ekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala C.E., isebenzisa indlela yokukhuluma kamprofethi uJeremiya futhi ikhombe ekusebenzeni kwesikhathi esizayo kwalezoziprofetho, ngokuqondene neBabiloni Elikhulu, umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga. Njengezibonelo zalokhu, qhathanisa isAmbulo 18:4 noJeremiya 51:6, 45; IsAmbulo 17:1, 15 no-16:12 noJeremiya 51:13 no-50:38; IsAmbulo 18:21 noJeremiya 51:63, 64.
11. Ikuphi ukubaluleka okungokwesiprofetho okukhona embhalweni wokusebenzelana kukaJehova noIsrayeli ohlubukayo kanye noJuda lapho engathembekile? Ngani?
11 Ngendlela efanayo, ukusebenzelana kukaJehova nombuso wezizwe eziyishumi ezihlubukayo zakwaIsrayeli namakhosi angenalukholo nabapristi bombuso wezizwe ezimbili zakwaJuda kungokwesiprofetho. Zombili iziprofetho ezazisebenza kuleyomibuso yasendulo nokugcwaliseka kwazo, ezilotshwe emiBhalweni, zinikeza umbono okhanyayo wendlela uNkulunkulu ayosebenzelana ngayo neLobukholwa lanamuhla, nalo elithi likhonza uNkulunkulu weBhayibheli kodwa liyeqe kabi kakhulu imiyalo yakhe yokulunga.
12. Thina sizuza kanjani ngezindaba ezinjalo?
12 Ngakho-ke, yonke lemilando ibalulekile namuhla. Isisiza ukuba siqonde indlela uNkulunkulu abheka ngayo izimo osukwini lwethu nalokho thina siqu okumelwe sikwenze ukuze sisinde osizini olukhulu oluzayo. Ngaleyondlela sisizakala ukuba siliqonde ngokugcwele iqiniso lokuthi “yonke imibhalo . . . ilungele ukufundisa, nokusola, nokuqondisa, nokuyala ekulungeni.”—2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17.
INGABE KONKE KWAKUHLELWE KUSENGAPHAMBILI?
13. Sazi kanjani ukuthi uNkulunkulu akazange abangele abantu ukuba benze izono ukuze kube nezibonelo ezingokwesiprofetho?
13 Ingabe ngakho konke lokhu kumelwe siqonde ukuthi ukuziphatha kwabantu nezizwe okulotshwe eBhayibhelini konke uNkulunkulu wayekuhlele ngaphambili ukuze kube nokubaluleka okungokwesiprofetho? Kungokusobala ukuthi uNkulunkulu wasebenzelana nezinceku zakhe esikhathini esidlule ngendlela yokuba anikeze isibonelo sezinto ezinkulu ayezicabangela isikhathi esizayo. Kodwa kuthiwani ngezenzo zabantu? Abanye babo benza izono ezingathi sína. Ingabe uNkulunkulu wababangela ukuba benze lezozono ukuze agcwalise umbhalo weBhayibheli? Umlobi weBhayibheli ongumKristu uJakobe uyaphendula: “UNkulunkulu angeyengwe ngokubi, naye uqobo akayengi-muntu.” (Jakobe 1:13) UNkulunkulu akazange ababangele ukuba benze okubi ukuze kube nezibonelo ezingokwesiprofetho.
14. (a) UJehova wazi kanjani ukuthi abantu, noma ngisho noSathane, bayokwenzani esikhathini esizayo? (b) Kungaziphi izindlela ulwazi lukaJehova ngaye nenjongo yakhe olungena ngazo esiprofethweni seBhayibheli?
14 Ungakhohlwa ukuthi uJehova unguMdali wesintu. Uyazi ukuthi senziwe kanjani nokuthi yini ebangela abantu benze ngendlela abenza ngayo. (Genesise 6:5; Duteronomi 31:21) Angabikezela ngokuqondile ngomphumela wabantu abaphila ngokuvumelana nezimiso zakhe zokulunga nokuthi imiphumela iyoba yini ngalabo abazama ukungakunaki ukudinga kwabo uNkulunkulu noma abaguqula izindlela zakhe. (Galathiya 6:7, 8) Uyazi ukuthi uDeveli uyoqhubeka esebenzisa amasu afanayo nalawo awasebenzisa esikhathini esidlule. UJehova futhi uyazi ukuthi yini yena ayoyenza uma kuphakama izimo ezithile, ukuthi uyokwenza ngokuvumelana nezimfanelo zakhe eziphakeme zokwahlulela ngokulunga, ukungakhethi, uthando nomusa, lezo aye wazibonisa njalo. (Malaki 3:6) Njengoba izinjongo zikaJehova ziyofezeka nakanjani, angabikezela ngemiphumela nezinyathelo ayozithatha ukuze azifeze. (Isaya 14:24, 27) Ngakho-ke wayengakhetha izenzakalo ezithile ekuphileni kwabantu abathile nezizwe futhi enze ukuba zifakwe eBhayibhelini ukuze zinikeze umbono walokho isikhathi esizayo esiyokuletha.
15. Umphostoli uPawulu wagcizelela kanjani ukuthi izindaba zeBhayibheli zingaphezu nje komlando?
15 Ngakho-ke, ngokufanelekile, ngemva kokulandisa ngezenzakalo zomlando wakwaIsrayeli, umphostoli uPawulu wathi kumaKristu ayekanye nawo: “Kepha lezozinto zabehlela bona kube-yisibonelo; kulotshelwe ukusiyala thina, osekufikile kithi ukugcina kwezikhathi.” (1 Korinte 10:11) Futhi wabhalela ibandla lamaKristu eRoma: “Konke okwalotshwa ngaphambili kwalotshelwa ukufundiswa kwethu, ukuze ngokubekezela nangenduduzo yemibhalo sibe-nethemba.” (Roma 15:4) Uma ngaleyondlela siqaphela ukuthi izindaba zeBhayibheli zingaphezu nje komlando, singaqala ukufunda kuzona imibono emangalisayo yekusasa lesintu.
[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 41]
IZIBONELO EZINGOKWESIPROFETHO—Zikhomba Kuphi?
Izinsuku ZikaNowa
Itabernakele
INkosi USolomoni
UJona Esiswini Senhlanzi Izinsuku Ezintathu
Ukuwa KweBabiloni