IZwi LikaNkulunkulu Liphilile
Kungenzeka Yini Ukuthi Isiphelo Sezwe Siseduze?
MASINYA nje ngaphambi kokuba uJesu afe, abanye kubaphostoli bakhe bambuza: “Sitshele ukuthi lokhu kuyakubanini, nesibonakaliso sokuza kwakho nesokuphela kwezwe siyakubayini na?” (Mathewu 24:3) Kusukela ngalesosikhathi, amaKristu abelokhu enesithakazelo kulendaba. Inkulumo ethi “ukuphela kwezwe” ayisho ukuphela komhlaba belu. Kunalokho, ibhekisela “esiphelweni sesimiso sezinto,” njengoba izlnguqulo zanamhlanje zeBhayibheli zibonisa.
Ekuphenduleni isicelo sabo sesibo nakaliso, uJesu wabanika sona. Akazange anikeze nje isehlakalo esisodwa, njengezimpi, njenge”sibonakaliso.” Wabatshela ngezehlakalo eziningi ezihlukahlukene nezimo. Zonke lezizinto ezabikezelwa zaziyokwenzeka phakathi nesikhathi abalobi beBhayibheli abasibiza ngokuthi “izinsuku zokugcina.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1; 2 Petru 3:3, 4) Njengoba uhlola lezizinto uJesu azibikezela, phawula ukuthi bezigcwaliseka kanjani phakathi nesikhathi sokuphila kwabantu bamanje.
“ISIZWE SIYAKUVUKELA ISIZWE, NOMBUSO UVUKELE UMBUSO.”—Mathewu 24:7.
IMpi Yezwe I, eyaliwa kusukela ngo-1914 kuya ku-1918 yayinkulu ngokuphindiwe kunazo zonke izimpi ezinkulu sezihlanganiswe ndawonye phakathi kweminyaka eyizi-2 400 ngaphambi kuka-1914. Nokho ngemva kweminyaka engama-21 kuphela leyompi iphelile, iMpi Yezwe II yaqala. Futhi yayibhubhisa ngokuphindwe kane kuneMpi Yezwe I. Kusukela ekupheleni kweMpi Yezwe II ngo-1935, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-25 baye babulawa kwezinye izimpi eziyi-150 ezaliwa emhlabeni wonke.
“KUBE-KHONA INDLALA . . . IZINDAWO NGEZINDAWO.”—Mathewu 24:7.
Ngemva kweMpi yeZwe I kwaba khona indlala enkulu kuwo wonke umlando. Kodwa ukuswelakala kokudla kwaba kukhulu kakhulu ngemva kweMpi yeZwe II. Ingxenye eyodwa kwezine yomhlaba yayibulawa yindlala ngalesosikhathi. Izigidigidi zisabulawa indlala—izigidi ezingama-50 ngonyaka! Ngisho nasezindaweni lapho ukudla kukuningi khona, abaningi bampofu kakhulu ukuba bakuthenge.
“[IZIFO EZINGUMSHAYABHUQE] IZINDAWO NGEZINDAWO”—Luka 21:11.
Ngemva nje kweMpi Yezwe I abantu abengeziwe babulawa yimfuluwenza yaseSpain kunalabo abake babulawa yinoma isiphi isibhadalala emlandweni wesintu. Abantu ababhuqwa yilesisifo baba yizigidi ezingama-21! Nokho umshayabhuqe wezifo nokugula kuyaqhubeka kudlanga. Izigidi ziyafa unyaka ngamunye ngenxa yesifo senhliziyo kanye nekhensa. Isifo sokubhajwa sanda ngokusheshayo. Ezinye izifo ezesabekayo ziyenzeka amazwe ngamazwe.
“KUBE-KHONA . . . NOKUZAMAZAMA KOMHLABA IZINDAWO NGEZINDAWO.”—Mathewu 24:7.
Kusukela ngo-1914 kuze kube manje, kuye kwaba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu okuningi ngokwengeziwe kunokwanoma isiphi esinye isikhathi esifanayo emlandweni ogciniwe. Ngaphezu kweminyaka eyi-1 000, kusukela ngonyaka ka-856 C.E. kuya ku-1914, kwaba khona ukuzamazama okukhulu komhlaba okungama-24, okwabangela ukufa kwabantu abayi-1 973 000. Kodwa eminyakeni engama-63 kusukela ngo-1915 kuya ku-1978, ingqikithi yabantu abayi-1 600 000 bafa ekuzamazameni komhlaba okukhulu okwenzeka okungama-43.
“UKWANDA KOKUNGABI NAMTHETHO.”—Mathewu 24:12.
Kuwo wonke umhlaba kutholakala umbiko wokwandwa kokungabi namthetho nobugebengu. Ubugebengu bobudlova, njengokubulala, ukudlwengula nokubamba inkunzi bubonakala manje bungase nakuvinjelwa.
“ABANTU BAPHELE AMANDLA NGOKWESABA.”— Luka 21:26
Ukwesaba cishe kuyinto eyodwa ekhathaza kakhulu ekuphileni kwabantu namuhla. Kungakabi isikhathi eside ngemva kokuqhuma kwebhomu yenyukliya, isazi seathomu uHarold C. Urey sathi: “Siyokudla ngokwesaba, silale ngokwesaba, sihlale ngokwesaba, futhi sife ngokwesaba.” Abantu besaba ubugebengu, ukungcola, izifo, ukunyuka kwamanani neziningi ezinye izinto ezisongela ukulondeka kwabo nokuphila kwabo luqobo.
Nakuba ziziningi ezinye izici zalesisibonakaliso, lezi ezihlelwe lapha kufanele kube zenele ekuboniseni ukuthi ngempela siphila esikhathini iBhayibheli elasibikezela njenge“zinsuku zokugcina.” Lokhu kusho ukuthi masinyane uNkulunkulu uzoslqeda lesisimiso esibi sezinto. Kodwa labo abakhonza uNkulunkulu bayosinda ukuze bajabulele ukuphila emhlabeni ohlanziwe.