UZamcolo—Isixwayiso Sesikhathi Esidlule

EMLANDWENI omude wesintu, kuye kwaba nezinhlekelele eziningi zemvelo ezinkulu njengokuqhuma kweNtaba iSt. Helens noma ngaphezulu. Kodwa azikho eziye zalingana noZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa. UZamcolo wawumkhulu futhi ucekela phansi kangangokuthi washiya umbono ongasuki esintwini emhlabeni wonke.

Kunezindaba ezihlukahlukene eziyi-150 ngoZamcolo ezivela ezingxenyeni ezingafani zomhlaba, kuhlanganisa iBabiloni, iRoma, iNdiya, iAustralia, kanye nalo lonke elaseMelika. Nakuba lezindaba zihluka ngemininingwane, kunokuvumelana okuvamile ngembangela ewukuziphatha kaZamcolo, ukubhujiswa kwesintu emhlabeni wonke, nokusinda komkhaya emkhunjini. Inhlekelele yomhlaba wonke kuphela eyayingashiya umbono onjalo osakazekile futhi ohlala njalo.

Esinye isazi seBhayibheli sabhala: “Ukuvumelana phakathi kwazo zonke lezindaba kuyisiqinisekiso esingenakuphikwa sokuthi lendaba ayiyona inganekwane engenamsebenzi, inganekwane into yomuntu ngamunye, akuyona eyendawo yonke; ngakho-ke, leyondaba inesisekelo esingokomlando; iwumphumela wesenzakalo esenzeka ngempela eminyakeni yokuqala yesintu.” Kodwa kungani leyonhlekelele yasendulo iyisixwayiso esizukulwaneni esiphila manje?

Kubaluleke ngokukhethekile ngathi ukuba siphawule izimo ezaholela kuZamcolo. Ukufana kwazo nezimo zezwe namuhla kwenza uZamcolo ubaluleke kithi. Nansi indlela indaba engokomlando encwadini yeBhayibheli kaGenesise echaza ngayo lezozimo: “UJehova wabona ukuthi ububi bomuntu bukhulu emhlabeni nokuthi zonke izizindlo zemicabango yenhliziyo yakhe zimbi njalo. UNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi umhlaba wonakele, ngokuba inyama yonke yayonakalisile indlela yayo emhlabeni.”—Genesise 6:5, 12.

Izwe lesintu lahlangabezana nokuwohloka okuvamile kokuziphatha, nakho konke ukuthambekela kwemicabango yaso kukubi njalo. Ngenxa yalokho, “umhlaba wagcwala ubudlwangudlwangu.” (Genesise 6:11) Ukuphila kwakunikezelwe ngokuphelele ekuphishekeleni izinto ezibonakalayo nezifiso zobulili. UJesu Kristu wadonsela ukunakekela kulokhu lapho ethi: “Njengasezinsukwini lezo ezandulela uzamcolo babedla, bephuza, beganwa, bendiswa, kwaze kwafika usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini, abazanga kwaze kwafika uzamcolo wabakhukhula bonke, kuyakuba-njalo ukufika kweNdodana yomuntu.” (Mathewu 24:38, 39) Okuwuphela kwesithakazelo ababenaso kwakuwukwanelisa izifiso zenyama.

UNowa wayesinikezile isixwayiso eminyakeni eminingi kusengaphambili, kodwa lesosizukulwane senqaba ukusikholelwa. Ngokuqinisekile sasingakaze siwubone uzamcolo onjalo. Ngakho njengoba izinto zaziqhubeka njengangaphambili isixwayiso sawela ezindlebeni ezingezwa. ‘Asazanga.’ Kwakungasho lutho kuso ukuthi isixwayiso sasivela kuMdali waso ngoNowa.

Kodwa uNkulunkulu watshela uNowa: “Ukuphela kwenyama yonke kufikile phambi kwami, ngokuba umhlaba ugcwele ubudlwangudlwangu ngenxa yabantu; bheka, ngiyakubachitha kanye nomhlaba.” (Genesise 6:13) Lapho uZamcolo ufika, uNowa nomkhaya wakhe balondolozwa ngoba balalela isixwayiso futhi balandela imiyalo kaNkulunkulu. Kodwa kungani konke lokhu kumelwe kusithakazelise ngokukhethekile?

Izimo Ezifanayo

Njengasezinsukwini zangaphambi kukaZamcolo, ikakhulukazi kusukela ngeMpi Yezwe I ubudlova buye baba indlela yokuphila. Ubudlova bezombangazwe phakathi kwamazwe buye baphumela ezimpini ezibhubhisayo nezishaqisa kakhulu emlandweni wesintu. Ubudlova buye basakazekela emadolobheni, emigwaqweni, nasemakhaya; busongela ngisho nezihambi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ithelevishini, amabhayisikobho, namanoveli ngokuyinhloko kunezindaba ezinobudlova.

Okunye ukufana kusendleleni yesimanje yokuphila. Ukwanelisa izifiso zobulili nezezinto ezibonakalayo kuwukuphela kokukhathalela kwesizukulwane sanamuhla. Emhlabeni wonke, sibona ukuwohloka kokuziphatha okuye kwaveza izifo ezithathelwana ngobulili eziwumqedazwe. Ukuphinga, ubufebe, nobuhlobo bobungqingili kuyinto evamile. Njengesizukulwane sangaphambi kukaZamcolo, isizukulwane sanamuhla sithanda izinjabulo zenyama nezinto ezibonakalayo ngaphezu kokuba sithanda uNkulunkulu.

Njengoba uNkulunkulu azizwa ‘edabuka’ ngokuziphatha okubi ngokweqile kwabantu bangaphambi kukaZamcolo, akukhona yini okunengqondo ukuphetha ngokuthi wayeyozizwa ngokufanayo namuhla ngokuziphatha okubi okuvamile emhlabeni wonke? Ingabe lokho akwenza kulelozwe losuku lukaNowa akumelwe yini kube isixwayiso esizukulwaneni sanamuhla? Akukhona yini okunengqondo ukucabanga ukuthi uyofinyelela esiphethweni esifanayo esisithola kuGenesise 6:5-7? Lapho uNkulunkulu ebona ububi besintu, “wadabuka enhliziyweni yakhe. UJehova wathi: Abantu engibadalileyo ngizakubachitha ebusweni bomhlaba.” Ngabalobi beBhayibheli abaphefumlelwe, uNkulunkulu uye wamemezela ukuthi uyokhipha isahlulelo esifanayo esizukulwaneni esiphila namuhla esizikhathalelayo. Sisondela enhlekeleleni enkulu kunazo zonke emlandweni wesintu.

Izinsuku Zokugcina

Ebheke esikhathini sethu, umlobi weBhayibheli ephefumlelwe wencwadi yesibili eyayiya kuThimothewu uchaza isimo sezindaba zezwe esiwohlokayo esisibonayo manje emhlabeni wonke. Esahlukweni 3 amavesi 1 kuya ku-4, uthi: “Kepha yazi lokhu ukuthi ezinsukwini zokugcina kuzakuvela izikhathi ezinzima; ngokuba abantu bazakuba-ngabazithandayo, nabathandimali, nabazigabisayo, nabazidlayo, nabangabongiyo, nabahlazisayo, nabangenaluthando, nabahlebi, nabangazithibi, nabangenabumnene, nabangathandi okuhle, nabakhapheli, nabanamawala, nabakhukhumele, nabathanda injabulo kunokuthanda uNkulunkulu.”

UJesu Kristu waprofetha futhi ngezinsuku zokugcina zalesimiso sezinto. Esiprofethweni sakhe wakhuluma ngobudlova obedlulele esiye sabubona kusukela ngeMpi Yezwe I, ethi: “Ngokuba isizwe siyakuvukela isizwe, nombuso uvukele umbuso.” (Mathewu 24:7) Wakhuluma futhi ngokungabi-namthetho okusakazekile namuhla nokwesaba abantu abanakho ngekusasa. UJesu wathi: “Ngenxa yokwanda kokubi kuzakuphola uthando lwabaningi.” (Mathewu 24:12) Wathi futhi abantu ‘babezakuphela amandla ngokwesaba nangokubheka okuvelela umhlaba.’—Luka 21:26.

Amazwi athi “izinsuku zokugcina” asho okufanayo ngalesizukulwane sanamuhla nalokho ayekusho ngesizukulwane sangaphambi kukaZamcolo—ukuphela kokubusa kwalesosimiso somuntu sezinto. Kweyesi-2 Thesalonika 1:8, 9, umlobi weBhayibheli ophefumlelwe uPawulu uthi, ngoJesu Kristu, uNkulunkulu uyoletha ‘impindiselo kwabangamazi uNkulunkulu nakwabangalaleli ivangeli leNkosi yethu uJesu, abazakunikwa isijeziso esingukubhujiswa okuphakade, basuke phambi kobuso beNkosi naphambi kwenkazimulo yamandla akhe.’

Abasinda kuZamcolo bathola ukuthi isizukulwane sangaphambi kukaZamcolo sasikhukhuliwe emhlabeni. Abantu kanye nakho konke ababekuphilela kwakungasekho. Kuyoba ngokufanayo lapho impindiselo yaphezulu iletha isiphelo esizukulwaneni sanamuhla esinobudlova. “Kusengumzuzwana, omubi angabe esabakho; kuyakuthi lapho uhlola indawo yakhe, uyakube engasekho.”—IHubo 37:10.

Singasinda

Ukufana phakathi kwesizukulwane sangaphambi kukaZamcolo kanye nesizukulwane sethu akukho nje kuphela ebubini babantu nasekubhujisweni kwabo. Njengoba kwaba nabasinda kuZamcolo, ngokufanayo kuyoba nabayosinda ekupheleni kwesimiso samanje sezinto. Abasinda kuZamcolo kwakungabantu abathobekile abangazange baphile njengoba kwakwenza abantu bebonke. Babe ngabathandi bokulunga ababelalela uNkulunkulu kanye nezixwayiso zakhe. KuGenesise 6:8, 9 siyatshelwa: “UNowa wayetholile umusa emehlweni kaJehova. . . . UNowa wayeyindoda eqotho, engenacala esizukulwaneni sakhe.” Ngokuphathelene naye kanye nabasinda kanye naye, umphostoli uPetru waloba ukuthi uNkulunkulu ‘akaliyekanga izwe lamandulo, kodwa wamlondoloza uNowa, umshumayeli wokulunga, engowesishiyagalombili, mhla eletha uzamcolo ezweni elingamesabi uNkulunkulu.’—2 Petru 2:5.

Abaprofethi bakaNkulunkulu basiqinisekisa ngokuthi kuyoba nesixuku esikhulu sabayosinda embubhisweni yaphezulu ezayo yesimiso sanamuhla sezinto. Naso, ngokufanayo, siyoba abantu abathobekile abathanda ukulunga futhi abalalela imiyalo kaNkulunkulu njengoba uNowa ayenjalo. Ngemva kokubikezela imbubhiso yababi, umhubi uthi: “Kepha abathobekileyo bazakulidla ifa lomhlaba, bathokoze ngokuthula okukhulu.”—IHubo 37:11; IsAmbulo 7:9, 13, 14.

UJesu wabikezela ukuthi ezinsukwini zokugcina izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu zaziyomenyezelwa emhlabeni wonke. Lena indlela abantu basemhlabeni abathambekele ekulungeni abahlanganiselwa ngayo ukusinda. Lokhu uJesu wakufanekisa emfanekisweni wakhe nokuhlukaniswa kwezimvu ezimbuzini. Futhi waphetha umfanekiso ngokuthi abantu abangalungile abanjengezimbuzi “bayakumuka, baye ekujezisweni okuphakade, kodwa abalungileyo [abanjengezimvu] baye ekuphileni okuphakade.”—Mathewu 25:31-46.

Nakuba uZamcolo ukude nosuku lwethu, ngokusobala uyisixwayiso kithi ukuba singabi abangalaleli. Njengoba iBhayibheli lisho, umlando wawo walotshelwa, “ukufundiswa kwethu.” (Roma 15:4) Uyisixwayiso ngokumelene nokuphila ngendlela yezwe yobudlova, ukuzitika ngezifiso zenyama, kanye nezinto ezibonakalayo ngaphandle kokulalela uMdali wethu. Akaguquki. UNkulunkulu wabhubhisa isizukulwane sangaphambi kukaZamcolo ngenxa yobubi baso. Ngenxa yesizathu esifanayo, iyobhubhisa lesizukulwane samanje kanye naso sonke isimiso saso sombuso wezombangazwe, ezentengiselwano ezikhathalela izinto ezibonakalayo, kanye nenkolo yamanga.

Ukuze sisinde ekupheleni kwalesimiso sezinto, kumelwe silalele isixwayiso sesikhathi esidlule. Kumelwe sizibonakalise singabathandi bokulunga, njengoba kwenza abayisishiyagalombili abasinda kuZamcolo. Futhi ukuze sisinde kumelwe silandele iseluleko esikuZefaniya 2:3: “Funani ukulunga; funani ukuthobeka; mhlawumbe niyakusitshekelwa ngosuku lolaka lukaJehova.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Njengoba uNowa nomkhaya wakhe basinda kuZamcolo, ngokufanayo ungaba phakathi kwabajabulayo abayosinda ekupheleni kwalesimiso