Ingabe Siphila “Esikhathini Sokuphela”?

Kepha wena-Daniyeli, gcina amazwi, unamathelise incwadi kuze kube sesikhathini sokugcina.”—Daniyeli 12:4.

UMUNTU owayedla wayekhungathekile. Njengoba ayebuka ngefasitela lendawo yokudlela yomphakathi eseManhattan ephakathi ebheke phansi kuyiTimes Square, eDolobheni laseNew York, amehlo akhe ajeqeza emuva naphambili emawashini amathathu asodongeni, wonke eveza isikhathi ngezinhlamvu ezinkulu. Elinye iwashi lalishaya u-11:28. Elinye, njengokungathi liyangabaza ukuthi sekwedlule kangaka kulelihora, lasalela emuva ku-11:26 kuyilapho elesithathu ngokuphelelwa isineke laligijima phambili ku-11:29.

‘Umzuzu owodwa noma emibili ayisho lutho ngempela,’ ungase usho. Nokho, zama ukwenza umuntu osanda kushiywa ibhasi, isitimela, noma indiza, hhayi ngemizuzu kodwa ngemizuzwana nje ukuba akholelwe yilokho! Ukwazi isikhathi esiqondile kubalulekile. Ukwazi ukuthi sikuphi ohlelweni lukaNkulunkulu lwesikhathi kubaluleke ngisho nangokwengeziwe.

Ukuba Nokwenzeka Kosuku Lokwahlulela

Yebo, njengoba kungenzeka uyazi, sekunamakhulu eminyaka abantu bekhuluma ‘ngesikhathi sokuphela,’ abanye bathi ‘ukuphela kwezwe’ noma ‘usuku lokwahlulela.’ Umprofethi uDaniyeli wakhuluma ngakho cishe emakhulwini angama-25 eminyaka edlule. (Daniyeli 12:4) Kodwa ezinsukwini zanamuhla, ngokomlobi ozimele uJames David Besser, “akusadingi ukholo olungokwenkolo noma olungaphezu kolwemvelo ukuvuma ukuba nokwenzeka kosuku lokwahlulela; kumane kudinga ukuba uvule izindaba kuyithelevishini.” Ingabe awuvumelani nalokho?

Ngokungangabazeki, ithelevishini yenza izindaba zezwe zifinyeleleke kakhulu ngokuletha okwenzekayo phakathi ezindlini zethu esihlala kuzo. Yenza izinkinga zibonakale ziseduze kakhulu futhi zingezomuntu siqu. Isikhumbuza ukuthi umuzi noma idolobha mhlawumbe obhujiswe enhlekeleleni yenuzi, indodana noma indodakazi mhlawumbe ephathwe ngonya esenzakalweni sobugebengu, umama noma ubaba mhlawumbe othunjwe ekuhlaseleni kobuphekula—ngokunokwenzeka, zonke lezinkinga zingaba ngezethu. Nokho, lezi zenzakalo ngokwazo azibonisi ukuthi usuku lokwahlulela luzosehlela ngokushesha. Kodwa zikwenza kubonakale kunokwenzeka kakhulu, zibangele umbuzo othi, Ingabe siphila “esikhathini sokuphela”? ube ngophuthuma kakhulu.

UJesu, UDaniyeli Nokuphela Kwezwe

Emakhulwini angaphezu kwayi-19 eminyaka adlule, abafundi bakaJesu bambuza: “Isibonakaliso sokuza kwakho nesokuphela kwezwe [“isiphelo sesimiso sezinto,” NW] siyakuba-yini na?” (Mathewu 24:3) Lapho ebanikeza isibonakaliso, uJesu wakhuluma ngobufakazi obuningi, bonke ngendlela eyinhlanganisela babuyobonisa ukuthi sase sifinyelele “isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.” Vula iBhayibheli lakho kuMathewu izahluko 24 no-25, Marku isahluko 13, kanye noLuka isahluko 21, uzifundele zona ngokwakho.

Ungase umangale ukuthola ukuthi lokho okufundayo cishe kuzwakala njengokufishaniswa kwezindaba zanamuhla zethelevishini. Uzofunda ngezimpi, ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, izifo, nokuswelakala kokudla—konke kwenzeka ngesilinganiso sembulunga yonke. Uzofunda futhi ‘ngosizi oluyakwehlela izizwe, zixakeke,’ nangabantu ‘abaphela amandla ngokwesaba nangokubheka okuvelela umhlaba.’ Ingabe ubungawathola amazwi afaneleka kahle kakhulu okuchaza isimo sezwe, leso izinhlelo zanamuhla zethelevishini ezisitshela ngaso kangaka?—Luka 21:10, 11, 25, 26.

Lobufakazi obunamandla bezimo bokuthi siphila “esikhathini sokuphela” abukhona ukuphela kwento esinayo. Njengoba siye saphawula ngenhla, sithola ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda ngokuhlehlela emuva ngeminye iminyaka engama-500 ezinsukwini zomprofethi ongumJuda uDaniyeli. UJesu wabhekisela kuye ngegama futhi wakhomba ekugcwalisekeni kwesiprofetho sakhe. (Qhathanisa uMathewu 24:3, 15, 21 noDaniyeli 11:31; 12:1, 4.) Ngokwenza lokhu, uJesu wabonisa ukuthi wayengacabangeli amazwi kaDaniyeli “eTestamente Elidala” njengalawo aphelelwe isikhathi noma angabalulekile. Nathi akumelwe senze kanjalo.

Phawula ukufana emazwini kaDaniyeli nalawo kaJesu njengoba eboniswe ngenhla. Ngakho zibuze, ‘Ingabe babengakhulumi ngento efanayo?’

Kusobala ukuthi bobabili uDaniyeli noJesu babikezela into efanayo, ‘isikhathi sokuphela,’ isikhathi uKristu ayezoba ngaso semandleni obukhosi. Ekupheleni kwaleyonkathi, wayeyobhubhisa zonke izitha zakhe lapha emhlabeni osizini olukhulu. Kodwa abantu bakaNkulunkulu babeyosinda.

Ingabe uyafuna ukuba phakathi kwalabo abayosinda? Ngakho cabangela ubufakazi uDaniyeli abubekayo “ngesikhathi sokuphela.” Busisiza ukuba sazi ngokuqondile lapho sikhona ohlelweni lwesikhathi lwaphezulu.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 4]

UDANIYELI

“Ngesikhathi sokuphela . . . uMikayeli [uJesu Kristu] uyakuvela . . . kuyakuba-yisikhathi sokuhlupheka esingazange sibe-khona kusukela ekuveleni kwabantu. . . . Ngalesosikhathi abantu bakho bayakukhululwa.”—Daniyeli 11:40; 12:1.

UJESU

“Isibonakaliso sokuza [“sokuba-khona,” NW] kwakho nesokuphela kwezwe siyakuba-yini na? . . .

“Kuyakuba-khona usizi olukhulu olungazange lube-khona kwasekuqaleni kwezwe . . .

“Uma lezozinsuku zingafinyezwanga, bekungesindiswe-muntu; kepha . . . lezozinsuku ziyakufinyezwa.”—Mathewu 24:3, 21, 22.