Iphupho Lembula Ukuthi Yisikhathi Sini

“UJEHOVA . . . unguNkulunkulu ophilileyo neNkosi yaphakade.” (Jeremiya 10:10) Akakaze ayeke ukulawula indawo yonke yakhe, iqiniso iNkosi uNebukadinesari waseBabiloni lasendulo eyahluleka ukulibona. Ukuze agcizelele kulenkosi engakholwa ukuthi “oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu,” uNkulunkulu wayibangela ukuba iphuphe futhi wenza inceku yaKhe uDaniyeli yakwazi ukunikeza incazelo yalo.—Daniyeli 4:17, 18.

Iphupho lalihilela umuthi omkhulu. “Ubude bawo bafinyelela ezulwini nokubonakala kwawo kwaze kwaba-sekugcineni komhlaba.” Ngokuyala kwaphezulu, umuthi wanqunywa, kodwa isiqu sawo saboshwa ngezibopho zensimbi nezethusi. Lezi kwakumelwe zihlale lapho kuze kudlule “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa” phezu kwesiqu, emva kwalokho umuthi wawungakhula futhi.—Daniyeli 4:10-17.

“Umuthi owawubonayo,” kuchaza uDaniyeli, “nguwe-nkosi . . . nokubusa kwakho.” UNebukadinesari wayezonqunywa. Wayezolahlekelwa umbuso wakhe, yebo ngisho nokuhluzeka komqondo wakhe, anqunyelwe ukwehla enyuka ehlane njengesilwane sasendle “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa.” Izibopho ezingokomfanekiso zaziyosuswa kuphela ngemva kokuba isikhathi esinqunyiwe sesiphelile, zivumele inkosi ukuba ibuye ithole kokubili ukuhluzeka komqondo wayo kanye nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi.—Daniyeli 4:20-27.

Njengoba nje kwakubikezelwe, “konke lokho kwamehlela uNebukadinesari.” (Daniyeli 4:28) ILexicon Linguae Aramaicae Veteris Testamenti ithi, “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa” zephupho likaNebukadinesari zaziyiminyaka engokoqobo eyisikhombisa. Njengoba uNebukadinesari abusa iminyaka engama-43 (624-581 B.C.E.), lesi yisiphetho esinengqondo.

Lokhu Kubaluleke Ngani Kithi?

Ngaso sonke isikhathi uJehova uye wasebenzisa ubukhosi bakhe bendawo yonke ngendlela abona ngayo. Esikhathini esithile lokhu wakwenza emhlabeni ngesizwe sakwaIsrayeli, leso ababusi baso basemhlabeni ngokufaneleyo kwakuthiwa ‘bahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaJehova.’ (1 IziKronike 29:23) Nokho, lapho uIsrayeli ephenduka isihlubuki uJehova wavumela uhla lwamakhosi ezizukulwaneni zeNkosi uDavide ukuba lugumbuqelwe.

Ngakho, yeka ukuthi kwakungokufaneleke kanjani ukuba ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho uNkulunkulu anikeze iNkosi uNebukadinesari isibonakaliso—lowo kanye owayevunyelwe ukubhubhisa umbuso wakhe ongokomfanekiso—sokuthi lokhu nganoma iyiphi indlela kwakungasho ukuthi ubukhosi obulungile bukaNkulunkulu base buphelile. Yeka indlela okubaluleke ngayo ukugcizelela kuye nakuzo zonke izizwe zabeZizwe lezo kamuva ezaziyonyathela phansi umbuso owawumelele uNkulunkulu ukuthi lesi simo sezindaba sasingesesikhashana kuphela!

Ngakho, iphuzu lesikhathi okwanikezwa ngaso iphupho, umuntu owalinikezwa, kanye nesihloko sobukhosi baphezulu elalisigcizelela, kubonisa ukuthi kunokubaluleka okungaphezulu kakhulu kwencazelo okwakunayo ngoNebukadinesari. Kusikisela ukuthi njengomuthi onqunyiwe onezibopho, ukubusa kwaphezulu njengoba kwakuye kwaboniswa eJerusalema, manje elase libhujisiwe, kwakungenakubuyiselwa kuze kube yilapho lezo zibopho zokuvimbela sezisusiwe ngemva “kwezikhathi eziyisikhombisa.” Ngalesosikhathi, uMbusi ongummeleli kaNkulunkulu, “ophansi phakathi kwabantu,” okubhekisela kuMesiya othenjisiwe, wayeyomiswa eMbusweni wakhe. Abafundi bakaJesu bacela isibonakaliso ngokuqondene nokuthi uNkulunkulu wayeyokwenza nini lokhu.—Daniyeli 4:17; Mathewu 24:3.

Kunezinye futhi izimpawu ezibonisa lokhu kusebenza okufinyelela kude kwephupho likaNebukadinesari njengokuqondile. Isiprofetho esilotshwe kuDaniyeli 9:24-27 sakhomba unyaka oqondile wokufika kukaMesiya eminyakeni engaphezu kwama-500 kamuva.a Manje uma isikhathi sokuza kukaMesiya njengomuntu sasibikezelwe ngokushaya emhloleni ngaleyondlela, akukhona yini ukuhlakanipha ukuphetha ngokuthi isikhathi sokubuya kwakhe okubaluleke kakhulu okungabonakali emandleni oMbuso sasiyobikezelwa ngokushaya emhloleni okufanayo? Ubani owayengenza lokhu ngokufaneleke kakhulu kunoDaniyeli? Futhi, khumbula ukuthi ngemva kokuloba iziprofetho zemibono kanye namaphupho akhe, kuhlanganise nephupho likaNebukadinesari ngomuthi, uDaniyeli watshelwa: “Gcina amazwi, unamathelise incwadi kuze kube-sesikhathini sokugcina.” Kungani kumelwe kuze kube yilesosikhathi? Ngoba ngalesosikhathi ‘ukwazi kwakuyoba kuningi.’ Ukuba lokho uDaniyeli akuloba kwa-kuyohlala kunamathelisiwe, kungaqondakala kuze kube “sesikhathini sokugcina.” kwakungeke yini lokho kubonise ukuthi imibhalo yakhe yayiyoba nokubaluleka okungokwesiprofetho phakathi naleyonkathi?—Daniyeli 12:4.

“Izikhathi Eziyisikhombisa”—Ziqala Nini Ziphele Nini?

Lapho enikeza isibonakaliso sakhe, uJesu wakhuluma ‘ngezikhathi eziyisikhombisa,’ ezibiza ‘ngezikhathi zabezizwe.’ Wathi: “IJerusalema liyakunyathelwa [ngokuqhubekayo] phansi ngabezizwe, kuze kugcwaliseke izikhathi zabezizwe.” (Luka 21:24) Umbhalo waphansi kuyiOxford NIV Scofield Study Bible (1984) usitshela ukuthi, “‘izikhathi zabezizwe’ zaqala ngokuthunjwa kukaJuda ngaphansi kukaNebukadinesari. . . . Njengoba uKristu asho, kusukela ngalesosikhathi iJerusalema ‘belinyathelwa phansi ngabezizwe.’”

“Izikhathi eziyisikhombisa” noma “izikhathi zabezizwe” zazizinde kangakanani? Ngokusobala, zaziyoba zinde kakhulu kuneminyaka eyi-7 engokoqobo yezinsuku ezingama-360 ngamunye (njengoba iminyaka engokweBhayibheli yayibalwa kanjalo), lokho kwakuyoba izinsuku eziyizi-2 520. Isandulela esingokomBhalo sibonisa ukuthi esikhundleni sosuku ngalunye kumelwe sifake unyaka. (Bheka uNumeri 14:34; Hezekeli 4:6; qhathanisa nesAmbulo 12:6, 14.) Ukubala ngalendlela kwakuyosho ukuthi “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa” zaziyoba iminyaka eyizi-2 520. Uma zaqala ngokubhujiswa kweJerusalema ngo-607 B.C.E., zaziyophela ngonyaka ka-1914 C.E.

Iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amathathu ngaphambi kuka-1914, oFakazi BakaJehova badonsela ukunakekela ekubalulekeni kwalolusuku. Nokho, ngokuthakazelisayo, incwadi i-International Crisis, nguEugenia Nomikos noRobert C. North (1976), ithi “babubuncane noma bungekho kwanhlobo ubufakazi bokwenyuka kancane kancane noma bokwenyuka ngamandla kwezinga lezingxabano nokucindezeleka okuholela ekugqashukeni kwempi.” Ngokuphambene, “ekupheleni kuka-1913 nasekuqaleni kuka-1914 . . . ubuhlobo phakathi kwemibuso emikhulu babonakala buhleleke kakhulu kunokuba babunjalo iminyaka eminingi.” Nokho namuhla, eminyakeni engamashumi ayisikhombisa kamuva, izazi-mlando ziyasho impela ukuthi unyaka ka-1914 kwaba unyaka wenguquko emlandweni wesintu. Ngokwesibonelo, incwadi yezikhombo yaseJalimane iMeyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon ithi “imiphumela yeMpi Yezwe I ngokoqobo yayingeyenguquko futhi yagadla cishe ekuphileni kwabo bonke abantu, ngokwezomnotho nangokwezenhlalo nangokwezombangazwe.”

Imiphumela engokwezombangazwe yezehlakalo zika-1914 yaziwa kahle. Izinguquko zokuhlalisana eyaziletha zibhalwe encwadini kaVirginia Cowles ethi 1913: An End and a Beginning. Uyabhala: “Unyaka ka-1913 waphawula ukuphela kwenkathi yomlando.” Ngokuqondene nemiphumela engokwezomnotho uAshby Bladen, isekela elikhulu likamongameli weThe Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, uyabhala: “Ngaphambi kuka-1914 isimiso sezimali nesokusetshenziswa kwazo zazivumelana. . . . Uma umuntu ecabanga ngoAugust ka-1914 njengophawula umugqa owehlukanisayo phakathi kwazo, umehluko phakathi kwekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye nelamashumi amabili eminyaka uyaphawuleka. Ezicini eziningi zezindaba zabantu kuye kwaba nokuhlehlela emuva kwezinto okuphelele. . . . Esinye isizathu esikhulu kwakuwukungathi sína kokuxhumana phakathi kwesimiso sokusetshenziswa kwezimali nenani lazo elingokoqobo okwaqala ngo-1914. . . . Ukwehlukana kokuxhumana kwaba isehlakalo esinzima. . . . U-1914 waphawula uguquko oluyisisekelo, futhi kamuva uguquko oluyincithakalo lwalesosimiso.”

Sekuyisikhathi Sini?

Ubufakazi bokuthi isibonakaliso sikaJesu manje siyagcwaliseka butholakala kalula njengezindaba zephephandaba noma zethelevishini. Futhi bunikeza isiqinisekiso sokuthi ubufakazi obungokomlando ekusekeleni u-1914 njengoba bembulwe ephusheni likaNebukadinesari buyiqiniso. Ngakho namuhla ngo-1986, lokhu kusho ukuthi kakade sesineminyaka engama-72 ‘sisesikhathini sokuphela.’ UJesu wathembisa ukuthi amalungu athile esizukulwane sabantu abadala ngokwanele ukuthi babona ukuqala kwaso, babeyobe besaphila lapho usizi olukhulu lusiletha ekupheleni kwaso.—Mathewu 24:34.

Yeka indlela lokhu okumelwe kusishukumise ngayo ukuba sihlale siphapheme, amehlo ethu egxiliswe esambulweni saphezulu sesikhathi! Yeka indlela okubaluleke ngayo ukuba sigweme ukuphelelwa yisineke, sizame ukusheshisa iwashi laphezulu, okungaletha ukudumazeka kuphela! Ngakolunye uhlangothi, yeka indlela okubaluleke ngayo ukuba siqaphele ukuba ngabanganaki, sizame ukuyekethisa, okuletha ukulahlekelwa kuphela! Khumbula, kuyingozi enkulu kunokushiywa yibhasi, isitimela, noma indiza. Ingozi yokulahlekelwa ukuphila okuphakade esimisweni esisha sezinto sikaNkulunkulu. Futhi lokho kuyoba okuthile okuhle kakhulu ukuba kungasilahlekela!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]

Zaphela Nini Ngempela “Izikhathi Eziyisikhombisa”?

Abantu abathile bathi ngisho noma “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa” zingokwesiprofetho futhi ngisho noma ziyiminyaka eyizi-2 520, oFakazi BakaJehova basenza iphutha ngokubaluleka kuka-1914 ngoba basebenzisa isiqalo esingaqondile. Bathi iJerusalema labhujiswa ngo-587/6 B.C.E. hhayi ngo-607 B.C.E. Ukuba bekuyiqiniso, lokhu bekuyohlehlisa ukuqala ‘kwesikhathi sokuphela’ cishe ngeminyaka engama-20. Nokho, ngo-1981 oFakazi BakaJehova bakhipha ubufakazi obanelisayo obusekela unyaka ka-607 B.C.E. (“Let Your Kingdom Come,” amakhasi 127-40, 186-9) Ngaphandle kwalokho, ingabe labo abazama ukwamuka u-1914 ukubaluleka kwakhe okungokomBhalo bangabonisa ukuthi u-1934—noma-ke noma imuphi omunye unyaka—uye wajula kakhulu, waba nezehlakalo eziningi, futhi waba nokugadla ngamandla emlandweni wezwe njengoba kwenza u-1914?

[Ishadi ekhasini 6]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

607 B.C.E. 33 C.E. 1914 C.E. 1986 C.E.

[Izithombe ekhasini 7]

Iphupho likaNebukadinesari linokusebenza okufinyelela kude okukuthintayo!