Abaprofethi Bamanga Namuhla

UJEREMIYA wayekhonza njengomprofethi kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema ngesikhathi lowomuzi ugcwele ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe, ukuziphatha okubi, ukonakala, nokuchithwa kwegazi elingenacala. (Jeremiya 7:8-11) Kwakungeyena yedwa umprofethi owayesebenza ngalesosikhathi, kodwa iningi labanye lalizanelisa lona futhi lonakele. Ngayiphi indlela? UJehova uthi: “Nabaprofethi nabapristi bonke baqamba amanga. Bapholisa kalula ukulimala kwabantu bami, bathi: Ngukuthula, ngukuthula; kepha akukho ukuthula.”—Jeremiya 6:13, 14.

Abaprofethi bamanga babezama ukwenza kubonakale sengathi naphezu kwakho konke ukonakala okusezweni, izinto zazihamba kahle, futhi abantu babenokuthula noNkulunkulu; kodwa kwakungenjalo. Babelindelwe isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu, njengoba uJeremiya abikezela ngokungesabi. Umprofethi weqiniso uJeremiya, hhayi abaprofethi bamanga, wafakazelwa ukuqothulwa kweJerusalema ngamabutho aseBabiloni ngo-607 B.C.E., kwabhujiswa ithempeli, futhi abantu babulawa noma bathunjelwa eBabiloni elikude njengezigqila. Ingcosana edabukisayo eyasala ezweni yabalekela eGibithe.—Jeremiya 39:6-9; 43:4-7.

Labaprofethi bamanga babenzeni? “Ngimelene nabaprofethi, usho uJehova, abeba amazwi ami, kube-yilowo nalowo kumakhelwane wakhe.” (Jeremiya 23:30) Abaprofethi bamanga beba amandla nohlonze lwamazwi kaNkulunkulu ngokukhuthaza abantu ukuba balalele amanga kunokulalela isixwayiso esiyiqiniso esivela kuNkulunkulu. Babengakhulumi “ngemisebenzi emikhulu kaNkulunkulu,” kodwa babekhuluma imibono yabo siqu, izinto abantu ababefuna ukuzizwa. Isigijimi sikaJeremiya sasivela kuNkulunkulu ngempela, futhi ukube amaIsrayeli ayenze ngokuvumelana namazwi akhe, ngabe asinda. Abaprofethi bamanga ‘beba amazwi kaNkulunkulu’ futhi baholela abantu enhlekeleleni. Kwaba njengoba uJesu asho ngabaholi benkolo abangathembekile bosuku lwakhe: “Bangabaholi abayizimpumputhe; kepha nxa impumputhe ihola impumputhe, ziyakuyela emgodini zombili.”—IzEnzo 2:11; Mathewu 15:14.

Njengasosukwini lukaJeremiya, nanamuhla kunabaprofethi bamanga abathi bamelele uNkulunkulu weBhayibheli; kodwa nabo beba amazwi kaNkulunkulu ngokushumayela izinto ezidedisela abantu kude nalokho uNkulunkulu akushoyo ngempela ngeBhayibheli. Ngayiphi indlela? Masiwuphendule lowombuzo ngokusebenzisa njengesibonelo imfundiso eyisisekelo yeBhayibheli ephathelene noMbuso.

Iqiniso Mayelana NoMbuso

UMbuso kaNkulunkulu wawuyisihloko esikhulu sokufundisa kukaKristu, futhi kukhulunywa ngawo izikhathi ezingaphezu kweziyikhulu emaVangelini. Ekuqaleni kwenkonzo yakhe, uJesu wathi: “Ngimelwe ukushumayela ivangeli lombuso kaNkulunkulu, ngokuba ngithunyelwe lokho.” Wafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bakhuleke bathi: “Mawufike umbuso wakho.”—Luka 4:43; 11:2.

Khona-ke, uyini uMbuso? NgokweNew Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon, igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “umbuso” eBhayibhelini okokuqala lisho, “amandla obukhosi, ubukhosi, ukuphatha, ukubusa” futhi okwesibili, lisho “indawo engaphansi kokubusa kwenkosi.” Kulokhu singaphetha ngokunengqondo ngokuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uwuhulumeni ongokoqobo ophethwe iNkosi ethile. Ingabe lokhu kunjalo?

Yebo kunjalo, futhi leyoNkosi uJesu Kristu uqobo lwakhe. Ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaJesu ingelosi uGabriyeli yathi kuMariya: “Yena uyakuba-mkhulu, athiwe iNdodana yoPhezukonke; iNkosi uNkulunkulu iyakumnika isihlalo sobukhosi sikayise uDavide.” (Luka 1:32) Ukwamukela kukaJesu isihlalo sobukhosi kufakazela ukuthi uyiNkosi, uMbusi kahulumeni othile. Okunye futhi okufakazela ukuthi uMbuso unguhulumeni ongokoqobo isiprofetho sikaIsaya: “Sizalelwa umntwana, siphiwa indodana: futhi uhulumeni uyakuba sehlombe lakhe . . . Ukwanda kukahulumeni wakhe nokuthula ngeke kuphele.”—Isaya 9:6, 7, King James Version.

UJesu ubusa ekuphi? EJerusalema? Cha. Umprofethi uDaniyeli wabona umbono kaJesu amukela uMbuso, futhi umbono wakhe ubonisa ukuthi uJesu usezulwini. (Daniyeli 7:13, 14) Lokhu kuyavumelana nendlela uJesu akhuluma ngayo ngoMbuso. Wayevame ukuwubiza ngokuthi “umbuso wezulu.” (Mathewu 10:7; 11:11, 12) Kuyavumelana futhi namazwi kaJesu kuPilatu ngenkathi kuqulwa icala likaJesu phambi kwakhe: “Umbuso wami awusiwo owalelizwe. Uma umbuso wami ubungowalelizwe, izikhonzi zami zaziyakulwa ukuba nginganikezelwa kubaJuda. Kepha kalokhu umbuso wami awusiwo owalapha.” (Johane 18:36) Ingabe umfundisi wakho noma umpristi uye wakufundisa ukuthi uMbuso kaJesu uwuhulumeni wangempela, obusa ezulwini? Noma ingabe ukufundise ukuthi uMbuso umane nje ungokuthile okuhlala enhliziyweni? Uma kunjalo, ubekade eba amazwi kaNkulunkulu kuwe.

Buyini ubuhlobo phakathi kukahulumeni woMbuso nazo zonke izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zikahulumeni wabantu? Ngokwe-Encyclopedia of Religion, eyahlelwa nguMircea Eliade, uMsekeli Wenguquko uMartin Luther, lapho echaza ngoMbuso, wahlongoza: “Uhulumeni wezwe . . . nawo ungase ubizwe ngokuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu.” Abanye bafundisa ukuthi abantu, ngemizamo yabo siqu, bangenza ohulumeni babantu bacishe bafane noMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ngo-1983 uMkhandlu Wezwe Wamasonto waqinisekisa: “Njengoba sizibonela ukufezeka kwesifiso sethu sangempela sokuthula ngezenzo ezikhethekile, uMoya kaNkulunkulu ungasebenzisa imizamo yethu emincane ngokwenza imibuso yalelizwe ifane ngokwengeziwe nombuso kaNkulunkulu.”

Nokho, phawula ukuthi eMthandazweni weNkosi (“uBaba Wethu”), uJesu wafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandazele uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ukuba uze futhi kungemva kwalokho kuphela lapho abatshela khona ukuba bakhuleke: “Mayenziwe intando yakho [kaNkulunkulu] emhlabeni njengasezulwini.” (Mathewu 6:10) Ngamanye amazwi, abantu abenzi ukuba uMbuso uze ngokwenza intando kaNkulunkulu. Ukuza koMbuso yikhona okubangela ukuba intando kaNkulunkulu yenziwe emhlabeni. Kanjani?

Lalela lokho isiprofetho sikaDaniyeli isahluko 2, ivesi 44, esikushoyo: “Ezinsukwini zalawomakhosi [ababusi abangabantu esikhathini sokuphela] uNkulunkulu wasezulwini uyakumisa umbuso ongasoze wachithwa . . . uyakuchoboza, uqede yonke lemibuso.” Akumangalisi ukuthi uJesu wathi uMbuso wakhe awusiwo owalelizwe! Kunalokho, uMbuso uyobhubhisa imibuso, ohulumeni balomhlaba, futhi uthathe indawo yabo ekubuseni isintu. Njengohulumeni wesintu ovela kuNkulunkulu, uyobe usuqikelela ukuthi intando kaNkulunkulu iyenziwa emhlabeni.

Isizathu sokuba uMbuso uthathe isinyathelo esinjalo esikhulu sibonakala lapho sicabangela ukuthi ubani olawula lelizwe. Umphostoli uJohane wabhala: “Izwe lonke lisemandleni omubi.” (1 Johane 5:19, NW) “Omubi” nguSathane uDeveli, lowo uPawulu ambiza ngokuthi “unkulunkulu walelizwe.” (2 Korinte 4:4) Izimiso zezwe elinkulunkulu walo nguSathane uDeveli azinakuhlotshaniswa nganoma iyiphi indlela noMbuso kaNkulunkulu.

Lokhu kungesinye sezizathu ezenza uJesu wangahileleka kwezombangazwe. Lapho abashisekeli bobuzwe bamaJuda bezama ukumbeka inkosi, wabagwema. (Johane 6:15) Njengoba sesibonile, watshela uPilatu ngokungagunci, “Umbuso wami awusiwo owalelizwe.” Futhi ngokuvumelana nalokhu, wathi ngabalandeli bakhe: “Abasibo abezwe, njengalokhu nami angisiye owezwe.” (Johane 17:16) Ngakho-ke, abaholi benkolo abafundisa ukuthi ukuza koMbuso kaNkulunkulu kusheshiswa ushintsho olwenzeka kulesimiso sezinto futhi bakhuthaze imihlambi yabo ukuba isebenzele lowomgomo bangabaprofethi bamanga. Beba amandla nohlonze lwalokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngempela.

Kungani Ubalulekile?

Ingabe lokhu kumane nje kuwukuqophisana ngolwazi? Lutho neze. Izimfundiso eziyiphutha ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ziye zadukisa abaningi futhi ziye zathinta ngisho nomlando. Ngokwesibonelo, incwadi ethi Théo, eyiencyclopedia yamaRoma Katolika, ithi: “Abantu bakaNkulunkulu baqhubekela phambili eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu owaqaliswa emhlabeni nguKristu . . . Isonto liyimbewu yaloMbuso.” Ukuthi iSonto lamaKatolika libhekwe njengento eyodwa noMbuso kaNkulunkulu kwanikeza lelisonto amandla amakhulu angokwezwe phakathi neNkathi Ephakathi yokukholelwa ezeni. Ngisho nanamuhla, izikhulu zesonto zisazama ukuthonya izindaba zezwe, zitusa ezinye izimiso zezombangazwe kunezinye.

Omunye umkhulumeli waveza omunye umbono ovamile namuhla lapho ethi: “Indlela yokuvukela iwumbuso ngoba ukuvukela kuwukuhlangana kwabantu ndawonye ebuntwini obusha, obugqugquzelwa uphawu lwaphezulu olwanikezwa ngomuntu weqiniso—uJesu . . . uGandhi . . . amaBerrigan.” Ukufundisa ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ungase uthuthukiswe ngokushisekela ezombangazwe nangokungawanaki amaqiniso angokoqobo ngokuphathelene noMbuso kuye kwaholela abaholi benkolo ukuba baphishekele izikhundla zezombangazwe. Kuye kwaholela abanye ukuba bahileleke ekubhikisheni kombango futhi baze bahlanganyele ngisho nasempini yobushokobezi. Akukho kulokhu okuhambisana neqiniso lokuthi uMbuso awuwona owalelizwe. Futhi abaholi benkolo abahileleka ngokujule kakhulu kwezombangazwe baphambene kakhulu nokungabi ingxenye yezwe, njengoba uJesu athi abalandeli bakhe beqiniso babengeke babe yiyo. Labo abafundisa ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ufinyelelwa ngezenzo zezombangazwe bangabaprofethi bamanga. Beba amazwi kaNkulunkulu kubantu.

Ukuba abaholi benkolo kweLobukholwa ngempela bebefundisa lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo, imihlambi yabo ngabe iyazi ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uyozixazulula ngempela izinkinga ezinjengobumpofu, izifo, ukuphathwa kabi ngenxa yobuhlanga, nokucindezelwa. Kodwa kuyokwenzeka ngesikhathi sikaNkulunkulu esifanele nangendlela kaNkulunkulu. Ngeke kwenzeke ngezinguquko zezimiso zezombangazwe, ezizodlula lapho uMbuso ufika. Ukuba labefundisi bebengabaprofethi beqiniso, ngabe bafundise imihlambi yabo ukuthi ngesikhathi isalindele ukuba uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uthathe isinyathelo, ingathola usizo lwangempela, oluvela kuNkulunkulu, olusebenzayo, lokusingatha izinkinga ezibangelwa ukungabikho kobulungisa kulelizwe.

Okokugcina, babeyofundisa imihlambi yabo ukuthi izimo eziya ziba zimbi emhlabeni ezibangela ukuhlupheka okuningi kangaka kwaprofethwa ngazo eBhayibhelini futhi ziyisibonakaliso sokuthi ukufika koMbuso kuseduze. Yebo, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngokushesha uzongenela futhi ugudluze izimiso zanamuhla zezombangazwe. Yeka isibusiso okuyoba yiso!—Mathewu 24:21, 22, 36-39; 2 Petru 3:7; IsAmbulo 19:11-21.

Isintu Ngaphansi KoMbuso KaNkulunkulu

Ukuza koMbuso kaNkulunkulu kuyosho ukuthini esintwini? Nokho, ingabe ungazicabanga uvuka njalo ekuseni ugcwele ubungqabavu? Kungekho muntu omaziyo ogulayo noma ofayo. Ngisho nabathandekayo bakho abafile bebuyiselwe kuwe ngovuko. (Isaya 35:5, 6; Johane 5:28, 29) Kungasekho ukukhathazeka ngezomnotho okubangelwa ezentengiselwano ezinobugovu noma izimiso zezomnotho ezingenakho ukulunga. Unekhaya elithokomele elithi wena nendawo eningi yokulima konke okudingayo ukuze wondle umkhaya. (Isaya 65:21–23) Ungahamba nomaphi nganoma yisiphi isikhathi emini noma ebusuku ngaphandle kokwesaba ukugetshengwa. Azisekho izimpi—akusekho okusongela ukulondeka kwakho. Wonke umuntu uyayikhathalela inhlala-kahle yakho. Ababi abasekho. Kubusa uthando nokulunga. Ingabe uyasibona ngeso lengqondo isikhathi esinjalo? Yiloluhlobo lwezwe oluyolethwa uMbuso.—IHubo 37:10, 11; 85:10-13; Mika 4:3, 4.

Ingabe lokhu kumane kuyiphupho nje? Cha. Funda imibhalo ekhonjiwe esigabeni esandulela lesi, futhi uzothola ukuthi konke okushiwo lapho kubonakalisa izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu eziqinisekile. Uma kuwukuthi kuze kube manje ubungakawunikezwa lombono ongokoqobo walokho uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ongakulethela isintu nalokho oyosenzela khona, khona-ke ukhona oye weba amazwi kaNkulunkulu kuwe.

Ngokujabulisayo, akudingekile ukuba izinto zihlale zinjalo. UJesu wathi osukwini lwethu “lelivangeli lombuso liyakushunyayelwa ezweni lonke, kube-ngubufakazi ezizweni zonke, andukuba kufike ukuphela.” (Mathewu 24:14) Lomagazini owufundayo uyingxenye yalowomsebenzi wokushumayela. Sikukhuthaza ukuba ugweme ukukhohliswa abaprofethi bamanga. Lihlolisise ngokujulile iZwi likaNkulunkulu ukuze uthole iqiniso eliphathelene noMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ngemva kwalokho, zithobe kulowoMbuso, oyilungiselelo likaMalusi Omkhulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu. Eqinisweni, uwukuphela kwethemba lesintu, futhi ngeke wehluleke.

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

ULuther wafundisa ukuthi uhulumeni wabantu ungase ubhekwe njengoMbuso kaNkulunkulu

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum

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NjengoMalusi onothando, uJehova ngoMbuso wakhe uyoletha izimo ezingenakulethwa umuntu