Kungani Izwe Likhungethwe Ukwesaba?
UBANI ofuna ukuphila ngokwesaba? Umuntu ovamile ufisa ukulondeka, kungekho okusongela ukuphila noma impahla yakhe. Ngakho, abaningi bayathutha ezindaweni ezikhungethwe ubugebengu. Nokho, izimbangela zokwesaba zikhona kuyo yonke indawo.
Izingozi zezikhali zenuzi nezingozi ezenzeka eziteshini zenuzi eziphehla amandla kagesi zibangela isintu ukuba sesabe imbubhiso. Ubudlova obanda kakhulu bubhebhezela ukwesaba. Abaningi besaba ukuthi ingculaza izoba umqedazwe obulala kunayo yonke kulelikhulu leminyaka. Ukucekelwa phansi kwendawo yethu ezungezile kuphakathi kwezinye zezimbangela zokwesaba. Ingabe lokhu kwesaba kuphawuleka ngokukhethekile? Futhi kungenzeka kanjani ukuba sibe nethemba lokuphila ezweni elingenakho ukwesaba okunjalo?
Ukwesaba Okusemhlabeni Wonke Kuyaphawuleka
Ukwesaba okwandile namuhla kuyaphawuleka ngenxa yalokho okwabikezelwa eBhayibhelini. Esiprofethweni sakhe esiphathelene nezinsuku zokugcina, uJesu Kristu wakhuluma ngezimo ezaziyobangela ukwesaba. Wathi: “Isizwe siyakuvukela isizwe‚ nombuso uvukele umbuso‚ kube-khona indlala nokuzamazama komhlaba izindawo ngezindawo.” UJesu wakhuluma ‘nangokwanda kokubi.’ Kusukela ngo-1914, izimpi ezingakaze zibonwe, indlala, ukuzamazama komhlaba, nokungabi-namthetho kuye kwabangela ukwesaba okukhulu nokufa.—Mathewu 24:7-14.
Ngisho nesimo sengqondo sabantu sibangela ukwesaba namuhla. Kweyesi-2 Thimothewu 3:1-4, sifunda amazwi esiprofetho omphostoli uPawulu: “Ezinsukwini zokugcina kuzakuvela izikhathi ezinzima; ngokuba abantu bazakuba-ngabazithandayo‚ nabathandimali‚ nabazigabisayo‚ nabazidlayo‚ nabahlambalazayo‚ nabangalaleli abazali‚ nabangabongiyo‚ nabahlazisayo‚ nabangenaluthando‚ nabahlebi‚ nabangazithibi‚ nabangenabumnene‚ nabangathandi okuhle‚ nabakhapheli‚ nabanamawala‚ nabakhukhumele‚ nabathanda injabulo kunokuthanda uNkulunkulu.” Njengoba sizungezwe abantu abanjalo kulezizinsuku zokugcina, akumangalisi ukuthi kunokwesaba okungaka!
Lokho Lelizwe Elingakulindela
UJesu wafanisa lenkathi nezinsuku zokugcina zezwe langesikhathi sikaNowa. Ngokungangabazeki, ukwesaba kwakukukhulu ngalesosikhathi, ngoba umlando weBhayibheli uthi: “Umhlaba wawonakele ebusweni bukaJehova; umhlaba wagcwala ubudlwangudlwangu. UNkulunkulu wathi kuNowa: Ukuphela kwenyama yonke kufikile phambi kwami, ngokuba umhlaba ugcwele ubudlwangudlwangu.” (Genesise 6:11, 13) Lelozwe elibi lalinobudlova kangangokuba uNkulunkulu waliqeda ngoZamcolo wembulunga yonke. Nokho, ngenxa yothando, uJehova uNkulunkulu walondoloza uNowa olungileyo nomkhaya wakhe.—2 Petru 2:5.
Ngakho-ke yini lelizwe lamanje elinobudlova elingayilindela? Empeleni, uNkulunkulu uyakuzonda ukunganakwa okunobudlova kwenhlalakahle yabanye. Lokhu kubonakala emazwini omhubi: “UJehova uyamhlola olungileyo; kepha omubi nothanda ubudlwangudlwangu umphefumulo wakhe uyamzonda.” (IHubo 11:5) UJehova waliqeda izwe elalinobudlova losuku lukaNowa. Ngakho-ke, akufanele yini silindele ukuba uNkulunkulu aliqede lelizwe elikhungethwe ubudlova obesabekayo?
Umphostoli uPetru waphefumlelwa ngokwaphezulu ukuba akhulume ngokuba khona kukaKristu nokuba aprofethe ngenhlekelele yalelizwe elibi lamanje. Wabhala: “Ngezinsuku zokugcina kuyakufika abahleki abahleka usulu‚ behamba ngezinkanuko zabo‚ bethi: Siphi isithembiso sokufika kwakhe na? Ngokuba kuselokhu obaba balala‚ konke kumi kunjalo njengakwasekuqaleni kokudalwa.” UPetru wabe esesebenzisa igama elithi ‘amazulu’ ukuze afanekise isimiso sokubusa okungaphelele phezu kwesintu negama elithi ‘umhlaba’ ekufanekiseleni umphakathi wesintu ongalungile. “Ngokuba,” esho, “bathanda ukukhohlwa lokhu ukuthi kwaphakade izulu lalikhona kanye nomhlaba owavela emanzini nangawo amanzi‚ umi ngezwi likaNkulunkulu‚ okwathi ngawo izwe elalikhona [ngosuku lukaNowa] labhubha ngokukhukhula kwamanzi; kepha izulu nomhlaba okukhona manje kubekelelwe umlilo ngalo lona lelizwi‚ kulindele usuku lokwahlulela nolokubhubha kwabantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu.”—2 Petru 3:3-7.
Ngomqondo ofanayo, uPawulu wabonisa ukuthi uKristu nezingelosi zakhe ezinamandla ‘babezophindisela kwabangamazi uNkulunkulu nakwabangalaleli ivangeli leNkosi yethu uJesu‚ abazakunikwa isijeziso esingukubhujiswa okuphakade.’ (2 Thesalonika 1:6-9) Incwadi yokugcina yeBhayibheli ikhuluma ngokubuthelwa kwezizwe “ekulweni kosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke” futhi isiqinisekisa ngokuthi uJehova ‘uyobhubhisa ababhubhisa umhlaba.’—IsAmbulo 11:18; 16:14-16.
Yisikhathi Senjabulo, Akusona Esokwesaba
Kunokuba besatshiswe yilokho iBhayibheli elikubikezelayo ngalelizwe, abantu abaqotho bayajabula. UJehova ngokushesha uzoliqeda lelizwe elibi, kodwa lokhu kuzokwenzelwa ukuzuzisa labo abathanda ukulunga. Yini ezolandela ukuphelisa kwaphezulu lesisimiso samanje sezinto? Phela, isimiso esisha ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu wasezulwini, lowo uJesu afundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bawuthandazele! Wathi: “Ngakho-ke anokhuleka kanje‚ nithi: Baba wethu osezulwini‚ malingcweliswe igama lakho; mawufike umbuso wakho; mayenziwe intando yakho emhlabeni njengasezulwini.” (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Yiziphi izinguquko ezingalindelwa lapho sekwenziwa intando kaNkulunkulu emhlabeni?
Impi nokwesabeka kwayo kuyobe sekuphelile. IHubo 46:9 lithi: “[UJehova uNkulunkulu] uphelisa ukulwa kuze kube-semikhawulweni yomhlaba; uyaphula umnsalo, anqume umkhonto, izinqola zempi azishise ngomlilo.” Khona-ke abantu “bayakuhlala, kube-yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe naphansi komkhiwane wakhe; akakho oyakubesabisa.”—Mika 4:4.
Izifo ezibulalayo ngeke ziphinde zibangele ukwesaba futhi zibulale. Isithembiso saphezulu sithi: “Abakhé khona abayikusho ukuthi: Ngiyagula.” (Isaya 33:24) Yeka imbangela yokujabula!
Ukwesaba okuhlobene nobugebengu nobudlova nakho kuyobe sekuyinto yesikhathi esidlule. IHubo 37:10, 11 liyathembisa: “Kusengumzuzwana, omubi angabe esabakho; kuyakuthi lapho uhlola indawo yakhe, uyakube engasekho. Kepha abathobekileyo bazakulidla ifa lomhlaba, bathokoze ngokuthula okukhulu.”
Ukuthula kweqiniso nokulondeka kuyosithatha kanjani isikhundla sokwesaba kwanamuhla? Ngohulumeni owodwa olungile—uMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ngokuqondene nesikhathi sethu, uDaniyeli 2:44 uthi: “Ezinsukwini zalawomakhosi uNkulunkulu wasezulwini uyakumisa umbuso ongasoze wachithwa nobukhosi bawo bungayikushiyelwa kwabanye abantu, kepha uyakuchoboza, uqede yonke lemibuso, wona uqobo ume phakade.” INkosi kaJehova emisiwe, uJesu Kristu, ‘imelwe ukubusa [uNkulunkulu] aze abeke izitha zonke phansi kwezinyawo zayo.’ (1 Korinte 15:25) UkuBusa KukaJesu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane kuyogcwalisa injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni yokuba nomhlaba oyipharadesi owakhiwe abantu abajabulayo.—Luka 23:43; IsAmbulo 20:6; 21:1-5.
Kulowomhlaba oyiPharadesi, kuyoba nohlobo olulodwa lokwesaba okunempilo. Kuyobe ‘kuwukwesaba uJehova.’ (IzAga 1:7) Eqinisweni, kufanele sibe nalokhu kwesaba kwamanje, ngoba kuyinhlonipho ejulile ehlangene nokwesaba ukudumaza uNkulunkulu ngenxa yokuthi siyawazisa umusa wothando nobuhle bakhe. Lokhu kwesaba kudinga ukwethembela ngokuphelele kuJehova nokumlalela ngobuqotho.—IHubo 2:11; 115:11.
Lezizinsuku zokugcina ziphawuleka ngezenzakalo ezesabekayo. Nokho, uma sibonisa uthando lwethu ngoNkulunkulu, singajabula kunokuba sesabe. Iziprofetho zeBhayibheli zibonisa ukuthi ukuqeda kwaphezulu lesisimiso kuseduze. Siyothathelwa indawo izwe elisha lokulunga likaJehova uNkulunkulu elithenjisiwe. (2 Petru 3:13) Ngempela, ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso ngokushesha kuzoba khona izwe elingenakho ukwesaba okungenampilo.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]
AMANDLA KAMAGAZINI OWODWA
UTOMASZ, insizwa yasePoland, waba nenkinga nabomthetho eyabangela ukuba abaleke kulelozwe. Izinyanga eziyisithupha wayehamba ecela ukugitsheliswa ezimotweni kulo lonke elaseYurophu, elala etendeni futhi esebenza emisebenzini ehlukahlukene. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kwakunombuzo owawungasuki engqondweni yakhe: Iyini injongo yokuphila?
Umbuzo kaTomasz waphenduleka lapho enikezwa umagazini we-Nqabayokulinda wesiPolishi. Wawufunda izikhathi eziningana futhi waqaphela ukuthi lomagazini uphethe iqiniso ayekade elifuna. UTomasz wayehamba ecela ukugitsheliswa ezimotweni, wahamba amakhilomitha angu-200 eya ehhovisi legatsha le-Watch Tower eliseSelters/Taunus, eJalimane. Uma efika ngoMsombuluko kusihlwa, wakhipha umagazini wakhe we-Nqabayokulinda wayesethi: “Ngifuna ongangichazela kabanzi ngalokho okukulomagazini. Kufanele ngenzeni?”
Ngalolosuku kusihlwa, oFakazi BakaJehova ababili baxoxa noTomasz ngenjongo yokuphila, besebenzisa iBhayibheli njengesisekelo sengxoxo yabo. Enesifiso sokufunda okwengeziwe, uTomasz wabuyela ehhovisi legatsha nsuku zonke ngalelosonto, etadisha iBhayibheli nencwadi ethi Ungaphila Phakade EPharadesi Emhlabeni.
UTomasz wanquma ukuphindela ePoland, nakuba ayengase abhekane nezinkinga lapho. Ngakho, ngoLwesihlanu, ezinsukwini ezine nje kuphela efikile ehhovisi legatsha laseSelters, uTomasz wabhekisa amabombo kwelakubo. Ngokushesha waqala ukutadisha noFakazi BakaJehova ePoland. UTomasz wathuthuka ngokushesha futhi waqala ukukhuluma ngentshiseko nabanye ngalokho ayekufunda. Ngo-October 1993, ezinyangeni ezine nje kuphela ngemva kokuvakashela kwakhe kokuqala eSelters, wabhapathizwa njengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova.
Umagazini owodwa nje kuphela we-Nqabayokulinda wasiza lensizwa ukuba ihlole injongo yokuphila!
[Isithombe ekhasini 7]
Ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso ngoJesu Kristu, ukwesaba ngeke kuphinde kukhungathekise izwe