UNkulunkulu Akephuzi Ngokuqondene Nesithembiso Sakhe

“NGIYAKUKUNCENGA kuze kube nini, Jehova, ungezwa?” Lawo amazwi omprofethi ongumHeberu uHabakuki, owayephila ekhulwini lesi-7 B.C.E. Kodwa azwakala ejwayelekile, akunjalo? Kungokwemvelo ngabantu ukufuna ukuthola izinto abazifisayo ngaleso sikhathi, noma ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka. Futhi lokhu kunjalo ngokukhethekile esikhathini sethu sokuzanelisa ngokushesha.—Habakuki 1:2.

Ngekhulu lokuqala, kwakunabathile ababenomuzwa wokuthi uNkulunkulu kufanele ngabe wagcwalisa izithembiso zakhe esikhathini esingaphambi kwalokho. Base bephelelwe isineke kangangokuthi babeze bebheka uNkulunkulu njengowephuzayo noma olibalayo. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, umphostoli uPetru kwadingeka abakhumbuze ukuthi umbono kaNkulunkulu wesikhathi uhluke kakhulu kowethu. UPetru uyabhala: “Leliqiniso elilodwa malinganiphunyuki, bathandekayo, lokuthi usuku olulodwa kuJehova lunjengeminyaka eyinkulungwane neminyaka eyinkulungwane injengosuku olulodwa.”—2 Petru 3:8.

Ngokwale ndlela yokubala isikhathi, umuntu oneminyaka engu-80 usaphile isikhathi esingaba amahora amabili kuphela, futhi wonke umlando wohlanga lwesintu usenezinsuku ezingaba isithupha kuphela. Uma sibheka izinto ngale ndlela, kuba lula ukuba siqonde indlela kaNkulunkulu yokusebenzelana nathi.

Nokho, uNkulunkulu akayena ongasishayi mkhuba isikhathi. Ngokuphambene, usikhathalela kakhulu isikhathi. (IzEnzo 1:7) Ngakho-ke, uPetru uyaqhubeka athi: “UJehova akephuzi ngokuqondene nesithembiso sakhe, njengoba abanye abantu becabangela ukwephuza, kodwa uyanibekezelela ngoba akafisi ukuba noma ubani abhujiswe kodwa ufisa ukuba bonke bafinyelele ekuphendukeni.” (2 Petru 3:9) Ngokungafani nabantu, uNkulunkulu akazizwa ecindezelekile ukwenza izinto njengokungathi ushiywa isikhathi. ‘NjengeNkosi engunaphakade,’ unombono ogcwele ngezinto ngendlela emangalisayo futhi anganquma ukuthi kungasiphi isikhathi lapho izenzo zakhe ziyobazuzisa kakhulu bonke abahilelekile.—1 Thimothewu 1:17.

Ngemva kokuchaza isizathu salokhu okwakubonakala kuwukwephuza kukaNkulunkulu, uPetru ukhipha lesi sixwayiso: “Usuku lukaJehova luyofika njengesela.” Okusho ukuthi, usuku lokulandisa luyofika ngaso kanye isikhathi abantu abangalulindele ngaso. Khona-ke, emavesini alandelayo, uPetru uphawula ithemba elimangalisayo lalabo ababonisa ‘izenzo zokuziphatha ezingcwele nezenzo zokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu,’ eliwukuthi, bangase basindele ‘emazulwini amasha nasemhlabeni omusha’ okuthenjiswe uNkulunkulu.—2 Petru 3:10-13.

Lokhu kufanele kusenze sikwazise nakakhulu ukuthi ukwahlulela kukaNkulunkulu akukafiki. Ukubekezela kwakhe kwenzé sakwazi ukwazi injongo yakhe futhi salungisa ukuphila kwethu ukuze samukele izibusiso zakhe azithembisayo. Akufanele yini sibheke “ukubekezela kweNkosi yethu njengensindiso,” njengoba kusho uPetru? (2 Petru 3:15) Nokho, kunesinye isici ekubekezeleni kukaNkulunkulu.

Isilinganiso Esithile Sokona Okufanele Sigcwale

Lapho sitadisha ukusebenzelana kukaNkulunkulu nesintu ngesikhathi esidlule, siphawula ukuthi ngokuvamile wayesigodla isahlulelo sakhe kuze kube yilapho lingasekho ithemba lentuthuko. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokuqondene nesahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu kwabaseKhanani, watshela u-Abrahama ngezono zabo kusengaphambili kakhulu. Kodwa ngaleso sikhathi sasingakafiki isikhathi sokukhipha isahlulelo sakhe. Ngani? IBhayibheli lithi: “Ngokuba ububi bama-Amori [amaKhanani] abukapheleli,” noma njengoba inguqulo i-Knox ikubeka: “Ububi bama-Amori [babunga]kagcwali.”—Genesise 15:16.a

Nokho, eminyakeni engaba ngu-400 kamuva, safika isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu, futhi inzalo ka-Abrahama, ama-Israyeli, yalithatha lelo zwe. Kwasindiswa abambalwa abaseKhanani, njengoRahabi nabaseGibeyoni, ngenxa yesimo sabo sengqondo nezenzo zabo, kodwa abaningi babo base befinyelele izinga elibi ngokweqile lokungcola, njengoba kwembulwa imivubukulo yanamuhla. Babekhulekela izitho zobulili, benezifebe zethempeli futhi benza iminikelo ngezingane. I-Halley’s Bible Handbook ithi: “Abavubukuli abemba emanxiweni emizi yabaseKhanani bayamangala ngokuthi uNkulunkulu akayibhubhisanga esikhathini esingaphambili kakhulu kunaleso ayibhubhisa ngaso.” Ekugcineni, ‘isilinganiso sesono [sabaseKhanani] sagcwala’; ububi babo base “bugcwele.” Akekho owayengamsola ngokufanele uNkulunkulu ngokungabi nabulungisa lapho evumela ukuba izwe lihlanzwe kuyilapho esindisa labo ababebonise isimo sengqondo esifanele.

Sithola umbono ofanayo nangesikhathi sikaNowa. Naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi abantu bangaphambi kweSikhukhula babebabi, ngomusa uNkulunkulu wanquma ukuselula ngeminyaka engu-120 isikhathi sabo. Phakathi nengxenye yaleso sikhathi, uNowa waba “umshumayeli wokulunga.” (2 Petru 2:5) Njengoba isikhathi sasiqhubeka, kusobala ukuthi ububi babo baba obulungele imbubhiso. “UNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi umhlaba wonakele, ngokuba inyama yonke yayonakalisile indlela yayo emhlabeni.” (Genesise 6:3, 12) ‘Isilinganiso sesono sabo sase sigcwele’; ukuhamba kwesikhathi kwakwenze ukuthambekela kwabo okubi kwafinyelela iqophelo eliphezulu. Lapho uNkulunkulu ethatha isinyathelo, saba esifaneleka ngokuphelele. Ngabantu abangu-8 kuphela ababonakala belungile emehlweni kaNkulunkulu futhi wabasindisa.

Kubonakala isimo esifanayo nasendleleni uNkulunkulu aphatha ngayo u-Israyeli. Nakuba aziphatha ngendlela yokungathembeki neyonakele, uNkulunkulu wambekezelela amakhulu eminyaka. Umbhalo uthi: “UJehova . . . wathuma kubo ngezandla zezithunywa zakhe, ethuma njalonjalo, ngokuba wahawukela abantu bakhe . . . kepha . . . bawadelela amazwi akhe, babaphatha kabi abaprofethi bakhe, yaze yavuka intukuthelo kaJehova ngabantu bakhe, kwaze kwangabakho ukwelashwa.” (2 IziKronike 36:15, 16) Laba bantu base befinyelele izinga lapho kwakungasenakwenzeka ukuba bathuthuke. KwakunguJeremiya nabanye abambalwa kuphela ababengasindiswa. UNkulunkulu wayengenakubizwa njengongenabulungisa lapho ekugcineni ebahlulela bonke abanye.

Sesifikile Isikhathi SikaNkulunkulu Sokuthatha Isinyathelo

Ngokwalezi zibonelo singabona ukuthi uNkulunkulu usagodle isahlulelo sakhe ngokumelene nalesi simiso sezinto samanje kuze kube yisikhathi esifanele. Lokhu kuzwakala emyalweni owanikwa umkhiphi wesahlulelo kaNkulunkulu ongokomfanekiso othi: “‘Faka isikela lakho elibukhali futhi ubuthe amahlukuzo omvini womhlaba, ngoba amagilebhisi awo asevuthiwe.’ Futhi ingelosi yalifaka isikela layo emhlabeni yawubutha umvini womhlaba, yawujikijela esikhamweni sewayini esikhulu sentukuthelo kaNkulunkulu.” Phawula ukuthi ububi besintu base ‘buvuthiwe,’ okuwukuthi, bufinyelele izinga lapho kwakungasenakwenzeka khona ukubulungisa. Lapho uNkulunkulu ekhipha isahlulelo, ngeke kube nakungabaza ngokuphathelene nokuthi ukungenela kwakhe kungokufanele.—IsAmbulo 14:18, 19.

Ngokucabangela lokhu okungenhla, kusobala ukuthi isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu ngokumelene naleli zwe kumelwe ukuba siseduze ngoba leli zwe linezici ezénza kwafaneleka ukuba uNkulunkulu akhiphe isahlulelo esikhathini esidlule. Yonke indawo esibheka kuyo, izwe ligcwele ubudlova, njengoba nje kwakunjalo ngaphambi kweSikhukhula sangosuku lukaNowa. Izimo zengqondo zabantu ziya ngokuya zifana nalezo ezichazwe kuGenesise 6:5: “Zonke izizindlo zemicabango yenhliziyo [yomuntu] zimbi njalo.” Ngisho nezono ezimbi kakhulu ezenza uNkulunkulu ahlulele abaseKhanani zivamile namuhla.

Ikakhulukazi kusukela ngeMpi Yezwe I, isintu siye sabhekana noshintsho olushaqisayo. Siye sabona umhlaba ucwila egazini lezigidi. Kuye kwaqubuka izimpi, ukuqothulwa kohlanga, ubuphekula, ubugebengu nokungabi namthetho emhlabeni wonke. Indlala, izifo nokuziphatha okubi kuye kwasongela imbulunga yethu. Bonke ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi manje siphila phakathi kwaleso sizukulwane esonakele uJesu athi ngaso: “Lesisizukulwane asisoze sadlula zize zenzeke zonke lezizinto.” (Mathewu 24:34) Leli zwe manje seligcwalisa “isilinganiso sesono” salo. “Amahlukuzo omvini womhlaba” aseyavuthwa ukuze avunwe.

Yisikhathi Sokuba Uthathe Isinyathelo

Umphostoli uJohane watshelwa ukuthi lapho isikhathi sesahlulelo sisondela, kwakuzovuthwa izinhlobo ezimbili zezinto. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, “lowo owenza ukungalungi, makaqhubeke enza ukungalungi; futhi ongcolile makaqhubeke engcoliswa.” Kodwa ngakolunye uhlangothi “olungileyo makaqhubeke enza ukulunga, futhi ongcwele makaqhubeke enziwa abe ngcwele.” (IsAmbulo 22:10, 11) Lokhu kwakamuva kwenzeka ngokuqondene nomsebenzi wemfundo yeBhayibheli yomhlaba wonke owenziwa oFakazi BakaJehova. Injongo yalo msebenzi iwukufundisa abantu lokho uNkulunkulu akufunayo kubo ukuze babalwe njengabakufanelekelayo ukuzuza ukuphila okumi phakade. Lo msebenzi usufinyelela emazweni angu-233 futhi wenziwa amabandla angaba ngu-87 000.

UNkulunkulu akephuzi. Ngesineke uye wanika abantu isikhathi esidingekayo ‘sokugqoka ubuntu obusha’ ukuze babe sethubeni lokuzuza izithembiso zakhe. (Efesu 4:24) Namuhla, uNkulunkulu usalindile, naphezu kwezimo zezwe eziqhubeka ziba zimbi. OFakazi BakaJehova emhlabeni wonke benza konke abangakwenza ukuze bahlanganyele nomakhelwane babo ulwazi oluholela ekuphileni okungunaphakade. (Johane 17:3, 17) Ngokujabulisayo, unyaka ngamunye abantu abangaphezu kuka-300 000 bayasabela futhi babhapathizwe.

Unombono wokuphila okumi phakade, manje isikhathi, hhayi sokulinda, kodwa sokuthatha isinyathelo. Ngoba maduze nje, sizobona ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso sikaJesu esithi: “Wonke umuntu ophilayo futhi abonise ukholo kimi akasoze afa.”—Johane 11:26.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Umkhiphi wesahlulelo kaNkulunkulu watshelwa ukuba afake isikela lapho umvini womhlaba usuvuthiwe

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

OFakazi BakaJehova emhlabeni wonke basiza abantu ukuba babe sethubeni lokuzuza izibusiso zaphakade zikaNkulunkulu