Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Kungani oFakazi BakaJehova belithatha njengoba linjalo, bengalithathi njengeliwumfanekiso, inani elingu-144 000 elishiwo encwadini yesAmbulo?

Umphostoli uJohane wabhala: “Ngezwa isibalo salabo ababekwa uphawu, izinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amane nane.” (IsAmbulo 7:4) EBhayibhelini, inkulumo ethi ‘labo ababekwa uphawu’ ibhekisela eqenjini labantu abakhethwe esintwini ukuba baye ezulwini bayobusa noKristu phezu komhlaba ozayo oyiPharadesi. (2 Korinte 1:21, 22; IsAmbulo 5:9, 10; 20:6) Inani labo, elingu-144 000, lithathwa njengoba linjalo ngezizathu eziningana. Esinye sitholakala emavesini aseduze kwesAmbulo 7:4.

Ngemva kokuba umphostoli uJohane etshelwe embonweni ngaleli qembu labantu abangu-144 000, waboniswa elinye iqembu. UJohane uchaza leli qembu lesibili ngokuthi “isixuku esikhulu, okungekho muntu owakwazi ukusibala, siphuma kuzo zonke izizwe nezinhlanga nabantu nezilimi.” Lesi sixuku esikhulu yilabo abazosinda “osizini olukhulu” oluzayo, oluzobhubhisa leli zwe lamanje elibi.—IsAmbulo 7:9, 14.

Nokho, phawula umehluko uJohane awuvezayo phakathi kwamavesi 4 no-9 esAmbulo isahluko 7. Uthi iqembu lokuqala, ‘labo ababekwa uphawu,’ linenani elinqunyiwe. Nokho, iqembu lesibili, “isixuku esikhulu,” linenani elinganqunyiwe. Uma sicabangela lokho, kunengqondo ukulithatha njengoba linjalo inani elingu-144 000. Ukube inani u-144 000 belingokomfanekiso futhi libhekisela eqenjini elinenani elinganqunyiwe, umehluko phakathi kwalawo mavesi amabili ubungeke uvele. Ngakho, umongo ubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi inani elingu-144 000 kumelwe lithathwe njengoba linjalo.

Izazi eziningi zeBhayibheli, zakudala nezanamuhla, ziye zafinyelela isiphetho esifanayo—ukuthi, leli nani lingokoqobo. Ngokwesibonelo, eminyakeni eyikhulu edlule lapho ekhulumela isAmbulo 7:4, 9, umlobi wesichazamazwi waseBrithani, uDkt. Ethelbert W. Bullinger, wathi: “Kuyiqiniso elisobala: yinani elinqunyiwe eliqhathaniswa nenani elinganqunyiwe kuso kanye lesi sahluko.” (The Apocalypse or “The Day of the Lord,” ikhasi 282) Muva nje, uRobert L. Thomas, Jr., uprofesa weThestamente Elisha eMaster’s Seminary e-United States, wabhala: “Incazelo esekela ukuthi leli nani lingokomfanekiso, ibuthaka.” Wanezela: “Yinani elinqunyiwe [ku-7:4] eliqhathaniswa nenani elinganqunyiwe eliku-7:9. Uma kungathiwa lingokomfanekiso, kusho ukuthi akukho nani kule ncwadi elingathathwa njengoba linjalo.”—Revelation: An Exegetical Commentary, Umqulu 1, ikhasi 474.

Abanye baphikisa ngokuthi njengoba isAmbulo sisebenzisa ulimi olungokomfanekiso kangaka, wonke amanani atholakala kule ncwadi, kuhlanganise no-144 000, kumelwe ukuthi angokomfanekiso. (IsAmbulo 1:1, 4; 2:10) Nokho, kusobala ukuthi leso siphetho siyiphutha. Kuyavunywa ukuthi incwadi yesAmbulo inamanani amaningi angokomfanekiso, kodwa inawo futhi namanani angokoqobo. Ngokwesibonelo, uJohane ukhuluma ‘ngamagama ayishumi nambili abaphostoli abayishumi nambili beWundlu.’ (IsAmbulo 21:14) Kusobala ukuthi inani elingu-12 kuleli vesi lingokoqobo, alikho ngokomfanekiso. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umphostoli uJohane ubhala ngokubusa kukaKristu ‘kweminyaka eyinkulungwane.’ Lelo nani nalo kumelwe lithathwe njengoba linjalo, njengoba kuba sobala lapho iBhayibheli lihlolwa ngokucophelela.a (IsAmbulo 20:3, 5-7) Ngakho, ukuthi inani elithile encwadini yesAmbulo kumelwe lithathwe njengoba linjalo noma ngokomfanekiso kuya ngomongo walo.

Isiphetho sokuthi inani elingu-144 000 lingokoqobo futhi liyinani labantu abambalwa, iqembu elincane uma liqhathaniswa ‘nesixuku esikhulu,’ sivumelana nanezinye izindima zeBhayibheli. Ngokwesibonelo, kamuva embonweni umphostoli uJohane awubonayo, laba abangu-144 000 bachazwa ngokuthi “bathengwa kubantu njengolibo.” (IsAmbulo 14:1, 4) Igama elithi ‘ulibo’ lisho okuncane okukhethwe ukuba kumelele okunye. Futhi, ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni, wakhuluma ngalabo abazobusa kanye naye eMbusweni wakhe wasezulwini wababiza ngokuthi ‘umhlambi omncane.’ (Luka 12:32; 22:29) Ngempela, labo abathathwe esintwini abazobusa ezulwini bambalwa uma beqhathaniswa nesintu esizophila emhlabeni ozayo oyiPharadesi.

Ngakho, umongo wesAmbulo 7:4 nezinkulumo ezihlobene naso ezitholakala kwezinye izindawo eBhayibhelini kufakazela ukuthi inani elingu-144 000 kumelwe lithathwe njengoba linjalo. Libhekisela kulabo abazoya ezulwini bayobusa noKristu phezu komhlaba oyipharadesi, oyogcwala inani elikhulu elinganqunyiwe labantu abajabulayo abakhulekela uJehova uNkulunkulu.—IHubo 37:29.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 31]

Inani lezindlalifa zasezulwini lingu-144 000 kuphela

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Inani ‘lesixuku esikhulu’ alinqunyiwe

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]

Stars: Courtesy of Anglo-Australian Observatory, photograph by David Malin