“Imeko Yeli Hlabathi Iyatshintsha”

“Nditsho ke, bazalwana, ukuthi, ixesha eliseleyo lifinyele.”—1 Korinte 7:29.

1, 2. Ziziphi iinguqulelo oye wazibona ebomini bakho?

ZIZIPHI iinguqulelo oye wazibona ebomini bakho? Ngaba unokuzibala ezinye zazo? Ngokomzekelo, kwenziwe inkqubela kwezonyango. Ngenxa yophando olwenziweyo kulo mbandela, kwamanye amazwe umlinganiselo wokuphila uye wanda ukususela kwiminyaka engaphantsi kwengama-50 ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-20 ukusa kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-70 namhlanje! Kwakhona cinga ngeendlela esiye sazuza ngazo ngokusetyenziswa kakuhle kukanomathotholo, umabonwakude, iicell phone, noomatshini befax. Okungafanele kujongelwe phantsi yinkqubela eyenziweyo kwimfundo, kwezothutho nakumalungelo abantu, nto ezo eziye zabuphucula ubomi babantu abaninzi.

² Phofu ke, asizizo zonke iinguqulelo eziye zaphucula izinto. Asinakuyibetha ngoyaba imiphumo emibi yobundlobongela, ukuwohloka kwemilinganiselo yokuziphatha, ukwanda kokusetyenziswa kakubi kweziyobisi, ukuntinga kwamanani oqhawulo-mtshato, ukunyuka kwamaxabiso nokwanda kobugrogrisi. Phofu ke, uya kuvumelana ngokupheleleyo noko kwabhalwa kudala ngumpostile uPawulos esithi: “Imeko yeli hlabathi iyatshintsha.”—1 Korinte 7:31.

 3. Wayethetha ukuthini uPawulos xa wabhala esithi “imeko yeli hlabathi iyatshintsha”?

³ Xa uPawulos wathetha loo mazwi, wayefanisa ihlabathi neqonga. Abadlali kwelo qonga—abezobupolitika, abonqulo nabantu abadumileyo—badlala iindima zabo, baze emva koko balishiye iqonga ukuze kungene abanye. Oku bekusenzeka kangangexesha elide. Kwixesha elidluleyo, abalawuli bomnombo othile bebelawula kangangamashumi eminyaka—kwaneenkulungwane—yaye kwakungenzeki iinguqulelo ngokukhawuleza. Oku akunjalo namhlanje, izinto zinokuguquka nje ngokudutyulwa komlawuli! Ewe, kula maxesha anzima, asiyazi into enokwenzeka ngomso.

 4. (a) Yiyiphi imbono elungeleleneyo amaKristu afanele abe nayo ngokuphathelele iziganeko zehlabathi? (b) Ziziphi izinto ezimbini ezibubungqina obeyisayo esiza kuziqwalasela ngoku?

⁴ Ukuba ihlabathi liqonga zize iinkokeli zibe ngabadlali, ke ngoko amaKristu ngababukeli.a Noko ke, ekubeni wona ‘engeyonxalenye yehlabathi,’ akazikhathazi gqitha ngabadlali okanye afune ukubazi. (Yohane 17:16) Kunoko, azijonge ngomdla izinto ezibonisa ukuba lo mdlalo uya ufikelela incopho yawo—isiphelo esiyintlekele—kuba ayazi ukuba le nkqubo imele iphele ngaphambi kokuba uYehova azise ihlabathi lakhe elitsha lobulungisa ekudala lilindelwe.b Ngoko ke masiqwalasele izinto ezimbini ezibubungqina bokuba siphila kwixesha lokuphela yaye ihlabathi elitsha lisemnyango. Siza kuhlola ezi zinto (1) ubalo-maxesha lweBhayibhile (2) ukuwohloka kweemeko zehlabathi.—Mateyu 24:21; 2 Petros 3:13.

Ekugqibeleni Imfihlelo Iyatyhilwa!

 5. Ngawaphi “amaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga,” yaye kutheni ebalulekile kuthi?

⁵ Ubalo-maxesha sisifundo esiphathelele amaxesha okwenzeka kweziganeko ezithile. UYesu wathetha ngexesha xa iinkokeli zehlabathi zaziya kuba ngabadlali abaphambili zingaphazanyiswa buBukumkani bukaThixo. UYesu walibiza elo xesha ngokuthi “amaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga.” (Luka 21:24) Ekupheleni kwaloo “amaxesha amisiweyo,” uBukumkani bukaThixo basezulwini buya kuqalisa ukulawula, yaye uYesu uya kuba nguMlawuli onyuliweyo. Ekuqaleni, uYesu uya kulawula “phakathi kweentshaba [zakhe].” (INdumiso 110:2) Kuya kwandula ke, ngokutsho kukaDaniyeli 2:44, uBukumkani ‘bubatyumze bubaphelise’ bonke oorhulumente babantu, buze bona bume ngonaphakade.

 6. Aqala nini “amaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga,” made kangakanani yaye aphela nini?

⁶ Aya kuphela nini “amaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga” yaye buya kuqala nini ukulawula uBukumkani bukaThixo? Impendulo, ‘etywinwe kude kube lixesha lesiphelo,’ ibandakanya ubalo-maxesha lweBhayibhile. (Daniyeli 12:9) Njengokuba “ixesha” lalisondela, oku uYehova wakutyhila kwiqela labafundi beBhayibhile abathobekileyo. Bekhokelwa ngumoya kaThixo, bafumanisa ukuba “amaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga” aqalisa ngokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem ngowama-607 B.C.E. yaye loo “maxesha” ayeyiminyaka engama-2 520 ubude. Ngokusuka koku, bafumanisa ukuba unyaka we-1914 ngunyaka wokuphela ‘kwamaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga.’ Kwakhona baqonda ukuba owe-1914 yayikukuqalisa kokuphela kwale nkqubo yezinto. Njengomfundi weBhayibhile, ngaba unokucacisa ngokusuka kwiZibhalo ukuba ufumaneka njani unyaka we-1914?c

 7. Ziziphi izibhalo ezisinceda sibone ukuba amaxesha asixhenxe aqala nini, made kangakanani, yaye aphela nini njengoko kukhankanywe kwincwadi kaDaniyeli?

⁷ Omnye umkhondo ufumaneka kwincwadi kaDaniyeli. Ekubeni uYehova wasebenzisa uKumkani uNebhukadenetsare waseBhabhiloni ukutshabalalisa iYerusalem ekuqaleni ‘kwamaxesha emisiweyo,’ ngowama-607 B.C.E., esebenzisa loo mlawuli watyhila ukuba iintlanga zaziya kulawula yaye uThixo wayengayi kungenelela kangangamaxesha asixhenxe okomfuziselo. (Hezekile 21:26, 27; Daniyeli 4:16, 23-25) Made kangakanani loo maxesha asixhenxe? Ngokutsho kweSityhilelo 11:2, 3, nese-12:6, 14, amaxesha amathathu anesiqingatha aziintsuku ezili-1 260 ubude. Ngenxa yoko, amaxesha asixhenxe amele ukuba made ngokuphindwe kabini, okanye iintsuku ezingama-2 520. Ngaba kuphelela apho? Akunjalo, kuba uYehova wachazela umprofeti uHezekile owayephila ngexesha likaDaniyeli indlela yokuchaza oko kwakufuziselwa koku esithi: “Ndikunike usuku lube ngunyaka, usuku lube ngunyaka.” (Hezekile 4:6) Ngoko ke, amaxesha asixhenxe aya kuba yiminyaka engama-2 520 ubude. Sisebenzisa unyaka wama-607 B.C.E. njengonyaka esiqala ngawo ukubala neminyaka engama-2 520, sinokugqiba ngokuthi amaxesha amisiweyo aphela ngowe-1914.

Ukuqinisekiswa ‘Kwexesha Lesiphelo’

 8. Bubuphi ubungqina onokwalatha kubo bokuba ihlabathi laguquka lalibi ukususela ngowe-1914?

⁸ Iziganeko zehlabathi ukususela ngowe-1914 ziqinisekisa ukuba indlela esiluqonda ngayo ubalo-maxesha lweBhayibhile ichanile. UYesu wathi ‘ukupheliswa kwenkqubo yezinto’ kuya kubonakaliswa ziimfazwe, iindlala, neendyikitya zokufa. (Mateyu 24:3-8; ISityhilelo 6:2-8) Ngokuqinisekileyo oko kuye kwenzeka ukususela ngowe-1914. Umpostile uPawulos wongezelela esithi kuya kubakho umahluko kwindlela abantu abaphathana ngayo. Wazichaza kakuhle iinguqulelo esizibone ebantwini namhlanje.—2 Timoti 3:1-5.

 9. Abantu abazibonayo izinto bathini ngeemeko zehlabathi ukususela ngowe-1914?

⁹ Ngaba “iimeko zeli hlabathi” ngokwenene ziguquke kakhulu ukususela ngowe-1914? Kwincwadi ethi The Generation of 1914, uNjingalwazi uRobert Wohl wathi: “Abo babephila ngexesha lemfazwe bakholelwa ngokupheleleyo ukuba kwaphela elinye ihlabathi kwaza kwaqalisa elinye ngoAgasti 1914.” Eqinisekisa oku, uGqr. Jorge A. Costa e Silva, ongumalathisi kwisebe lezigulo zengqondo kwiWorld Health Organization, wathi: “Siphila kwihlabathi eliguquka ngokukhawuleza, elibangel’ amaxhala noxinezeleko ngendlela engazange ibonwe ngaphambili kwimbali yabantu.” Ngaba nawe ubone into efanayo?

10. IBhayibhile isityhilela njani unobangela weemeko eziya zisiba mbi zehlabathi ukususela ngowe-1914?

¹⁰ Ngubani lo mguvela obangela iimeko ukuba ziye zisiba mbi? ISityhilelo 12:7-9 simtyhila ngokuthi: “Kwabakho imfazwe ezulwini: UMikayeli [uYesu Kristu] neengelosi zakhe balwa idabi nenamba, yazilwela nayo inamba [uSathana uMtyholi] kunye neengelosi zayo kodwa ayizange yoyise, azabi safunyanelwa ndawo ezulwini. Ngoko yaphoswa phantsi inamba enkulu, . . . lowo ulahlekisa umhlaba omiweyo uphela.” Ngoko ke lo mguvela, nguSathana uMtyholi, yaye ukugxothwa kwakhe ezulwini ngowe-1914 kuye kwathetha ukuthi “yeha kuwo umhlaba nakulo ulwandle, ngenxa yokuba uhlile weza kuni uMtyholi, enomsindo omkhulu, esazi ukuba ixesha analo lifutshane.”—ISityhilelo 12:10, 12.

Into Eza Kwenzeka Ekugqibeleni

11. (a) Ziziphi iindlela uSathana azisebenzisayo ukukhohlisa “umhlaba omiweyo uphela”? (b) Umpostile uPawulos uthetha ngawuphi umgudu okhethekileyo kaSathana?

¹¹ Esazi ukuba ixesha lakhe liyaphela, uSathana ebesoloko eyandisa imigudu yakhe yokulahlekisa “umhlaba omiweyo uphela” ukususela ngowe-1914. Le nkuntsela yomkhohlisi inguSathana iyazifihla, yaye ibeka iinkokeli zehlabathi nabantu abadumileyo njengabadlali abaphambili. (2 Timoti 3:13; 1 Yohane 5:19) Enye yeenjongo zakhe kukulahlekisa abantu ukuze bacinge ukuba indlela alawula ngayo inokubazisela uxolo lokwenene. Ubukhulu becala, ubuxoki bakhe buye baphumelela, kuba abantu basenethemba nangona buya busanda ubungqina bokuba iimeko ziya zisiba mbi. Umpostile uPawulos waxela kwangaphambili ukuba kanye nje ngaphambi kokuba le nkqubo yezinto itshatyalaliswe, ubuxoki obuvela kuSathana buya kwanda. Wabhala: “Xa besithi: ‘Luxolo nonqabiseko!’ iya kwandula ke intshabalalo yequbuliso ibafikele ngephanyazo kanye njengenimba kumfazi omithiyo; yaye abasayi kuze basinde.”—1 Tesalonika 5:3; ISityhilelo 16:13.

12. Yiyiphi imigudu eyenziwayo yokuzama ukuzisa uxolo kwixesha lethu?

¹² Kutshanje, abezobupolitika baye basebenzisa amazwi athi “uxolo nonqabiseko” xa bechaza amacebo abantu awahlukahlukeneyo. Bada bawubiza unyaka we-1986 ngokuthi nguNyaka Woxolo Wezizwe Ngezizwe, nangona oko kungazange kube njalo. Ngaba amalinge eenkokeli zehlabathi aya kukhokelela ekuzalisekeni okupheleleyo kwamazwi akweyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 5:3, okanye ngaba uPawulos wayebhekisela kwisiganeko esikhethekileyo esasiya kuphawulwa lihlabathi liphela?

13. Xa uPawulos waxela kusengaphambili ngesibhengezo esithi “Uxolo nonqabiseko!,” intshabalaliso ezayo wayifanisa nantoni, yaye yintoni esinokuyifunda koku?

¹³ Ekubeni iziprofeto zeBhayibhile ngokuqhelekileyo ziqondwa emva kokuba ziye zazaliseka okanye xa zizaliseka, kuza kufuneka silinde side sizibone. Noko ke, kubangel’ umdla ukuphawula ukuba uPawulos wathelekisa intshabalalo yequbuliso eyenzeka emva kwesibhengezo esithi “Uxolo nonqabiseko!” nenimba yomfazi okhulelweyo. Kwixesha leenyanga ezintandathu, umama okhulelweyo uyiqonda ngakumbi into yokuba uza kuba nosana. Usenokuyiva nentliziyo ibetha kusana lwakhe okanye aluve lushukuma esibelekweni. Lusenokude lumkhabe. Iimpawu zidla ngokubonakala ngamandla, de ngenye imini, abe nenimba, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba sele eza kubeleka. Ngoko ke, enoba isiprofeto esithi “Uxolo nonqabiseko!” siza kuzaliseka njani, oko kuya kukhokelela kwisiganeko esiya kwenzeka ngequbuliso, esibuhlungu nesonwabisayo—ukushenxiswa kobungendawo nokuqalisa kwenkqubo yehlabathi elitsha.

14. Iziganeko zehlabathi ziya kulandelelana njani, yaye oku kuya kuphumela entwenini?

¹⁴ Intshabalaliso ezayo iya kuba yinto eyoyikekayo kumaKristu athembekileyo aya kube ebukele emacaleni. Okokuqala, ookumkani bomhlaba (inxalenye yentlangano kaSathana yezobupolitika) iya kuhlasela abameli beBhabhiloni Enkulu (inxalenye yonqulo) ize ibatshabalalise. (ISityhilelo 17:1, 15-18) Ngaloo ndlela, ngokuqhwanyaza nje kweliso, ubukumkani bukaSathana buya kuba buqhekekile, buhlaselana, yaye uSathana akasayi kuba namandla okukuthintela oku. (Mateyu 12:25, 26) UYehova uya kukufaka oku ezintliziyweni zookumkani bomhlaba “ukuba baphumeze ingcamango yakhe,” oko kukuthi, basuse emhlabeni iintshaba zakhe zonqulo. Emva kokutshatyalaliswa konqulo lobuxoki, uYesu Kristu uya kukhokela imikhosi yakhe yasezulwini ukuze itshabalalise nantoni na eshiyeke kwintlangano kaSathana—ezorhwebo nezobupolitika. Ekugqibeleni, uSathana uya kuvalelwa. Emva koko, umdlalo ekudala uqhutywa ufikelela esiphelweni.—ISityhilelo 16:14-16; 19:11-21; 20:1-3.

15, 16. Ukukhunjuzwa ukuba “ixesha eliseleyo lifinyele” kufanele kusichaphazele njani?

¹⁵ Ziya kwenzeka nini ezi zinto? Asilwazi usuku nexesha. (Mateyu 24:36) Noko ke, esikwaziyo kukuba “ixesha eliseleyo lifinyele.” (1 Korinte 7:29) Ngoko ke, kubalulekile ukuba silisebenzise ngobulumko ixesha eliseleyo. Njani? Njengokuba umpostile uPawulos echaza, simele ‘sizongele ixesha’ lezinto ezibalulekileyo yaye silisebenzise ngokupheleleyo. Ngoba? “Ngenxa yokuba imihla ingendawo.” Yaye ukuba ‘siyakuqonda into okuyiyo ukuthanda kukaYehova’ asisayi kudlala ngexesha elifutshane eliseleyo.—Efese 5:15-17; 1 Petros 4:1-4.

¹⁶ Ekubeni sisazi ukuba le nkqubo yehlabathi liphela iza kutshatyalaliswa, oko kufanele kusichaphazele njani? Ukusinceda, umpostile uPetros wasibhalela esithi: “Ekubeni ke zonke ezi zinto ziza kuchithakala, luhlobo luni lwabantu enifanele nibe lulo ngokuphathelele ihambo engcwele nezenzo zozinikelo lobuthixo!” (2 Petros 3:11) Enyanisweni ke sifanele sibe ngabantu abanjani? Ngokuvumelana necebiso likaPetros, sifanele (1) siyilumkele ihambo yethu ukuze siqiniseke ukuba ingcwele, yaye (2) siqiniseke ukuba izenzo zethu zenzondelelo zibonisa uthando olunzulu esinalo ngoYehova.

17. Yiyiphi imigibe kaSathana amaKristu athembekileyo amele ayilumkele?

¹⁷ Uthando ngoThixo luya kusenza singagaxeleki kweli hlabathi nezilingo zalo. Ngenxa yoko kuza kwenzeka kule nkqubo yezinto, kuyingozi ukuthabatheka bubunewunewu behlabathi nokuthand’ iziyolo. Nangona sihlala yaye sisebenza ehlabathini, sifanele siphulaphule isiluleko sobulumko sokungalisebenzisi eli hlabathi ngokuzeleyo. (1 Korinte 7:31) Enyanisweni, sifanele senze konke okusemandleni ethu ukuze singakhohliswa ziingcamango zeli hlabathi. Eli hlabathi alisayi kukwazi ukucombulula iingxaki zalo. Alisayi kukwazi ukuzixhasa ngonaphakade. Kutheni siqiniseke kangako ngaloo nto? Kungenxa yokuba iLizwi likaThixo lithi: “Ihlabathi liyadlula nenkanuko yalo, kodwa lowo wenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.”—1 Yohane 2:17.

Useza Kubon’ Into Zamehlo!

18, 19. Ziziphi iinguqulelo olangazelela ukuzibona kwihlabathi elitsha, yaye kutheni singayi kuzisola ngokulinda?

¹⁸ UYehova kungekudala uza kumtshabalalisa uSathana namahlakani akhe. Emva koko, besikelelwa nguThixo, abasindileyo nabathembekileyo ekupheleni kwale nkqubo yezinto baya kuqalisa umsebenzi wokuguqula ‘iimeko’ eziya kuhlala zinjalo ngonaphakade. Akusayi kuphinda kubekho imfazwe; uThixo uya ‘kuziphelisa iimfazwe kuse esiphelweni somhlaba.’ (INdumiso 46:9) Kunokuba ukutya kunqongophale, “kuya kubakho ukudla okuziinkozo okuninzi emhlabeni; . . . kuya kubakho ukuphuphuma.” (INdumiso 72:16) Amabanjwa, izikhululo zamapolisa, izifo ezidluliselwa ngeentlobano zesini, abathengisi beziyobisi, iinkundla zoqhawulo-mtshato, oonothimba nobugrogrisi, zonke ezo zinto ziya kuba zingekho.—INdumiso 37:29; Isaya 33:24; ISityhilelo 21:3-5.

¹⁹ Amangcwaba aya kuqongqothwa, yaye abantu abaninzi abavusiweyo—abadlali abangakumbi—baya kuqalisa umdlalo. Aluthetheki uvuyo oluya kuba lapho xa esinye isizukulwana sidibana nesinye naxa abantu abahlukana kudala bephinda behlangana kwakhona! Ekugqibeleni, bonke abantu abaphilayo baya kube benqula uYehova. (ISityhilelo 5:13) Xa zenzeke zonke ezi nguqulelo, kuya kuqalisa iparadesi yomhlaba wonke. Kuya kuba njani xa uhambahamba apho? Ngokuqinisekileyo uya kudanduluka uthi, ‘Sii! kudala ndiyilindile, kodwa andizisoli nakancinane ngokulinda!’

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

Ubuya Kuphendula Uthini?

• Amazwi ompostile uPawulos athi “imeko yeli hlabathi iyatshintsha” angqineke eyinyaniso njani kumhla wethu?

• Ubalo-maxesha lweBhayibhile lusinceda njani ukuze sisibone isiphelo “samaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga”?

• Ukuguquka kweemeko zehlabathi kungqina njani ukuba owe-1914 walatha kwixesha lokuqalisa “kwexesha lesiphelo”?

• Kufanele kusichaphazele njani ukwazi ukuba “ixesha eliseleyo lifinyele”?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20]

Ekugqibeleni—imfihlelo iyatyhilwa!