Balekani Isikhathi Sisekhona!
LAPHO uJesu ebikezela ngesiprofetho salesosimiso senkolo sobuJuda ekhulwini lokuqala, wayecabanga ngokuthile okukhulu kakhulu. Wayazi ukuthi kwakuyoba isifanekiso salokho okumelwe kulindelwe ngezinga elikhulu kakhulu phakathi ne‘zinsuku zokugcina’ zalesisimiso sezinto samanje.—2 Thimothewu 3:1-5; Mathewu 24:3.
Singaqiniseka kanjani ukuthi kukhona okunye ukugcwaliseka okuqhubekayo? Isibonelo siwukuthi esiprofethweni sakhe uJesu wakhuluma ngokuza kwakhe esikhathini esizayo ‘ngamandla nenkazimulo enkulu.’ Omunye umphumela walokhu uyoba ukuthi ‘ziyokhala izizwe zonke zomhlaba’ ngenxa yenhlekelele ezehlelayo. (Mathewu 24:30) Lezizinto azenzekanga ekubhujisweni kweJerusalema eJudiya ekhulwini lokuqala. Ngempela, inguqulo kaLuka ngalesiprofetho esifanayo icaphuna uJesu ethi: “IJerusalema liyakunyathelelwa phansi ngabezizwe, kuze kugcwaliseke izikhathi zabezizwe.”—Luka 21:24.
Iliphi “iJerusalema” okubhekiselwe kulo lapha? Lezi“zikhathi zabezizwe” zafinyelela nini esiphelweni sazo?
‘Indawo Engcwele’ ‘Namanyala Encithakalo’
Umbuso kaNkulunkulu ongokomfanekiso wabusa eJerusalema kusukela ngo-1070 kuya ku-607 B.C.E. Wawumelele ubukhosi bukaNkulunkulu emhlabeni. Kodwa-ke loluhlu lobukhosi lukaDavide lwagumbuqelwa ngabaseBabiloni. Akukho mbuso oye wabusa futhi eJerusalema lasemhlabeni kuze kube namuhla. Nokho, iJerusalema liye lakhawuka ukunyathelelwa phansi maqondana nalokhu: Ubukhosi bukaNkulunkulu manje buye basebenza nge“Jerusalema lasezulwini”—umbuso kaNkulunkulu kaMesiya, uKristu Jesu. Uhlelo lwezikhathi lweBhayibheli, ukugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho nobufakazi bezazimlando, konke kuyahlangana kukhombe unyaka ka-1914 njengophawula ukuphela ‘kwezikhathi zabezizwe’ nokuqala kwenkathi ‘yosizi olwehlela izizwe.’—Heberu 12:22; Luka 21:24-26; IsAmbulo 11:15.
“IJerusalema lasezulwini” elimelelwe amaKristu athembekile agcotshiwe emhlabeni, manje lise“ndaweni engcwele.” Kodwa ingabe izizwe zomhlaba ziye zakuqaphela lokhu? Lutho neze! Ngonyaka ka-1919 zahlongoza iNhlangano yeZizwe leyo abefundisi abaholayo abayibiza ngokuthi “isibonakaliso sezombangazwe soMbuso kaNkulunkulu emhlabeni.” Ngokufanayo, abaholi benkolo baye bachaza umlandeli weNhlangano yeZizwe eyamiswa ngo-1945, njenge‘themba okuwukuphela kwalo lokuthula okuhlala njalo.’ Ngakho-ke abefundisi bamisa lenhlangano eyenziwe abantu “endaweni engcwele” lapho umbuso kaNkulunkulu kuphela ngoKristu wakhe manje ongase usebenze khona ngokufanelekile. “Amanyala encithakalo” ngempela, phambi kukaNkulunkulu nakubo bonke abathandi bokulunga!
Nokho, njengoba sehlela esikhathini sikaNkulunkulu sokubhubhisa isimiso sezwe samanje esonakele, “amanyala encithakalo,” inhlanganisela yezizwe iU.N., iba ingozi enkolweni yezwe ngokwayo. Kanjani? Kulawomazwe anamandla angamalungu eU.N., ikakhulukazi lawo asemazweni obuKhomanisi, aye ahlasela inkolo. Lemikhosi engakholelwa kuNkulunkulu iye yasongela ikakhulukazi ukusebenza okuqhubekayo kwezinkolo zeLobukholwa, ngokwesibonelo, eChina, eSoviet Union nakwamanye amazwe aseMpumalanga Yurophu. Khona-ke amalungu eU.N. alambele ukubusa manje ami njengasongela ‘indawo engcwele’ eLobukholwa elithi eyalo. Lena imelela konke izinkolo zalo, ezikubheka njengokungcwele—indawo yalo yokusebenza, izinhlangano zalo, izakhiwo zalo zamasonto nokunye elinakho, nelungelo elithi linalo lokubusa ukuphila kwamalungu alo. Siyoba yini isiphetho salokhu kungqubuzana?
Umchithi wanamuhla, iU.N. eyi‘silo esinamakhanda ayisikhombisa nezimpondo eziyishumi,’ kuprofethwa ngaye njengozokwenza inkolo yamanga ‘incithakalo neze’ futhi ‘ayishise ngomlilo ayiqede.’ (IsAmbulo 17:3, 16) Ngokwenza kanjalo, isenzo sawo siyobe singabangelwa uthando ngoNkulunkulu, njengoba nje kwakunjalo ngeRoma lasendulo. “Amanyala encithakalo” anamuhla manje ahlanganisa izizwe eziningi ezizonda uNkulunkulu, ukubusa kombuso wakhe nabantu abanegama likaNkulunkulu, uJehova. Futhi, ngokuqinisekile lomchithi uyingxenye yesamanje isimiso sezinto esiqondiswa uSathane uDeveli.—Luka 4:5-8; 2 Korinte 4:4; Mathewu 6:9, 10.
‘Balekelani Ezintabeni’
Lapho iU.N. ibonakala ngo-1945 njengelandela iNhlangano Yezizwe, ngisho nangalesosikhathi yahlanganisa nezizwe ezimelene noNkulunkulu. Khona-ke isibonakaliso savuselelwa, futhi ngisho ngokunamandla kakhulu, ngenxa yabantu abanhliziyo ziqotho ukuba balalele isixwayiso sikaJesu sokuqala ‘ukubalekela ezintabeni.’—Mathewu 24:16; IsAmbulo 7:9, 10; 18:4.
Ziyini lezintaba ezingokomfanekiso namuhla? Ziyindawo yesiphephelo elungiselelwe ngokwaphezulu, ilungiselelo likaJehova lokuvikela abantu bakhe emhlabeni “osizini olukhulu” oluchazwe kusAmbulo 7:1, 14. Ziyinhlangano kaJehova engokwasezulwini, namuhla emelelwe emhlabeni ibandla lobuKristu leqiniso. (1 Thimothewu 3:15) “Ngezinsuku ezizayo” lelibandla liyohola ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso ‘entabeni yendlu kaJehova.’ (Isaya 2:2, 3) Ngokufanayo, izAga 18:10 zithi: “Igama likaJehova lingumbhoshongo onamandla; olungileyo ugijimela kuwo alondeke.”
Ukubalekela enhlanganweni kaNkulunkulu nasekukhulekeleni kwayo okumsulwa okuphakanyisiwe, kusho futhi ukubaleka ezimisweni zenkolo yamanga zalelizwe, ukunqamula konke ukuxhumana nazo. Kusho ukuzibonakalisa komuntu njengesikhonzi seqiniso sikaJehova nomfundi kaJesu Kristu.
Ungalibali
Akekho okumelwe alibale ekubalekeni, ecabanga ukuthi kuyoba nokufana okuthé nse njengalokho kwamabutho amaRoma ngo-66 C.E., kuvumele isikhathi sokubaleka. Akukho sehlakalo esinjalo esingokomlando okumelwe silindelwe, njengoba asikho isidingo ngomuntu ukuba abalekele kwenye indawo emhlabeni. Kunalokho, ukubonakala kweNhlangano Yezizwe ngemva kweMpi Yezwe I, nokubonakalala futhi kwe‘silo sasendle’ ngo-1945 sisesimweni seU.N., kumelwe kube isixwayiso esanele.
Ukubaleka manje kuphuthuma kakhulu. Ngani? Ngoba ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi ngokushesha “amanyala encithakalo” azochitha ‘indawo engcwele’ indawo amasonto eLobukholwa azisholo ukuba kuyo, okuyoba ukuqala ‘kosizi olukhulu.’
Njengoba labo abazosinda “osizini olukhulu” kumelwe bafunwe ngaphambi kokuba luqale, uJehova akudingekile ukuba avumele ‘ukuvinjezelwa’ kwesikhathi eside. Iqiniso, njengoba uJesu abikezela, kuyoba isikhathi senkathazo esinzima kakhulu kuwo wonke umlando wesintu. Kodwa siyoba sifushane kakhulu, njengoba siyobe ‘sifinyeziwe,’ njengokuvinjezelwa kweJerusalema ngoba ‘abakhethiweyo’ bakaNkulunkulu bayobe sebebalekile kakade.
“Izwe liyadlula kanye nenkanuko yalo; kepha owenza intando kaNkulunkulu uhlala kuze kube-phakade,” kusho u-1 Johane 2:17. Ngakho-ke, labo abenza “intando kaNkulunkulu” ngokumkhulekela ngokufanelekile, banga‘bantu’ abayosinda “osizini olukhulu” oluzayo. Njengoba isAmbulo 7:9-17 sibonisa, abantu abanjalo bahlanganisa “isixuku esikhulu” esivela kuzo zonke izizwe.
Kuthiwani ngalabo abangasilaleli isixwayiso futhi abangalibambi ithuba lokubalekela “ezintabeni” zikaJehova manje? Isiprofetho kweyoku-1 Thesalonika isahluko 1, amavesi 7 kuya ku-9, siphendula ngokukhanyayo, sikhuluma ‘ngokwambulwa kweNkosi uJesu, evela ezulwini, enezingelosi zamandla akhe, elangabini lomillo, ephindisela kwabangamazi uNkulunkulu nakwabangalaleli ivangeli leNkosi yethu uJesu, abazakunikwa isijeziso esingukubhujiswa okuphakade.’
Yebo, kuphuthuma kakhulu ukulalelisisa emsebenzini uNkulunkulu afuna wenziwe emhlabeni namuhla ekugcwaliseni amazwi kaJesu akuMathewu 24:14: “Lelivangeli lombuso liyakushunyayelwa ezweni lonke, kube-ngubufakazi ezizweni zonke, andukuba kufike ukuphela.” Labo abalalelayo futhi babaleke, bayophila phakade ngokuvumelana neqiniso lesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu seBhayibheli esithi: “UJehova akayikulahla abantu bakhe.” (IHubo 94:14) Futhi uJesu wathi: “Okhuthazelayo kuze kube-sekupheleni nguyena oyakusindiswa.”—Mathewu 24:13.
Isikhathi sikaNkulunkulu sokuba ehlisele isahlulelo kweLobukholwa neyalo ‘indawo engcwele,’ siseduze. Ngokushesha umchithi uzogadla, aqede noma iliphi ithuba elikhona lokubalekela esivikelweni sikaJehova. Ingabe usuye wabalekela kakade “ezintabeni” ezingokomfanekiso? Uma kungenjalo, khona-ke ungalibali. Kusho ukuphila kwakho.—Zefaniya 1:14-18; 2:3.
[Isithombe ekhasini 6]
Abefundisi beLobukholwa bathi iNhlangano Yezizwe neU.N. zazingafeza lokho okungumbuso kaNkulunkulu kuphela ofana nentaba ongakwenza, khona-ke bebeka lezozinhlangano ezenziwe abantu “endaweni engcwele”
[Isithombe ekhasini 7]
“Izimpondo” ezihlomile zesilo esiyi-U.N. manje zisongela enye ‘indawo engcwele’—konke lokho eLobukholwa elikubheka njengendawo yalo yamandla nelisebenzela kuyo