USathane UDeveli

Incazelo: Isidalwa somoya esiyisitha esikhulu sikaJehova uNkulunkulu nesabo bonke abakhuleka kuNkulunkulu weqiniso. Igama elithi Sathane walinikezwa ngenxa yokuba kwakhe umphikisi kaJehova. USathane futhi waziwa ngokuthi uDeveli, ngoba ungumnyundeli oyinhloko kaNkulunkulu. USathane uchazwa njengenyoka endala, ngokusobala ngenxa yokusebenzisa kwakhe inyoka e-Edene ekukhohliseni uEva, futhi ngalesizathu elithi “inyoka” laziwa njengelisho “umkhohlisi.” Encwadini yesAmbulo, umfanekiso kadrako oshwabadelayo uyasetshenziswa futhi kuSathane.

Singazi kanjani noma umuntu onjalo womoya ukhona ngempela?

IBhayibheli lingumthombo oyinhloko wobufakazi. Kulona kubhekiselwa kuye ngokuphindaphindiwe ngegama (uSathane izikhathi ezingama-52, uDeveli izikhathi ezingama-33). Ubufakazi bokuzibonela ngokuba khona kukaSathane bubhaliwe kulona. Ubani owayengufakazi wokuzibonela? UJesu Kristu, owayephila ezulwini ngaphambi kokuza emhlabeni, wakhuluma ngokuphindaphindiwe ngalowo omubi embiza ngegama.—Luka 22:31; 10:18; Math. 25:41.

Okushiwo yiBhayibheli ngoSathane uDeveli kunengqondo. Ububi isintu esibhekana nabo bukhulu kakhulu uma buqhathaniswa nobubi babantu abahilelekile. Incazelo yeBhayibheli ngemvelaphi kaSathane nemisebenzi yakhe yenza kukhanye ukuthi, naphezu kwesifiso sabaningi sokuphila ngokuthula, kungani abantu bebehlushwa inzondo, ubudlova, nempi izinkulungwane zeminyaka nokuthi kungani lokhu kuye kwafinyelela izinga lokuba manje kusondele ekubhubhiseni sonke isintu.

Uma ngempela ayengekho uDeveli, ukwamukela okushiwo yiBhayibheli ngaye kwakungeke kulethe izinzuzo ezihlala njalo kumuntu. Nokho, ezimweni eziningi, abantu ababengamaqembu asebenzisa ubuthakathi babika ukuthi ngalesosikhathi babekhathazeka kakhulu ngokuzwa “amazwi” avela emithonjeni engabonakali, “bengenwa” ngamandla angaphezu kwawabantu, njll. Ukukhululeka kwangempela bakuthola lapho bezwa okushiwo yiBhayibheli ngoSathane namademoni akhe, basebenzisa iseluleko seBhayibheli sokubalekela imikhuba ephathelene nemimoya, futhi bafuna usizo lukaJehova ngomthandazo.—Bheka amakhasi 77-82, ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “Imimoya Yabafile.”

Ukukholelwa ukuthi uSathane ukhona akusho ukwamukela umqondo wokuthi unezimpondo, umsila ocijile, nemfoloko nokuthi wosa abantu esihogweni somlilo. IBhayibheli aliyinikezi incazelo enjalo ngoSathane. Lowo umkhiqizo wengqondo yabadwebi bakudala ababethonywe imifanekiso kankulunkulu wezinganekwane zamaGreki uPan nethi Inferno eyalotshwa isazi sezinkondlo esingumNtaliyane uDante Alighieri. Esikhundleni sokufundisa isihogo somlilo, iBhayibheli lisho ngokukhanyayo ukuthi “abafileyo abazi-lutho.”—UmSh. 9:5.

Ingabe uSathane mhlawumbe uwububi nje kuphela obukubantu?

UJobe 1:6-12 no-2:1-7 usitshela ngezingxoxo phakathi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu noSathane. Ukuba uSathane wayewububi obukumuntu, kulendaba ububi kwakumelwe bube kuJehova. Kepha lokho kuphambene ngokuphelele nalokho iBhayibheli elisitshela khona ngoJehova njengoyiLowo “okungekho kuye ukungalungi.” (IHu. 92:15; IsAm. 4:8) Kungokuphawulekayo ukuthi umbhalo wesiHeberu usebenzisa inkulumo ethi has·Satanʹ (uSathane) endabeni ekuJobe, okubonisa ukuthi kubhekiselwa kulowo ongumphikisi kaNkulunkulu ngokuvelele.—Bheka futhi uZakariya 3:1, 2, umbhalo waphansi kuyiNW yeZikhombo.

ULuka 4:1-13 ubika ukuthi uDeveli wazama ukulinga uJesu ukuba amkhulekele. Ukulandisa kuveza izinkulumo ezenziwa uDeveli nezimpendulo ezanikezwa uJesu. Ingabe uJesu lapha wayelingwa ububi obabungaphakathi kuye? Umbono onjalo awuvumelani nencazelo yeBhayibheli ngoJesu njengongenasono. (Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22) Nakuba kuJohane 6:70 kusetshenziswe igama lesiGreki elithi di·aʹbo·losʹ ekuchazeni imfanelo embi eyaba kuJuda Iskariyothe, kuLuka 4:3 kusetshenziswe inkulumo ethi ho di·aʹbo·los (uDeveli), ngaleyondlela kubhekiselwa kumuntu othile.

Ingabe ukusola uDeveli kumane kuyisu elisetshenziswa ngomzamo wokubalekela icala lezimo ezimbi?

Abanye abantu basola uDeveli ngalokho okwenziwa yibo ngokwabo. Ngokuphambene, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi abantu ngokuvamile banecala kakhulu ngobubi ababhekana nabo, kungakhathaliseki noma obubangelwa ngabanye abantu noma ngenxa yokuziphatha kwabo siqu. (UmSh. 8:9; Gal. 6:7) Nokho, iBhayibheli alisishiyi singazi ngokuba khona kwesitha esinamandla angaphezu kwawabantu kanye namacebo aso, leso esiye saletha usizi olukhulu esintwini. Liyabonisa indlela esingaphuma ngayo ngaphansi kokubuswa yiso.

Wavelaphi uSathane?

Yonke imisebenzi kaJehova iphelele; akayena umsunguli wokungalungi; ngakho akazange adale umuntu omubi. (Dut. 32:4; IHu. 5:4) Lowo owaba nguSathane, ekuqaleni wayeyindodana kaNkulunkulu yomoya ephelele. Lapho ethi uDeveli “akemi eqinisweni,” uJesu wabonisa ukuthi ngesinye isikhathi lowo wake waba ‘seqinisweni.’ (Joh. 8:44) Kodwa, njengoba kunjalo ngazo zonke izidalwa zikaNkulunkulu ezihlakaniphile, lendodana yomoya yanikezwa ilungelo lokuzikhethela. Yayisebenzisa kabi inkululeko yayo yokukhetha, yavumela imizwa yokuzicabangela ikhule enhliziyweni yayo, yaqala ukufisela ukukhulekela okwakungokukaNkulunkulu kuphela, ngakho-ke yayenga uAdamu noEva ukuba balalele yona kunokuba balalele uNkulunkulu. Khona-ke ngenkambo yayo yesenzo yazenza ngokwayo uSathane, okusho ukuthi “isitha.”—Jak. 1:14, 15; bheka futhi ikhasi 157, ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “Isono.”

Kungani uNkulunkulu engambhubhisanga uSathane ngokushesha ngemva kokuhlubuka kwakhe?

USathane waphakamisa izimpikiswano ezingathi sína: (1) Ukulunga nokufaneleka kobukhosi bukaJehova. Ingabe uJehova wayegodlela isintu inkululeko eyayiyobangela ukuba sijabule? Ingabe amandla esintu okubusa izindaba zaso ngokuphumelelayo nokuqhubeka kwaso siphila ayexhomeke ekulaleleni kwaso uNkulunkulu? Ingabe uJehova akathembekanga ekunikezeni umthetho owawuphawula ukuthi ukungalaleli kwakuyoholela ekufeni kwabo? (Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:3-5) Ngakho-ke, ingabe uJehova ngempela wayenalo ilungelo lokubusa? (2) Ubuqotho bezidalwa ezihlakaniphile kuJehova. Ngokuphambuka kuka-Adamu noEva kwaphakama umbuzo: Ingabe izinceku zikaJehova ngempela zazimlalela ngenxa yothando noma kwakungenzeka yini ukuba zonke zimlahle uNkulunkulu zilandele ukuhola okwakunikezwa uSathane? Lempikiswano yamuva uSathane wayiqhubekisa ezinsukwini zikaJobe. (Gen. 3:6; Jobe 1:8-11; 2:3-5; bheka futhi uLuka 22:31.) Lezimpikiswano zazingenakuxazululwa nje ngokumane kubulawe izihlubuki.

Akukhona ukuthi uNkulunkulu kwakudingeka aziqinisekise ngobufakazi obuthile ngokwakhe. Kodwa ukuze lezimpikiswano zingaphinde futhi ziphazamise ukuthula nenhlala-kahle yendawo yonke, uJehova uye wavumela isikhathi esanele sokuba zilungiswe zingashiyi kungabaza. Ukuthi uAdamu noEva bafa ngemva kokungamlaleli uNkulunkulu kwaba sobala ngesikhathi esifanele. (Gen. 5:5) Kodwa kwakusenokungaphezulu okuyimpikiswano. Ngakho-ke, uNkulunkulu uye wavumela kokubili uSathane nabantu ukuba bazame zonke izinhlobo zohulumeni babo. Abekho abaye baletha injabulo ehlala njalo. UNkulunkulu uye wayeka isintu ukuba senze konke okusemandleni ekulandeleleni izindlela zokuphila ngokungazinaki izindinganiso zaKhe zokulunga. Imiphumela iyazikhulumela. Njengoba iBhayibheli lisho ngokuyiqiniso: “Akukuyo indoda ukuba ihambe, iqondise izinyathelo zayo.” (Jer. 10:23) Ngesikhathi esifanayo uNkulunkulu uye wanikeza izinceku zakhe ithuba lokubonisa ukwethembeka kwazo kuyena ngezenzo zazo zokulalela ngothando, nalokhu zikwenza zibhekene nokulingwa kanye nokushushiswa okugqugquzelwa uSathane. UJehova unxusa izinceku zakhe, uthi: “Ndodana yami, hlakanipha, uthokozise inhliziyo yami ukuba ngiphendule ongisolayo.” (IzAga 27:11) Labo abazibonakalisa bethembekile bavuna izinzuzo ezinkulu manje futhi banethemba lokuphila okuphakade bephelele. Bayosebenzisa ukuphila okunjalo ekwenzeni intando kaJehova, lowo ababuthanda ngempela ubuntu bakhe nezindlela zakhe.

USathane uyisidalwa esinamandla kangakanani ezweni lanamuhla?

UJesu Kristu wabhekisela kuye ngokuthi “umbusi wezwe,” lowo iningi lesintu elimlalelayo ngokulandela ukunxusa kwakhe kokuba singazinaki izimfuneko zikaNkulunkulu. (Joh. 14:30; Efe. 2:2) IBhayibheli futhi limbiza ngokuthi “unkulunkulu walelizwe,” odunyiswa imikhuba engokwenkolo yabantu abanamathela kulesimiso sezinto.—2 Kor. 4:4; 1 Kor. 10:20.

Lapho ezama ukulinga uJesu Kristu, uDeveli wamenyusa “wambonisa imibuso yonke yezwe ngomzuzwanyana. USathane wathi kuye: Amandla onke lana ngokunika wena kanye nenkazimulo yawo, ngokuba inikwé mina, futhi ngiyinika noma ubani ngokuthanda kwami. Ngakho-ke wena, uma ukhuleka phambi kwami, konke kuzakuba-ngokwakho.” (Luka 4:5-7) IsAmbulo 13:1, 2 sembula ukuthi uSathane unikeza ‘amandla, ubukhosi negunya elikhulu’ ezimisweni zokubusa kwezombangazwe zembulunga yonke. UDaniyeli 10:13, 20 wembula ukuthi uSathane unezikhulu ezingamademoni phezu kwemibuso emikhulu yomhlaba. Eyabase-Efesu 6:12 ibhekisela kulezi njengezakha ‘imibuso, namandla, nababusi bezwe balobubumnyama, nabawomoya bobubi emkhathini.’

Akumangalisi ukuthi eyoku-1 Johane 5:19 ithi: “Izwe lonke limi ebubini [“emandleni omubi,” NW].” Kodwa amandla akhe angawesikhathi esilinganiselwe futhi kuphela ngokuvunyelwa uJehova, onguNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.

USathane uyovunyelwa isikhathi eside kangakanani ukudukisa isintu?

Ngokuqondene nobufakazi bokuthi manje siphila ezinsukwini zokugcina zesimiso sezinto esibi sikaSathane, bheka amakhasi 179-181, ngaphansi kwesithi “Izinsuku Zezenzakalo,” nesihloko esikhulu esithi “Izinsuku Zokugcina.”

Ilungiselelo lokukhululwa ethonyeni likaSathane elibi lichazwe ngokomfanekiso ngalendlela: “Ngase ngibona ingelosi yehla ezulwini, iphethe isihluthulelo sakwalasha neketanga elikhulu ngesandla sayo. Yambamba udrako, inyoka endala, onguMhlebi noSathane, yambopha iminyaka eyinkulungwane, yamphonsa-ke kwalasha, yamvalela phakathi, yamqinisa ngophawu ngaphezu kwakhe, ukuze angabe esadukisa izizwe, ize iphele iminyaka eyinkulungwane; emva kwalokho kumelwe ukuba athukululwe isikhashana.” (IsAm. 20:1-3) Bese kwenzekani? “NoSathane owazidukisayo waphonswa echibini lomlilo nesibabule.” (IsAm. 20:10) Kusho ukuthini lokho? IsAmbulo 21:8 siyaphendula: “Kungukufa kwesibili.” Uyosuswa phakade!

Ingabe ‘ukuvalelwa kwalasha’ kukaSathane kusho ukuthi uyovalelwa emhlabeni oyihlane lapho kungenamuntu ayomlinga iminyaka eyi-1000?

Abanye abantu babhekisela kusAmbulo 20:3 (esicashunwe ngenhla) ukuba basekele lomqondo. Bathi ‘ulasha,’ noma ‘umgodi ongenamkhawulo’ (Esd), umelele umhlaba esimweni sokuba yihlane. Ingabe kunjalo? IsAmbulo 12:7-9, 12 sibonisa ukuthi ngesikhathi esithile ngaphambi kokuphonswa kwalasha uSathane “waphonswa phansi” emhlabeni, lapho eletha umaye omkhulu phezu kwesintu. Ngakho-ke, uma isAmbulo 20:3 sithi uSathane ‘uphonswa kwalasha,’ ngokuqinisekile akashiywa lapho ekhona kakade—engabonakali kodwa evalelwe emhlabeni. Uyasuswa ayiswe kude nakhona, “ukuze engabe esadukisa izizwe, ize iphele iminyaka eyinkulungwane.” Phawula ukuthi isAmbulo 20:3 sithi, ekupheleni kweminyaka eyinkulungwane, uSathane, hhayi izizwe, othukululwayo kwalasha. Lapho uSathane ethukululwa, abantu ababakha lezozizwe bayobe sebekhona kakade.

UIsaya 24:1-6 noJeremiya 4:23-29 ngezinye izikhathi kubhekiselwa kuzo ekusekeleni lemfundiso. Lemibhalo ithi: “Bheka, uJehova wenza ize umhlaba, awuchithe . . . Umhlaba uyakuba-yize leze, uphangwe nokuphangwa, ngokuba uJehova ukhulumile izwi lakhe.” “Ngabuka umhlaba; bheka, wawuyize, wawungenalutho . . . Ngabuka; bheka, kwakungekho-muntu . . . Ngokuba uJehova usho kanje, uthi: Izwe lonke liyakuba-yincithakalo . . . imizi yonke ishiyiwe, akakho ohlala kuyo.” Zisho ukuthini leziprofetho? Ukugcwaliseka kwazo okokuqala kwaba phezu kweJerusalema nezwe lakwaJuda. Ekukhipheni isahlulelo saphezulu, uJehova wavumela abaseBabiloni ukuba bachithe izwe. Ekugcineni lonke lashiywa liyihlane futhi liyincithakalo. (Bheka uJeremiya 36:29.) Kodwa uNkulunkulu akazange ngalesosikhathi asuse abantu embulungeni yonke, futhi ngeke enze kanjalo namanje. (Bheka amakhasi 364-367, ngaphansi kwesithi “Umhlaba,” nesihloko esikhulu esithi “Izulu.”) Nokho, uyochitha ngokuphelele kokubili uzakwabo weJerusalema elingathembekile wanamuhla, eLobukholwa, elihlambalaza igama likaNkulunkulu ngokuziphatha kwalo okubi, nayo yonke inhlangano ebonakalayo kaSathane.

Kunokuba ube yincithakalo, phakathi nokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane, nalapho uSathane ekwalasha, wonke umhlaba uyoba yipharadesi. (Bheka esithi “IPharadesi.”)