Izifundo Ezivela EmiBhalweni: Joweli 1:1–3:21

Biza Egameni LikaJehova Futhi Ukhululwe!

“UMA lolubhadane lungalawulwa, luzosakazekela eMpumalanga Afrika naseMpumalanga Eseduze. Kungaba yinhlekelele.” Sasho kanjalo isikhulu seNhlangano YeU.N. Yezolimo Nokudla ngokuphathelene nezilokazana ezibhubhisayo eziyizigidi muva nje ezihlasele inyakatho esentshonalanga neAfrika—isikhonyane.

Cishe ngonyaka ka-820 B.C.E., umprofethi kaNkulunkulu uJoweli wakhuluma ngobhadane olufanayo. Ngamazwi acacile avelele ngokushaya emhloleni nokuba ngokoqobo kwawo, wachaza indlela isizwe sakwaJuda esasiyobhuqwa ngayo ukuhlasela kwezilokazane. Nokho, lolobhadane lwalufanekisela okuthile okubaluleke ngokwengeziwe kunosongo lobudlelwano bezinto eziphilayo nendawo ezungezile. Kwakuyisibikezelo ‘sosuku lukaJehova’! Isizukulwane sethu sibhekene ‘nalolosuku olwesabekayo’ nayo yonke intukuthelo yalo ebhubhisayo. Yiliphi ithemba elikhona lensindiso? Futhi yiziphi izifundo esingazifunda encwadini kaJoweli engokwesiprofetho?

Ukuhlasela Okwesabisayo Kwezilokazana

Kudingeka ukuphenduka ukuze usindiswe phakathi nosuku olusabekayo lukaJehova. Ngamehlo kaJoweli, sibona inhlekelele njengoba uhlaza lwezwe lubhuqwa uswebezane lwamacimbi, isikhonyane, izinkumbi, namaphela. Abapristi, amadoda amadala, nezinye izakhamuzi zakwaJuda ziyalwa ukuba ziphenduke ‘zikhale kuJehova.’ Izingobo zenziwa incithakalo, nezinqolobane ziyadilizwa njengoba zingasenawo umkhiqizo. Izilwane ezifuyiwe zizulazula ngokukhungatheka, zifuna amadlelo zingawatholi. Yeka usuku lwencithakalo oluvela kuMninimandla Onke!—1:1-20.

Ukusondela kosuku lukaJehova kumelwe kusishukumisele ukuba sihlanganyele ezenzweni ezingcwele nasemisebenzini yokwesaba uNkulunkulu. (2 Petru 3:10-12) UJoweli usenza sikwazi ukulubona njengosuku lobumnyama, amafu, nesigayegaye. Isikhonyane siyisibikezelo esisabisayo salolusuku. Ngemva kwaso, indawo yakwaJuda enjengeEdene iba yihlane eliyincithakalo. Ibika elisabisayo futhi, yiwo kanye umsindo wesikhonyane, ngoba unjengowezinqola zempi nomlilo ovutha ubuhanguhangu odla amabibi. Njengoba isikhonyane siqhubeka ‘njengabantu abanamandla, abahlelelwe ukulwa,’ seqa izingange, sigijimela emizini, futhi singene ezindlini. Ngisho nelanga, inyanga, nezinkanyezi kwenziwa kube mnyama phakathi ‘nosuku olwesabekayo lukaJehova.’—2:1-11.

Indlela Yensindiso

Ukuze sisindiswe, kumelwe siqaphele ukuthi ‘uJehova uwuNkulunkulu, akekho omunye.’ UJehova uyeluleka: “Phendukelani kimi ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.” Abadala nabasha belulekwa ukuba bahlangane ukuze banxusele umusa waphezulu. UNkulunkulu uyobonisa uzwela, abuyise lokho okonakaliswa yizilokazana, futhi abusise abantu bakhe ngenala. Labo abaqaphela isikhundla sikaJehova njengowukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso nowuMthombo wensindiso ngeke badunyazwe.—2:12-27.

Insindiso yethu futhi ixhomeke ekubizeni igama likaJehova ngokholo. Ngaphambi ‘kosuku olukhulu nolwesabekayo lukaJehova,’ uNkulunkulu ‘uyakuthulula uMoya wakhe phezu kwayo yonke inyama.’ Abasha nabadala, abesilisa nabesifazane, bayokwenza umsebenzi wokuprofetha. Kanjalo, abaningi bayokwazi ukuthi’bonke ababiza igama likaJehova bayakukhululwa.’—2:28-32.

Isahlulelo Phezu Kwezizwe

UJehova uyosindisa abantu bakhe abathembekile lapho ekhipha isahlulelo phezu kwezizwe. (Qhathanisa noHezekeli 38:18-23; IsAmbulo 16:14-16.) (Tire, iSidoni, neFilistiya kumelwe kukhokhe ngokuphatha kabi abantu bakaNkulunkulu nangokubathengisa ebugqilini. UJehova uyobusisa abathunjwa bakwaJuda naseJerusalema, futhi ubekela izitha zakhe inselele, ethi: ‘Ngcwelisani impi!’ Kodwa abanakuqhathaniswa noNkulunkulu, okhipha isahlulelo phezu kwabo ‘esigodini sikaJehoshafati’ esingokomfanekiso. Nakuba izulu nomhlaba kuyozamazama, uJehova uyoba yisiphephelo sabantu bakhe. Abathembekile bayosinda esahlulelweni esehliselwa phezu kwezizwe futhi bayojabulela ukuphila ngaphansi kwezimo zepharadesi.—3:1-21.

Izifundo zokukhunjulwa: Kudingeka ukuphenduka kuqala uma umuntu ezosindiswa phakathi nosuku olwesabekayo lukaJehova. Ukusondela kwalolosuku kumelwe kusishukumisele ukuba sihlanganyele ezenzweni ezingcwele nasemisebenzini yokwesaba uNkulunkulu. Yebo, insindiso yethu ixhomeke ekuqapheleni ukuthi uJehova kuphela onguNkulunkulu. Futhi uma sibiza igama lakhe ngokholo, uyosisindisa lapho ekhipha isahlulelo phezu kwezizwe.

Isiprofetho sikaJoweli sisinikeza ngisho nokwengeziwe kokucabanga ngakho. Phela, “usuku olukhulu nolwesabekayo lukaJehova” luseduze kakhulu! Isintu kumelwe sixwayiswe. Njengesikhonyane esiprofethweni sikaJoweli, oFakazi BakaJehova bonakalisa eLobukholwa ngokwembula ngokungakhathali isimo salo esiwugwadule ngokomoya. Lokhu kuvusa intukuthelo nenzondo yabaholi balo, kodwa noma yiziphi iziphazamiso ezinjengezingange abazama ukuzibeka endleleni yesikhonyane esingokomfanekiso aziphumeleli. UJehova uye wathululela umoya wakhe phezu kwabantu bakhe, ebahlomisela ukuba bamemezele izahlulelo zakhe. Ngakho-ke, ngesikhathi esifushane esisele ngaphambi kosuku olwesabekayo lukaJehova, masihlanganyele ngokugcwele ekusizeni abanye ukuba babize igama likaJehova ukuze bakhululwe.’

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 30]

IZINGCAPHUNO ZEBHAYIBHELI ZIYAHLOLWA

○ 1:2—UJoweli wakhuluma’namadoda amadala’ ayeye adukisa isizwe. Ngenxa yokuthi labo abahlezi ezweni’ balandela lokho kuhola okungamanga, nabo babanecala emehlweni kaJehova. Namuhla, abaholi benkolo beLobukholwa baye badukisa ngokufanayo imihlambi yabo. NjengoJoweli, oFakazi BakaJehova baye baqondisa izigijimi kulesosigaba sabefundisi. Nokho, iZwi likaNkulunkulu kumelwe limenyezelwe kubo bonke abantu ngenxa yokuthi nabo bayolandisa kuJehova.—Isaya 9:15-17; Roma 14:12.

○ 2:1-10, 28—AmaIsrayeli axwayiswa ngokuthi uma engamlaleli uNkulunkulu, isikhonyane nezinye izidalwa zaziyosidla isivuno sabo. (Duteronomi 28:38-45) Njengoba imiBhalo ingakhulumi ngokuhlasela kwezilokazane eKhanani, ngezilinganiso ezishiwo uJoweli, ngokusobala lolubhadane aluchaza lwalungokomfanekiso. Ngokusobala, lesiprofetho saqala ukugcwaliseka ngePentekoste lika-33 C.E., lapho uJehova eqala’ukuthululela umoya wakhe’ phezu kwabalandeli bakaJesu, abahlupha abashisekeli benkolo bamanga ngesigijimi sabo abasinikezwe uNkulunkulu. (IzEnzo 2:1, 14-21; 5:27-29) OFakazi BakaJehova manje benza umsebenzi ofanayo wokonakalisa.

○ 2:12, 13—Ezikhathini zasendulo, ukuklebhula komuntu izingubo zakhe kwakuyisibonakaliso sangaphandle sokuba lusizi. (Genesise 37:29, 30; 44:13) Kodwa lokhu kwakungenziwa ngokukhohlisa, ngobuzenzisi. UJoweli wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi ukubonakala kwangaphandle kokudabuka kwakunganele. Abantu kwakudingeka ukuba ‘baklebhule izinhliziyo zabo’ ngokubonisa ukuphenduka okusuka enhliziyweni.

○ 2:31, 32—UJehova walungiselela abathembekile indlela yokusinda embubhisweni yangesikhathi sikaJoweli. Manje, ‘kulezinsuku zokugcina,’ uNkulunkulu wenza ukuba insindiso ibe nokwenzeka ngoJesu Kristu. (2 Thimothewu 3:1; Roma 5:8, 12; 6:23) Nokho, isintu esinesono kumelwe sibize igama likaJehova ukuze sithole insindiso yaphakade. Lokhu kusho ukwazi igama laphezulu, ukulihlonipha ngokugcwele, nokuncika ngokuphelele kuMninilo. Ngakho labo ababiza egameni likaJehova ngokholo’bayokhululwa’ lapho uNkulunkulu ekhipha isahlulelo sakhe phezu kwezizwe phakathi ‘nosuku lwakhe olukhulu nolwesabekayo.’—Zefaniya 2:2, 3; 3:12; Roma 10:11-13.

○ 3:2, 14—Indawo engokomfanekiso yokukhipha isahlulelo saphezulu ‘ngosuku lukaJehova’ ibizwa ngokuthi’isigodi sokwahlulela.’ Ibizwa futhi ngokuthi ‘isigodi sikaJehoshafati: Lokhu kufanelekile, njengoba igama elithi Jehoshafati lisho ukuthi “UJehova Ungumahluleli:” Phakathi nokubusa kweNkosi uJehoshafati, uNkulunkulu wakhulula uJuda neJerusalema emabuthweni akwaMowabi, nawesifunda sezintaba zaseSeyiri, ewabangela ukuba akhungatheke futhi abulalane. (2 IziKronike 20:1-30) Osukwini lwethu, ‘isigodi sikaJehoshafati’ sisebenza njengesikhamo sewayini esingokomfanekiso lapho izizwe zikhanywa khona njengomvini ngenxa yokuphatha kabi abantu bakaJehova.

○ 3:6—ITire, iSidoni, neFilistiya kwakunecala lokuthengisa abantu bakwaJuda naseJerusalema ebugqilini kumaGreki. Ngokunokwenzeka, amanye amaJuda athunjwa ezinye izizwe aba sezandleni zabahwebi bezigqila baseTire, eSidoni, naseFilistiya. Futhi okubi nangokungaphezulu, mhlawumbe lezizizwe zenza ukuba amaJuda ayefuna ukuba avikelwe ezitheni zawo abe yizigqila. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isimo sasiyini, uNkulunkulu wabiza labo bahwebi abahweba ngokuphila kwabantu ukuba balandise ngokuphatha kabi abantu bakhe. Lokhu kubonisa lokho okulindele izizwe ezishushisa izikhonzi zikaJehova namuhla.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.