Izakhamuzi Ezihlala Ndawonye ‘Ezweni’ Elibuyiselwe

“Kepha nina niyakuthiwa abapristi bakaJehova, niyakubizwa ngokuthi izikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu wethu.”—ISAYA 61:6.

 1, 2. (a) Sasiyini isimo samaproselithe kwa-Israyeli? (b) Imuphi umoya amalungu “esixuku esikhulu” aye awubonisa ezikhathini zanamuhla?

EZIKHATHINI zasendulo, u-Israyeli, lapho esakholekile wayekhonza emhlabeni njengofakazi wenkazimulo kaJehova. (Isaya 41:8, 9; 43:10) Abantu abaningi bezizwe basabela futhi beza bazokhulekela uJehova ngokuzihlanganisa nabantu baKhe abakhethiwe. Eqinisweni, basho ku-Israyeli lokho uRuthe akusho kuNawomi: “Abantu bakho bayakuba-ngabantu bami, uNkulunkulu wakho abe-nguNkulunkulu wami.” (Ruthe 1:16) Bazithoba emibandeleni yesivumelwano soMthetho, amadoda esokwa. (Eksodusi 12:43-48) Abanye besifazane bashada nama-Israyeli. URahabi waseJeriko noRuthe umMowabikazi baba okhokhokazi bakaJesu Kristu. (Mathewu 1:5) Lawo maproselithe aba ingxenye yebandla lika-Israyeli.—Duteronomi 23:7, 8.

² Ngendlela efanayo namaproselithe kwa-Israyeli, “isixuku esikhulu” namuhla siye sathi ensalini egcotshiwe: “Siyakuhamba nani, ngokuba sizwile ukuthi uNkulunkulu unani.” (IsAmbulo 7:9; Zakariya 8:23) Siyaqaphela ukuthi lamaKristu agcotshiwe ‘ayisigqila esikholekile nesiqondayo’ sikaJehova futhi sisebenzelana eduze kakhulu nawo kangangokuthi abagcotshiwe “nezinye izimvu” ‘bangumhlambi munye, nomalusi munye.’ (Mathewu 24:45-47; Johane 10:16) Kuyokwenzekani esixukwini esikhulu lapho bonke abafowabo abagcotshiwe bemukela umvuzo wabo wasezulwini? Akudingekile ukuba sesabe. Kuzo zonke ‘lezizinsuku zokugcina,’ uJehova uye wenza ilungiselelo laleso sikhathi.—2 Thimothewu 3:1.

“Izwe” Elingokomoya

 3. Ayini “amazulu amasha” uPetru aprofetha ngawo, futhi amiswa nini?

³ Ilungiselelo lokubusa kwasezulwini amaKristu agcotshiwe angu-144 000 ayoba ingxenye yalo laprofethwa umphostoli uPetru. Wathi: “Kukhona amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha esikulindele ngokwesithembiso sakhe, futhi kukho kuyohlala ukulunga.” (2 Petru 3:13) ‘Lamazulu amasha’ amiswa ngo-1914, lapho uKristu ebekwa esihlalweni sobukhosi njengeNkosi eMbusweni wasezulwini. Kodwa kuthiwani ‘ngomhlaba omusha’?

 4. (a) Isiphi isenzakalo esingalindelekile esenzeka ngo-1919? (b) Isiphi ‘isizwe esabelethwa kanyekanye,’ futhi laliyini ‘izwe elazalwa ngezinseka’?

⁴ Ngo-1919, uJehova wakhulula insali egcotshiwe ekuthunjweni yiBabiloni Elikhulu. (IsAmbulo 18:4) Kubaholi beLobukholwa, lesi senzakalo esiphawulekayo sasingalindelekile ngokuphelele. Ngokuphathelene naso, iBhayibheli lithi: “Ngubani ozwile okunjalo na? Ngubani obonile okunjengalokhu na? Izwe lingazalwa [ngezinseka, NW] ngosuku olulodwa na? Isizwe singabelethwa kanyekanye na?” (Isaya 66:8) Lapho ibandla eligcotshiwe livela ngokungazelele phambi kwezizwe njengabantu abakhululiwe, ngempela laliyisizwe ‘esibelethwe kanyekanye.’ Nokho, laliyini ‘lelizwe’? Ngomqondo othile, kwakuyizwe elingokomoya elifana nezwe lakwa-Israyeli wasendulo. Kwakuyindawo yomsebenzi eyayinikezwe “isizwe” esisanda kuzalwa, indawo lapho iziprofetho zencwadi ka-Isaya eziphathelene nePharadesi zinokugcwaliseka kwanamuhla, okungokomoya. (Isaya 32:16-20; 35:1-7; qhathanisa namaHeberu 12:12-14.) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umKristu ukuphi ngokomzimba ‘ukulelozwe.’

 5. Iyiphi ingxenye eyinhloko eyaba khona ngo-1919? Chaza.

⁵ Lokhu kuhlangene ngani “nomhlaba omusha” uPetru aprofetha ngawo? Phela, leso ‘sizwe’ esisha, esazalwa ngo-1919 ‘ezweni’ elibuyiselwe, sasizokhula sibe inhlangano yomhlaba wonke eyakhiwe abadumisi abagcotshiwe nabangagcotshiwe bakaJehova. Lenhlangano iyosinda e-Armagedoni ingene ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu. Ngalendlela leso sizwe singase sibhekwe njengengxenye eyinhloko yomphakathi wabantu olungile, umhlaba omusha, oyoba khona ngemva kokubhujiswa kwezwe likaSathane.a Phakathi nawo-1930, abagcotshiwe, njengeqembu, babeqoqelwe ezweni elibuyiselwe. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, kuye kwagcizelelwa ukuqoqwa kwesixuku esikhulu sezinye izimvu, namuhla esifinyelela ezigidini ezicishe zibe nhlanu. (IsAmbulo 14:15, 16) Ingabe ‘lelizwe’ liminyene? Cha, imingcele yalo ingase yandiswe kabanzi kuye ngokwesidingo. (Isaya 26:15) Ngempela, kuvusa amadlingozi ukubona umphakathi walo wanda njengoba insali egcotshiwe igcwalisa ‘lelizwe’ “ngezithelo”—ukudla okungokomoya okunempilo, okuvuselela amandla. (Isaya 27:6) Kodwa kuyini ukuma kwalezi ezinye izimvu ‘kulelizwe’ elibuyiselwe labantu bakaNkulunkulu?

Abantu Bezizwe Bamatasa ‘Ezweni’

 6. Abantu bezizwe bebematasa kanjani ‘ezweni’ labantu bakaNkulunkulu?

⁶ Njengoba nje amaproselithe ezweni lakwa-Israyeli azithoba eMthethweni kaMose, isixuku esikhulu namuhla ‘ezweni’ elibuyiselwe silalela imiyalo kaJehova. Njengoba sifundiswa abafowabo abagcotshiwe, sideda kuzo zonke izinhlobo zokukhulekela kwamanga futhi siqaphela ubungcwele begazi. (IzEnzo 15:19, 20; Galathiya 5:19, 20; Kolose 3:5) Sithanda uJehova ngenhliziyo, ingqondo, umphefumulo, nezikhwepha zaso zonke futhi sithanda umakhelwane waso njengoba sizithanda sona. (Mathewu 22:37; Jakobe 2:8) Kwa-Israyeli wasendulo amaproselithe asiza ekwakhiweni kwethempeli likaSolomoni futhi asekela ukubuyiselwa kokukhulekela kweqiniso. (1 IziKronike 22:2; 2 IziKronike 15:8-14; 30:25) Namuhla, isixuku esikhulu siyahlanganyela emisebenzini yokwakha. Ngokwesibonelo, sisiza ekwakheni amabandla nezifunda, ingasaphathwa eyokuhlanganyela ezakhiweni ezingokoqobo, ezinjengamaHholo OMbuso, amaHholo Omhlangano, nezakhiwo zegatsha.

 7. Kwenzekani eJerusalema lesikhathi sangemva kokubuya ekudingisweni lapho engekho amaLevi anele okuqhuba izinkonzo zasethempelini?

⁷ Ngo-537 B.C.E., lapho u-Israyeli ebuya ekudingisweni eBabiloni, waqala ukuhlela inkonzo esakhiweni sethempeli. Nokho, amaLevi abuya ayembalwa. Ngakho, amaNethini—izakhamuzi eziyizihambi ezisokiwe ngaphambili ezazingabasizi bamaLevi—anikezwa amalungelo andisiwe enkonzweni yasethempelini. Nokho, ayengalingani nabapristi abagcotshiwe bozalo luka-Aroni.b—Ezra 7:24; 8:15-20; Nehemiya 3:22-26.

 8, 9. Ezinye izimvu ziye zaba kanjani nengxenye eyandayo yomsebenzi wokunikela inkonzo engcwele phakathi nezinsuku zokugcina?

⁸ AmaKristu agcotshiwe namuhla aye alandela lesi sibonelo. Njengoba ‘isikhathi sokugcina’ siye saqhubeka, abasasele babagcotshiwe baye bancipha kakhulu ‘ezweni’ labantu bakaNkulunkulu. (Daniyeli 12:9; IsAmbulo 12:17) Ngenxa yalokhu, isixuku esikhulu manje sifeza ingxenye enkulu yomsebenzi wokunikela “inkonzo engcwele.” (IsAmbulo 7:15) Silandela ukuqondisa kwabafowabo abagcotshiwe, ‘sinikela kuNkulunkulu umhlatshelo wokudumisa, okuwukuthi, isithelo sezindebe ezivuma obala igama lakhe.’ “[Asikukhohlwa] ukwenza okuhle nokuhlanganyela izinto nabanye,” sazi ukuthi “uNkulunkulu ujatshuliswa kakhulu imihlatshelo enjalo.”—Heberu 13:15, 16.

⁹ Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba isixuku esikhulu sanda ngamakhulu ezinkulungwane unyaka ngamunye, kunesidingo esikhula njalo sokuqondisa. Esikhathini esithile lokhu kwakusingathwa amaKristu agcotshiwe kuphela. Manje, ukuqondisa emabandleni amaningi, kanye nezifunda, izigodi, namagatsha, kuye kwadingeka ukuba kuphathiswe ezinye izimvu. Ngo-1992 abambalwa balaba banikezwa ilungelo lokuba khona emihlanganweni yamakomiti eNdikimba Ebusayo futhi bekhonza njengabasizi abangavoti. Noma kunjalo, ezinye izimvu zihlala zithembekile kumaKristu agcotshiwe ezikanye nawo futhi zizizwa zinelungelo lokuwasekela njengesigqila esikholekile nesiqondayo sikaJehova.—Mathewu 25:34-40.

‘Njengenkosana’

10, 11. Belandela isibonelo samaFilisti athile, abanye ababeyizitha zabantu bakaNkulunkulu baye baguquka kanjani enhliziyweni? Kwaba namuphi umphumela?

¹⁰ Indlela isigqila esikholekile nesiqondayo esiye sasebenzisa ngayo ezinye izimvu ezikhundleni zemithwalo yemfanelo yaprofethwa kuZakariya 9:6, 7. Lapho, siyafunda: “Ngiyakunquma ukuziphakamisa kwamaFilisti. Ngiyakukhipha igazi labo emlonyeni wabo, nezinengiso zabo phakathi kwamazinyo abo, nabo uqobo babe-yinsali kuNkulunkulu wethu, babe [ngamakhosana, NW] kwaJuda nase-Ekroni njengamaJebusi.”c AmaFilisti ayeyizitha ezifungelwe zabantu bakaJehova, njengoba izwe likaSathane linjalo namuhla. (1 Johane 5:19) Njengoba nje amaFilisti ekugcineni aqothulwa njengesizwe, ngakho lelizwe, kanye nezinhlangano zalo zenkolo, zezombangazwe, nezentengiselwano, ngokushesha liyobhekana nolaka lukaJehova olubhubhisayo.—IsAmbulo 18:21; 19:19-21.

¹¹ Nokho, ngokwamazwi kaZakariya, amanye amaFilisti ayeguqukile enhliziyweni, futhi lokhu kwakuwumfuziselo wokuthi abanye abantu bezwe namuhla babengenakuqhubeka beyizitha zikaJehova. Babeyokuyeka ukukhonza izithombe okungokwenkolo nemikhuba yakho enyanyekayo nemihlatshelo enengekayo futhi bahlanzwe emehlweni kaJehova. Osukwini lwethu “amaFilisti” anjalo aguqukile ayatholakala esixukwini esikhulu.

12. Ezikhathini zanamuhla, ‘i-Ekroni’ liye laba kanjani “njengomJebusi”?

¹² Ngokwesiprofetho, umuzi oyinhloko wamaFilisti wase-Ekroni wawuzoba ‘njengomJebusi.’ AmaJebusi nawo ayeké aba izitha zika-Israyeli. IJerusalema lalisezandleni zawo kwaze kwaba yilapho uDavide elinqoba. Nokho, abanye balabo abasinda ezimpini ababezilwa no-Israyeli ngokusobala baba amaproselithe. Babekhonza ezweni lakwa-Israyeli njengezigqila futhi baze baba ngisho nanelungelo lokusebenza ekwakhiweni kwethempeli. (2 Samuweli 5:4-9; 2 IziKronike 8:1-18) Namuhla, ‘abase-Ekroni’ abaphendukela ekukhulekeleni uJehova nabo banamalungelo enkonzo ‘ezweni’ ngaphansi kokuqondisa kwesigqila esikholekile nesiqondayo.

13. Ayeyini amakhosana ezikhathini zasendulo?

¹³ UZakariya uthi umFilisti wayeyoba njengenkosana kwaJuda. Igama lesiHeberu elithi ʼal·luphʹ, uma lihunyushwe ngokuthi “inkosana,” lisho “umholi wenkulungwane” (noma, “umlawuli wamabutho ayinkulungwane”). Kwakuyisikhundla esiphakeme kakhulu. Isizwe sokuqala sakwa-Edomi ngokusobala sasinamakhosana angu-13. (Genesise 36:15-19, qhathanisa ne-NW.) Igama elithi “inkosana” alivamile ukusetshenziswa lapho kukhulunywa ngo-Israyeli, kodwa inkulumo ethi ‘inhloko (noma, induna) yenkulungwane’ ivela kaningi. Lapho uMose ebiza abameleli besizwe sakwa-Israyeli, wabiza “izinhloko [zezinkulungwane zakwa-Israyeli, NW].”d Kwakunezingu-12 zalezi zinhloko, ngokusobala zingaphansi kukaMose kuphela. (Numeri 1:4-16) Ngokufanayo, ekuhlelweni kwamabutho, izinduna zezinkulungwane zazingaphansi kukajenene noma inkosi kuphela.—2 Samuweli 18:1, 2; 2 IziKronike 25:5.

14. Namuhla ‘umFilisti’ uye waba kanjani njengenkosana?

¹⁴ UZakariya akazange aprofethe ukuthi umFilisti ophendukile eqinisweni wayeyoba inkosana kwa-Israyeli. Lokho kwakungeke kufaneleke, njengoba ayengeyena umIsrayeli wemvelo. Kodwa wayeyoba njengenkosana, abe sesikhundleni esinegunya esifana nesenkosana. Futhi kuye kwaba njalo. Njengoba insali yamaKristu agcotshiwe incipha ngamanani futhi abaningi balabo abasaphila bengasenakwenza okuningi ngenxa yokukhula, ezinye izimvu eziqeqeshwe kahle, zisiza lapho kudingeka khona. Azifuni ukukhipha abafowabo abagcotshiwe ezikhundleni zabo. Kodwa isigqila esikholekile nesiqondayo sizinikeza igunya ‘ezweni’ kuye ngokwesidingo, ukuze inhlangano kaNkulunkulu iqhubekele phambili ngendlela ehlelekile. Inqubo enjalo eqhubekayo ibonakala nakwesinye isiprofetho.

Abapristi Nabalimi

15. (a) Ekugcwalisekeni kuka-Isaya 61:5, 6, bangobani “abapristi bakaJehova,” futhi kunini lapho bekhonza khona kulesi sikhundla ngomqondo ophelele? (b) Bangobani “abezizwe” abenzela u-Israyeli umsebenzi wokulima, futhi—ngomqondo ongokomoya—uhilelani lomsebenzi?

¹⁵ U-Isaya 61:5, 6 ufundeka kanje: “Abezizwe bayakumela ukwalusa imihlambi yenu, abafokazi babe-ngabalimi benu nabaphathi bezivini zenu. Kepha nina niyakuthiwa abapristi bakaJehova, niyakubizwa ngokuthi izikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu wethu; niyakudla imfuyo yezizwe, nizibonge ngodumo lwazo.” Namuhla, “abapristi bakaJehova” bangamaKristu agcotshiwe. Ekugcineni nangomqondo ophelele, ayokhonza ‘njengabapristi bakaJehova, izikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu wethu,’ eMbusweni wasezulwini. (IsAmbulo 4:9-11) Bangobani “abezizwe” abenza umsebenzi wokulima? Laba bangezinye izimvu, ezihlala ‘ezweni’ lika-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu. Kuyini ukwelusa, ukulima, nokunakekela izivini abakuphathisiwe? Ngomqondo ongokomoya obalulekile, lemisebenzi iphathelene nokusiza, ukondla, nokuvuna abantu.—Isaya 5:7; Mathewu 9:37, 38; 1 Korinte 3:9; 1 Petru 5:2.

16. Obani ekugcineni abayosingatha wonke umsebenzi ‘ezweni’ labantu bakaNkulunkulu?

¹⁶ Okwamanje, inani elincane lika-Israyeli ongokomoya elisasele emhlabeni elihlanganyela ekwaluseni, ukulima, nokunakekela izivini okungokomoya. Lapho lonke ibandla eligcotshiwe ekugcineni selihlanganiswe noKristu, wonke lomsebenzi uyoshiywa nezinye izimvu. Ngisho nokuqondisa komuntu “izwe” ngaleso sikhathi kuyobe kusezandleni zezinye izimvu ezifanelekayo, ezichazwa encwadini kaHezekeli njengesigaba sezikhulu.—Hezekeli, izahluko 45, 46.e

“Izwe” Liyakhuthazela

17. Imaphi amalungiselelo uJehova abewenza kuzo zonke lezi zinsuku zokugcina?

¹⁷ Yebo, isixuku esikhulu akudingekile ukuba sesabe! UJehova uye wasenzela amalungiselelo amaningi. Isenzakalo esibaluleke kakhulu emhlabeni phakathi nalezi zinsuku zokugcina kuye kwaba ukuqoqwa nokubekwa uphawu kwabagcotshiwe. (IsAmbulo 7:3) Nokho, lapho eqikelela ukuthi lokhu kuyenziwa, uJehova uye waletha ezinye izimvu ebunyeni nabo ezweni elingokomoya elibuyiselwe. Lapho, ziye zondliwa ngokomoya futhi zaqeqeshwa ngokuphila kobuKristu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ziye zaqeqeshwa kahle enkonzweni engcwele, kuhlanganise nokuqondisa. Zibonga kakhulu ngalokhu kuJehova nakubafowabo abagcotshiwe.

18. Kukuziphi izenzakalo ezinye izimvu eziyohlala zithembekile kuzo ‘ezweni’ lika-Israyeli ongokomoya?

¹⁸ Lapho uGogi wakwaMagogi ehlasela abantu bakaNkulunkulu okokugcina, ezinye izimvu ziyokuma ziqinile nensali egcotshiwe “ezweni elisobala.” Ezinye izimvu ziyobe ‘zisekulelozwe’ lapho zisinda ekubhujisweni kwezizwe futhi zingena ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu. (Hezekeli 38:11; 39:12, 13; Daniyeli 12:1; IsAmbulo 7:9, 14) Njengoba ziqhubeka zikholekile, ngeke neze kudingeke ukuba zishiye leyo ndawo ejabulisayo.—Isaya 11:9.

19, 20. (a) Ezweni elisha, ikuphi ukuqondiswa okuhle izakhamuzi ‘zezwe’ eziyokujabulela? (b) Yini esibheke phambili kuyo ngokulangazela okukhulu?

¹⁹ U-Israyeli wasendulo wayebuswa amakhosi angabantu futhi wayenabapristi abangamaLevi. Ezweni elisha, amaKristu ayoba nokuqondiswa okukhulu kakhulu kunalokho. Ngaphansi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu, ayozithoba kumPristi omkhulu Ophakeme noyiNkosi, uJesu Kristu, nakubapristi namakhosi akanye naye angu-144 000—abanye babo ayebazi njengabafowabo nodadewabo abangamaKristu emhlabeni. (IsAmbulo 21:1) Izakhamuzi ezikholekile zezwe elingokomoya ziyophila emhlabeni obuyiselwe wenziwa ipharadesi elingokoqobo, zijabulela izibusiso zokuphulukiswa ezidluliselwa phansi ngeJerusalema Elisha.—Isaya 32:1; IsAmbulo 21:2; 22:1, 2.

²⁰ Njengoba inqola enhle kaJehova yasezulwini iqhubekela phambili ngokungenakumiswa ukuze ifeze izinjongo zakhe, sonke sibheke phambili ngokulangazela okunentshiseko ekufezeni ingxenye yethu esiyabelwe. (Hezekeli 1:1-28) Lapho lezo zinjongo sezifeziwe ekugcineni, cabanga nje ukuthi ukungcweliswa kukaJehova okunqobayo kuyojatshulelwa ngenjabulo engakanani! Ihubo lokunqoba elilotshwe kusAmbulo 5:13 liyobe selihlatshelelwa yiyo yonke indalo: “KuLowo ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi nakulo iWundlu makube isibusiso nodumo nenkazimulo namandla kuze kube phakade naphakade”! Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi indawo yethu iyoba sezulwini noma emhlabeni, asikulangazeleli yini ukuba lapho, sihlanganyela ngamazwi ethu kuleyongoma enhle kakhulu yokudumisa?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

Ubungaphendula Kanjani?

◻ Iliphi “izwe” elabuyiselwa ngo-1919, futhi lagcwaliswa kanjani izakhamuzi?

◻ Ezinye izimvu ziye zanikezwa kanjani imithwalo yemfanelo eyandisiwe ‘ezweni’ labantu bakaNkulunkulu ababuyiselwe?

◻ Kungayiphi indlela amalungu esixuku esikhulu ‘enjengomJebusi’? ‘enjengenkosana kwaJuda’?

◻ Ezinye izimvu ezikholekile ziyohlala isikhathi eside kangakanani ‘ezweni’?

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

UmFilisti wosuku lwanamuhla uyoba ‘njengenkosana kwaJuda’

[Izithombe ekhasini 24]

Abagcotshiwe nezinye izimvu bakhonza ndawonye ezweni elingokomoya