Ubuhle BukaJehova “Engxenyeni Yokugcina Yezinsuku”
“Wozani sikhuphukele entabeni kaJehova.”—ISAYA 2:3.
1, 2. (a) Iyiphi ingozi enkulu esongela isintu manje? (b) Bathini abaholi bezwe ngeArmagedoni?
‘INGXENYE YOKUGCINA YEZINSUKU.’ Kungani isiprofetho seBhayibheli sisebsenzisa lamazwi ngokuphindaphindiwe? Ingabe kusho ukuthi izinsuku zesintu zibaliwe nokuthi ekugcineni umhlaba wethu nakho konke okuphila kuwo uyobhubha enhlekeleleni ethile yomhlaba wonke? Abaholi bomhlaba bavame ukukhuluma ngokwesaba into enjalo. Ngokwesibonelo, engxoxweni yethelevishini ngoJanuary 13, 1985, ungqongqoshe wezangaphandle eMoscow uAndrei Gromyko waxwayisa abantu baseSoviet Union ngokuthi “ingozi enkulu, ukusongela okukhulu kuza kuso sonke isintu.” Wanezela: “Kumelwe kwenziwe konke okusemandleni ukuba kususwe lolosongo, ukuze iArmagedoni abantu abebesatshiswa ngayo amakhulu eminyaka ingenzeki.”
2 Ezikhathini eziningi, uMongameli waseUnited States uRonald Reagan uye wakhuluma ngeArmagedoni. IDaily News yaseNew York kaOctober 30, 1983, yamcaphuna ethi: “Ngibuyela kubaprofethi benu basendulo eTestamenteni Elidala nasezibonakalisweni ezibikezela iArmagedoni, futhi ngizithola ngixakeka—noma thina siyisizukulwane esiyobona lokho kwenzeka.” Muva nje, ngoFebruary 8, 1985, iThe Wall Street Journal yabika: “UMongameli Reagan uthi ucabanga futhi akhulume ngeArmagedoni, . . . kodwa akayilungiseleli.”
3. (a) Iyini ngempela iArmagedoni? (b) Kushiwoni ngokuthi ‘ingxenye yokugcina yezinsuku’?
3 Yebo, abaholi bomhlaba bayakhuluma ngeArmagedoni. Kodwa ingabe bayaqaphela ukuthi lelogama leBhayibheli lisho ukuthini? Ngokusobala akunjalo, ngoba iArmagedoni ayiyona inhlekelele eyenziwe umuntu. Iyimpi kaNkulunkulu yomhlaba wonke leyo yena neNkosi akanye nayo, uJesu Kristu, ehlisela ngayo isahlulelo ezizweni ezimbi nakubantu ababi. Ifika njengomvuthwandaba “engxenyeni” yokugcina yezinsuku. (Daniyeli 10:14, NW; IsAmbulo 16:14, 16) Futhi yini okumelwe siyiqonde ‘ngengxenye yokugcina yezinsuku’? Ezinye izinguqulo zihumusha lamazwi ngokuthi “ingxenye yakamuva yezinsuku” “isiphelo sokugcina sezinsuku.” (Rotherham, Young) Amagama esiHeberu ahunyushwe kanjalo athi ‘a·charithʹ hay·ya·mimʹ. NgokweTheological Dictionary of the Old Testament, ngokuvamile asho “Isikhathi sokuphela,” engabonisi nje ikusasa kuphela kodwa “indlela umlando oyophela ngayo, kanjalo umphumela wawo.”
4. “Isikhathi Sokuphela” siyoqhubekela kanjani ekupheleni kwaso, futhi kube namuphi umphumela?
4 Sekuyiminyaka engaba ngama-70, isintu siphila ‘esiphelweni sesimiso sezinto,’ esabikezelwa uJesu kuMathewu 24:3–25:46, NW. Lesikhathi, kusukela ngo-1914, ‘Siyisikhathi Sokuphela’ okuthi phakathi naso izenzakalo ziqhubekele kancane kancane esiphelweni sazo. Lokho kuyoba ‘sosizini olukhulu’ lapho yonke inhlangano embi kaSathane iyobhujiswa khona. (Mathewu 24:21, 22) Umphumela okhazimulayo uyoba ukulwelwa kwegama likaJehova elingcwele.—Hezekeli 38:16, 23.
Ubuhle BukaJehova
5. Imaphi amazwi akhuthazayo atholakala kuHoseya 3:5?
5 UJehova unguNkulunkulu wesikhuthazo. Yeka amazwi aqabula ngokumangalisayo aye wawasakaza kulo lonke iZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli eliNgcwele! Amanye alamazwi anjalo atholakala kuHoseya 3:5, NW afundeka kanje: “Kamuva abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bayobuya, bamfune ngempela uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, noDavide inkosi yabo; bayobuyela kuJehova benovalo nasebuhleni bakhe engxenyeni yokugcina yezinsuku.”
6. UIsrayeli ongokomoya uye wahluka kanjani emahlelweni eLobukholwa?
6 Insali kaIsrayeli yabuya ekuthunjweni eBabiloni ngo-537 B.C.E. ukuba iqhubeke ikhulekela uJehova eJerusalema. Ngokufanayo ezikhathini zanamuhla, ngo-1919 C.E. insali egcotshiwe kaIsrayeli ongokomoya ‘yabuya’ ekuthunjweni inhlangano kaSathane, ngobuqotho ‘ifuna uJehova uNkulunkulu wayo.’ Yeka ukuthi ihluke kanjani emahlelweni ezihlubuki eLobukholwa! Alikho kulawa elifuna ukuqaphela uJehova ‘njengoNkulunkulu wawo.’ ‘Kunokufuna uJehova,’ agwema noma ikuphi ukusebenzisa igama lakhe.
7. Abantu bakaJehova baye balidumisa kanjani igama lakhe?
7 Ekuqaleni ‘kwengxenye yokugcina yezinsuku,’ INqabayokulinda yesiNgisi kaJanuary 1, 1926, yakhipha isihloko esibeka inselele “Ubani Oyodumisa UJehova?” Insali kaIsrayeli ongokomoya, eyase ihlanganisiwe futhi yaphendula lolobizo ngokwethembeka, futhi ngo-1931 yajabula ukwamukela igama elithi oFakazi BakaJehova. (Isaya 43:10, 12) Kuze kube namuhla iyaqhubeka iphethe igama likaJehova ngokuvelele phambi kwabantu abakhileyo emhlabeni. Phela, ngo-1984 bakhipha, ngezilimi eziningi, izigidi zencwajana enombala okhangayo enesihloko esithi IGama LaPhezulu Eliyohlala Phakade.
8, 9. (a) Kusho ukuthini ‘ukufuna uDavide inkosi yabo’? (b) INkosi yamiswa nini futhi kuphi? (c) Abantu bakaJehova bayiqonda kanjani lendaba?
8 Nokho, uHoseya wabikezela futhi ukuthi lamadodana angokomoya ‘ayobuya, amfune . . . uDavide inkosi yawo.” UIsrayeli ongokwenyama ubengenankosi kusukela kwagumbuqelwa amakhosi ohlu lukaDavide ngo-607 B.C.E. Lokho kwaqalisa iminyaka eyizi-2 520 yokubusa kwababi—‘izikhathi ezimisiwe zezizwe,’ noma Izikhathi Zabezizwe. (Luka 21:24; Daniyeli 4:16) Kodwa ngo-1914 C.E., njengoba kuqala ‘ingxenye yokugcina yezinsuku,’ uNkulunkulu wamisa Lowo owafanekiselwa uDavide—uJesu Kristu—njengeNkosi eSiyoni, “iJerusalema lasezulwini.”—IHubo 2:6; Heberu 12:22.
9 Abantu bakaJehova emhlabeni abakuqondanga ngokushesha konke lokhu. Nokho, ukufuna kwabo ‘iNkosi yethu uDavide’ kwafinyelela umvuthwandaba lapho INqabayokulinda yesiNgisi kaMarch 1, 1925, ikhipha isihloko esithi “Ukuzalwa Kwesizwe.” Lesi sabeka ubufakazi obungujuqu, obusekelwe kusAmbulo isahluko 12, bokuthi uMbuso kaJehova wobuMesiya wawusuzelwe emazulwini ngo-1914 nokuthi uKristu manje ‘ubusa phakathi kwezitha zakhe.’—IHubo 110:1, 2; 2:1-6.
10. (a) Obani ‘ababuyela kuJehova benovalo,’ futhi kanjani? (b) Kungani “ukumesaba uJehova” kubaluleke kangaka namuhla?
10 Insali egcotshiwe, nabo bonke abazinikezela kuJehova, bathinteka ngokujulile ngezono zabo zezikhathi zangaphambili. Ngokuthobeka, baye ‘babuyela kuJehova, benovalo,’ becela ukuthethelelwa izono zabo ezidlule. Futhi manje njengoba ‘ingxenye yokugcina yezinsuku’ iqhubekela emvuthwandabeni wayo, abathanda uJehova baqaphelisisa ukuba bangoni kuNkulunkulu nasemithethweni yakhe elungileyo. Kumelwe siqhubeke ‘sibuyela kuJehova sinovalo,’ situba imizimba yethu, ukuze sithole ukusindela oHlelweni Olusha lukaNkulunkulu. (1 Korinte 9:27) Kumelwe sikhumbule njalo ukuthi “ukumesaba uJehova kungukuqala kokuhlakanipha.”—IHubo 111:10.
11. (a) Kukanjani uJehova emuhle? (b) Kungani kumelwe ‘sibuyele sinovalo ebuhleni bukaJehova’?
11 Nokho, ‘singabuyela kanjani sinovalo . . . ebuhleni bakhe’? UJehova muhle ngokuphelele. Uyisibonakaliso sobuhle obuphakeme bokulunga. Uphelele ekulungiseleleni izidingo zethu zonke. Kanjalo, singasho ngethemba njengoDavide: “UJehova ungumalusi wami, angiyikuswela. . . . Impela okuhle nomusa kuyakungilandela imihla yonke yokuphila kwami.” (IHubo 23:1-6) Manje, futhi kuze kube sekupheleni ‘kwengxenye yokugcina yezinsuku,’ kumelwe ‘sibuyele ebuhleni bukaJehova sinovalo,’ sinethemba lokuthi izono zethu ziyositshekelwa umhlatshelo oyigugu weNdodana yakhe, uJesu. (1 Johane 2:1, 2) Ngokubonga, sithi: “Jehova, . . . yeka ubukhulu [bobuhle, NW] bakho obagodlele bona abakwesabayo.”—IHubo 31:17, 19.
12. (a) Singabulingisa kanjani ubuhle bukaJehova? (b) Kungani kubalulekile ukuba senze kanjalo?
12 Njengoba izwe likaSathane lilokhu lizika ngokujulile obishini lobubi, kwangathi singalingisa ubuhle bukaJehova ngokwazisa omakhelwane bethu ngezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso nangokubonisa izimfanelo zokwesaba uNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwethu. Kwangathi singazihlakulela ngempela izithelo zomoya, kuhlanganise nobuvi, kubo bonke esihlobene nabo—emikhayeni yethu, emabandleni ethu, nasekuthintaneni kwethu nabantu bezwe. (Galathiya 5:22, 23; IHubo 119:65-68) Ukwenza lokhu kubalulekile uma sifuna ukusinda “engxenyeni yokugcina yezinsuku.”
Iseluleko Senzalamizi
13. (a) Obani namuhla abangazuza ngokucabangela isiprofetho sikaJakobe esezofa? (b) Isiphi iseluleko esiqukethwe ilesosiprofetho?
13 Eminyakeni engaba izi-3 700 edlule, inzalamizi uJakobe (obizwa nangokuthi uIsrayeli) wanikeza isiprofetho esezofa. Ekhuluma namadodana akhe ayi-12, izinhloko zezizwe zakwaIsrayeli, wathi: “Buthanani, nginitshele okuzonehlela engxenyeni yokugcina yezinsuku.” Namuhla amazwi akhe asebenza kwabasele bakaIsrayeli ongokomoya, ayasebenza futhi nakubangane babo, “ezinye izimvu.” Akekho noyedwa kulaba ongase angazinaki izindinganiso zikaJehova zokulunga ngenxa yokungesabi isijeziso, njengoba kwenza uRubeni, noma bavumele ukuziphatha kobudlova njengalokho kukaSimeyoni noLevi. Kunalokho, kumelwe bahlakulele izimfanelo ezinjengesibindi, ukuthembela kuJehova, nokuba nezithelo, njengoba zaboniswa amanye amadodana kaIsrayeli.—Genesise 49:1, NW, 3-7, 9, 18, 22; Johane 10:16; qhathanisa no-2 Petru 1:8-11.a
14. Iziphi iziprofetho ezimbili ezihlobene mayelana ‘neSikhathi Sokuphela’ ezinikeza iseluleko ikakhulukazi ‘kwezinye izimvu’?
14 Nokho, iseluleko esikhethekile silungiselelwa “ezinye izimvu” ezinethemba lokusinda ‘Esikhathini Sokuphela.’ Sithola lokhu kulotshwe, njengokungathi kuyagcizelelwa, eziprofethweni ezimbili ezihlobene zeBhayibheli, kuIsaya 2:2-5 nakuMika 4:1-5.
Ukugobhozela Ekukhulekeleni UJehova
15. (a) Uye wagcwaliseka kanjani uMika 4:3? (b) Ikuphi ukungafani abantu abathobekile abakubonayo manje, futhi basabela kanjani?
15 UIsaya 2:2, NW, ufundeka kanje: “Kuyokuthi engxenyeni yokugcina yezinsuku intaba yendlu kaJehova iqiniswe esiqongweni sezintaba, iphakame kunamagquma, nezizwe zonke ziyogobhozela kuyo.” Eminyakeni engaphezu kwengama-50, kusukela ngo-1935, lokhu “okunxanelekayo kwabo bonke abezizwe” kuthutheleka endlini kaJehova yokukhulekela, ‘kugcwalisa leyondlu ngenkazimulo.’ Lokhu ‘kugobhozela’ kubonakala kukhula njengoba ‘ingxenye yokugcina yezinsuku’ ilokhu isondela ekupheleni kwayo. Intaba engokomfanekiso yokukhulekelwa okuhlanzekile kukaJehova iba ngevelele ngokwengeziwe, ukuze abantu abathobekileyo babone ukuthi ayifani kanjani ‘namagquma’ kanye ‘nezintaba’ ezingamahlelo ezwe eliyekelelayo likaSathane. ‘Bayaphuma’ enkolweni yamanga futhi babalekela entabeni kaJehova yokukhulekela ngezibalo ezikhulayo.—Hagayi 2:7; IsAmbulo 18:2, 4, 5; IHubo 37:10, 11.
16. (a) Yiluphi ubizo oluphendulwa abathobekileyo manje? (b) UJehova usigcwalisa kanjani isithembiso sakhe ‘sokukusheshisa’?
16 Laba abathobekileyo baphendula ubizo lukaIsaya 2:3: “Wozani sikhuphukele entabeni kaJehova endlini kaNkulunkulu kaJakobe; uyakusifundisa izindlela zakhe, sihambe emikhondweni yakhe, ngokuba umthetho uyakuvela eSiyoni, nezwi likaJehova eJerusalema.” Kakade, uJehova ugcwalisa isithembiso sakhe ‘sokukusheshisa ngesikhathi sakho.’ (Isaya 60:22) Esandayo ‘isixuku esikhulu . . . esivela kuzo zonke izizwe’ sithuthelekela ekukhulekeleni uJehova. Kulaba, abayizi-138 540 babhapathizwa ngo-1982; abayizi-161 896 ngo-1983; nabayizi-179 421 ngo-1984. Bafuna ukusindiswa “engxenyeni yokugcina yezinsuku.”—IsAmbulo 7:9, 14.
17. (a) OFakazi abasha bangase bakubonise kanjani ukwazisa ngobuhle bukaJehova? (b) Imiphi imiyalo eqondile sonke esidinga ukuyilalela?
17 LaboFakazi abasha bazisa ubuhle bukaJehova ngokubaletha ekukhanyeni kweqiniso, futhi ngobuqotho bafisa ukubonisa ubuhle kwabanye. Bamukela ukufundiswa uJehova akunikeza ngeZwi lakhe nangenhlangano yakhe. UMthetho kaMose wawuqukethe okuningi okwathiwa ‘kungenziwa,’ futhi uIsrayeli kwakumelwe akugcine ngokufanelekile. (Bheka uEksodusi 20:3-17.) Kodwa imithetho emibili emikhulu yamaKristu, njengoba yaboniswa uJesu, iyimiyalo eqondile ‘yokuthanda uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ngayo yonke inhliziyo yethu, umphefumulo, ingqondo, namandla, nomakhelwane wethu njengalokhu sizithanda thina.’ (Marku 12:29-31) Ngobunye, oFakazi BakaJehova manje balalela “umthetho” uJehova awuthumela uvela “eJerusalema lasezulwini,” besebenzisa izimiso zawo ezilungileyo.
18. (a) Hlobo luni lwemithetho esidinga ukuyigcina? (b) Kunayiphi inzuzo ukulalela imithetho ephilisayo?
18 Nokho, lokhu akusho ukuthi abantu bakaJehova abadingi ukugcina noma imiphi imithetho. Umphostoli uPawulu uyasikhumbuza: “Kepha konke makwenziwe ngemfanelo nangenhlelo.” (1 Korinte 14:40) Imithetho embalwa ingase idingeke emaHholo oMbuso ethu, ngokwesibonelo, ukonga ekusetshenzisweni kukagesi noma ukuvimbela izingane ezincane ekusebenziseni indlu kaNkulunkulu yokukhulekela njengenkundla yokudlala ngemva kwemihlangano. Izinhloko zemikhaya zingase zidinge ukwenza amalungiselelo athile ahlelekile, njengokulungiselela ukucatshangelwa kwetekisi leBhayibheli losuku njalo emakhaya. Emikhayeni yaseBethel kunemithetho, njengedinga ukuba amalungu emikhaya ahlobise izindaba ezinhle ngokugqoka nokuzilungisa ngokuzothile. (1 Thimothewu 2:9) “Izincwadi” eziyovulwa phakathi noKubusa KukaJesu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane ngokungangabazeki ziyoqukatha imithetho eyozuzisa isintu. Kuhle ukuba kwamanje sijwayelane nokulalela imithetho ephilisayo eyenzelwa ukuhleleka nokucabangela abanye.—IsAmbulo 20:12; 1 Korinte 10:24; Filipi 2:3, 4.
Kulelizwe Lobudlova
19, 20. (a) Baye basabela kanjani abantu bakaJehova esimisweni esikuMika 4:3? (b) Lokhu kubazuzisa kanjani “engxenyeni yokugcina yezinsuku”?
19 Siqhubekela ngokushesha esikhathini lapho isandla sawo wonke umuntu ‘siyovukela isandla sikamakhelwane wakhe.’ (Zakariya 14:13) Njengoba izwe liba elingenamthetho nelinobudlova ngokwengeziwe, basabela kanjani abantu bakaJehova? Benza ngokuvumelana noMika 4:3, othi: “Ziyakukhanda izinkemba zazo zibe ngamakhuba, nemikhonto yazo ibe-ngocelemba.” OFakazi BakaJehova balahla lonke uhlobo lobudlova. “Zingabe zisafunda ukulwa.” Ngokungangabazeki, lokhu kuyoqhubeka kusebenzela inzuzo yabo yonke ‘ingxenye yokugcina yezinsuku.’ Kuye kwaba njalo kakade.
20 Ngokwesibonelo, lapho INqabayokulinda kaJanuary 1, 1984, ibonisa ukuthi izibhamu akuzona ezamaKristu, oFakazi BakaJehova eNew Caledonia behlukana nezibhamu zabo. Ngokushesha kamuva, iqembu lezombangazwe lendawo lahamba lifuna edolobheni, lishisa yonke imizi elalithola kuyo izibhamu. Kodwa ayikho imizi yoFakazi eyashiswa. Ukungathathi-hlangothi okwaziwayo kuyisivikelo esihle kakhulu njalo, njengoba kuye kwaba njalo eNorthern Ireland, eLebanon, eZimbabwe, nakwamanye amazwe.
21. (a) Iluphi ubizo okumelwe siluphendule, futhi isiphi isinqumo okumelwe sisenze uma sifuna ukuba abajabula ngempela? (b) Singaqinisekiswa kanjani ngokuhlanganyela ebuhleni bukaJehova?
21 Siyajabula uma siphendula ubizo lukaIsaya 2:5: “Woza sihambe ekukhanyeni kukaJehova”! Futhi siyajabula sonke thina esihlanganyela esinqumweni esiqinile esiboniswe umprofethi uMika lowo, ngemva kokuchaza ngokulondeka kwepharadesi nokuthula okukhona phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu, oqhubeka athi: “Bonke abantu bahamba, kube-yilowo nalowo ngegama likankulunkulu wakhe, kepha thina siyakuhamba ngegama likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu kuze kube-phakade naphakade.” Ngokuqinisekile ubuhle bukaJehova buyoboniswa kithi sonke esiqhubeka sihlangana ngokuthula ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso, ukuze sisinde “engxenyeni yokugcina yezinsuku.”
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Bheka INqabayokulinda kaDecember 15, 1962 nekaJanuary 1, 1963 ngengxoxo eningiliziwe yesiprofetho sikaJakobe.
Imibuzo Yokubukeza
◻ Yini oyiqondayo ‘ngengxenye yokugcina yezinsuku’?
◻ ‘Singabuyela kanjani sinovalo ebuhleni bukaJehova’?
◻ Isiphi isiqondiso esinikezwa isiprofetho sikaJakobe esezofa?
◻ Iziphi izinyathelo eziqondile esingazithatha ngokuvumelana noIsaya 2:2-5 noMika 4:1-5?
[Isithombe ekhasini 20]
UHoseya ukhuthaza bonke ukuba balingise ubuhle bukaJehova
[Isithombe ekhasini 21]
UJakobe uchaza izimfanelo ezifiselekayo nezingafiseleki
[Isithombe ekhasini 22]
UIsaya usimema ukuba “sihambe ekukhanyeni kukaJehova”
[Isithombe ekhasini 23]
UMika usikhuthaza ukuba ‘sihambe egameni likaJehova phakade’