¹² Kamuva, lapho uCharles T. Russell nabangane bakhe beqala ukusebenza ngentshiseko ukuze bakhanyise amaqiniso eBhayibheli kwaba njengokungathi “imisipha nenyama” kwemboza amathambo. I-Zion’s Watch Tower nezinye izincwadi kwasiza abantu ababefuna ukwazi ngempela ngoNkulunkulu ukuba bathole amaqiniso ngaye, okwabashukumisela ukuba bazihlanganise nezinceku zakhe ezigcotshiwe. Ekuqaleni kweminyaka yawo-1900, abantu bakaNkulunkulu abagcotshiwe bakhuthazeka nakakhulu lapho kuphuma “iPhoto-Drama of Creation” nencwadi ethi, The Finished Mystery. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, kwafika isikhathi sokuba uNkulunkulu enze abantu bakhe ‘bame ngezinyawo.’ (Hez. 37:10) Kwenzeka nini futhi kanjani lokho? Lokho okwenzeka eBhabhiloni lasendulo kuyasisiza siphendule lowo mbuzo.

13. (a) Kusukela ngo-537 B.C.E., amazwi akuHezekeli 37:10, 14 agcwaliseka kanjani? (b) Yimiphi imiBhalo ebonisa ukuthi abanye babantu bombuso wezizwe eziyishumi babuyela kwa-Israyeli?

¹³ Kusukela ekuqaleni kuka-537 B.C.E., amaJuda ayeseBhabhiloni abona ukugcwaliseka kwalo mbono. Kanjani? UJehova wawenza aphila, wawenza “ama ngezinyawo” ngokuwakhulula ekuthunjweni nangokuwabuyisela kwa-Israyeli. Ama-Israyeli angu-42 360 nabangewona ama-Israyeli abangaba ngu-7 000 basuka eBhabhiloni bayokwakha kabusha iJerusalema nethempeli lalo futhi bahlala kwa-Israyeli. (Ezra 1:1-4; 2:64, 65; Hez. 37:14) Kwathi ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-70, abadingisiwe abangaba ngu-1 750 bahamba no-Ezra lapho ebuyela eJerusalema. (Ezra 8:1-20) Ngakho esewonke amaJuda abuyela eJerusalema ayengaphezu kuka-44 000—ngempela ‘ayeyibutho elikhulu.’ (Hez. 37:10) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iZwi likaNkulunkulu libonisa ukuthi abantu bombuso wezizwe eziyishumi, okhokho babo ababekade bedingiswe abase-Asiriya phakathi nekhulu lika-8 B.C.E., nabo babuyela kwa-Israyeli beyosiza ekwakheni kabusha ithempeli.—1 IziKr. 9:3; Ezra 6:17; Jer. 33:7; Hez. 36:10.

14. (a) Amazwi akuHezekeli 37:24 asisiza kanjani sibone isikhathi sokugcwaliseka okukhulu kwalesi siprofetho? (b) Yini eyenzeka ngo-1919? (Bheka nebhokisi elithi “‘Amathambo Omile’ ‘Nofakazi Ababili’—Kuhlobana Kanjani?”)

¹⁴ Le ngxenye yesiprofetho sikaHezekeli yagcwaliseka kanjani ngezinga elikhulu? Njengoba uJehova embulela uHezekeli esiprofethweni esihlobene nalesi, ukugcwaliseka okukhulu kwalesi siprofetho kwakuyokwenzeka ngemva kwesikhathi esithile uDavide Omkhulu, uJesu Kristu, eqale ukuba iNkosi ebusayo.b (Hez. 37:24) Futhi ngempela ngo-1919, uJehova wafaka umoya wakhe kubantu bakhe. Ngemva kwalokho ‘baphila’ futhi bakhululwa ekuthunjweni yiBhabhiloni Elikhulu. (Isaya 66:8) Ngemva kwalokho uJehova wabavumela ukuba bahlale ‘ezweni’ labo, okuwukuthi, epharadesi elingokomfanekiso. Nokho, kwenzeke kanjani ukuba abantu bakaJehova namuhla babe “ibutho elikhulu”?

15, 16. (a) Kwenzeke kanjani ukuba namuhla abantu bakaJehova babe “ibutho elikhulu”? (b) Lesi siprofetho sikaHezekeli sisisiza kanjani ukuba sibhekane nezimo ezinzima ekuphileni? (Bheka ibhokisi elithi, “Ukusizwa Ukuba Siphinde Sime Ngezinyawo.”)

¹⁵ Kungakapheli isikhathi eside uKristu ebeke inceku ethembekile ngo-1919, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zaqala ukubona lokho uZakariya, umprofethi owayekhonza phakathi kwababedingisiwe ababuya, ayekubikezele lapho ethi: “Kuyofika abantu abaningi nezizwe ezinamandla zizofuna uJehova.” Lo mprofethi wachaza laba bantu abafuna uJehova ngokuthi “amadoda ayishumi avela kuzo zonke izilimi zezizwe.” La madoda ayeyobamba ‘umJuda’ noma u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu, athi: “Sifuna ukuhamba nani, ngoba sizwile ukuthi uNkulunkulu unani.”—Zak. 8:20-23.

¹⁶ Namuhla, labo abakha u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu (abasele abagcotshiwe) ‘namadoda ayishumi’ (ezinye izimvu) ngempela sebebonke bakha “ibutho elikhulu kakhulu” elibalelwa ezigidini. (Hez. 37:10) Njengoba singamasosha kaKristu kuleli butho elandayo, silandela eduze iNkosi yethu uJesu, siqonde ezibusisweni ezisilindele.—IHu. 37:29; Hez. 37:24; Fil. 2:25; 1 Thes. 4:16, 17.

• 

  “Baqala ukuphila bama ngezinyawo”

  Lapho abantu bakaJehova “sebephila” ngo-1919, bashumayela ngamandla

¹² Kamuva, lapho uCharles T. Russell nabangane bakhe beqala ukusebenza ngentshiseko ukuze bakhanyise amaqiniso eBhayibheli kwaba njengokungathi “imisipha nenyama” kwemboza amathambo. I-Zion’s Watch Tower nezinye izincwadi kwasiza abantu ababefuna ukwazi ngempela ngoNkulunkulu ukuba bathole amaqiniso ngaye, okwabashukumisela ukuba bazihlanganise nezinceku zakhe ezigcotshiwe. Ekuqaleni kweminyaka yawo-1900, abantu bakaNkulunkulu abagcotshiwe bakhuthazeka nakakhulu lapho kuphuma “iPhoto-Drama of Creation” nencwadi ethi, The Finished Mystery. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, kwafika isikhathi sokuba uNkulunkulu enze abantu bakhe ‘bame ngezinyawo.’ (Hez. 37:10) Kwenzeka nini futhi kanjani lokho? Lokho okwenzeka eBhabhiloni lasendulo kuyasisiza siphendule lowo mbuzo.

13. (a) Kusukela ngo-537 B.C.E., amazwi akuHezekeli 37:10, 14 agcwaliseka kanjani? (b) Yimiphi imiBhalo ebonisa ukuthi abanye babantu bombuso wezizwe eziyishumi babuyela kwa-Israyeli?

¹³ Kusukela ekuqaleni kuka-537 B.C.E., amaJuda ayeseBhabhiloni abona ukugcwaliseka kwalo mbono. Kanjani? UJehova wawenza aphila, wawenza “ama ngezinyawo” ngokuwakhulula ekuthunjweni nangokuwabuyisela kwa-Israyeli. Ama-Israyeli angu-42 360 nabangewona ama-Israyeli abangaba ngu-7 000 basuka eBhabhiloni bayokwakha kabusha iJerusalema nethempeli lalo futhi bahlala kwa-Israyeli. (Ezra 1:1-4; 2:64, 65; Hez. 37:14) Kwathi ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-70, abadingisiwe abangaba ngu-1 750 bahamba no-Ezra lapho ebuyela eJerusalema. (Ezra 8:1-20) Ngakho esewonke amaJuda abuyela eJerusalema ayengaphezu kuka-44 000—ngempela ‘ayeyibutho elikhulu.’ (Hez. 37:10) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iZwi likaNkulunkulu libonisa ukuthi abantu bombuso wezizwe eziyishumi, okhokho babo ababekade bedingiswe abase-Asiriya phakathi nekhulu lika-8 B.C.E., nabo babuyela kwa-Israyeli beyosiza ekwakheni kabusha ithempeli.—1 IziKr. 9:3; Ezra 6:17; Jer. 33:7; Hez. 36:10.

14. (a) Amazwi akuHezekeli 37:24 asisiza kanjani sibone isikhathi sokugcwaliseka okukhulu kwalesi siprofetho? (b) Yini eyenzeka ngo-1919? (Bheka nebhokisi elithi “‘Amathambo Omile’ ‘Nofakazi Ababili’—Kuhlobana Kanjani?”)

¹⁴ Le ngxenye yesiprofetho sikaHezekeli yagcwaliseka kanjani ngezinga elikhulu? Njengoba uJehova embulela uHezekeli esiprofethweni esihlobene nalesi, ukugcwaliseka okukhulu kwalesi siprofetho kwakuyokwenzeka ngemva kwesikhathi esithile uDavide Omkhulu, uJesu Kristu, eqale ukuba iNkosi ebusayo.b (Hez. 37:24) Futhi ngempela ngo-1919, uJehova wafaka umoya wakhe kubantu bakhe. Ngemva kwalokho ‘baphila’ futhi bakhululwa ekuthunjweni yiBhabhiloni Elikhulu. (Isaya 66:8) Ngemva kwalokho uJehova wabavumela ukuba bahlale ‘ezweni’ labo, okuwukuthi, epharadesi elingokomfanekiso. Nokho, kwenzeke kanjani ukuba abantu bakaJehova namuhla babe “ibutho elikhulu”?

15, 16. (a) Kwenzeke kanjani ukuba namuhla abantu bakaJehova babe “ibutho elikhulu”? (b) Lesi siprofetho sikaHezekeli sisisiza kanjani ukuba sibhekane nezimo ezinzima ekuphileni? (Bheka ibhokisi elithi, “Ukusizwa Ukuba Siphinde Sime Ngezinyawo.”)

¹⁵ Kungakapheli isikhathi eside uKristu ebeke inceku ethembekile ngo-1919, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zaqala ukubona lokho uZakariya, umprofethi owayekhonza phakathi kwababedingisiwe ababuya, ayekubikezele lapho ethi: “Kuyofika abantu abaningi nezizwe ezinamandla zizofuna uJehova.” Lo mprofethi wachaza laba bantu abafuna uJehova ngokuthi “amadoda ayishumi avela kuzo zonke izilimi zezizwe.” La madoda ayeyobamba ‘umJuda’ noma u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu, athi: “Sifuna ukuhamba nani, ngoba sizwile ukuthi uNkulunkulu unani.”—Zak. 8:20-23.

¹⁶ Namuhla, labo abakha u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu (abasele abagcotshiwe) ‘namadoda ayishumi’ (ezinye izimvu) ngempela sebebonke bakha “ibutho elikhulu kakhulu” elibalelwa ezigidini. (Hez. 37:10) Njengoba singamasosha kaKristu kuleli butho elandayo, silandela eduze iNkosi yethu uJesu, siqonde ezibusisweni ezisilindele.—IHu. 37:29; Hez. 37:24; Fil. 2:25; 1 Thes. 4:16, 17.