Kungani Sithi U-1919?

Isiprofetho seBhayibheli kanye nomlando kubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi uJesu waqala ukubusa njengeNkosi ezulwini ngo-1914, okwaba uphawu lokuqala kwezinsuku zokugcina zesimiso sikaSathane la emhlabeni. Yini uJesu ayenza lapho eba iNkosi? Ingabe wazikhulula ngokushesha izinceku zakhe zasemhlabeni ekugqilazweni iBhabhiloni Elikhulu? Ingabe wabeka ‘inceku yakhe ethembekile neqondayo’ ngo-1914 futhi waqala umsebenzi omkhulu wokuvuna?—Math. 24:45.

Ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi akubanga njalo. Khumbula, umphostoli uPetru waphefumulelwa ukuba abhale ukuthi ukwahlulela ‘kwakuyoqala endlini kaNkulunkulu.’ (1 Pet. 4:17) Umprofethi uMalaki naye wabikezela isikhathi uJehova ayeyofika ngaso ethempelini lakhe ehamba “nesithunywa sesivumelwano,” iNdodana kaNkulunkulu. (Mal. 3:1-5) Leso sikhathi sasiyoba inkathi yokucwenga neyokuvivinya. Ingabe umlando uyavumelana nalezo ziprofetho?

Impela! Inkathi yango-1914 kuya ekuqaleni kuka-1919 yayiyisikhathi sokuvivinywa nokucwengwa kwabaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi. Ngo-1914 abantu bakaNkulunkulu abaningi emhlabeni badumala lapho ukuphela kwalesi simiso kungafiki njengoba babelindele. Badumala nakakhulu ngo-1916 lapho kushona uCharles T. Russell, owayehola abantu bakaNkulunkulu ngentshiseko. Abanye ababemthanda ngokweqile uMfoweth’ uRussell abazange bathande lapho sekuhola uJoseph F. Rutherford, owalandela uRussell. Abantu bahlukana baba amaqembu, kwashuba impela nje, inhlangano yaze yacishe yaphela ngo-1917. Kwathi ngo-1918, ngenxa yethonya labefundisi, uMfoweth’ uRutherford nabanye ayekanye nabo abayisikhombisa, babekwa icala, bagwetshwa ngokungafanele, baboshwa. Indlunkulu eyayiseBrooklyn yavalwa. Kusobala ukuthi abantu bakaNkulunkulu babengakakhululwa ekuthunjweni iBhabhiloni Elikhulu!

Nokho, yini eyenzeka ngo-1919? Phela izinto zashintsha ngokukhulu ukushesha! Ngasekuqaleni kwalowo nyaka, uRutherford nayekanye nabo badedelwa ejele. Babe sebehlala phezu komsebenzi! Ngesikhashana nje, kwahlelwa ukuba kube nomhlangano oyingqophamlando, kwahlelwa nokuba kukhishwe umagazini omusha owawubizwa ngokuthi i-Golden Age, (manje obizwa ngokuthi i-Phaphama!) Lo magazini omusha wawenzelwe imikhankaso yokushumayela obala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ebandleni ngalinye kwamiswa umbonisi ukuze ahlele futhi akhuthaze ukuba kwenziwe umsebenzi wokushumayela. Ngawo lowo nyaka, kwakhishwa i-Bulletin (manje ebizwa ngokuthi INcwajana YoMhlangano Wokuphila KobuKristu Nenkonzo Yethu) ukuze isize ekuhleleni umsebenzi wokushumayela.

Kwase kwenzekeni? Ngokusobala uKristu wayesebakhululile abantu bakhe ekuthunjweni iBhabhiloni Elikhulu. Wayemise inceku yakhe ethembekile neqondayo. Umsebenzi wokuvuna wawuqhubeka. Kusukela ngalowo nyaka obalulekile ka-1919, umsebenzi uye waqhubekela phambili ngezinga elimangalisayo.