Izinsuku Zokugcina—Yini Ezolandela?

“Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lesisizukulwane asiyikudlula kungakenzeki konke lokhu.”—Kusho uJesu Kristu, kuMathewu 24:34.

UJESU, lapho echaza “isibonakaliso . . . sokuphela kwesimiso sezinto,” washo lamazwi acashunwe ngenhla kubafundi bakhe abamangele. (Mathewu 24:3) Yini ngempela eyayishiwo uJesu ngegama elithi “isizukulwane”? Futhi yiziphi izenzakalo ezaziyoholela ekupheleni kwalesimiso sezinto? Ngamanye amazwi, yiziphi izenzakalo okumelwe ngabe siyazilindela esikhathini esizayo esiseduze?

Isizukulwane Singahlala Isikhathi Eside Kangakanani?

IThe American Legion Magazine yaveza ukuthi amadoda nabesifazane baseU.S. abayizi-4 743 826 baye bahlanganyela eMpini Yezwe I. Kodwa ngo-1984 kwakusele abayizi-272 000 kuphela abaphilayo, futhi babefa ngokwesilinganiso sabayisishiyagalolunye ihora ngalinye. Khona-ke, ingabe lokho kusho ukuthi isizukulwane sika-1914 sesinyamalele kakade?

Igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi isizukulwane lingugeneá, elasetshenziswa uMathewu, uMarku, noLuka ekulandiseni kwabo ngamazwi kaJesu. Lingasebenza ngokuhlukile kuye ngokomongo wendaba. Nokho, IThe New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology ilichaza ngokuthi: “Labo abazalwa ngesikhathi esifanayo . . . Okuhambisana nalokhu incazelo ethi: iqembu lontanga, unyaka wobudala.” IA Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament ithi: “Ingqikithi isiyonke yalabo abazalwa ngasikhathi sinye, esinwetshiwe ukuba sihlanganise bonke abaphila esikhathini esithile sesizukulwane, ontanga.” Lezincazelo zihlanganisa bonke labo abazalwa ngesikhathi sesenzakalo esithile esingokomlando nabo bonke ababephila ngalesosikhathi.

UJ. A. Bengel kweyakhe iNew Testament Word Studies uthi: “AmaHeberu . . . ayeqaphela iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu njengesizukulwane esisodwa, namazwi athi, asiyikudlula, asikisela ukuthi ingxenye enkulu yalesosizukulwane [sosuku lukaJesu], kodwa hhayi sonke ngempela, sasiyodlula ngaphambi kokuba konke kugcwaliseke.” Lokhu kwaba yiqiniso ngonyaka ka-70 C.E. lapho iJerusalema libhujiswa.

Ngokufanayo namuhla, iningi lesizukulwane sika-1914 sesidlulile. Nokho, kusenezigidi emhlabeni zalabo abazalwe ngalowonyaka noma ngaphambi kwawo. Futhi nakuba inani labo lincipha, amazwi kaJesu azoba yiqiniso, “lesisizukulwane asiyikudlula kungakenzeki konke lokhu.” Lesi kusengesinye isizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi usuku lukaJehova olunjengesela luseduze. Ngakho, iziphi izenzakalo amaKristu aqaphile okumelwe azilindele?

Ingabe “Ukuthula Nokulondeka” Kuzofika Ngokushesha?

“Nina uqobo niyazi kahle ukuthi usuku lweNkosi luza njengesela ebusuku. Nxa bethi: ‘Ngukuthula nokuhlala kahle,’ khona ukubhujiswa kuyabazuma.”—1 Thesalonika 5:2, 3.

Kusukela ekupheleni kweMpi Yezwe II ngo-1945, isintu siye santengantenga onqenqemeni lwempi njengoba imibuso emibili ebangayo, iUnited States neSoviet Union, iye yaphikisana. Inhlekelele yaseCuba yezikhali ezitshuzayo yango-1962 yayiwukushayisana okuqondile okuyingozi. Kodwa iSoviet Union yahoxisa izikhali zayo ezitshuzayo eCuba, neUnited States yazihoxisa ngesinyenyela izikhali zayo ezitshuzayo eTurkey. Lokhu kwakumane nje kuwukubonakaliswa okukodwa kokuningi kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi.

Ukuncishiswa kwezikhali bekulokhu kuyisihloko senkulumo-mpikiswano emashumini amaningi eminyaka futhi siye saphetha ngokuvamile njengokukhuluma ngenkulumo-ze kwalawomazwe amabili. Manje, ezinyangeni zokugcina zenkathi kaReagan yokuba uMongameli kanye nokuxegisa izintambo zomthetho kwesimiso seglasnost (sokungafihli) sikaNobhala uGorbachev, kubonakala kunenkulumo engathi sína ngokunciphisa izikhali zenuzi. Ukuthi lokhu kuyisandulela sokulethela umhlaba wonke ukuthula nokulondeka okulindelwe noma cha, asinakukubona kusengaphambili. Kodwa ngokwesiprofetho seBhayibheli, yilokho amaKristu akulindele. Lapho kwenzeka, yini ezolandela?

Abafundi beBhayibheli abaqaphelayo ngeke bakhohliseke “nxa bethi: Ngukuthula nokuhlala kahle!”—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kuvela eZizweni Ezihlangene noma emibusweni emikhulu ngokwayo. iBhayibheli libonisa ngokukhanyayo ukuthi ukuthula kweqiniso nokulondeka kungavela kuphela ekubuseni kokulunga, uhulumeni woMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngoKristu.

Ngalesosizathu isimemezelo esibalulekile sesikhathi esizayo somhlaba wonke sokuthula nokulondeka esenziwa ababusi bezwe siyoba uphawu lokuba uNkulunkulu athathe isinyathelo, “njengesela ebusuku,” emangaza izwe elingakholwa. Yebo, khona-ke ‘imbubhiso ezumayo’ iyokwehlakalela imibuso engokwamasonto nengokwezombangazwe eye yagcona uJehova nofakazi bakhe. Sikwazi kanjani lokhu?

Isinyathelo Esiwujuqu Somgibeli Wehhashi Elimhlophe

Njengoba sibuyela embonweni wabagibeli bamahhashi abane besAmbulo, kunomgibeli oyedwa esingambalanga—owokuqala, ogibele ihhashi elimhlophe. Umlobi weBhayibheli uyamchaza: “Ngabona, bheka, nanto ihashi elimhlophe, nohlezi phezu kwalo ephethe unsalo wanikwa imiqhele, waphuma engonqobayo nokuyakunqoba.” Yilomuntu ofanayo ochazwa esahlukweni 19 sesAmbulo: “Bheka, nanto ihashi elimhlophe nohlezi phezu kwalo obizwa ngokuthi oThembekileyo noQinisileyo; uyahlulela, alwe ngokulunga . . . Emlonyeni wakhe kwaphuma inkemba ebukhali, ukuze ashaye izizwe ngayo; yena uyakuzibusa ngentonga yensimbi.” Futhi ungubani lomuntu? Ukulandisa okufanayo kusitshela ukuthi unegama elilotshiwe, “INKOSI YAMAKHOSI NOMBUSI WABABUSI.” UyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu evusiwe, uKristu Jesu.—IsAmbulo 6:2; 19:11-16.

Khona-ke, isiphi isinyathelo esiyothathwa ‘yileNkosi yamakhosi?’ Kufinyelelwa enkathini lapho “inkosi yasenyakatho” (obanomqondo omelene nesimiso sokuzisebenzela) ‘nenkosi yaseningizimu’ (izizwe zesimiso sokuzisebenzela eziphansi kwesivikelo seUnited States), aqokonyiswe kuDaniyeli isahluko 11, ebambeka khona. (Njengoba uDaniyeli 11:40 abikezela, “inkosi yasenyakatho” kakade isisakazekele emazweni amaningi, ngokukhethekile kusukela ngo-1945.)a

Ngakho, ikuphi okunye okumelwe kwenzeke ngaphambi kokungenela kukaNkulunkulu okuwujuqu kokuba aqede lesimiso esikhona sezinto?

Isiprofetho seBhayibheli sibonisa ukuthi ngenkathi ethile amazwe amakhulu ezombangazwe anombango eZizwe Ezihlangene ayophendukela izinkolo zezwe ezigaxekayo futhi aziveze obala, abhubhise amandla nokulawula kwazo abantu abakholelwa ezeni.—IsAmbulo 17:16, 17.b

Lembubhiso yezinkolo zezwe zamanga akungabazeki ukuthi iyolandelwa ukuhlaselwa koFakazi BakaJehova. Lokhu ngokulandelayo kuyoqalisa ukuhlasela kokuziphindisela kweNkosi kaJehova, uMgibeli wehhashi elimhlophe. (Hezekeli 38:10-12, 21-23) Futhi uDaniyeli 2:44 uthini ngomphumela? “Ezinsukwini zalawomakhosi [imibuso yezombangazwe yanamuhla] uNkulunkulu wasezulwini uyakumisa umbuso ongasoze wachithwa . . . uyakuchoboza, uqede yonke lemibuso, wona uqobo ume phakade.” Yebo, impi kaNkulunkulu yeHarmagedoni ngokumelene namazwe abonakalayo kaSathane ezombangazwe iyophumela ekunqobeni ngokuphelele kukaJehova neNkosi yakhe yamakhosi.—IsAmbulo 16:14-16; 19:17-21.

Yini eyolandela? Phela, isifiso sesikhathi eside samaKristu athanda ukuthula futhi asaba uNkulunkulu—ukuBusa Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane kukahulumeni woMbuso kaNkulunkulu phezu kwesintu esilalelayo! Khona-ke izithembiso ezikhazimulayo ezikusAmbulo 21:3, 4 ziyogcwaliseka: “Bheka, itabernakele likaNkulunkulu likubantu, uyakuhlala nabo, babe-ngabantu bakhe, yena uNkulunkulu abe-nabo, azesule izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikuba-khona; nokudabuka, nokukhala, nobuhlungu akusayikuba-khona; ngokuba okokuqala kudlulile.”

Uma uthanda ukuthola ukwaziswa okwengeziwe ngaleziprofetho zeBhayibheli eziphawulekayo nangokuthi zisho ukuthini ngathi ngabanye, siza uthintane noFakazi BakaJehova endaweni yakini noma ubhalele abashicileli balomagazini ezweni lakini.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 14]

Isizukulwane—“Ingqikithi isiyonke yalabo abazalwa ngasikhathi sinye, esinwetshiwe ukuba sihlanganise bonke labo abaphila esikhathini esithile.”—“A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament”

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 16]

Isiprofetho seBhayibheli sibonisa ukuthi amazwe anombango ezombangazwe Ezizwe Ezihlangene ayophendukela izinkolo zezwe ezizigaxayo

Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Ngemva kweHarmagedoni, emhlabeni kaNkulunkulu omusha wokuthula nokulunga, ‘okokuqala kuyobe sekudlulile.’—IsAmbulo 21:3, 4