Usuku Lokwahlulela—Isikhathi Sethemba!

UMA umqondo wosuku lokwahlulela ukwesabisa, kungani ungazihloleli lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngalo? Ngokwesibonelo, ingabe kuyiqiniso ukuthi lapho uNkulunkulu ahlulela izoni, ziphonswa esihogweni somlilo?

Nokho, isenzakalo sokuqala esilotshiwe sesahlulelo saphezulu senzeka khona kanye ekuqaleni komlando wesintu. UAdamu noEva babenethuba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi. (Genesise 1:26-28; 2:7-9, 15-25) Nokho, bona futhi baba ngaphansi kwesahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu esibuhlungu. Waba yini umphumela? UNkulunkulu wasihoxisa isipho sokuphila. Ngamanye amazwi, bafa. UNkulunkulu wabatshela: “Ngesithukuthuku sobuso bakho uyakudla isinkwa sakho, uze ubuyele emhlabathini, lokhu wathathwa kuwo; ngokuba ungumhlabathi, uyakuphenduka umhlabathi.”—Genesise 3:16-19.

Lesi kwakuyisahlulelo esinzima, kodwa sasilungile. Futhi ngokuqinisekile sasingasihileli isihogo somlilo. Lapho uAdamu noEva befa, babuyela othulini. Abazange besaba-khona. Akukho lapho iBhayibheli lisikisela khona ukuthi ingxenye ka-Adamu noma eyanoma yimuphi umuntu yasinda ekufeni ukuze ihlushwe kwenye indawo kuze kube phakade. Kunalokho, siyafunda: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa, kepha abafileyo abazi-lutho.”—UmShumayeli 9:5.

Ingabe bewazi ukuthi iBhayibheli liyakusho lokhu? Futhi, ingabe bewazi ukuthi iBhayibheli alilokothi liwasebenzise amazwi athi “umphefumulo ongafi”? Kunalokho, lithi: “Umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.” (Hezekeli 18:4) Lokhu kuvumelana ngokugcwele nesimiso seBhayibheli esithi: “Inkokhelo yesono ingukufa.” (Roma 6:23) Lomthetho usithinta sonke. Sonke siyinzalo ka-Adamu onesono, ngakho sonke siyona futhi sithole inkokhelo yesono, ukufa. Njengoba iBhayibheli lisho: “Isono sangena ezweni ngamuntu-munye, nangesono kwangena ukufa, ngokunjalo ukufa kwafikela abantu bonke, lokhu bonke bonile.” (Roma 5:12) USuku Lokwahlulela luyingxenye eyisihluthulelo yelungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lokusikhulula kulesimo.

Isisekelo SoSuku Lokwahlulela

NgokweBhayibheli, cishe kwakuseminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule lapho uNkulunkulu abeka khona isisekelo salokho okuyokwenzeka ngoSuku Lokwahlulela. Lokhu kwakungenkathi uJesu eza emhlabeni futhi enikela ngokuphila kwakhe kobuntu okuphelele ngenxa yethu. UJesu ngokwakhe wachaza: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 3:16.

Uma siba nokholo kuJesu, siyazuza emhlatshelweni wakhe ngisho namanje ngendlela engokomoya. UNkulunkulu uthethelela izono zethu futhi asivumele ukuba sisondele kuye. (Johane 14:6; 1 Johane 2:1, 2) Kodwa sisengabangaphelele, izoni, futhi ngaleyondlela sisagula ngokwenyama futhi ekugcineni siyafa. Asikabi nakho okwamanje ukuphila okuphakade okwathenjiswa uJesu. Lokhu kuyofika ngenxa yoSuku Lokwahlulela.

USuku Lokwahlulela

Umphostoli uJohane wabona umbono woSuku Lokwahlulela, futhi waluchaza ngalendlela elandelayo: “Ngase ngibona isihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu nohlezi kuso, obuso bakhe babalekelwa yizulu nomhlaba, akutholelwanga indawo. Ngabona abafileyo, abakhulu nabancane, bemi phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi; izincwadi zavulwa; nenye incwadi yavulwa, ngeyokuphila; nabafileyo bahlulelwa ngalokho okulotshiwe ezincwadini njengokwemisebenzi yabo.”—IsAmbulo 20:11, 12.

Yebo, ngokombono kaJohane, uSuku Lokwahlulela luyokwenganyelwa uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe. Kodwa kunothile futhi ohilelekile. Umphostoli uPawulu wachaza: “[UNkulunkulu] umisile usuku azakwahlulela ngalo izwe ngokulunga ngomuntu ammisele lokho.” (IzEnzo 17:31) Wayengubani lowomuntu? UJesu, ngokwakhe owathi: ‘UYise kahluleli-muntu; ukuniké iNdodana konke ukwahlulela.’ (Johane 5:22) Ngakho-ke uJesu uyoba uMahluleli kaNkulunkulu omisiwe ngoSuku Lokwahlulela.

Lokhu kuyizindaba ezinhle ngabantu. AmaVangeli embula ukuthi uJesu wayengumuntu onesihawu esikhulu. Akayena oqhoshayo noma ofuna ngenkani kodwa ‘umnene, uthobile ngenhliziyo.’ (Mathewu 11:29; 14:14; 20:34) Siyajabula ngokuba ngaphansi kokunakekela kukamahluleli onjalo.

Luyofika Nini?

Nokho, lunini uSuku Lokwahlulela? IsAmbulo sithi luyofika lapho ‘izulu nomhlaba sekubalekile.’ Lokhu kusikhumbuza amazwi omphostoli uPetru: “Izulu nomhlaba okukhona manje kubekelelwe umlilo ngalo lona lelizwi, kulindele usuku lokwahlulela nolokubhubha kwabantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu.” (2 Petru 3:7) Ingabe umhlaba ongokoqobo uyoshiswa? Cha, iBhayibheli licacile kuleliphuzu. Umhlaba ongokoqobo awusoze wabhujiswa. “Umhlaba . . . [awuyikuzanyazanyiswa] kuze kube-phakade naphakade.” (IHubo 104:5) Umongo wamazwi kaPetru ubonisa ukuthi isimiso sezinto sezwe lamanje elingamesabi uNkulunkulu esiyobhujiswa. Abantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu abayobhujiswa, akuyona iplanethi ewuMhlaba.—Johane 12:31; 14:30; 1 Johane 5:19.

Labantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu bayobhujiswa kulokho iBhayibheli elikubiza ngokuthi impi yeArmagedoni—leyo, njengoba lomagazini uye wabonisa kaningi, ezoba khona ngokushesha. (IsAmbulo 16:14, 16) Ngemva kwalokho, uSathane ngokwakhe uyophonswa kwalasha futhi avinjelwe ekuphazamiseni isintu iminyaka eyinkulungwane, futhi leminyaka eyinkulungwane iyiso kanye isikhathi uSuku Lokwahlulela oluyosithatha. (IsAmbulo 19:17–20:3) Kwenzekani kwabathembekile lapho abantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu bebhujiswa ngeArmagedoni? Bayosindela ngokuqondile oSukwini Lokwahlulela. Siyafunda: ‘Abapheleleyo bayakusala emhlabeni. Kepha ababi bayakunqunywa ezweni.’—IzAga 2:21, 22.

Lapho lifakazela lokhu, iBhayibheli lilandisa ‘ngesixuku esikhulu ebesingenakubalwa-muntu, esivela kuzo zonke izizwe, nemindeni, nabantu, nezilimi’ esasiyovela emhlabeni ngaphambi kweArmagedoni. Laba “baphuma osizini olukhulu”; ngamanye amazwi, bayasinda ekupheleni kwalelizwe elingamesabi uNkulunkulu njengoba nje noNowa asinda ekupheleni kwezwe langosuku lwakhe. (IsAmbulo 7:9-17; 2 Petru 2:5) Ingabe bewazi ukuthi lesixuku esikhulu sezizwe zonke samaKristu akhuthele sikhona ngisho kwamanje? Lesi sinethemba lokusinda osizini olukhulu futhi siphile phakade emhlabeni. Ukuba khona kwaso kuwubufakazi obuqinisekile bokuba seduze koSuku Lokwahlulela.

Obani Abayokwahlulelwa?

Lesixuku esikhulu siyokwahlulelwa ngoSuku Lokwahlulela. Kodwa siyobe singesodwa. Ukulandisa kukaJohane kuyaqhubeka: ‘Ulwandle lwakhipha abafileyo ababekulo; nokufa nesihogo kwakhulula abafileyo ababekukho: futhi bahlulelwa kwaba yilowo nalowomuntu njengokwemisebenzi yakhe.’ (IsAmbulo 20:13, KJ) Lapha kunobufakazi obengeziwe bokuthi abantu abahlushwa phakade esihogweni. Uma isihogo sikhipha labo abafileyo abakuso, kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi kube nabathile kusona kuze kube-phakade? Eqinisweni, isihogo seBhayibheli siyithuna elivamile lesintu, lapho abafileyo behlala khona bengezwa lutho belindele uvuko. NgoSuku Lokwahlulela, abafileyo bayokhishwa ngokuphelele esihogweni.—UmShumayeli 9:10.

Obani abayovuswa kwabafileyo ngoSuku Lokwahlulela? Umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Kuyakuba-khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungile nokwabangalungile.” (IzEnzo 24:15) Ngaleyondlela, izinceku ezithembekile zikaNkulunkulu, “abalungile,” ziyovuswa. Kodwa kungokufanayo nangabanye abangenakubalwa, “abangalungile.” Ngokusobala, uvuko luyohlanganisa bonke labo abaye bafa futhi abasesethuneni—ngaphandle kwanoma yibaphi abazono zabo zazingezingathi sína kangangokuba uNkulunkulu useye wabahlulela kakade njengabangakufanelekele ngokuphelele ukuphila.—Mathewu 12:31.

Ukwahlulela

Nokho, kwenzekani esixukwini esikhulu sabasindayo nabavusiwe ngoSuku Lokwahlulela? IBhayibheli lithi: “Abafileyo bahlulelwa ngalokho okulotshiwe ezincwadini njengokwemisebenzi yabo.” Lesi isikhathi sokuhlolwa. Bonke abazimisele ukwenza ngokuvumelana ‘nalokho okulotshwe ezincwadini’—ngokusobala izimfuneko uNkulunkulu ayozinika isintu ngalesosikhathi—bayobhalwa ‘encwadini yokuphila.’ (IsAmbulo 20:12) Bayoba sendleleni eya ekuzuzeni ukuphila okuphakade!

Khona-ke, ekugcineni, ukufa kukaKristu komhlatshelo kuyoletha izinzuzo ezingokwenyama! Labo abalotshiwe encwadini yokuphila ngalesosikhathi abasayikuwohlokela esimweni sokugula nokufa. Kunalokho, kancane kancane bayobuyiselwa ekupheleleni kobuntu, benokuphila okuphakade okwathenjiswa labo ababonakalisa ukholo kuJesu. Yeka ithemba elimangalisayo! Nokho, abanye ngokusobala bayokwenqaba ukulalela ‘lokho okulotshiwe ezincwadini.’ Kwenzekani kubo? Abakuzuzi ukuphila okuphakade. Kunalokho, umbhalo uthi: “Uma ekhona ongafunyaniswanga elotshiwe encwadini yokuphila, waphonswa echibini lomlilo.”—IsAmbulo 20:15.

Ingabe lesi isihogo somlilo eLobukholwa elikhuluma ngaso? Cha, ngoba evesini elandulelayo, siyafunda: “Ukufa nesihogo kwaphonswa echibini lomlilo. Lokhu kungukufa kwesibili.” (IsAmbulo 20:14, KJ) Uma isihogo siphonswa echibini lomlilo, lelichibi alinakukwazi ukuthi lona ngokwalo libe isihogo somlilo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukufa akuyona into ephathekayo engathathwa futhi iphonswe kwenye indawo. Ngakho ichibi lomlilo kumelwe ukuba lingokomfanekiso. Lifanekiselani? IBhayibheli lithi: “Lokhu kungukufa kwesibili.” Lapho ukufa neHayidese kuphonswa echibini lomlilo, ‘kuyafa,’ akube kusaba khona. Ngokufanayo, abantu abahlubukayo abagcina lapho bayafa, noma ababe besaba khona. Nokho, lokhu kungukufa kwesibili, okungenalo ithemba lovuko.

USuku Lokwahlulela—Isikhathi Sethemba

Ngakho lapho sicabanga ngoSuku Lokwahlulela, akufanele sesabe noma sikhungatheke. USuku Lokwahlulela luyisikhathi sethemba, isikhathi sokubuyisela esintwini ukuphila okuphakade okwalahlwa uAdamu. Lalela izibusiso oluyozilethela labo abahlulelwa njengabathembekile: “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.”—IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

Ekupheleni koSuku Lokwahlulela lweminyaka eyinkulungwane, abantu abathembekile abavela kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba bayobe sebephelele ekugcineni. ‘Bayophila’ ngomqondo ogcwele, futhi uSuku Lokwahlulela luyobe luyifezile injongo yalo. (IsAmbulo 20:5) Khona-ke, iBhayibheli lithi, uSathane uyovunyelwa ukuba afinyelele esintwini ngokokugcina. (IsAmbulo 20:3, 7-10) Labo abamelanayo naye kulesikhathi sokugcina bayojabulela ukugcwaliseka okuphelele kwesithembiso seBhayibheli: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.”—IHubo 37:29.

Yeka ilungiselelo elingamalisayo uSuku Lokwahlulela oluyilo! Futhi yeka ukuthi kungokuphawuleka kanjani ukuthi singalulungiselela ngisho kwamanje, ngokutadisha iBhayibheli, sifunde intando kaNkulunkulu, futhi sisebenzise lentando yaphezulu ekuphileni kwethu! Yingakho umhubi azwakalisa injabulo lapho ecabanga ngesahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu lapho ebhala: “Malijabule izulu, umhlaba uthokoze; maluhlokome ulwandle nokugcwala kwalo. Mawename amasimu nakho konke okukuwo, ijabule imithi yonke yehlathi ebusweni bukaJehova, ngokuba uyeza, yebo, uyeza ukwahlulela umhlaba.”—IHubo 96:11-13.