Manje, esizukulwaneni sethu, wonke umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga ubhekene ubuso nobuso nenhlekelele. “Izimpi” ziyaphinda zilungiselela ukukhipha isahlulelo saphezulu. Njengamabutho amaRoma ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka ayehlelelwe ukugcina iPax Romana (Ukuthula KwaseRoma,) amabutho akanisile anamuhla nawo ayithuluzi lokugcina ukuthula. Isiprofetho seBhayibheli sibonisa ukuthi amabutho ahlomile phakathi kwezizwe ezingamalungu eUN ayoba yithuluzi likaJehova ekulungiseni izindaba ekugcineni neJerusalema losuku lwanamuhla, eLobukholwa, kanye nalo lonke iBabiloni Elikhulu.—IsAmbulo 17:7, 16.

Kuyokwenzeka nini lokhu? EyokuQala kwabaseThesalonika 5:3 iyaphendula: “Nxa bethi: Ngukuthula nokuhlala kahle, khona ukubhujiswa kuyabazuma njengemihelo ifikela okhulelweyo, abasoze baphunyuka.”

“lnkathi Yokumenyezelwa Kokuthula”

Ngo-1988 owayengunobhala kahulumeni waseU.S. uGeorge Schultz wathi “ukuthula kuvumbuka yonke indawo.” Uchwepheshe wezindaba zangaphandle wakhuluma “ngenkathi yokumenyezelwa kokuthula.” Iphephandaba lamasonto onke elihlonishwayo laseJalimane iZeit labuza: “Kungenzeka yini, ekhulwini leminyaka eligcwele izinhlekelele kangaka, ukuthi ishumi lokugcina lalo leminyaka liphawule ukuphela kwencithakalo nokuqala kwenkathi yohlelo olunokuthula?” Futhi umagazini iTime wathi: “Ukuthula kusongela i-Iran neIraq, iKampuchea, iAfghanistan, iAfrika eseningizimu ngisho neMelika Ephakathi.”

Unyaka ka-1989, manje ofinyelela ekupheleni, nawo uye waba unyaka ogcwele izinkulumo zokuthula. NgoFebruary iphephandaba laseJalimane iSuddeutsche Zeitung laphawula: “Kusukela cishe ngo-1985 besiphila enkathini lapho imibuso enamandla iye yenza khona okungaphezu nje kokumane isonge izidladla zayo. . . . Namuhla cishe akukho ndawo emhlabeni lapho imibuso emibili enamandla ingahlangani khona. . . . Noma kunjalo, akukaze ngaphambili kubikezelwe ukuvumelana kahle kangaka, izinhlangothi zombili zizimisele kangaka, futhi kuthathwe izinyathelo eziningi kangaka ngesikhathi esifanayo ekufinyeleleni umgomo oqondile.”

Muva nje eminyakeni eyisithupha edlule, izinto zazingabonakali zicace kangako. Umcosheli wezindaba uRoy Larson waphawula ukuthi “kuwo wonke u-1983 abaholi benkolo emhlabeni wonke babememeza bethi ‘ukuthula, ukuthula,’ kodwa akubanga nakuthula.” Ingabe izenzakalo ezimangalisayo zezwe kusukela ngalesosikhathi ziwukugcwaliseka kweyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:3? Ngeke sisho. Nokho, kusobala ukuthi namuhla, ngoDecember 1989, “ukuthula nokulondeka” kuseduze ukuba kube khona kunangaphambili.

Abaholi Benkolo Basebenza Kanzima—Basebenzelani?

Njengoba uLarson ebonisa, abaholi benkolo abazange bazithele ngabandayo ekuphishekeleni ukuthula. Eqhubeka nokulinganisa kwakhe kwango-1983, ukhuluma “ngohambo olungcwele lokuthula” lokuya eMelika Ephakathi naseCaribbean olwathathwa uJohn Paul II. Futhi phakathi nalowonyaka, iNgqungquthela yesiZwe yaseU.S. yabaBhishobhi abangamaKatolika yabhala incwadi eya kubefundisi eyayinesihloko esithi “Inselele Yokuthula.” Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, amanxusa amasonto angaphezu kwangama-300 avela emazweni ayi-100 ahlangana eMhlanganweni Omkhulu wesithupha Womkhandlu WamaSonto Wezwe lonke futhi avuma ngo-elethu ezwini lesinqumo elifanayo. Abavangeli abaningi bamaProthestani nabo babehilelekile kulokho uLarson akubiza ngokuthi “ukuba matasa kwembulunga yonke ngokuthula.”

Ngesikhathi usungulwa ngo-1948 nangesikhathi uhlangana ngo-1966, uMkhandlu WamaSonto Wezwe lonke wakhuluma ngokunamandla ngokumelene nokusetshenziswa kwezikhali zesimanje zokubhubhisa. Ngokuvumelana nalokho kumelana, abefundisi abaningi nezazi zenkolo baye bathatha izikhali zokuthula, amadoda anjengesazi senkolo saseJalimane esingumProthestani uHelmut Gollwitzer. Ekuqaleni kwalowonyaka, ngesikhathi sokugujwa kosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa lweminyaka engama-80, umProthestani waseSwitzerland wayemdumisa masonto onke “njengesazi senkolo esihileleke kwezombangazwe, ngaso sonke isikhathi silwela ukuthula,” lowo “ngokufundisa kwakhe nangokuhileleka kwakhe kwezombangazwe oye wathonya ngokunamandla abefundisi abaningi nomzabalazo wokuthula phakathi kwesonto.”

Ngaleyondlela, akumangazi ukuthi iBabiloni Elikhulu ngentshiseko lasekela uNyaka Wokuthula Wezizwe Zonke wango-1986, owabizwa kanjalo inhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene, emthethosisekelo wayo ufuna ukuba “igcine ukuthula nokulondeka komhlaba wonke.” Phakathi nalowonyaka, upapa ongumKatolika, uMbhishobhi Omkhulu ongumSheshi waseCanterbury, nabanye abaholi benkolo abangama-700, kuhlanganise namaKristu okuzisholo, amaBuddha, amaHindu, namaSulumane, abakhulekela imimoya baseAfrika, abomdabu baseMelika (amaNdiya), amaJuda, amaSikh, amaZoroastrian, amaShinto, amaJain, bahlangana ndawonye eAssisi, eduze naseRome, ukuze bathandazele ukuthula.

Muva nje, ngoJanuary 1989, eSydney, eAustralia, iSunday Telegraph yabhala ukuthi amalungu “enkolo yamaBuddha, yamaKristu, amaHindu, amaJuda, amaSulumane, amaSikh, amaUnitarian, amaBaha’i, amaConfucian, amaJain, amaShinto, amaTao, amaRaja Yoga namaZoroastrian” ayehlangene eMelbourne emhlanganweni wesihlanu wengqungquthela Yezwe Ephathelene Nenkolo Nokuthula. Ngokufanelekile, “izihambeli ezingaphezu kwama-600 ezivela emazweni angama-85 . . . zavuma ukuthi izimo ezishubile ezazibangelwa ukungezwani kwamasonto zazibhecwa ngecala njengeziyimbangela eyinhloko yempi.”

Ukuhileleka okungokwenkolo ekufuneni ukuthula kuqinisa lokho uDag Hammarskjöld, owayengunobhala-jikelele weZizwe Ezihlangene, ake akusho: “INhlangano [iUN] namasonto kumi nhlangothi-zombili njengokunengxenye emizamweni yabo bonke abantu abanenhliziyo enhle, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siyini isivumo sabo sokholo noma uhlobo lokukhulekela, ukuze bamise ukuthula emhlabeni.”

Noma kunjalo, ukumasha kokubhikisha kweBabiloni Elikhulu kuyaqhubeka, izibhelu zalo emphakathini, nezinye izindlela zalo eziwubuqili ngokwengeziwe zokuhlanganisa inkolo nezindaba zezombangazwe kuyoholela ekubhujisweni kwalo.a Kakade sekuye kwabangela izingxabano eziningi, njengoba uAlbert Nolan, ilungu lenkolo kaDominic elivela eNingizimu Afrika, muva nje avuma, ethi: “Ukuphela kwendlela ephumelelayo yokufinyelela ukuthula ngokuvumelana nentando kaNkulunkulu iwukungena empini. . . . Ukuze ukuncishiswa kwezikhali kufinyelelwe, izingxabano nohulumeni ngokunokwenzeka azinakugwemeka.”

IBabiloni Elikhulu maliqhubeke nokumemezela ukuthula. Upapa makaqhubeke nokunikela isibusiso esiyisiko iUrbi et orbi (edolobheni [iRome] nasemhlabeni) ngoKhisimusi nangoIsta. Makaqhubeke ecabangela—njengoba enza ngoMay odlule—ukuthi ukudamba okukhona kwemibango yezombangazwe kuyimpendulo kaNkulunkulu yemithandazo “yobuKristu.” Ukusho amazwi okuthula nokuzisholo ukuthi linesibusiso sikaNkulunkulu akunakulihlangula iBabiloni Elikhulu ecaleni lalo legazi lesikhathi esidlule. Lilibeka uphawu njengeliyisikhubekiso esikhulu kakhulu sokuthula phakathi kwabantu, naphakathi kwabantu noNkulunkulu, okuke kwaba khona. Ngendlela eqondile noma engaqondile, zonke izinkinga zesintu zingalandelelwa zize ziyofika emnyango walo!

Yeka ukuthi kungokubhuqa kanjani ukuthi inkolo yamanga izimbandakanye neUN, iyaqhubeka iphishekela ukuletha khona kanye “ukuthula nokulondeka” okuzobangela ukubhujiswa kwalo! Isiphelo senkolo yamanga siyolwela uNkulunkulu wenkolo yeqiniso, othi: “Ningaduki: uNkulunkulu akahlekwa. Ngokuba lokho akuhlwanyelayo umuntu, lokho wokuvuna.”—Galathiya 6:7.

Ukufuna Ukuthula Nokulondeka

Abantu abaningi banesifiso esingokwemvelo sokuthula nokuthokomala, kodwa lesosifiso siye saqedwa kuwo wonke umlando omningi wesintu. Nokho, eminyakeni yamuva kuye kwaba khona izinzuzo ezithile eziphawulekayo ekufuneni komuntu ukuthula, njengoba uhlu olulandelayo lubonisa.

1985: (Ngo-October) IZizwe Ezihlangene zigubha unyaka wama-40 wokuba khona kwazo futhi zimemezela u-1986 njengoNyaka Wokuthula Womhlaba Wonke.

(NgoNovember) Umhlangano Okhethekile wemibuso emikhulu ongowokuqala eminyakeni eyisithupha njengoba uGorbachev noReagan behlangana; uReagan ukhuluma “ngesiqalo esisha.”

1986: (NgoJanuary) UGorbachev ukhipha umthetho wokwenqatshelwa kwazo zonke izikhali zenuzi ngonyaka ka-2000.

(NgoSeptember) Isigungu Sokwakha Ukuzethemba Nokulondeka Kanye Nokuncishiswa Kwezikhali eYurophu (izizwe ezingama-35, kuhlanganise neUnited States, iCanada, iSoviet Union, nalo lonke elaseYurophu ngaphandle kwe-Albania) sisayina isivumelwano sokunciphisa ingozi yempi eyingozi.

(Ngo-October) Ingxoxo yokubonisana phakathi kukaReagan noGorbachev elceland iyehluleka, nakuba uGorbachev ethi bacishe benza “izinqumo ezinkulu ezaziyoqopha umlando.”

1987: (NgoJanuary) lnkambiso yeglasnost (ukungafihlelani lutho) yabonakala ikhomba enkathini entsha eSoviet Union.

(NgoMarch) Undunankulu waseBrithani uvakashela eMoscow okokuqala ngqa eminyakeni eyi-12.

(NgoDecember) UGorbachev noReagan basayina isivumelwano se-INF (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces) ukuze siqede izikhali zenuzi ezingabhubhisi kakhulu.

1988: (NgoMarch) INicaragua namazwe amelene nobuKhomanisi asayina isivumelwano sokuyeka ukudubulana, eqalisa izingxoxo zokufinyelela ukulungiswa kwezinkinga okuhlala njalo.

(NgoApril) ISoviet Union imemezela ukuhoxiswa kwamabutho eAfghanistan ngoFebruary 1989; iEthiopia neSomalia avumelana ngokoqeda ukulwa.

(NgoMay) IVietnam imemezela ukuhoxisa amabutho ayizi-50 000 eKampuchea ngaphambi kokuphela kwalonyaka, amanye ayohoxiswa ngo-1990.

(NgoJune) UNdunankulu waseAustralia uBob Hawke ekhuluma ngomhlangano wokubonisana phakathi kukaGorbachev uoReagan eMoscow uthi: “Ngokokuqala ngqa kuyo yonke inkathi engemva kwempi, kunezimpawu zangempela zesidingo esiphuthumayo sezwe elizohlala ngokuthula okuthuthukayo.”

(NgoJuly) I-Iran imemezela ukwamukelwa kwesinqumo seUN sokuyekwa kokudubulana empini yeIran nelraq esithathe iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili.

(NgoAugust) IUnited States iyavuma ukukhokhela iUN imali ebiyigodlile, okuyisenzo ebese sithathwe abaseSoviet kakade, ngaleyondlela isiza ukuqeda impi engokwezimali neUN futhi iyinikeza amandla amasha.

(NgoSeptember) Amabutho abashokobezi aseMorocco nasePolisario amukela icebo leUN lokuqeda impi yeminyaka eyi-13 eNtshonalanga Sahara.

(Ngo-October) Amabutho eUN agcina ukuthula aklonyeliswa ngoMklomelo weNobel Wukuthula; iLibya neChad aqede ngokomthetho isimo sempi esithathe isikhathi eside sikhona.

(NgoDecember) EUN, uGorbachev umemezela ngokuncishiswa okukhulu kwenye ingxenye yamabutho aseSoviet phakathi neminyaka emibili kanye nokuhoxa kwamasosha kanye nezimoto zezempi eCzechoslovakia, eHungary, naseGerman Dcmocratic Republic; eNingizimu Afrika, eNamibia, futhi iCuba iyavuma ukusebenzisa isinqumo seUN ngoApril 1, 1989, inikeze iNamibia inkululeko yokuzimela futhi iqede impi esineminyaka engama-22; ukuhoxisa ingxenye yamabutho ayizi-50 000 aseCuba eAngola ngoNovember 1, amanye ayohoxiswa ngoJuly 1, 1991; iUnited States iyavuma ukukhuluma neNhlangano Yenkululeko yasePalestine ngemva kokuba uYasser Arafat eqinisekise ilungelo lokuba elakwaIsrayeli “lihlale ngokuthula nokulondeka.”

1989: (NgoJanuary) Izizwe eziyi-149 ezaziseMhlanganweni waseParis Wezikhali Zamakhemikhali zinquma ukuba kuthathwe isinyathelo esiphuthumayo sokuvinjelwa kokuthuthukiswa, ukukhiqizwa, ukugcinwa, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezikhali zamakhemikhali.

(NgoFebruary) lCosta Rica, iHonduras, iEl Salvador, iNicaragua, neGuatemala asayina isivumelwano sokulondoloza ukuthula eMelika ePhakathi; iqembu labavukeli elikhulu kunawo wonke laseColombia, iFARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces), limemezela ukuyekwa kokudubulana, linikeza amathemba okuthi iminyaka engama-35 yempi yabashokobezi ingase iphele.

(NgoMarch) ONgqongqoshe bangaphandle abavela emazweni angama-35 baqalisa izingxoxo eVienna ngeCFE (Negotiations on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe), eklanyelwe ukunciphisa amabutho ezempi eYurophu.

(NgoApril) IVietnam imemezela ukuhoxiswa kwawo wonke amabutho ezempi eKampuchea ngoSeptember 30.

(NgoMay) IHungary iqala ukususa uthango olwakhiwe ngocingo olunameva emngceleni waseAustralia; emhlanganweni wokuqala wabaholi baseSoviet nabaseChina eminyakeni engaphezu kwengama-30, abaseSoviet bamemezela ukuncishiswa kwamabutho ezempi eAsia; abaseSoviet baqala ukuhoxisa ingxenye yamabutho nezikhali zempi eMpumalanga Yurophu.

(NgoJune) Ukukhipha kukaBush umthetho wokuba buncishiswe kakhulu amabutho, izinqola zempi, ombayimbayi, kanye nezindiza zempi, eYurophu ngo-1992 kuholela ukuba iphephandaba lithi: “Kungase kuwuvule ngempela umnyango wokuncishiswa okukhulu kwezikhali kusukela ekupheleni kweMpi Yezwe II.

(NgoAugust) Izizwe ezinhlanu zaseMelika ePhakathi zivumelana ngecebo lokuqeda imibango eNicaragua.