Impi Yokuqeda Izimpi

ISIZEMAZEMA sendiza yaseJalimane izeppelin sasiduma esibhakabhakeni sasebusuku. Sasibuyela ekhaya ngemva kokuhlasela eLondon, futhi njengoba sasidlula phezu kwesinye isigodi e-Essex, kwadedelwa amabhomu. Elinye lawo labulala umhlengikazi owayesezinsukwini zokuphumula ebuya empini eFrance.

Lesi kwakuyisenzakalo esisodwa esincane seMpi Yezwe I, kodwa sasisho okukhulu. Kwakuyisibonelo sokuthi, kunokuba ikhulu lama-20 leminyaka lilethe isikhathi lapho umuntu ‘engasayikufunda khona impi,’ liye labona ukwanda okukhulu kukho kokubili izikhali nezinkundla zempi. (Isaya 2:2-4) Ezinkulungwaneni eziningi zeminyaka, kuye kwalwiwa izimpi ezweni naphezu kolwandle. Kodwa eMpini Yezwe I, ukulwa kwaqhubekela emoyeni naphansi kolwandle. Ngenxa yalokho, abangekho empini ababeqhele ngamakhulu amaningi amakhilomitha ezinkundleni zempi babulawa amabhomu, futhi imikhumbi eminingi yacwiliswa phansi kolwandlekazi ngemikhumbi-ngwenya engabonakali.

Ngempela, phakathi naleyompi yezwe yokuqala ethusayo, kwafa amasosha ayizigidi eziyi-8, nababengekho empini abalinganiselwa ezigidini eziyi-12 bafa ngenxa yezimbangela ezazihlanganisa ukubulawa indlala nokungavikeleki. “Inhlekelele yeMpi Enkulu [iMpi Yezwe I],” ngokwesazi-mlando uH. A. L. Fisher, “kwakuwukuthi yayiIwiwa abantu abaphucuke kakhulu kunabo bonke eYurophu ngempikiswano eyayingaxazululwa kalula amadoda ambalwa anombono olinganiselwe.” Ukuze kuthethelelwe lokho kubulala okusabekayo, yabizwa ngokuthi “impi yokuqeda izimpi.” Kodwa lesosisho ngokushesha saba esingasho lutho.

INhlangano Yokuthula

Lapho kumenyezelwa ukuthula ngo-1918, isizukulwane esazwiswa ubuhlungu safuna ukuba kuthathwe izinyathelo ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi impi enjalo yayingasayikuphinde yenzeke. Ngakho-ke, kwasungulwa iNhlangano Yezizwe ngo-1919. Kodwa leyoNhlangano yaba edumaza kakhulu. Ngo-1939 izwe laphinde lahlomeka empini yezwe—impi eyayibhubhisa ngisho nangaphezu kweyokuqala.

EMpini Yezwe II, amadolobha amaningi aphenduka incithakalo, okwenza ukuphila kwababengekho empini kwaba okusabisayo. Khona-ke ngo-1945 kwadedelwa amabhomu eathomu eHiroshima naseNagasaki, kwaholela umuntu enkathini yenuzi. Amafu agubuzelayo athusayo ayekhuphuka kulawo madolobha amabili aseJapane ayebikezela usongo obelulokhu luphezu kwesintu kusukela ngalesosikhathi.

Nokho, ngisho nangaphambi kokudedelwa kwalawomabhomu, kwakwenziwa amalungiselelo okumisa inhlangano enjengeNhlangano Yezizwe eyayisifile. Umphumela kwaba iNhlangano YeZizwe Ezihlangene, ngokuyisisekelo eyayinenjongo efana neyenhlangano eyayiyilandela—eyokulondoloza ukuthula komhlaba wonke. Isiye yafezani? Nokho, akuzange kube nempi yezwe kusukela ngo-1945, kodwa kuye kwaba khona izimpi ezincane eziningana okuye kwafa kuzo izigidi zabantu.

Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi isintu ngeke sikubone ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngoIsaya sokuthi abantu ‘abasayikufunda impi’? Cha. Kumane nje kusho ukuthi lokhu ngeke kwenziwe umuntu. IBhayibheli, elibizwa ngokuthi ‘ukukhanya endleleni yethu,’ liyincwadi equkethe lesosithembiso esiphefumlelwe. Futhi yiBhayibheli elibonisa ukuthi akekho omunye ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu ngokwakhe oyoqeda zonke izimpi ekugcineni.—IHubo 119:105.

Ukuqedwa Kwazo Zonke Izimpi

Njengoba kushiwo esihlokweni esandulelayo, ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka kwakuneqembu elaqalisa ubuzalwane bezizwe zonke lapho kwakungenakwenzeka ngelinye ilungu ukuba lilwe nomzalwane noma udadewabo. Leli kwakuyibandla lobuKristu, elimalungu alo ‘ayekhande izinkemba zawo zaba amakhuba’ ngomqondo ongokoqobo. Namuhla, nakuba isintu sisonke singenakuphumelela ekuqedeni impi, kuneqembu futhi labantu eliye lafinyelela lomgomo ofanayo ophawulekayo. Lingobani?

Eminyakeni engaphambi kuka-1914, leliqembu elincane lalithembela eBhayibhelini. Ngakho, lalazi ukuthi imizamo yabantu yokuqeda impi yayingenakuphumelela. Ngokutadisha kwalo iBhayibheli, lathola ukuthi unyaka ka-1914 wawuyosho ushintsho emlandweni wesintu, futhi laxwayisa ngalokhu iminyaka engama-40. Ngokuvumelana nesiprofetho seBhayibheli, u-1914 waba ukuqala kwesikhathi esaphawuleka ngendlala, imiqedazwe yezifo, nokuzamazama komhlaba, kanye nempi. (Mathewu 24:3, 7, 8; Luka 21:10, 11) Ngokuqondene neMpi Yezwe I, isazi-mlando uJames Cameron sabhala: “Ngo-1914, izwe, njengoba lalaziwa futhi lamukelwa ngalesosikhathi, laphela.”

Ngaphambi kokuba leyompi iphele, umqedazwe womkhuhlane osabisayo wahlasela ngesilinganiso somhlaba wonke futhi wabulala abantu abayizigidi ezingama-20—abangaphezu kokuphinda kabili inani lamasosha afa empini ngokwayo. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi, izifo ezinjengomdlavuza, nengculaza yamuva nje, ziye zasabisa isintu.

Manje phawula esinye isiprofetho seBhayibheli: “Ngenxa yokwanda kokubi kuzakuphola uthando lwabaningi.” (Mathewu 24:12) Ingabe lokhu kuyagcwaliseka? Ngokuqinisekile! Nsuku zonke, ezezindaba ziveza ukungabi namthetho komhlaba wonke: ukubulala, ukuhlasela, nobudlova obuvamile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukubikezelwa okungokombangazwe kweMpi Yezwe II kwakuwukuthi yayiyoletha “inkululeko ekwesabeni.” Ngokuphambene, iBhayibheli lakubikezela ngokunembile ukuthi abantu babeyophela amandla ngokwesaba nangokubheka okuvelela umhlaba.’ (Luka 21:26) Nalapha futhi ukubikezela kwabantu kwakuyiphutha, kanti amazwi kaNkulunkulu angokwesiprofetho ayeyiqiniso.

Umshoshozeli Wempi Omkhulu

Umshoshozeli wempi ungumuntu ophehla impi. Abezombangazwe, abefundisi, ngisho nosomabhizinisi baye bafeza lendima. Kodwa akekho umshoshozeli wempi omkhulu kunabo bonke ngaphandle kukaSathane uDeveli, emiBhalweni obizwa ngokuthi “unkulunkulu walelizwe.”—2 Korinte 4:4.

USathane wahlubuka kuJehova uNkulunkulu ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka ezidlule, futhi kamuva wayenga isixuku sezingelosi ukuba zihambisane naye. Kodwa ngo-1914 isikhathi sakhe sase siphelile. IBhayibheli liyasitshela: “Kwase kubakhona ukulwa ezulwini; uMikayeli nezingelosi zakhe balwa nodrako. Nodrako walwa enezingelosi zakhe, kepha kabaze banqoba, nendawo yabo kayabe isafunyanwa ezulwini. Wayesephonswa phansi udrako omkhulu, inyoka endala ethiwa uMhlebi noSathane, odukisa izwe lonke, waphonswa phansi emhlabeni, nezingelosi zakhe zaphonswa kanye naye.”—IsAmbulo 12:7-9.

Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi kungani umhlaba ubulokhu uyindawo eyingozi kangaka kusukela ngo-1914. IBhayibheli labikezela umphumela wokuwa kukaSathane: “Maye kuwemhlaba . . . ngokuba uSathane wehlele kini enolaka olukhulu, azi ukuthi unesikhathi esifushane!” (IsAmbulo 12:12) Lesosikhathi sifushane kangakanani? UJesu wathi: “Lesisizukulwane [leso esibona izenzakalo ezaqala ngo-1914] asiyikudlula kungakenzeki konke lokhu.” (Mathewu 24:34) Kuphi? Zonke izinhlekelele nezinkathazo uJesu azibikezelela usuku lwethu.

Nokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi naphezu kokuwa kweNhlangano YeZizwe nokuhluleka kweNhlangano Yezizwe Ezihlangene,izizwe zazingeke ziyiyeke imizamo yazo yokwenza ukuthula. Ngempela, isikhathi siyeza lapho beyocabanga ukuthi baphumelele. Kuyoba khona ukumenyezelwa okukhulu ‘kokuthula nokuhlala kahle,’ kodwa lokhu kumelwe kulandelwe ‘ukubhujiswa okuzumayo’ kwalelizwe elonakele. Njengoba besebumnyameni, abantu bayozunywa yilokhu kuguquka kwezenzakalo, okuyofika “njengesela ebusuku.”—1 Thesalonika 5:2, 3.

Lokhu kuyoholelaphi? Empini ‘eyimpi yokuqeda izimpi’ ngempela: impi yaseArmagedoni, eBhayibhelini ebizwa ngokuthi ‘ukulwa kosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.’ Lokhu kuyosho ukubhujiswa kwazo zonke izinto ezimbi nabasekeli bazo. “Ababi bazakuchithwa.” (IsAmbulo 16:14-16; IHubo 37:9) Ekugcineni, uSathane, umshoshozeli wempi omkhulu, uyovalelwa endaweni lapho engasayikuba nathonya khona kubantu. Ekugcineni, naye futhi uyobhujiswa.—IsAmbulo 20:1-3, 7-10.

Nokho, phawula ukuthi lena akuyikuba yimpi yokubhubhisa ngokungacabangi lapho kuyobulawa khona ngokungenangqondo abangenacala nabanecala ngokufanayo. Kuyoba khona abasindayo, futhi laba kuyoba’abakhonza [uNkulunkulu] imini nobusuku.’ Yebo, labo abayeka ukufunda impi ngisho namanje futhi abalandela izindlela zokuthula zomKristu weqiniso, bayosinda kulempi yokugcina, enkulu. Ingabe bayoba baningi? IBhayibheli libabiza ngokuthi “isixuku esikhulu ebesingenakubalwamuntu, sivela kuzo zonke izizwe, nemindeni, nabantu, nezilimi.”—IsAmbulo 7:9, 14, 15.

Ngemva Kwesiphepho

Yeka ukukhululeka laba abayokuzwa! Kunokuba kube khona ohulumeni abaningi abanobuzwe, kuyoba khona uhulumeni owodwa kuphela: uMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Daniyeli 2:44; Mathewu 6:9, 10) Kunokuba kube abazidlayo nabanezifiso ezinkulu, abathobekile bayodla ifa lomhlaba futhi “bathokoze ngokuthula okukhulu.” (IHubo 37:10, 11) “Yena uNkulunkulu . . . azesule izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikubakhona, nokudabuka, nokukhala, nobuhlungu akusayikubakhona.” (IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) UJehova ‘uyophelisa ukulwa kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba.’ Izinkemba ziyokhandwa zibe ngamakhuba, imikhonto ibe ocelemba, futhi’bangabe besafunda ukulwa.’—IHubo 46:8, 9; Isaya 2:4.

Ubungethande yini ukuphila ezweni elinjalo? Yebo ubungathanda! Nokho, kungenzeka. Isinyathelo sokuqala siwukutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli, futhi uziqinisekise ukuthi lelithemba lisekelwe kokuyiqiniso nokunengqondo. Khona-ke, zitholele eBhayibhelini ukuthi iyini intando kaNkulunkulu ngawe manje futhi uthathe isinyathelo esifanelekile. Yiqiniso, ukutadisha kudinga umzamo, kodwa kuwufanele. UJesu wathi ulwazi oluzuzayo, uma ulusebenzisa ngokufanelekile, luyosho “ukuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 17:3) Ingabe kukhona okubaluleke ngaphezu kwalokho?