Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
◼ Ingabe amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayekholelwa ukuthi ukuphela kwalesimiso esibi kwakuyofika ngosuku lwawo?
Abalandeli bakaJesu ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka babekulangazelela kakhulu ukufika kokuphela. Njengoba sizobona, abanye babo baphetha ngokuthi ukuphela kwakuseduze, kuzofika ngaso lesosikhathi. Umbono wabo wawudinga ukulungiswa. Kodwa ngokuqinisekile akukubi ngamaKristu, ngalesosikhathi noma manje, ukukholelwa ngobuqotho ukuthi ukuphela okwabikezelwa kumelwe kubhekwe njengokuseduze futhi aphile nsuku zonke ngalokho kuqapha.
Lapho ephendula umbuzo wabafundi bakhe ‘ngesibonakaliso’ sokuba khona kwakhe, uJesu wabaxwayisa: “Ngakho-ke lindani, ngokuba anazi ukuthi iNkosi yenu iyakufika ngaluphi usuku.” (Mathewu 24:3, 42) Ukuqapha okunjalo kwakufanele kuthonye izenzo zawo, ngoba uKristu wenezela: “Xwayani ukuba izinhliziyo zenu zingasindwa ngukuminza nokudakwa nokunaka okwalokhukuphila, lunizume lolosuku ningazelele, . . . ngakho lindani ngesikhathi sonke, nikhuleke ukuba nibe-namandla okuphepha kukho konke lokhu okuyakwenzeka nawokuma phambi kweNdodana yomuntu.”—Luka 21:34-36.
Phawula ukuthi uJesu wanikeza leseluleko ngemva nje kokuchaza izenzakalo ezaziyokwakha “isibonakaliso.” Ngakho abaphostoli baqasheliswa iqiniso lokuthi kwakumelwe kwenzeke izinto ezithile ezingokomlando ngaphambi kwesiphelo. Nakuba kunjalo, emasontweni ambalwa kamuva, babuza uJesu ovusiwe: “Nkosi, usawubuyisela umbuso kuIsrayeli ngalesisikhathi na?” Waphendula: “Akusikho okwenu ukwazi izikhathi noma imizuzu uBaba akumisele ngamandla akhe.”—IzEnzo 1:6, 7.
Singabona kulokhu ukuthi abalandeli bakaJesu abaseduze kakhulu babejahe ukuba ukuphela kufike ngokushesha kangangokuthi abazange bakunake lokho ayesanda kubatshela khona ngobufakazi obubonakalayo okwakumelwe buvele phakathi nokuba khona kwakhe ngaphambi kwalesosiphelo.
Sithola esinye isibonakaliso sokulangazelela kwabo ezincwadini zikaPawulu eziya kumaKristu aseThesalonika. Cishe ngo-50 C.E. wabhala: “Kepha ngezikhathi nangemizuzu, bazalwane, anisweli ukulotshelwa, ngokuba nina uqobo niyazi kahle ukuthi usuku lweNkosi luza njengesela ebusuku. Ngalokho-ke masingalali njengabanye, kodwa masiqwashe, siqonde.” (1 Thesalonika 5:1, 2, 6) Abanye balawomaKristu agcotshwe ngomoya bakuthatha lokhu njengokusho ukuthi ukuba khona kukaJesu (kanye nosuku lukaJehova lokubhubhisa ababi) kwakuza ngaso lesosikhathi, ngokushesha.
Kodwa kwakungenjalo. Eqinisweni, uPawulu wababhalela lokhu encwadini yesibili: “Kepha siyanxusa, bazalwane, mayelana nokufika kweNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu nokubuthanela kwethu kuyo ukuba ningasheshi ninyakaziwe engqondweni yenu, ningethuswa noma ngomoya, noma ngezwi, noma ngencwadi ngokungathi ivela kithi, sengathi usuku lukaKristu selufikile. Makungabikho-muntu onikhohlisayo nangayiphi indlela; ngokuba aluyikufika, kungaveli kuqala ukuhlubuka, kwambulwe umuntu ongenamthetho.”—2 Thesalonika 2:1-3.
Lokhu kwakungasho ukuthi ayengase anganaki ngokuqondene nokuba khona kukaJesu nokuphela kwesimiso. Ngokudlula konyaka ngamunye, isixwayiso sikaJesu sasiba esiqine ngokwengeziwe: “Ngakho-ke lindani, ngokuba anazi ukuthi iNkosi yenu iyakufika ngaluphi usuku.”
Kanjalo, cishe eminyakeni emihlanu ngemva kokubhala eyesiBili KwabaseThesalonika, uPawulu wabhala: “Sekuyihora lokuba nivuke ebuthongweni; ngokuba manje insindiso isisondele kithi kunalesosikhathi esaqala ukukholwa ngaso. Ubusuku sebuyaphela, imini isisondele. Ngakho-ke asilahle imisebenzi yobunyama, sihlome izikhali zokukhanya.” (Roma 13:11, 12) Ngemva kweminye iminyaka emihlanu, uPawulu waluleka amaKristu angamaHeberu: “Ngokuba nidinga ukubekezela, ukuze seniyenzile intando kaNkulunkulu namukele isithembiso. Ngokuba kuseyisikhashana nje, ozayo uyeza, akayikulibala.” (Heberu 10:36, 37) Khona-ke, evesini lesAmbulo elandulela elokugcina, umphostoli uJohane wabhala: “Ofakaza ngalezizinto uthi: Yebo, ngiyeza masinyane. Amen. Woza, Nkosi Jesu!”—IsAmbulo 22:20.
Ngokungangabazeki, umKristu emuva lapho wayengeqisi ngokuba nomuzwa wokuthi ukuphela kwakungafika osukwini lwakhe. Futhi uma ayengase afe ngengozi noma ngokwemvelo, wayeyobe ephile nomuzwa ofanelekile wokuphuthuma okwaqaliswa uJesu nemiBhalo ephefumlelwe.
Konke lokhu kusebenza ngisho nangokwengeziwe kithi, kulelihora lokugcina esiphila kulo. Uma sifushanisa amazwi kaPawulu, asinakuphika ukuthi ‘insindiso yethu manje isisondele kakhulu kunangesikhathi amaKristu okuqala akholwa ngaso futhi isondele ngisho nakakhulu kunangesikhathi thina esaba amakholwa ngaso. Ubusuku sebuzodlula; ngokuqinisekile imini isisondele.’
Sikwazile ukubona emlandweni oqala ngeMpi Yezwe I ubufakazi obubonakalayo bunqwabelana, ubufakazi obubonakalisa ukuthi sisekupheleni kwesimiso sezinto. Esikhundleni sokuba sizigcine simatasa ngokuqagela ukuthi isiphelo siyofika nini ngempela, kufanele sibe matasa ngokushumayela izindaba ezinhle, ezingasindisa ukuphila kwethu nokuphila kwabaningi abanye.—1 Thimothewu 4:16.
Sinezizathu ezanele zokulindela ukuthi lokhu kushumayela kuyophela esikhathini sethu. Ingabe lokho kusho ukuthi kuyoba ngaphambi kokuqala kwenyanga entsha, unyaka omusha, ishumi leminyaka elisha, ikhulu leminyaka elisha? Akukho-muntu owaziyo, ngoba uJesu wathi ‘ngisho nazingelosi zasemazulwini’ azikwazi lokho. (Mathewu 24:36) Ngaphezu kwalokho, asidingi ukwazi njengoba siqhubeka senza lokho iNkosi esiyale ukuba sikwenze. Okubaluleke kakhulu ukuba intando nomsebenzi kaNkulunkulu kwenziwe nokuba sibe nengxenye egcwele kulokho. Kanjalo ‘singaba namandla okuphepha kukho konke lokhu okuyokwenzeka nawokuma phambi kweNdodana yomuntu.’—Luka 21:36.