Linda Ngesineke

UMALUSI owayememeza ngokuphindaphindiwe ethi “Impisi!” lapho kungekho mpisi wathola ukuthi ukumemeza kwakhe kwakamuva kokucela usizo akuzange kunakwe. Ngokufanayo namuhla, abaningi abakunaki ukuba seduze kosuku lukaJehova ngoba baye bezwa izixwayiso eziningi eziye zabonakala ziyizixwayiso zamanga. USathane, isitha esikhulu sikaNkulunkulu, ‘oyingelosi yokukhanya’ yamanga, usizakala ngalo kanye lelo qiniso lokuthi abaningi bayehluleka ukuqonda ukuthi isiphi isixwayiso sangempela futhi basilalele.—2 Korinte 11:14.

Umoya wokunganaki ungaba ingozi ngisho nakulabo asebenesikhathi esithile bekhonza uJehova. Ngani? Cabangela isixwayiso somphostoli uPetru ekhulwini lokuqala.

Cabanga Ngokucacile

Incwadi yesibili ephefumulelwe kaPetru yayiyisikhumbuzo kumaKristu akuqala, futhi iyisikhumbuzo nakithi. Wabhala: “Bathandekayo, lena manje sekuyincwadi yesibili enginilobela yona, engivusa kuyo, njengasencwadini yami yokuqala, amandla enu okucabanga angafiphaziwe ngendlela yokunikhumbuza.” (2 Petru 3:1) Kungani uPetru ekhathazeka? UPetru uqokomisa ukuba khona kwabahleki bosulu, ukuhleka kwabo usulu okululaza umuzwa odingekayo wokuphuthuma ngokuphathelene nesikhathi izinceku zikaNkulunkulu eziphila kuso. Manje isikhathi sokuba siqaphele ukukhohliswa abaklolodeli. Ngakho uPetru unxusa abafundi bencwadi yakhe ukuba ‘bakhumbule amazwi akhulunywa ngaphambili abaprofethi abangcwele.’ (2 Petru 3:2; IzEnzo 3:22, 23) Babetheni abaprofethi?

Izikhathi eziningi izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezithembekile zadonsela ukunakekela endleleni izahlulelo zaphezulu ezabuqeda ngayo ububi. UPetru ukhumbuza abafundi bencwadi yakhe ngeSikhukhula sosuku lukaNowa esasetshenziswa uNkulunkulu njengendlela yokungenela lapho umhlaba wawusugcwele ububi. Lowo Zamcolo oyisikhukhula waliqeda nyá izwe langaleso sikhathi. Kodwa uNkulunkulu walondoloza uNowa nomkhaya wakhe emkhunjini kanye nezilwane eziphilayo ezazimelela “zonke izinhlobo zenyama.” Izindaba zasendulo kuwo wonke umhlaba zifakazela ubuqiniso balokhu kulandisa kweBhayibheli.a—Genesise 6:19; 2 Petru 3:5, 6.

UPetru ubiza lokho kungenela kwaphezulu ngokuthi ‘iqiniso elibaphunyukayo’ abantu abathile. Khona-ke abanye bayengwa abahleki bosulu bangalolo suku bebayengela ekubeni banganaki. Nokho, thina akumelwe nanini sikhohlwe yilokho uJehova asekwenzile kakade. UPetru uyasitshela: “Ngezwi elifanayo amazulu nomhlaba okukhona manje kubekelwe umlilo futhi kuyagcinwa kuze kube sosukwini lokwahlulelwa nolokubhujiswa kwabantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu.” (2 Petru 3:7) Yebo, ukungenela kwaphezulu kuzophinda kwenzeke.

UNkulunkulu Akephuzi

Sekudlule izinkulungwane zeminyaka. Kungani uNkulunkulu eye walinda isikhathi eside kangaka ukuze axazulule izinkinga zesintu? UPetru uyaphinda ugxila kwelinye iqiniso. Uthi: “Leliqiniso elilodwa malinganiphunyuki, bathandekayo, lokuthi usuku olulodwa kuJehova lunjengeminyaka eyinkulungwane neminyaka eyinkulungwane injengosuku olulodwa.” (2 Petru 3:8) Indlela uJehova abheka ngayo isikhathi yehlukile kweyethu. KuNkulunkulu ongunaphakade, inkathi esuka ekudalweni kuka-Adamu kuze kube manje ayilingani ngisho nanesonto. Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sisibheka kanjani isikhathi, inkulungwane ngayinye nosuku ngalunye okudlulayo kusisondeza ekufezekeni kwenjongo kaJehova.

Ukuthi “imbiza egadiwe ayibili” isisho sesiNgisi esibonisa ukuthi ukumane ulindele isenzakalo kubonakala kusenza sephuze ukwenzeka. Nokho, uPetru utusa ukuba ‘silindele futhi sikugcine kuseduze engqondweni ukuba khona kosuku lukaJehova.’ (2 Petru 3:12) Singaba kanjani nesimo sengqondo esisigcina sikuphaphamele ukuba seduze kokungenela kwaphezulu?

Izenzo Zisho Okukhulu Kakhulu Kunamazwi

UPetru udonsela ukunakekela ezenzweni. Ukhuluma ‘ngezenzo zokuziphatha ezingcwele’ kanye ‘nezenzo zokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu.’ (2 Petru 3:11) Kuhlanganisani lokhu?

Inceku kaNkulunkulu yangempela yenza izinto ngendlela emjabulisayo. Ukholo lomkhulekeli onjalo weqiniso lubonakala ekuziphatheni kwakhe. Lokhu kumenza ahluke kulabo abamane bakhulume nje ukuthi bakholelwa kuNkulunkulu nasezithembisweni zakhe. Mhlawumbe uye waqaphela ukuthi inkonzo yasobala yoFakazi BakaJehova ibenza bahluke. Beza ekhaya lakho ukuze bakubonise izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu ezilotshwe eBhayibhelini. Kodwa babuye bafakaze ngamathemba nezinkolelo zabo noma kuphi lapho behlangana khona nabantu.

UFakazi ozigcina ematasa ngokumemezela ngokholo lwakhe kwabanye, izinkolelo zakhe ziqina ngokwengeziwe. Ukukhuluma ngazo kuyazijulisa futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo kulethe injabulo nokwaneliseka kwangaphakathi. Lapho simemezela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, sijabulisa noJehova. Siyazi ukuthi ‘akayena ongalungile ukuba akhohlwe umsebenzi wethu nothando esilubonisa kulo igama lakhe,’ njengoba uPawulu umphostoli owayekanye noPetru asho.—Heberu 6:10; Roma 10:9, 10.

Uyini umphumela walokhu kuba matasa ngokusakaza izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso phakathi nalezi zinsuku zokugcina zalesi simiso esibi samanje? Amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu abanhliziyo ziqotho afunda indlela yokuba nobuhlobo obuseduze noJehova, ukuzuza emseni wakhe ongafanelwe nokuthola injabulo yangempela ethembeni lokuphila phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi.

Ukwazi Kusengaphambili

Nakuba sazi ngokweBhayibheli ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu uzongenela ngesikhathi sakhe esifanele, kudingeka silalele esinye isixwayiso uPetru asinikezayo. “Ninalolulwazi kusengaphambili, qaphani ukuba ningamuki nabo ngesiphambeko sabantu abadelela umthetho futhi niwe ekugxileni kwenu siqu.”—2 Petru 3:17.

Ngokuqinisekile uJehova wayazi kusengaphambili ukuthi abathile abantula ukholo oluqinile bangadunyazwa yilokho okubonakala kuwukwephuza kokungenela kwaphezulu. Wayazi nokuthi ithonya labantu abangamhloniphi lalingonakalisa izinceku zakhe zeqiniso, noma okungenani lilulaze inkolelo yazo yokuthi ukungcweliswa kwegama likaNkulunkulu kuseduze. Yeka ukuthi kungaba inhlekelele kanjani ukuyeka ukuba abagxilile kulezi zinsuku zokugcina!

Manje akusona isikhathi sokungabaza noma ukungaqiniseki ngokuphathelene nalokho uJehova azokwenza. (Heberu 12:1) Kunalokho, manje isikhathi sokuqaphela ngokwengeziwe lokho ukubekezela kukaJehova okuye kwakuletha—ithemba lokusindiswa kwezigidi eziba ingxenye yesixuku esikhulu somhlaba wonke nokubheka phambili ekusindeni osizini olukhulu oluzayo. (IsAmbulo 7:9, 14) UPetru uyanxusa: “Qhubekani nikhula emseni ongafanelwe nasolwazini ngeNkosi noMsindisi wethu uJesu Kristu. Inkazimulo mayibe kuye kokubili manje nasosukwini lwengunaphakade.”—2 Petru 3:18.

“Zigcineni Othandweni LukaNkulunkulu”

Ukuba matasa ngokushumayela ngoMbuso nokuba khona njalo emihlanganweni yobuKristu yokukhulekela nokufunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu kusinikeza isivikelo. Ngakho, ngeke sibe naso isikhathi sokukhathazeka ngokweqile ngezimo eziwohlokayo zesimiso esibi sanamuhla. Ukwesaba nokukhathazeka akumelwe kuvame ekuphileni kwamaKristu eqiniso. (1 Korinte 15:58) Lapho siba matasa ngokwengeziwe ekukhonzeni uJehova, isikhathi sishesha ngokwengeziwe.

UJude, owayephila ngesikhathi sikaPetru futhi engumfowabo kaJesu ngomzali oyedwa, uyasinxusa: “Nina, bathandekayo, ngokuzakha okholweni lwenu olungcwele kakhulu, nangokuthandaza ngomoya ongcwele, zigcineni othandweni lukaNkulunkulu, kuyilapho nilindele isihe seNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu ninombono wokuphila okuphakade.” (Jude 20, 21) Phawula ukubaluleka kwesimo sengqondo esifanele esibangelwa ukuphikelela emthandazweni. (1 Thesalonika 5:17) UJude ube esenezela: “Qhubekani nibonisa isihe kwabanye abanokungabaza; basindiseni ngokubahlwitha emlilweni. Kodwa qhubekani nibonisa isihe kwabanye, nenza kanjalo ngokwesaba, kuyilapho nizonda ngisho nengubo yangaphakathi enindwe inyama.” (Jude 22, 23) Yeka ukuthi kubaluleke kanjani ukuqinisana kulezi zikhathi ezinzima! Futhi yeka ukuthi kubaluleke kanjani ukungaweli ezilingweni, usebenzise “usuku lwensindiso” olwandisiwe njengezaba “zokuziphatha okuxekethile,” okudlange kangaka manje kuleli lizwe lanamuhla elonakele ngokokuziphatha.—Jude 4; 2 Korinte 6:1, 2.

Ngokulalela iseluleko sothando sikaPetru, uPawulu nesikaJude nangokuba matasa futhi ukhuthale enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu, ungakulinda ngesineke ukungenela kukaJehova. Kodwa ingabe uyolinda?

Unganqikazi ukuthintana noFakazi endaweni yakini ukuze uthole usizo oluzoqinisa ukholo lwakho esithembisweni soMdali sokuphila okumi phakade. Thola ukuthi yini edingekayo ukuze ufanelekele ukuhlanganyela kulo msebenzi wokufakaza ongasoze waphindwa owenziwa emhlabeni wonke, oyophothulwa osizini olukhulu olusondelayo. (Marku 13:10) Khona-ke uyoba nethemba lokuphila ezweni elisha lokulunga uJehova alithembisayo. (2 Petru 3:13) Lalela izikhumbuzo zakhe! Linda ngesineke! Yiba matasa!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Funda manje ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sePharadesi

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 5]

Wolf: Animals/Jim Harter/Dover Publications, Inc.; young shepherd: Children: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources/Grafton/Dover Publications, Inc.