Izwe

Incazelo: Lapho lihunyushwa egameni lesiGreki elithi koʹsmos, elithi “izwe” lingase lisho (1) isintu sisonke, ngaphandle kwesimo saso sokuziphatha noma inkambo yokuphila, (2) isisekelo sezimo zesintu umuntu azalelwa kuzo nalezo aphila kuzo, noma (3) uquqaba lwabantu ngaphandle kwezinceku zikaJehova ezamukelekayo. Abanye abahumushi beBhayibheli baye baveza umqondo ongaqondile ngokusebenzisa elithi “izwe” njengelihambisana namagama esiGreki asho “umhlaba,” “umhlaba owakhiwe,” nokuthi “isimiso sezinto.” Ingxoxo elandelayo igcizelela ngokuyinhloko kweyesithathu ezincazelweni ezibaliwe zelithi “izwe” njengoba zibekwe ngenhla.

Ingabe izwe liyobhujiswa ngomlilo?

2 Pet. 3:7: “Izulu nomhlaba okukhona manje kubekelelwe umlilo ngalo lona lelizwi [likaNkulunkulu], kulindele usuku lokwahlulela nolokubhubha kwabantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu.” (Phawula ukuthi kuyobhujiswa “abantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu,” hhayi isintu sisonke. Ngokufanayo, ivesi 6 libhekisela ekubhujisweni ‘kwezwe’ ngosuku lukaNowa. Abantu ababi babhujiswa, kodwa umhlaba kanye noNowa owayesaba uNkulunkulu nomkhaya wakhe basinda. Ingabe “umlilo” osukwini oluzayo lokwahlulela uyoba owoqobo, noma ingabe ufanekisela ukubhujiswa okuphelele? Imuphi umphumela umlilo ongokoqobo obungaba nawo ezindikimbeni zasezulwini ezingokoqobo njengelanga nezinkanyezi okushisa ngokumangalisayo kakade? Ngokuqondene nokukhulunyelwa okwengeziwe kwalombhalo, bheka amakhasi 365-367, ngaphansi kwesithi “Umhlaba.”)

IzAga 2:21, 22: “Ngokuba abaqotho bayakuhlala ezweni, abapheleleyo basale kulo. Kepha ababi bayakunqunywa ezweni, nabambuluzayo bayakusishulwa kulo.”

Ubani obusa lelizwe—uNkulunkulu noma uSathane?

Dan. 4:35: “[UNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, uJehova,] uyenza njengentando yakhe empini yasezulwini naphakathi kwabakhileyo emhlabeni; akakho ongavimbela isandla sakhe, noma athi kuye: Wenzani na?” (Ngomqondo ofanayo, uJeremiya 10:6, 7 ubhekisela kuJehova ‘njengeNkosi yezizwe’ ngoba uyiNkosi engenakulinganiswa namanye, lowo ongase ahlulele amakhosi abantu nezizwe azibusayo futhi oyokwenza. NjengoMdali womhlaba, uJehova unguMbusi wawo ofanelekile; akakaze asiyeke lesosikhundla.)

Joh. 14:30: “[UJesu wathi:] Uyeza umbusi wezwe, kepha akanalutho kimi.” (Lombusi ngokusobala akuyena uJehova uNkulunkulu, ontando yakhe uJesu uyenza ngokwethembeka njalo. “Umbusi wezwe” kumelwe kube “omubi,” uSathane uDeveli, ‘izwe elimi’ emandleni akhe, njengoba kuphawulwe kweyoku-1 Johane 5:19, NW. Nakuba isintu sihlala embulungeni engekaNkulunkulu, izwe elakhiwe yilabo abangezona izinceku zikaJehova ezilalelayo lingaphansi kokuqondiswa uSathane ngoba abantu abanjalo bayamlalela. Labo abazithoba ekubuseni kukaJehova ngenhliziyo yonke abayona ingxenye yalelozwe. Qhathanisa neyesi-2 Korinte 4:4.)

IsAm. 13:2: “Udrako [uSathane uDeveli] wasinika [isilo] amandla akhe, nesihlalo sakhe sobukhosi, nokubusa okukhulu.” (Ukuqhathanisa incazelo ‘yalesilo’ noDaniyeli 7 kubonisa ukuthi simelele uhulumeni wabantu, hhayi nje owodwa kodwa isimiso sokubusa kwezombangazwe somhlaba wonke. Ukuthi uSathane ungumbusi waso kuyavumelana noLuka 4:5-7, kanye nesAmbulo 16:14, 16, lapho kuboniswa imimoya yamademoni njengeholela ababusi bawo wonke umhlaba ekulweni noNkulunkulu eArmagedoni. Ukubusa kukaSathane lelizwe kuyilokho uNkulunkulu akubekezelele kuze kube yilapho isikhathi saKhe esimisiwe sifika sokuba alungise impikiswano yokubuswa kwendawo yonke.)

IsAm. 11:15: “Kwase kuba-khona amazwi amakhulu ezulwini athi: Umbuso wezwe usungoweNkosi yethu [uJehova] nokaKristu wayo.” (Lapho lokhu kwenzeka ngo-1914, “izinsuku zokugcina” zesimiso samanje esibi sezinto zaqala. Ukubonakaliswa okusha kobukhosi bukaJehova kwabonakala, manje ngeNdodana yakhe njengoMbusi wobuMesiya. Ngokushesha izwe elibi lizobhujiswa, futhi uSathane, umbusi walo omubi ongumoya, uyofakwa kwalasha, angakwazi ukuthonya isintu.)

Siyini isimo sengqondo samaKristu eqiniso ngasezweni nakubantu abayingxenye yezwe?

Joh. 15:19: “Lokhu [balandeli bakaJesu] ningesibo abezwe kodwa nganikhetha mina ezweni.” (Ngaleyondlela amaKristu eqiniso awayona ingxenye yoquqaba lomphakathi wesintu odediselwe kude noNkulunkulu. Anakekela imisebenzi evamile yobuntu, kodwa ayasibalekela isimo sengqondo, inkulumo, nokuziphatha okuyingxenye yalelizwe nokungqubuzanayo nezindlela zikaJehova zokulunga.) (Bheka amakhasi 308-314, no-373-377.)

Jak. 4:4: “Ziphingi, anazi yini ukuthi ukuthanda izwe kungubutha kuNkulunkulu na? Ngakho lowo othanda ukuba-ngumhlobo wezwe, umi eyisitha sikaNkulunkulu.” (Ngenxa yokuthi amaKristu awaphelele, ngezinye izikhathi angase onakaliswe ukuthintana nezwe. Kodwa uma elulekwa ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu, ayaphenduka aqondise izindlela zawo. Nokho, uma amanye, ngamabomu, ezihlanganisa nezwe noma alingise umoya walo, abonisa ukuthi awasewona amaKristu eqiniso kodwa aye aba ingxenye yezwe eliyisitha sikaNkulunkulu.)

Roma 13:1: “Akube-yilowo nalowo azithobe phansi kwamandla ombuso, ngokuba akukho-mandla ombuso angaveli kuNkulunkulu; lawa akhona amiswé nguNkulunkulu.” (Labo abagcina lesiseluleko abazona izihlubuki, ezizama ukugumbuqela ohulumeni bezwe. Bazithoba egunyeni lababusi bezombangazwe, bebalalela uma nje okufunwa ngababusi abanjalo kungangqubuzani nezimfuneko zikaNkulunkulu. Ohulumeni abanjalo babonwa kusengaphambili futhi babikezelwa uNkulunkulu. Abasebenzisi igunya ngoba ebanikeze lawomandla, kodwa ngemvume yakhe. Ngesikhathi sakhe esifanele uyobasusa nabo.)

Gal. 6:10: “Njengoba sinethuba, asenze okuhle kubo bonke, kepha ikakhulu kwabendlu yokukholwa.” (Ngakho-ke, amaKristu eqiniso awagodli ekwenzeni okuhle kwabanye abantu. Alingisa uNkulunkulu, okhanyisa ilanga kokubili kubantu ababi nabalungileyo.—Math. 5:43-48.)

Math. 5:14-16: “Nina ningukukhanya kwezwe. . . . Kanjalo makukhanye ukukhanya kwenu phambi kwabantu ukuba babone imisebenzi yenu emihle, badumise uYihlo osezulwini.” (Ukuze abanye badumise uNkulunkulu ngenxa yalokho okwenziwa ngamaKristu, kusobala ukuthi labo abangamaKristu kumelwe babe ngofakazi abakhuthele kulelizwe ngokuqondene negama likaNkulunkulu nenjongo yakhe. Yilomsebenzi amaKristu eqiniso awukhathalela ngokuyinhloko.)

Zisho ukuthini izimo zezwe zanamuhla?

Bheka isihloko esikhulu esithi “Izinsuku Zokugcina.”