3. (a) Kungani “ingelosi yebandla laseSardesi” kufanele iphawule ngokukhethekile iqiniso lokuthi uJesu ‘unezinkanyezi eziyisikhombisa’? (b) Isiphi iseluleko esinamandla uJesu asinikeza ibandla laseSardesi?

³ UJesu futhi ukhumbuza “ingelosi yebandla laseSardesi” ukuthi nguYe ophethe ‘izinkanyezi eziyisikhombisa.’ Uphethe labo badala bebandla esandleni sakhe sokunene, enegunya lokubaqondisa emsebenzini wabo wokwalusa. Kufanele babeke izinhliziyo zabo ‘ekwazini ngokuqinisekile isimo somhlambi wabo.’ (IzAga 27:23) Ngakho, kwakumelwe bawalalele ngokucophelela amazwi kaJesu alandelayo: “Qapha, futhi uqinise izinto ezisele ebesezilungele ukufa, ngoba angikutholanga wenzé izenzo zakho ngokugcwele phambi kukaNkulunkulu wami. Ngakho-ke, qhubeka ukhumbula ukuthi wamukele kanjani nokuthi wezwa kanjani, uqhubeke ukugcina, futhi uphenduke. Ngokuqinisekile ngaphandle kokuba uvuke, ngiyofika njengesela, futhi ngeke wazi nhlobo ukuthi iliphi ihora engiyokufikela ngalo.”—IsAmbulo 3:2, 3.

5. (a) Kwenzekani ekwaziseni kwamaKristu aseSardesi? (b) Yini ezokwenzeka uma amaKristu aseSardesi engasabeli eselulekweni sikaJesu?

⁵ Njengamanje, ukwazisa kwabo nothando ngeqiniso kufana nomlilo osuzocisha. Amalahle ambalwa kuphela aqhubeka evutha. UJesu ubakhuthaza ukuba bavuthele inhlansi, bakhwezele umlilo, baphenduke ezonweni ukunganaki kwabo okubaholele kuzo, baphinde futhi babe yibandla eliphilayo ngokomoya. (Qhathanisa neyesi-2 Thimothewu 1:6, 7.) Ngaphandle kwalokho, lapho uJesu eza ngokuzumayo—“njengesela”—ezokhipha isahlulelo, ibandla laseSardesi liyobe lingalindele.—Mathewu 24:43, 44.

Ukuza “Njengesela”

6. UJesu weza kanjani “njengesela” ngo-1918, futhi yisiphi isimo asithola phakathi kwababethi bangabalandeli bakhe?

⁶ Isixwayiso sikaJesu sokuthi uyokuza “njengesela” sifinyelela ezikhathini zanamuhla. Sasisebenza ngokukhethekile kumaKristu aphila kwaze kwaba usuku lweNkosi. Ngokushesha ngemva kuka-1914, kwaba nokugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho sikaMalaki: “‘INkosi yeqiniso eniyifunayo iyofika kungazelelwe ethempelini laYo, nesithunywa sesivumelwano enijabula ngaso. Bheka! Iyofika ngokuqinisekile,’ kusho uJehova wamabutho.” (Malaki 3:1; IsAmbulo 1:10) ‘Njengesithunywa sesivumelwano,’ uJesu weza ukuzohlola nokwahlulela labo ababethi bangabalandeli bakhe. (1 Petru 4:17) Ngaleso sikhathi, ngo-1918, eLobukholwa lalihileleke ekuchitheni igazi eMpini Yezwe I, futhi, ngomqondo ongokomoya, lalife ngokuphelele. Ngisho namaKristu eqiniso, lawo ngaphambi kwempi ayeshumayele ngentshiseko enkulu, angena enkathini yokozela ngokomoya. Abanye babadala bawo abavelele bafakwa ejele, futhi umsebenzi wokushumayela wacishe wama. Lapho umoya kaJehova uwavusa la maKristu ngonyaka olandelayo, akusiwo wonke ayelungele. Amanye, njengezintombi eziyiziwula zomfanekiso kaJesu, ayengalihlomele ngokomoya ilungelo lokukhonza uJehova. Nokho, ngokujabulisayo kwakunabaningi ababelalele isixwayiso sikaJesu, njengezintombi ezihlakaniphile: “Ngakho-ke, hlalani nilindile, ngoba anilwazi usuku noma ihora.”—Mathewu 25:1-13.

7. Kungani amaKristu namuhla edinga ukuhlala ephapheme?

⁷ Isidingo sokuba umKristu aphaphame asizange siphele ngasekuqaleni kosuku lweNkosi. Esiprofethweni sakhe esikhulu esiphathelene ‘nesibonakaliso sesikhathi lapho zonke lezi zinto zimiselwe ukufika khona esiphelweni,’ uJesu wanikeza isixwayiso esinamandla: “Ngokuphathelene nalolo suku noma lelo hora, akekho owaziyo . . . Hlalani nibhekile, nihlale niphapheme, ngoba anazi ukuthi sinini isikhathi esimisiwe. Kodwa lokho engikusho kini ngikusho kubo bonke, Hlalani nilindile.” (Marku 13:4, 32, 33, 37) Yebo, kuze kube yileli hora, ngamunye wethu, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ungowabagcotshiwe noma ungowesixuku esikhulu, udinga ukuhlala eqaphile futhi elwisana nokulala okungokomoya. Lapho usuku lukaJehova luza ‘njengesela ebusuku,’ kwangathi singatholakala siphapheme ukuze sithole isahlulelo esihle.—1 Thesalonika 5:2, 3; Luka 21:34-36; IsAmbulo 7:9.

8. Isigaba sikaJohane namuhla siye sabakhuthaza kanjani abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuba bahlale bephila ngokomoya?

⁸ Namuhla isigaba sikaJohane ngokwaso sisiphaphamele isidingo sokukhuthaza abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuba bahlale bephila ngokomoya. Ngenxa yalokho, emhlabeni wonke kulungiselelwa imibuthano ekhethekile izikhathi eziningana ngonyaka. Onyakeni wamuva nje, ababa khona emihlanganweni yesigodi engu-2 981 baba ngu-10 953 744, futhi kwabhapathizwa abasha abakholwayo abangu-122 701. Eminyakeni engaphezu kweyikhulu, isigaba sikaJohane siye sasebenzisa umagazini INqabayokulinda ekumemezeleni igama likaJehova nenjongo. Isabela ekushushisweni okunzima phakathi nezimpi ezimbili zezwe, INqabayokulinda yashukumisela oFakazi BakaJehova entshisekweni evuselelwe ngokukhipha izihloko ezinjengezithi “Babusisiwe Abangesabi” (1919), “Ukubizelwa Emsebenzini” (1925), nesithi “Ukunqotshwa Koshushiso” (1942).

9. (a) Yini wonke amaKristu okufanele azibuze yona? (b) Yisiphi isikhuthazo INqabayokulinda eye yasinikeza?

⁹ NjengaseSardesi, ngokufanayo emabandleni namuhla, ukuzihlola okuqhubekayo kubalulekile ngawo wonke amaKristu. Sonke kufanele sihlale sizibuza: Ingabe ‘izenzo zami ngizenzé ngokugcwele’ phambi kukaNkulunkulu wethu? Ngaphandle kokwahlulela abanye, ingabe thina siqu siyawuhlakulela umoya wokuzidela futhi silwele ukunikeza inkonzo yomphefumulo wonke kuNkulunkulu? Ngokuqondene nalokhu, umagazini INqabayokulinda uye wanikeza isikhuthazo ngokuxoxa ngezihloko ezinjengesithi, “Qhubekani Nihlola Lokho Nina Ngokwenu Eniyikho” nesithi “Ukungasaziphileli Thina.”a Sinosizo olunjalo olungokomBhalo, masizihlole ngokujulile njengoba sizama ukuhamba ngokuthobeka nangomthandazo ebuqothweni phambi kukaJehova.—IHubo 26:1-3; 139:23, 24.