Izilo ZesAmbulo—Zisho Ukuthini?

NGOMGQIBELO, ngoJune 15, 1985, lalibantu bahle ezakhiweni zeZizwe Ezihlangene eNew York. Njengokujwayelekile, izivakashi eziningi zazifikile zizobona isakhiwo esikhulu esihlaba umxhwele, futhi abaningi abawuvalanga umlomo ngakho konke abakubona.

Nokho, kuze kube manje, iZizwe Ezihlangene kubonakala zehluleka ukuhlanganisa izizwe. Njengoba owayebaqondisa ongokomthetho wathi ngaleyontambama: “Kuye kwaba nezimpi eziyi-150 kusukela ngeMpi Yezwe II, nabantu abafa abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-20. Awukabibikho uhulumeni wezwe. Cishe lokhu kuyinto esondelene nawo.” Khona-ke, ingabe uhulumeni wezwe uyiphupho elingenakuqondakala? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyakukholelwa noma cha, impendulo ingatholakala ngokuhlola izilo zesAmbulo.

Abanye abahlaziyi beBhayibheli abayiboni neze incazelo engokwesiprofetho yezilo zencwadi yesAmbulo. Kunalokho, bayisebenzisela ezenzakalweni ezenzeka lapho umphostoli uJohane esaphila. Ngokwesibonelo, iThe Catholic Encyclopedia, ekulandiseni kwayo ngezilo zesAmbulo, ithi: “Kwakuyisiko labalobi bezambulo . . . ukwenza imibono yabo ibe sesimweni seziprofetho futhi bayinikeze isimo sokuba yizinto zesikhathi esidlule.”

Kodwa umphostoli uJohane wathi: “NgangikuMoya ngosuku lweNkosi.” (IsAmbulo 1:10) Yebo, incwadi yesAmbulo ayibhekiseli emlandweni wesikhathi esidlule, kodwa osukwini oluzayo lapho iNkosi uJesu Kristu yayiyoqala khona ukubusa isezulwini. NgokwesAmbulo isahluko 6, ‘usuku lweNkosi’ luphawulwa impi yezwe, ukwanda kokuswelakala kokudla, nezifo ezibulalayo. Izenzakalo eziye zabonwa emhlabeni phakathi nalelikhulu lama-20 leminyaka ziwubufakazi obukholisayo bokuthi besiphila ‘osukwini lweNkosi’ kusukela ngo-1914.—IsAmbulo 6:1-8.a

Ngalowonyaka ongokomlando, uJesu Kristu waqala ukubusa kwakhe eMbusweni. (IsAmbulo 11:15, 18) Ngakho-ke izilo zesAmbulo kumelwe zibe ngezivelele kusukela ngalesosikhathi. Ngempela, lezizilo zifanekisela izitha zikaNkulunkulu eziphazamisa abantu ekubhekeni eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu njengowukuphela kwelungiselelo eliyokwanelisa isifiso sabantu sokuthula. Lezitha zihlanganisa udrako nezilo ezintathu zasendle. Ake sizihlole ngokulandelana kwazo.

Udrako Omkhulu

“Bheka,” kusho uJohane, “nango udrako omkhulu obomvu, enamakhanda ayisikhombisa nezimpondo eziyishumi.” Ufanekiselani lodrako omkhulu? UJohane ngokwakhe uchaza ukuthi awumeleli okunye ngaphandle kukaSathane uDeveli. Ngokombono kaJohane, lodrako wamelana ngokunamandla nokuzalwa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu wasezulwini ngo-1914. Waba yini umphumela? “Wayesephonswa phansi udrako omkhulu, inyoka endala ethiwa uMhlebi noSathane, odukisa izwe lonke, waphonswa phansi emhlabeni, nezingelosi zakhe zaphonswa kanye naye.”—IsAmbulo 12:3, 7-9.

UJohane ubonisa ukuthi lokhu kwakuyoba nemiphumela esabekayo esintwini. “Maye kuwe-mhlaba nakuwe-lulwandle, ngokuba uSathane wehlele kini enolaka olukhulu, azi ukuthi unesikhathi esifushane!” (IsAmbulo 12:12) Nakuba egcinwe emhlabeni, uSathane usaphikelela nokumelana noMbuso kaNkulunkulu omisiwe. Ukwenza lokhu ngokudukisa isintu, esebenzisa izilo ezintathu zasendle. Cabangela incazelo kaJohane yesokuqala sazo.

Isilo Sasolwandle

“Ngase ngibona isilo sikhuphuka elwandle, izimpondo eziyishumi namakhanda ayisikhombisa . . . Isilo engasibonayo sasifana nengwe nezinyawo zaso zazinjengezebhere, nomlomo wawawunjengomlomo wengonyama. Udrako wasinika amandla akhe, nesihlalo sakhe sobukhosi nokubusa okukhulu.”—IsAmbulo 13:1, 2.

Sifanekiselani lesisilwane esisabekayo? Ngaphansi kokuphefumlelwa, uJohane unikeza umbono obalulekile: “Sanikwa futhi amandla phezu kwemindeni yonke, nabantu, nezilimi, nezizwe.” (IsAmbulo 13:7) Yini ebusa bonke abantu abaphilayo emhlabeni? Yinto eyodwa kuphela: isimiso sezwe kabanzi sokubusa kwezombangazwe. Ingabe lesimiso ngempela amandla siwathola ‘kudrako,’ uSathane? IBhayibheli liphendula ngokuthi yebo. Ngokwesibonelo, umphostoli uJohane wathi: “Izwe lonke lisemandleni omubi.” Akumangalisi ukuthi uSathane, lapho elinga uJesu ehlane, wamnikeza amandla phezu ‘kwemibuso yonke yezwe’ futhi wathi: ‘Lamandla anikwe mina.’—1 Johane 5:19, NW; Luka 4:5, 6.

Yini-ke, efanekiselwa yilawomakhanda ayisikhombisa? UJohane waboniswa esinye isilo esisabekayo esasifana ncimishí nalesi. Naso sasinamakhanda ayisikhombisa. Amakhanda alomfanekiso achazwa njengamelela “amakhosi ayisikhombisa,” noma imibuso yezwe, kuwona “ayisihlanu asewile, enye ikhona, enye ayikafiki.” (IsAmbulo 17:9, 10) Imibuso yezwe eyayikhona emlandweni weBhayibheli ngaphambi kosuku lukaJohane: iGibithe, iAsiriya, iBabiloni, owamaMede namaPheresiya, neGrisi. OwaseRoma, ongowesithupha, wawusabusa ngesikhathi uJohane esaphila.

Laliyini ikhanda lesikhombisa? Njengoba umbono wawuzosebenza “ngosuku lweNkosi,” kumelwe ukuba libhekisela embusweni wezwe osesikhundleni sombuso waseRoma phakathi nelezinsuku zokugcina kusukela ngo-1914. Umlando wembula lona njengombuso wezwe ombaxambili owakhiwe iBrithani neUnited States of America. Ngaphambi kuka-1914, iBrithani yayakhe umbuso omkhulu kakhulu kunayo yonke eyake yaba khona emhlabeni. Phakathi nekhulu le-19 leminyaka, waba futhi nekhono elikhulu ekubuseni nasekusebenzelaneni eduze neUnited States. Lamazwe amabili alekelelana ekulweni phakathi neMpi Yezwe I no-II, futhi ubuhlobo bawo obukhethekile buye baqhubeka kuze kube namuhla. Ngo-1982, uMongameli waseUnited States uReagan wakhuluma kusishaya-mthetho saseBrithani “ngobuhlobo obuvelele bamazwe ethu amabili.” Muva nje, ngoFebruary 1985, undunankulu waseBrithani wamukela amaqembu amabili ezombangazwe eNhlangano yaseUnited States futhi wathi: “Kwangathi izizwe zethu ezimbili ezinobuhlobo zingaqhubekela phambili ngobunye . . . zinenjongo eqinile, zihlanganyela ukholo, . . . njengoba sisondela enkulungwaneni yesithathu yesikhathi sobuKristu.”

Ngenxa yethonya lawo elikhulu ezindabeni zezwe, umbuso wezwe ombaxambili wamaNgisi namaMelika uvezwe ngokwehlukile encwadini yesAmbulo. Kanjani? Ngesilo sesibili sesAmbulo.

Isilo Sasezweni

“Ngase ngibona esinye isilo,” kubhala uJohane, “siphuma emhlabeni, sinezimpondo ezimbili ezifana nezewundlu, kepha sikhuluma njengodrako.” Ngokuzibiza njengomKristu nongenalo unya, umbuso wezwe wamaNgisi namaMelika wembatha isimo esifana nesewundlu. Kodwa ngempela uye wenza njengodrako. Kanjani? Ngokwenza izizwe eziningi zibe ngaphansi kwawo nangokuxhaphaza ngobugovu imithombo yomhlaba. Futhi, “siyenza ukuba umhlaba nabo bonke abakhileyo kuwo bakhuleke kuso isilo sokuqala esingozi yaso yelashwa . . . Sithi kwabakhileyo emhlabeni mabasenzele umfanekiso isilo.” (IsAmbulo 13:3, 11-15) Kwagcwaliseka kanjani lokhu?

Isimiso somhlaba wonke sikaSathane sezombangazwe sahlangabezana nengozi phakathi neMpi Yezwe I. Ukuvimbela into enjalo ukuba ingaphindi yenzeke, iBrithani neMelika yashoshozela ‘ukukhulekelwa’ kwesimiso sezombangazwe. Yakwenza lokhu ngokugqugquzela izizwe ukuba ‘zisenzele umfanekiso isilo.’ Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu?

Ngasekupheleni kwempi yezwe yokuqala, uMongameli uWilson waseUnited States waqala ukulwa izimpi zenkolo elwela iNhlangano Yezizwe eyayisanda kumiswa. Ngenxa yalokho, watshela amanxusa eMhlanganweni Wokuthula WaseParis ngo-1919: “Bameleli beUnited States, sekelani lomzamo omkhulu weNhlangano Yezizwe. Siyibheka njengeyisisekelo saso sonke isimiso ebesiqokomisa injongo yethu . . . kulempi. . . . Silapha ukuze sibone, ngamafuphi, ukuthi zona kanye izisekelo zalempi ziyasuswa.”

Ngemva kokuba uMongameli uWilson eseyiphethile inkulumo yakhe, akekho omunye ngaphandle kukandunankulu waseBrithani, uLloyd George, owakhuluma: “Ngisukumela ukusekela lesinqumo. Ngemva kwenkulumo enhle kaMongameli waseUnited States nginomuzwa wokuthi akukho ukuhlolisisa okudingekile ukuze kutuswe lesinqumo kuloMhlangano, futhi . . . ngiphawula indlela abantu bombuso waseBrithani abasisekela ngayo lesisiphakamiso.”

Kamuva ngalowonyaka, emhlanganweni owawuseLondon wokusekela ukuqiniswa kweNhlangano Yezizwe, kwafundwa incwadi evela eNkosini yaseGreat Britain: “Siye sanqoba empini. Lokho kuyimpumelelo enkulu. Kodwa akwanele. Silwela ukuzuza ukuthula okuhlala njalo, futhi kungumthwalo wethu omkhulu ukuthatha zonke izinyathelo ukuba sikulonde. Ngalokho, akukho okubaluleke ukwedlula iNhlangano Yezizwe eqinile nehlala njalo. . . . Lokhu ngikutusa kuzo zonke izakhamuzi zoMbuso, ukuze, ngosizo lwawo onke amanye amadoda enhliziyo enhle, insika nesivikelo esiqinile sokuthula, ewudumo kuNkulunkulu . . . ingase imiswe.”

NgoJanuary 16, 1920, iNhlangano Yezizwe yamiswa inamazwe angamalungu angama-42. Ngo-1934 yahlanganisa amazwe angama-58. Isilo sasezweni esinezimpondo ezimbili saphumelela ekugqugquzeleni izwe ukuba ‘lenzele isilo umfanekiso.’ Lomfanekiso, noma lokhu okumelela isimiso somhlaba wonke sikaSathane sezombangazwe kufanekiselwe isilo sokugcina sesAmbulo.

Isilo Esibomvu

Nansi incazelo kaJohane yalesisilo sokugcina: “Isilo esibomvu, sigcwele amagama enhlamba, sinamakhanda ayisikhombisa nezimpondo eziyishumi.” Ngokuqondene nalesisilo, uJohane watshelwa. “Isilo owasibonayo sasikhona, asisekho; kepha sesizakwenyuka, siphuma kwalasha, siye ekubhujisweni. . . . singesesishiyagalombili.” (IsAmbulo 17:3, 8, 11) Ngokuhambisana nalencazelo, iNhlangano Yezizwe yazama ukusebenza njengombuso wezwe emhlabeni. Nokho, yehluleka ukuvimbela iMpi Yezwe II, eyaqala ngo-1939. Isilo sanyamalala, ngendlela engokomfanekiso, saya kwalasha.

Phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, umbuso wezwe wamaNgisi namaMelika wasebenza kanzima ukuvusa leyonhlangano yezizwe zonke. Ngo-1941 undunankulu waseGreat Britain, uWinston Churchill, waba nezingxoxo eziyimfihlo noMongameli uFranklin Roosevelt waseUnited States besemkhunjini olwandle iAntlantic. Bavumelana ngazwi linye “ngamathemba abo ekusasa elingcono lomhlaba” kanye “nokumiswa kwesimiso esibanzi nesihlala njalo sokuthula komhlaba wonke.” Ngonyaka olandelayo eWashington, D.C., izizwe ezingama-26 zalamukela lelicebo lamaNgisi namaMelika kulokho okwakubizwa ngokuthi “Izwi Lesinqumo LeZizwe Ezihlangene.” Lokhu kwaholela ekwakhiweni kwenhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene ngo-October 24, 1945. Isilo esibomvu saphuma kwalasha sesinegama elisha. Okwamanje, izizwe eziyi-159 ziye zayijoyina lenhlangano, leyo ezithemba ukuthi, iyokwenza lesimiso esikhona manje sokubusa kwesintu kwezombangazwe sihlale sinjalo.

Nokho, konke lokhu kubekela eceleni uMbuso kaNkulunkulu wobuMesiya, owamiswa ezulwini ngo-1914. Wonke umuntu emhlabeni kumelwe akhethe phakathi kokubuswa uNkulunkulu nokubuswa umuntu. Ngokushesha, isilo esibomvu, kanye nabo bonke ohulumeni babantu, kuzohileleka empini neNkosi kaNkulunkulu emisiwe, uJesu Kristu. Uyoba yini umphumela? “NeWundlu [uJesu Kristu] liyakuwanqoba, ngokuba liyiNkosi yamakhosi noMbusi wababusi.” Yebo, isilo esibomvu kanye naso sonke isimiso sohulumeni babantu ‘siyoya ekubhujisweni.’—IsAmbulo 17:11, 14; bheka futhi noDaniyeli 2:44.

Yeka isibusiso okuyoba yiso ngalesosikhathi ngokuba ongadukiswanga udrako nezilo zakhe ezintathu! Labo abaye bazibonakalisa beyizikhonzi eziqotho zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu bayosinda babe yingxenye ‘yomhlaba omusha.’ UNkulunkulu “azesule izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikuba-khona; nokudabuka, nokukhala, nobuhlungu akusayikuba-khona; ngokuba okokuqala kudlulile.” (2 Petru 3:13; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Ngakho-ke, zithobe ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu, okuyiwona kuphela uhulumeni ophumelelayo. Khona-ke nawe, uyoba sesimweni sokujabulela lezibusiso ezihlala njalo.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]