kwabo. Kumele ukuthi lokho kwakuwakhathaza kakhulu amaJuda ayethembekile. Abaphrofethi bamanga labelusi ababexhwalile benza ukuthi abantu bahlamukele abaphrofethi bakaJehova. Labantu ngokwabo basebedabukene, sekulamaqembu aphikisanayo. Ngakho kumele ukuthi amaJuda ayethembekile athokoza esizwa isithembiso sikaJehova esithi: “Ngizabenza babe nhliziyonye futhi ngizatshintsha indlela abacabanga ngayo.” (Hez. 11:19) Nxa amaJuda ayengahlala emanyene esebuyele elizweni lawo futhi akhonze uJehova nganhliziyonye, akulasitha esasizawanqoba. Ayezaphinda adumise uJehova eyisizwe esimanyeneyo kulokuthi angcolise ibizo lakhe.

20, 21. Izithembiso zikaJehova zagcwaliseka njani amaJuda esebuyele elizweni lawo?

²⁰ Izithembizo lezi ezinhlanu zagcwaliseka yini amaJuda esebuyele elizweni lawo? Ye zagcwaliseka. UJehova uyazigcwalisa zonke izithembiso zakhe. UJoshuwa indoda yakudala eyayithembekile wathi: “Akukho lokukodwa uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu alithembisa khona okungazange kugcwaliseke. Konke kwenzakala, akula ngitsho lokukodwa akukhulumayo okungenzakalanga.” (Josh. 23:14) Ngakho uJehova wayezazigcwalisa izithembiso zakhe nxa amaJuda esebuyele elizweni lawo.

²¹ AmaJuda atshiya ukukhonza izithombe lezinye izinto ezenyanyekayo ezazisenza ukuthi uJehova angawamukeli. Abuyela elizweni lawo lanxa kwakukhanya angani lokho kwakungeke kwenzakale. Afika aqalisa ukulima futhi aziphilela impilo emnandi. Okunye okwenziwa ngamaJuda esanda kufika yikuvuselela i-alithare likaJehova elaliseJerusalema, aseqalisa ukwenza iminikelo kulo. (Ezra. 3:2-6) UJehova wanika abantu bakhe abelusi abathembekileyo. Ngokwesibonelo kwakulo-Ezra owayengumbhali futhi engumphristi othembekileyo, lababusi uNehemiya loZerubhabheli, loMphristi Omkhulu uJoshuwa, labaphrofethi ababelesibindi uHagayi loZakhariya loMalakhi. Nxa abantu babezaqhubeka bemlalela uJehova futhi besenza lokho akufunayo babezahlala bemanyene, kungelangxabangxoza njengakuqala.—Isaya. 61:1-4; bala uJeremiya 3:15.

22. Sikwazi njani ukuthi ukugcwaliseka kweziphrofetho zokuvuselelwa kokukhonza kweqiniso kwakuyinzwisa yalokho okuzayo?

²² Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi kwawakhuthaza kakhulu amaJuda ukubona izithembiso zikaJehova zigcwaliseka. Kodwa lokho kwakuyinzwisa nje yalokho okuzayo. Sikwazi njani? UJehova wayezagcwalisa izithembiso zakhe lezi kusiya ngokuthi amaJuda ayezahlala ethembekile yini futhi emlalela. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi

Iziphrofetho eziseBhayibhilini kanye lalokho obekusenzakala kutshengisa ukuthi uJesu waqalisa ukubusa ezulwini ngo-1914, njalo lokho kwakuyikuqala kwensuku zokucina zomhlaba kaSathane. UJesu wenzani esebekwe ukuthi abe yiNkosi? Wahle wakhulula abantu bakhe yini eBhabhiloni Enkulu? Wayibeka ngalesosikhathi yini “inceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo” waseqalisa umsebenzi omkhulu wokuvuna?—Mat. 24:45.

Hatshi, ubufakazi butshengisa ukuthi lokho kakwenzanga ngo-1914. Khumbula ukuthi umphostoli uPhetro wabhala ukuthi ukwahlulela ‘kwakuzaqalisa endlini kaNkulunkulu.’ (1 Phet. 4:17) Umphrofethi uMalakhi laye wathi uJehova wayezafika ethempelini lakhe ‘elesithunywa sesivumelwano,’ iNdodana yakhe uJesu Khristu. (Mal. 3:1-5) Ngesikhathi leso wayezahlola abantu bakhe futhi abahlambulule. Isiphrofetho lesi sagcwaliseka yini?

Ye sagcwaliseka. Kusukela ngomnyaka ka-1914 kusiya ekuqaliseni kuka-1919 abantu bakaNkulunkulu behlelwa yibunzima ngesikhathi behlolwa futhi behlanjululwa. Ngalesosikhathi babebizwa ngokuthi ngaBafundi beBhayibhili. Ngo-1914 abanengi babo badana ngoba babecabanga ukuthi ukuphela komhlaba kaSathane kwakuzafika ngalowomnyaka kodwa ayisikho okwenzakalayo. Izinto zaba zimbi kakhulu ngo-1916 lapho uCharles T. Russell owayebakhokhela ngalesosikhathi esifa. Abanye ababemthanda kakhulu futhi ababebona angathi nguye yedwa ongakhokhela abantu bakaNkulunkulu abazange babambisane lalokho okwakusenziwa nguJoseph F. Rutherford owayesebekwe esikhundleni sikaRussell. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi kungabi lokumanyana phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu njalo kwaphosa kwabangela ukuthi inhlanganiso idabukane phakathi ngo-1917. Kwasekusithi ngo-1918 umfowethu uRutherford labanye abazalwane abangu-7 babotshwa futhi betheswa amacala abangawenzanga, basebevalelwa ejele. Kukhanya iziphathamandla ezenza lokhu zazitshotshozelwa ngabakhokheli bamasonto. Amawofisi ethu amakhulu ayeseBrooklyn avalwa. Kuyazikhanyela ukuthi ngalesosikhathi abantu bakaNkulunkulu babengakakhululwa eBhabhiloni Enkulu.

Kodwa kwenzakalani ngo-1919? Izinto zaphongutshintsha ngesikhatshana! Ekuqaliseni komnyaka lo uRutherford labanye bakhe bakhululwa ejele. Bephuma nje bahle baqalisa umsebenzi, abazange bapholise amaseko! Masinyane nje kwahle kwalungiselelwa umhlangano omkhulu futhi kwaqaliswa ukudindwa imagazini entsha eyayithiwa yi-Golden Age, khathesi esibizwa ngokuthi yi-Vukani! Imagazini le yayenzelwe ukuthi isetshenziswe ekutshumayeleni. Kanti njalo ebandleni ngalinye kwabekwa umzalwane owayezahlela umsebenzi wokutshumayela futhi akhuthaze labanye ukuthi bahlale bewukhuthalele. Ngalowomnyaka kwaphinda kwadindwa elinye ibhukwana okwakuthiwa yi-Bulletin elalizancedisa ekuhleleni umsebenzi wokutshumayela. Khathesi sesilibiza ngokuthi lu-Gwalo Lwempilo Lenkonzo YamaKhristu.

Kuyini okwabangela ukuthi kube lotshintsho lolu? Kuyacaca ukuthi uKhristu wayesebakhululile abantu bakhe ababethunjwe yiBhabhiloni Enkulu. Wayeseyibekile inceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo ukuthi ikhokhele abantu bakhe njalo umsebenzi wokuvuna wawusuqalisile. Kusukela ngomnyaka ka-1919 lapho okwaba lotshintsho lolu olukhulu, umsebenzi wokutshumayela ubulokhu uhamba ngesiqubu esikhulu.