Ngo-1924​—⁠Iminyaka Elikhulu Edlulileko

BATJHUMAYELA NGOMRHATJHO

Kwaphela umnyaka abafowethu e-Bethel bakha umrhatjho i-WBBR e-Staten Island, e-New York City. Bathoma ngokususa imithi ngemva kwalokho, bakha indlu ekulu abazokuhlala kiyo nalapho abazokubeka khona izinto zokurhatjha. Umsebenzi wokwakha nawuphelako, abafowethu bathoma ukuhlanganisa izinto abazitlhogako bona bathome “ukurhatjha.” Bekuneentjhijilo ebebazokuqalana nazo.

Abafowethu bakufumana kubudisi ukufaka i-eriyeli yomrhatjho. Beyimamitha ama-91 ubude begodu bekufuze ilengiswe eengodweni ezimbili, ebekufuze zibe mamitha ama-61 ubude. Ekuthomeni babhalelwa. Nanyana kunjalo, ngokuthembela kuJehova baphumelela. U-Calvin Prosser obekasebenza ephrojekthini le uthi: “Ngathana saphumelela nasithoma ukwenza umrhatjho lo, besizozithokoza thina sithi, ‘Qala bona sisebenze budisi kangangani.’” Abafowethu bathokoza uJehova ngomsebenzi abawenzileko. Imirarwabo beyingakapheli.

Ukurhatjha bekusathoma begodu izinto zokwakha umrhatjho bezingafumaneki lula. Kodwana abafowethu bafumana iintlabagelwezi komunye umuntu obekakhe umrhatjho. Kunokuthenga umbhobho, basebenzisa ofumaneka emtatweni. Ngelinye ilanga ebusuku ngoFebherbari, abafowethu baqunta ukubona ukuthi umrhatjho lo uyasebenza na. Bekutlhogeka ihlelo, yeke abafowethu bathoma ukuvuma iingoma zomBuso. U-Ernest Lowe, kusamhlekisa nakakhumbula ukuthi, kwathi abafowethu nabasavuma, bafumana umtato ovela ku-Judge Rutherfordb owabezwa bavuma emrhatjhweni e-Brooklyn, okumamitha ali-15 ukusuka lapha akhona.

UmFowethu u-Rutherford wathi: “Akhenilise ukuvuma, nizwakala ngasuthi nibokatsu!” Abafowethu baba neenhloni, balisa ukuvuma kodwana besele bazi ukuthi umrhatjho uyasebenza begodu bebakulungele ukuthoma ukuwusebenzisa.

NgoFebherbari 1924, nakuthonyiswa ukurhatjha umFowethu u-Rutherford wathi umrhatjho lo, uzokusetjenziselwa ukwenza umsebenzi uKrestu iKosi ebanikele wona. Wathi ihloso yomrhatjho, “Kusiza abantu bazwisise iBhayibheli nokuqakatheka kwesikhathi esiphila kiso.”

Ilanga lokuthoma lokurhatjha lakhamba kuhle khulu. Iminyaka ema-33 eyalandelako, i-WBBR yasetjenziselwa ukurhatjhela abantu bakaJehova amahlelo.

NGESIBINDI BAKHALIMA ABADOSI PHAMBILI BEKOLO

NgoJulayi 1924, abafundi beBhayibheli bahlela umhlangano e-Columbus, e-Ohio. Abantu beza bavela ephasini loke, bezwa iinkulumo ngesi-Arabic, NgesiNgisi, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, amalimi we-Scandinavia, nesi-Ukrainian. Ezinye iingcenye zomhlangano zazwakala emrhatjhweni, kwenziwa amahlelo ne-Ohio State Journal bona yenze imibiko yomhlangano yaqobe lilanga.

NgeLesine, ngoJulayi 24 abantu abangaphezu kwee-5 000 ebebeze emhlanganweni baya esimini. Bakhambisa iincwadi ezipheze zibe zii-30 000, bathomisa neenkulungwana zeemfundo zeBhayibheli. IsiThala sabiza ilangeli ngokuthi “lilanga lomhlangano elithabisa khulu.”

Enye into ethabisako yenzeka ngeLesihlanu, ngoJulayi 25 kwenye yeenkulumo zakamFowethu u-Rutherford, ngesibindi wafunda iphepha ebelahlulela abadosi phambili bezekolo. Wathi abadosiphambili bezepolotiki, bamasonto nabamabhizinisi bavimba abantu bona bangafundi ngomBuso kaZimu, ozokuzuzisa abantu. Ukungezelela kilokho watjho kuthi abantwaba abenzi kuhle ngombana basekela i-League of Nations begodu bathi yindlela kaZimu yokubusa iphasi. Abafundi beBhayibheli bekuzokutlhogeka babe nesibindi sokutjhumayela umlayezo lo.

Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, isihloko esavela esiThaleni sathi umhlangano ebewuse-Columbus uqinise ukukholwa kwesiqhema sabafowethu nabodadwethu abakhutheleko. Wabanikela isibindi sokutjhumayela ngitjho nanyana baphikiswa. U-Leo Claus obekasemhlanganweni uthi, “Sakhamba sikhuthazekile, sifuna ukutjela abanye ngomlayezo lo.”

Ngo-Oktoba, abafundi beBhayibheli bathoma ukukhambisa iincwadi ezimamiliyoni ezikhalimela abafundisi bekolo, lokho okwatjhiwo ngumFowethu u-Rutherford. Edorobheni elincani i-Cleveland, e-Oklahoma, u-Frank Johnson wakhambisa amaphetjhana begodu kwafuze alinde emizuzu ema-20 bona abafowethu nabodadwethu beze bazokuhlangana naye. Bekangekhe alinda endaweni evulekileko ngombana abantu bedorobheneli bebasilingekile ngebanga lokutjhumayela kwakhe begodu bebamfuna. UmFowethu u-Johnson wazifihla esontweni eliseduze. Walifumana linganamuntu yeke watjhiya amaphetjhana akhalimela abafundisi bekolo, eBhayibhelini lakamfundisi nakizo zoke iintulo. Waphuma msinya khulu esontwenelo. Bekasese nesikhathi, yeke waya nakamanye amasonto amabili wenza okufanako.

U-Frank wabuyela lapho abafowethu nabodadwethu ekufuze bamfumane khona. Wazifihla ngemva kwala kufakwa khona ipetroli, aqalaqala abantu abamfunako ukuthi bakuphi. Abantwaba badlula lapho ngekoloyi kodwana akhenge bambone. Nasele bakhambile, abafowethu nabodadwethu ebebatjhumayela hlanu kwalapho bafika bazomthatha.

“Njengombana besikhamba edorobhenelo,” omunye umfowethu wakhumbula ukuthi, “sidlule amasonto amathathu.” Bekunabantu abangaba ma-50, abajame phambi kwesonto ngalinye. Abanye babantwabo bebafunda amaphetjhana, abanye bebalibambele phezulu ukwenzela bona umfundisi alibone. Sakhamba ngesikhathi esihle bona sibalekele imiraro kodwana sathokoza uJehova uZimethu ngokuthi asivikele nokusisiza bona sazi ukuthi senzeni ukurhatjha umlayezo ngendlela ephephileko.

ABAFUNDI BEBHAYIBHELI BATJHUMAYELA NGESIBINDI KWEZINYE IINARHA

Kwezinye iinarha, abafundi beBhayibheli nabo bebatjhumayela ngesibindi. Etlhagwini ye-France, u-Józef Krett watjhumayeza abantu abavela e-Poland abasebenza emayini. Wabelwa bona anikele ikulumo enesihloko esithi, “Kuzokuvuswa Abafileko Ingasi Kade.” Abafowethu nabodadwethu nabanikela abantu iimemo, omunye umfundisi watjela abantu besontweni lakhe bona bangayokulalela ukuzokulalela ikulumo. Ukutjho kwakhe njalo kwenza abantu bafuna ukuya. Kwafika abantu abangaphezu kwee-5 000 kuhlanganise nomphristi. UmFowethu u-Krett wabiza umphristi bona avikele iinkolelo zakhe kodwana akhenge avume. UmFowethu u-Krett ngemva kwekulumo wanikela boke abantu iincwadi ngombana bebafuna ukwazi okungeziweko.—Amo. 8:11.

E-Afrika, u-Claude Brown waletha iindaba ezimnandi e-Gold Coast, nje eyaziwa ngokuthi yi-Ghana. Iinkulumo zakhe neencwadi azikhambisele abantu zasiza ekurhatjheni iindaba ezimnandi enarheni le. U-John Blankson obekafundela ukusebenza ngemitjhoga walalela enye yeenkulumo zakamFowethu u-Brown. Walemuka msinya ukuthi ufumene iqiniso. Uthi, “Iqiniso langithabisa kwamambala, bengikhuluma ngalo ngitjhaphulukile esikolweni sokufundela zemitjhoga.”

Ngelinye ilanga u-John wavakatjhela isonto le-Anglican bona abuze umfundisi ngekolelo kaZiquntathu, njengombana besele azi ukuthi ayikasekelwa emitlolweni. Umfundisi wamqotha, wamthethisa wathi, “AwusimKrestu, umntwana kaDeveli. Khamba la!”

U-John nakafika ekhaya watlolela umphristi incwadi, amumema bona akhulume ngefundiso kaZiquntathu phambi kwabantu. Umphristi wabizela u-John e-ofisini lakahlokokulu wesikolo sokufundela zemitjhoga, lapho abuzwa khona ukuthi inga-kghani ngambala utlolele umphristi incwadi.

Waphendula ngokuthi “Iye, ngimtlolele Nomzana.”

Utitjhere wathi u-John atlolele umphristi abawe ukulitjalelwa. Yeke u-John watlola:

“Nomzana, utitjherami uthe ngikutlolele, ngibawe ukulitjalelwa kodwana ngizakubawa nange uzokuvuma ukuthi ufundisa amala.”

Kwamthusa lokho utitjherami, wathi, “Blankson ngilokhu ofuna ukukutlola?”

Ngaphendula ngathi, “Kunjalo Nomzana. Ngilokhu kwaphela engingakutlola.”

Wathi, “Uzokuqothwa esikolweni. Ungakhuluma njani ngendlela le nophristi wesonto elisekelwa ngurhulumende uhlale esikolwenesi?”

Ngathi, “Nomzana nawusifundisako bese kuba nezinto esingazizwisisiko asikubuzi imibuzo?”

Wathi, “Nivumelekile ukubuza imibuzo.”

Ngathi, “Ngilokho okwenzekileko Nomzana. Ubaba lo bekasifundisa ngeBhayibheli mina ngambuza umbuzo. Nakangakghoni ukuphendula, alo kubayini kuthiwa mina ngitlole incwadi yokubawa ukulitjalelwa?”

U-Blankson akhenge aqothwe esikolweni begodu akhenge atlole incwadi yokubawa ukulitjalelwa.

UKUQALA PHAMBILI ENGOMUSWENI

IsiThala nasikhuluma ngokwenzeke emnyakeni lo, sithi, “Singatjho okwatjhiwo nguDavida: ‘Uzongipha amandla bona ngilungele ipi.’ (Rhu. 18:39) Umnyaka lo bewukhuthaza kwamambala ngombana sibone isandla sakaJehova sisisiza emsebenzini. Abantu bakhe abathembekileko batjhumayele iindaba ezimnandi bathabile.”

Ngokukhamba komnyaka, abafowethu bahlela ukwenza omunye umrhatjho. Umrhatjho lo wakhiwa e-Chicago, e-USA. Bewubizwa ngokuthi yi-WORD. Nje bebasebenzisa izinto zokwakha ezinamandla khulu ukwenzela bona abantu abanengi bakghone ukuzwa umlayezo womBuso neendaweni ezikude.

Ngo-1925, uJehova wasiza abafowethu bazwisisa izinto eziqakathekileko ngesAmbulo isahluko 12. Ngebanga lalokho, abanengi akhenge baragele phambili balotjha uJehova. Abanye bakuthabela ukuzwisisa ngcono lokho okwenzeke ezulwini nendlela okuthinta ngayo abantu bakaZimu ephasini.