Uthenga wa M’chivumbulutso​—Kodi ndi Woopsa Kapena ndi Wotipatsa Chiyembekezo?

“Chiwonongeko cha m’Chivumbulutso si nkhani ya m’Baibulo mokha lerolino koma chakhala chinthu chimene chingachitikedi.”​—Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, mlembi wamkulu wakale wa bungwe la United Nations.

KUTCHULIDWA kumeneko kwa chiwonongeko cha m’Chivumbulutso ndi mtsogoleri wotchuka padziko lonse kukusonyeza mmenedi anthu amachidziŵira malinga ndi zimene amaona m’mitu ya mafilimu ndi mabuku, m’nkhani za m’magazini, ndi m’malipoti a m’manyuzipepala. Zinthu zimenezi zimapereka malingaliro a kuwonongedwa kwa thambo ndi dziko lapansi. Koma kodi chiwonongeko cha m’Chivumbulutso n’chiyani kwenikweni? Komanso funso lofunika kwambiri n’lakuti, kodi uthenga wa m’buku la Baibulo lotchedwa Chivumbulutso ndi wotani?

Liwu lachigiriki lotembenuzidwa kuti “chivumbulutso” limatanthauza “kuulula” kapena “kuvumbula.” Kodi n’chiyani chinavumbulidwa m’Chivumbulutso cha m’Baibulo? Kodi ndi uthenga wokhawokha wa chiwonongeko, chenjezo la chiwonongeko chimene palibe munthu adzapulumuka? Atafunsidwa maganizo ake ponena za Chivumbulutso, katswiri wa mbiri yakale Jean Delumeau, membala wa Institut de France, anati: “Ndi buku lotonthoza ndi lopereka chiyembekezo. Anthu akokomeza nkhani zake mwa kungolunjikitsa maganizo pa chiwonongeko chimene limatchula.”

Mpingo Wakale ndi Chivumbulutso

Kodi “Akristu” oyambirira ankaliona motani buku la Chivumbulutso ndi chiyembekezo chimene limapereka cha Ulamuliro wa Kristu wa Zaka Chikwi wolamulira dziko lapansi? Katswiri wa mbiri yakale mmodzimodziyo anati: “Kwa ine, Akristu a m’mazana a zaka angapo oyambirira amaoneka kwambiri kuti ankakhulupirira zaka chikwizo. . . . Pakati pa Akristu amene ankakhulupirira ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi m’mazana a zaka oyambirirawo panalinso Papias, bishopu wa mzinda wa Herapoli ku Asia Minor, . . . Justin Woyera, yemwe anabadwira ku Palestina, amene anafera chikhulupiriro ku Roma cha mu 165, Irenæus Woyera, bishopu wa mzinda wa Lyons, amene anamwalira mu 202, Tertullian, yemwe anamwalira mu 222, ndi . . . wolemba nkhani wotchukayo Lactantius.”

Ponena za Papias, amene akuti anafera chikhulupiriro ku Pergamo mu 161 kapena 165 C.E., The Catholic Encyclopedia imati: “Bishopu Papias wa Herapoli, wophunzira wa Yohane Woyera, ankadziŵika kuti ndi wochirikiza chiphunzitso cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi. Iye ankanena kuti chiphunzitso chakecho anachilandira kwa anthu omwe analiko panthaŵi ya Atumwi, ndiponso Irenæus anasimba kuti Akulu ena, amene anaona ndi kumvetsera wophunzira Yohane, anaphunzira kwa iye chikhulupiriro cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi monga mbali ya chiphunzitso cha Ambuye. Malinga n’kunena kwa Eusebius . . . Papias ananena motsindika m’buku lake kuti akufa ataukitsidwa padzakhala zaka chikwi za ufumu wooneka, waulemerero wa padziko lapansi wa Kristu.”

Kodi zimenezi zikutiuzanji ponena za mmene buku la Chivumbulutso linakhudzira okhulupirira oyambirirawo? Kodi linawaopsa kapena linawapatsa chiyembekezo? Chochititsa chidwi n’chakuti akatswiri a mbiri yakale amatcha Akristu akalekale ameneŵa dzina lina lachingelezi lakuti chiliasts, limene linatengedwa ku mawu achigiriki akuti khiʹli·a eʹte (zaka chikwi). Inde, ambiri a iwo ankadziŵika kuti amakhulupirira Ulamuliro wa Zaka Chikwi wa Kristu, umene udzasandutsa dzikoli kukhala paradaiso. Malo amodzi okha m’Baibulo amene amatchula chiyembekezo cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi mwachindunji ndiwo Chivumbulutso. (20:1-7) Chotero, m’malo moopsa okhulupirira, Chivumbulutso chinawapatsa chiyembekezo chosangalatsa zedi. M’buku lake lakuti The Early Church and the World (Mpingo Wakale ndi Dziko Lapansi), polofesa wa mbiri yakale ya matchalitchi pa Oxford, Cecil Cadoux analemba kuti: “Chikhulupiriro cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi, ngakhale kuti chinadzakanidwa m’kupita kwa nthaŵi, chinali chofala mu Mpingo kwa nthaŵi yaitali ndithu, ndipo ochiphunzitsawo anali ena mwa olemba nkhani odalirika kwambiri.”

Chifukwa Chimene Chiyembekezo cha M’Chivumbulutso Chinakanidwira

Popeza kuti ndi mfundo yosatsutsika kuti kalelo ambiri mwa Akristu oyambirira, ngati si pafupifupi onse, anali ndi chiyembekezo cha Ulamuliro wa Zaka Chikwi wa Kristu wolamulira paradaiso wapadziko lapansi, zinatani nanga kuti “chikhulupiriro cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi” ‘chikanidwe m’kupita kwa nthaŵi’? Panadzakhala otsutsa ena pazifukwa zabwino chifukwa chakuti, monga momwe katswiri wamaphunziro Robert Mounce anasonyezera, “okhulupirira ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi ambiri, momvetsa chisoni, anayamba kungolota zina zilizonse ndi kulingalira kuti panyengo ya zaka chikwi imeneyo adzasonkhanitsa chuma chadzaoneni ndi kukhutiritsa zikhumbo zawo zonse.” Koma malingaliro omkitsa ameneŵa akanaongoleredwa popanda kukana chiyembekezo chenichenicho cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi.

Njira zimene zinagwiritsidwa ntchito ndi adani a chikhulupiriro cha zaka chikwi pofuna kuchipondereza zinali zodabwitsa kwabasi. Buku lotchedwa Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique limanena za mtsogoleri watchalitchi ku Roma wotchedwa Caius (kumapeto kwa zaka zana lachiŵiri, kuchiyambi kwa zaka zana lachitatu) kuti “pofuna kugonjetsa chikhulupiriro cha zaka chikwi, iye ananena motsindika kuti nkhani za m’Chivumbulutso ndiponso za mu Uthenga Wabwino wa Yohane Woyera n’zopeka.” Dictionnaire imeneyi imanenanso kuti Dionysius, bishopu wa mzinda wa Alexandria m’zaka zana lachitatu, analemba nkhani yotsutsa okhulupirira zaka chikwi moti “pofuna kuti okhulupirira malingaliro ameneŵa asazike chikhulupiriro chawo pa Chivumbulutso cha Yohane Woyera, iye sanazengereze kunena kuti nkhani za m’bukulo n’zongopeka.” Kutsutsa kwachiwembu chiyembekezo cha madalitso a padziko lapansi a m’zaka chikwi kumeneku kukusonyeza mphamvu inayake yachinyengo imene inali kusonkhezera akatswiri a maphunziro a zaumulungu panthaŵi imeneyo.

M’buku lake lakuti The Pursuit of the Millennium, Pulofesa Norman Cohn analemba kuti: “M’zaka zana lachitatu m’pamene kuyesayesa koyamba kunapangidwa kuti atsutse okhulupirira zaka chikwi, pamene Origen, amene ayenera kuti anali ndi chisonkhezero chachikulu kwambiri mwa akatswiri onse a maphunziro a zaumulungu mu Mpingo wakale, anayamba kunena kuti Ufumu ndi chochitika chimene sichidzachitika moonekera koma chidzachitikira m’mitima ya okhulupirira.” Podalira filosofi ya Agiriki m’malo modalira Baibulo, Origen anasokoneza chiyembekezo chosangalatsa cha madalitso apadziko lapansi mu Ufumu wa Mesiya kukhala chinthu chosadziŵika bwino chimene “chidzachitikira . . . m’mitima ya okhulupirira.” Wolemba nkhani wachikatolika Léon Gry analemba kuti: “Chisonkhezero chachikulucho cha filosofi ya Agiriki . . . chinapangitsa kuti malingaliro a zaka chikwi athe m’kupita kwa nthaŵi.”

“Mpingo Wataya Uthenga Wake Wachiyembekezo”

Mosakayikira Augustine ndiye mtsogoleri wachipembedzo wakale amene anasakaniza kwambiri filosofi ya Agiriki ndi chimene panthaŵi yake chinali chitakhala kale Chikristu chongofanizira. Poyamba anali kuchirikiza chikhulupiriro cha zaka chikwi mwachangu koma m’kupita kwa nthaŵi anakana lingaliro lililonse lokhudza Ulamuliro wa Kristu wa Zaka Chikwi wam’tsogolo padziko lapansi. Anasintha tanthauzo la Chivumbulutso chaputala 20 kukhala linalake lobisika.

The Catholic Encyclopedia ikuti: “Pomalizira pake Augustine anatenga chikhulupiriro chakuti sikudzakhala ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi. . . . Iye anati chiukiriro choyamba, chimene chaputala chino chikulongosola, ndicho kubadwanso kwauzimu mwa ubatizo; sabata la zaka chikwi lotsatira zaka zikwi zisanu ndi chimodzi za m’mbiri, ndiwo moyo wonse wosathawo.” Buku lotchedwa The New Encyclopædia Britannica limati: “Tanthauzo la Augustine lophiphiritsalo la zaka chikwi linadzakhala chiphunzitso chovomerezedwa cha tchalitchi. . . . Apulotesitanti osintha zinthu a Lutheran, Calvinist, ndi Anglican . . . anagwiritsitsa malingaliro a Augustine.” Chotero, mamembala a matchalitchi achikristu analandidwa chiyembekezo cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi.

Ndiponso, malinga n’kunena kwa katswiri wa maphunziro a zaumulungu Frédéric de Rougemont, “mwa kukana chikhulupiriro chake choyamba cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi, [Augustine] anawonongetsa Mpingo kwadzaoneni. Pokhala munthu waulamuliro waukulu zedi, anavomereza cholakwa chimene chinalanda [Mpingo] cholinga chake chokhudza dziko lapansi.” Katswiri wa maphunziro a zaumulungu wachijeremani Adolf Harnack anavomereza kuti kukana chikhulupiriro cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi kunalanda anthu “chipembedzo chomwe ankachimvetsa,” ndipo “chikhulupiriro ndi ziyembekezo zakale” zomwe ankamvetsa zinaloŵedwa m’malo ndi “chikhulupiriro chomwe sakuchimvetsa.” Matchalitchi osoŵa anthu osonkhanamo lerolino m’mayiko ambiri ali umboni wotsimikizika zedi wakuti anthu afunikira chikhulupiriro ndi chiyembekezo chomwe angachimvetse.

M’buku lake lakuti Highlights of the Book of Revelation, katswiri wa Baibulo George Beasley-Murray analemba kuti: “Makamaka chifukwa cha chisonkhezero chachikulu cha Augustine ndiponso chifukwa chakuti magulu a mpatuko anayamba kukhulupirira ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi, Akatolika ndi Apulotesitanti agwirizana pokana chikhulupiriro chimenecho. Akafunsidwa kuti ali ndi chiyembekezo china chotani chokhudza munthu padziko lino yankho limakhala lakuti: Palibe chiyembekezo china chilichonse. Dziko lapansi lidzawonongedwa pakudza kwa Kristu kuti tsopano padzakhale kumwamba ndi helo wosatha mmene mbiri yonse idzaiŵalika. . . . Mpingo wataya uthenga wake wachiyembekezo.”

Chiyembekezo Chosangalatsa cha M’Chivumbulutso Chidakali Chamoyo!

Kumbali yawo, Mboni za Yehova n’zotsimikizira kwabasi kuti malonjezo osangalatsawo okhudzana ndi ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi adzakwaniritsidwa. Atafunsidwa pawailesi yakanema papulogalamu yotchedwa “Chaka cha 2000: Mantha a Tsiku la Chiwonongeko,” katswiri wachifalansa wa mbiri yakale Jean Delumeau anati: “Mboni za Yehova zikutsatira ndendende chikhulupiriro cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi, popeza zimanena kuti posachedwapa . . . tidzaloŵa m’nyengo yachimwemwe ya zaka 1,000, ngakhale kuti padzakhaladi chiwonongeko kaye.”

Zimenezi n’zimenedi mtumwi Yohane anaona m’masomphenya ofotokozedwa m’buku lake la Chivumbulutso. Iye analemba kuti: “Ndinaona m’mwamba mwatsopano ndi dziko latsopano . . . Ndipo ndinamva mawu aakulu ochokera ku mpando wachifumu, ndi kunena Taonani, chihema cha Mulungu chili mwa anthu; ndipo adzakhalitsa nawo, ndi iwo adzakhala anthu ake, ndi Mulungu yekha adzakhala nawo, Mulungu wawo; ndipo adzaŵapukutira misozi yonse kuichotsa pamaso pawo; ndipo sipadzakhalanso imfa; ndipo sipadzakhalanso maliro, kapena kulira, kapena choŵaŵitsa; zoyambazo zapita.”​—Chivumbulutso 21:1, 3, 4.

Mboni za Yehova zikuchita ntchito yophunzitsa Baibulo padziko lonse pofuna kuthandiza anthu ochuluka zedi kuti akhale ndi chiyembekezochi. Zidzakhala zosangalala kukuthandizani kuphunzira zowonjezereka ponena za chiyembekezochi.

[Chithunzi patsamba 6]

Papias ankanena kuti analandira chiphunzitso cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi mwachindunji kuchokera kwa anthu omwe analiko panthaŵi ya atumwi

[Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Tertullian ankakhulupirira Ulamuliro wa Kristu wa Zaka Chikwi

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

©Cliché Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris

[Chithunzi patsamba 7]

“Mwa kukana chikhulupiriro chake choyamba cha ulamuliro wa zaka chikwi, [Augustine] anawonongetsa Mpingo kwadzaoneni”

[Chithunzi patsamba 8]

Dziko lapansi la Paradaiso lolonjezedwa m’Chivumbulutso ndi chinthu choyenera kuchiyembekeza mwachidwi