1921 Iminyaka Lelikhulu Leyendlulile

Sicongosekulindza saJanuary 1, 1921, sabuta Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli umbuto lotsi: “Ngumuphi umsebenti lesingawubuka ngalabovu kulomnyaka?” Ngemuva kwaloko, sacaphuna Isaya 61:1, 2, lebewubakhumbuta ngemsebenti wabo wekushumayela, lotsi: “Jehova ungigcobile kuze ngimemetele tindzaba letimnandzi kulabamnene . . . , ungitfume kutsi ngimemetele umnyaka waJehova wemusa, nelilanga laNkulunkulu wetfu lemphindziselo.”

BASHUMAYELI LABANESIBINDZI

Kuze bafeze umsebenti wabo, Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli bekufanele babe nesibindzi. Bebatawumemetela “tindzaba letimnandzi” kulabamnene, baphindze bamemetele ‘ngelilanga lemphindziselo’ kulababi.

UMzalwane J. H. Hoskin, lobekahlala eCanada, washumayela ngesibindzi nanobe bekaphikiswa. Ngentfwasahlobo yanga-1921, wahlangana nemfundisi waseWeseli. UMzalwane Hoskin wacala incociswano yakhe ngekutsi atsi: “Kufanele sibe nencociswano lemnandzi ngeliBhayibheli, kodvwa ngisho singavumelani kuletinye tintfo, singayiphetsa kahle incociswano yetfu, sehlukane sibangani.” Kepha loko akuzange kwenteke. UMzalwane Hoskin utsi: “Satsi nje sisacoce emaminishana, [lomfundisi] washaya kamatima sivalo sakhe futsi bengicabanga kutsi i-glass yalesivalo itawuphihlika.”

Lomfundisi wamemeta watsi: “Awuyi ngani kubantfu labangasiwo emaKhristu uyokhuluma nabo?” UMzalwane Hoskin akazange aphendvule futsi wahamba, kodvwa njengobe ahamba bekacabanga atsi, ‘Ngiva shengatsi bengikhuluma nemuntfu longasuye umKhristu!’

Ngesikhatsi lomfundisi ashumayela esontfweni lakhe ngelilanga lelilandzelako, wakhuluma tintfo letimbi ngemzalwane Hoskin. UMzalwane Hoskin utsi: “Watjela emalunga elisontfo lakhe kutsi kute umuntfu lonemanga njengami loke waba khona kulelidolobha, futsi bekufanele ngibulawe.” UMzalwane Hoskin akazange ayekele, wachubeka ashumayela futsi waphumelela. Utsi: “Bengikujabulela kakhulu kushumayela kulendzawo. Labanye bantfu bebaze batsi: ‘Siyati kutsi wenta umsebenti waNkulunkulu!’ futsi bebabuta kutsi kute yini lengikudzingako labangangisita ngako.”

KUTIDADISHELA LIBHAYIBHELI NEKUKHONTA KWEMNDENI

Kuze Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli basite bantfu balicondze kancono liBhayibheli, bebashicilela imibuto lesekelwe eBhayibhelini kanye netimphendvulo kumagazini nyalo lesiwubita ngekutsi yi-Phaphama! Bekunemibuto yeliBhayibheli batali lebebangacoca ngayo nebantfwana babo. Batali “bebabuta labantfwana lemibuto futsi babasite batfole timphendvulo tayo eBhayibhelini.” Imibuto lenjengalotsi, “Tingakhi tincwadzi letiseBhayibhelini?,” beyibafundzisa emaciniso lasisekelo. Kantsi leminye imibuto lefana nalotsi, “Onkhe emaKhristu eliciniso kufanele akulindzele yini kuphatfwa kabi?,” beyilungiselela bantfwana kutsi bashumayele ngesibindzi.

Bekuphindze kube nemibuto netimphendvulo teliBhayibheli talabo lesebanelwati lolunyenti ngeliBhayibheli. Timphendvulo tayo betitfolakala emculwini wekucala wencwadzi letsi Studies in the Scriptures. Bantfu labanyenti bebazuza kulemibuto, kodvwa i-“The Golden Age” yaDecember 21, 1921, yatsi beyingeke isashicilelwa lemibuto. Kungani?

INCWADZI LENSHA!

Incwadzi letsi “*The Harp of God*”

Likhadi lelisho lakufanele kufundvwe khona

Emakhadi lanemibuto

Labo lebebahola babona kutsi Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli labasha bekudzingeka bafundze emaciniso lasisekelo ngendlela lehlelekile. Ngako, kwakhululwa incwadzi lensha ngaNovember 1921 letsi “The Harp of God.” Bantfu labatsandza kufundza labanikwa lencwadzi, bebatidadishela yona. Loluhlelo lwasita bantfu bafundza “ngenjongo yaNkulunkulu yekunika bantfu kuphila lokuphakadze.” Belusebenta njani loluhlelo?

Umuntfu nakatfola lencwadzi, bekatfola nelikhadi lelincane lebelimtjela kutsi kufanele afundze kuphi kuyo. Ngeliviki lelilandzelako, bekatfola lelinye likhadi lelinemibuto lemayelana naloko lakufundzile. Ekugcineni lelikhadi belimtjela kutsi kufanele afundze kuphi evikini lelilandzelako.

Njalo ngeliviki, kuze kuphele emaviki langu-12, lomfundzi bekatfola likhadi lelisha lelitfunyelwe libandla lelidvute naye. Lamakhadi bekavame kutfunyelwa ngulasebakhulile nobe labangakhoni kuya emtini ngemuti. Nasi sibonelo, Anna K. Gardner, waseMillvale, ePennsylvania, eMelika, utsi: “Ngesikhatsi i-The Harp of God ikhululwa, sisi wami Thayle, lobekangakhoni kuhamba, waba nemsebenti lomnyenti wekutfumela emakhadi njalo ngeliviki.” Umuntfu nasekalucedzile loluhlelo, bekuba nalotsite lolilunga lelibandla lebekamvakashela kuze amsite afundze lokunyenti ngeliBhayibheli.

UMSEBENTI LEBEKUSAFANELE WENTIWE

Ekupheleni kwemnyaka, uMzalwane J.F. Rutherford watfumela incwadzi kuwo onkhe emabandla. Watsi “umsebenti wekushumayela wentiwe ngelizinga lelisetulu futsi waphumelela kakhulu kwendlula yonkhe leminye iminyaka.” Ngemuva kwaloko watsi: “Usemnyenti umsebenti lokufanele wentiwe. Khutsatani nalabanye kutsi bente lomsebenti lobalulekile.” Kusebaleni kutsi Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli basilalela lesicondziso. Ngemnyaka wa-1922 bashumayela ngesibindzi, bamemetela ngeMbuso kakhulu kunakucala.

Bangani Labangesabi

Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli bakhombisa kutsi bayatsandzana ngekutsi basitane. Bebabangani labangesabi ‘labangetsembela kubo ngesikhatsi sekuhlupheka,’ njengobe sitawubona kulendzaba lelandzelako.—Taga 17:17.

NgaLesibili, May 31, 1921, kwacala budlwangudlwangu lobabitwa ngekutsi yiTulsa Race Massacre, lobacala eTulsa, e-Oklahoma, eMelika, ngemuva kwekutsi indvodza lenesikhumba lesimnyama iboshwe futsi ibekwe licala lekuhlasela umfati lonesikhumba lesimhlophe. Ngesikhatsi sicumbi sebantfu labanesikhumba lesimhlophe labangetulu kwa-1 000, sitfolana etulu nebantfu labanesikhumba lesimnyama, ngekushesha lemphi yabo yasakatekela endzaweni lehlala bantfu labanesikhumba lesimnyama, lokutsiwa yiGreenwood, futsi kwatsatfwa tintfo emakhaya nasemabhizinisini langetulu kwa-1 400 futsi kwashiswa. Kwabikwa kutsi kwafa bantfu labangu-36, kodvwa kungenteka kwafa emakhulu ebantfu.

UMzalwane Richard J. Hill, lobekangumfundzi weliBhayibheli, anesikhumba lesimnyama futsi ahlala eGreenwood, wachaza loko lokwenteka: “Ngebusuku lokwacala ngabo lobudlwangudlwangu, besinemihlangano yelibandla. Ngemuva kwemihlangano, seva kukhala tibhamu ekhatsi nekhatsi neTulsa. Salala solo kudutjulwana.” NgaLesitsatfu ekuseni, June 1, simo bese sisibi kakhulu. UMzalwane Hill utsi: “Labanye bantfu beta kutositjela kutsi nangabe sifuna kuvikeleka, kufanele siye e-Convention Hall ngekushesha.” Ngako uMzalwane Hill nemkakhe kanye nebantfwana bakhe labasihlanu babalekela khona. Lapho, bekunemadvodza nebafati besikhumba lesimnyama labangaba ngu-3 000, lebebavikelwe ngemasotja lebekatfunyelwe nguhulumende kutsi ayocedza lomsindvo.

Ngaleso sikhatsi, uMzalwane Arthur Claus, lobekanesikhumba lesimhlophe, wenta sincumo lesakhombisa kutsi unesibindzi. Utsi: “Ngatsi nangiva kutsi bantfu batsatsa tintfo emakhaya laseGreenwood, baphindze bawashise, ngancuma kuya lapho ngiyohlola umngani wami Hill.”

Umzalwane Arthur Claus bekasita bantfwana labangu-14 kutsi bafundze lokunyenti ngeliBhayibheli asebentisa incwadzi letsi “The Harp of God”

Nakefika ekhaya leMzalwane Hill, wabona makhelwane wakhe lonesikhumba lesimhlophe aphetse sibhamu. Lomakhelwane, naye lobekangumngani weMzalwane Hill, bekacabanga kutsi Arthur ungulomunye walaba lababanga budlwangudlwangu. Wamemeta watsi: “Ufunani lana?”

Arthur utsi: “Kube lemphendvulo yami ayizange imenetise, ngabe wangidubula. Ngamcinisekisa kutsi ngingumngani weMzalwane Hill futsi ngivame kumvakashela.” Arthur nalomakhelwane bavikela likhaya lemzalwane Hill kulaba lebebatsatsa tintfo.

Ngekushesha, Arthur watfola kutsi uMzalwane Hill nemndeni wakhe bebase-Convention Hall. Arthur watjelwa kutsi bantfu labanesikhumba lesimnyama angeke baze bakhululwe nangabe kute imvume lesayinwe ngu-General Barrett, lobekangumphatsi. Arthur utsi: “Bekulukhuni kutfola litfuba lekukhuluma na-general. Ngesikhatsi ngimtjela kutsi ngifisa kutsatsa lomndeni, wangibuta watsi: ‘Utawukhona yini kuwuvikela nekunakekela tidzingo tawo?’ Ngavele ngavumela etulu.”

Aphetse lemvume, Arthur waphutfuma waya e-Convention Hall. Wayinika lisotja lelatsi: “Isayinwe ngumphatsi matfupha! Uyati kutsi solo kusile nguwe wekucala lofikile kutolandza bantfu lana?” Ngekushesha Arthur nalelisotja bamtfola uMzalwane Hill nemndeni wakhe. Bonkhe bagibela emotweni ya-Arthur, baya ekhaya.

UMzalwane Claus wacinisekisa kutsi uMzalwane Hill nemndeni wakhe baphephile. Sibonelo sakhe sekuba nesibindzi sabatsintsa kakhulu labanye. Arthur utsi: “Lomakhelwane lowavikela likhaya leMzalwane Hill wabahlonipha kakhulu kunakucala boFakazi. Bantfu labanyenti balitsandza liciniso ngobe babona kutsi bantfu baNkulunkulu bebangehlukaniswa libala lesikhumba, futsi kute lobekacabanga kutsi uncono kunalomunye.”