Ngaba Isiphelo Sehlabathi Esaxelwa Kwangaphambili Sikufuphi?

YAPHAWULA oku iDetroit Free Press Magazine kaFebruwari 6, 1994: “Iingcinga ezingokutshatyalaliswa kwehlabathi zaba yeyona nto iphazamisayo mhla kwaqalisa isizukulwana senyukliya. Emva kokutsha kweHiroshima ibe luthuthu ngoAga. 6, 1945, kwakucace nakuthathatha ukuba: Ngoku ihlabathi ngokwenene lingaphela!”

KuDisemba ophelileyo, uCharles B. Strozier, ugqirha waseNew York onyanga izigulo zengqondo ngokuphanda imbali yomntu nonjingalwazi wezembali, wathi: “Akuseyomfuneko ukuba sixelelwe ziimbongi ukuba singatshatyalaliswa sisithonga nje esinye, okanye sitshabalale ngephanyazo, okanye sisibetho esinguGawulayo.” Enyanisweni, wongezelela ngelithi: “Ngoku kukuzitsalisa nzima ukungacingi ngesiphelo soluntu.”

Ekubeni uYesu Kristu wafundisa ukuba ihlabathi laliya kuphela, ngaba singafumanisa ngokusuka kwiimfundiso zakhe enoba ngenene isiphelo sikufuphi?

Isiphelo—Nini?

Abafundi bakaYesu bacela “umqondiso” wokwazi ixesha eli hlabathi, okanye le nkqubo yezinto, eya kuphela ngalo. Babuza: “Ziya kubakho nini na ezo zinto; uya kuba yini na umqondiso wokufika kwakho, nowokupheliswa kwephakade eli?” (Mateyu 24:3, akekeliswe sithi.) Ungawuhlola “umqondiso” uYesu awawunikelayo kwimpendulo yalo mbuzo. Ubhalwe eBhayibhileni kuMateyu isahluko 24, uMarko isahluko 13 noLuka isahluko 21. Ezinye zeziganeko ezikhulu ezibumba loo mqondiso nazi:

IIMFAZWE EZINKULU: “Uhlanga luya kuvukelana nohlanga, nobukumkani buvukelane nobukumkani.” (Mateyu 24:7) Ngokuqinisekileyo siye sayibona le nxalenye yomqondiso izaliseka. Omnye umbhali-mbali wathi: “IMfazwe Yehlabathi Yokuqala [eyaqala ngowe-1914] yayiyimfazwe yokuqala ‘epheleleyo.’” Sekunjalo, iMfazwe Yehlabathi II yayimbi ngokuphindwe ngakumbi, isiba namaxhoba azizigidi ezingama-50. Yaye imfazwe isaqhubeka isonakalisa umhlaba.

IINDLALA: “Kuya kubakho iindlala.” (Mateyu 24:7) IMfazwe Yehlabathi I yalandelwa yindlala embi gqitha, yaye ukususela ngoko indlala iye yaqhubeka igqugqisa kwiindawo ezininzi zomhlaba. Kwanakumazwe ame kakuhle ngokwemali, indlala nokungondleki zisasazeke ngokubanzi.

IINYIKIMA ZOMHLABA EZINKULU: “Kuya kubakho iinyikima zomhlaba ezinkulu.” (Luka 21:11) Khawuqwalasele ezimbalwa ezinkulu kuphela: Ngowe-1920, eTshayina, abangama-200 000 bafa; ngowe-1923, eJapan, yasuba ubomi babantu abali-143 000; ngowe-1970, ePeru, yaqengq’ ugodo kwabangama-66 800; yaye ngowe-1976, eTshayina iingxwelerha zazingama-240 000 (abanye bathi zazingama-800 000). Enye ingcali kubunjineli bokuthintela inyikima yathi ngenyikima yaseTshayina yowe-1976 “yeyona ntlekele yenyikima eyakha yankulu kwimbali yoluntu.”

IZIFO: “Iindyikitya zokufa.” (Luka 21:11) Kanye emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi I, abantu abamalunga nezigidi ezingama-21 babulawa nguMbathalala. IScience Digest yanikela le ngxelo: “Kuyo yonke imbali ukufa akuzange kufikele abantu ngokuqatha, nangesiquphe ngolo hlobo.” Ukususela ngoko, isifo sentliziyo, umhlaza, uGawulayo nezinye izifo ezininzi ziye zabulala amakhulu ezigidi.

ULWAPHULO-MTHETHO: ‘Ukwanda kokuchasa umthetho.’ (Mateyu 24:12) Kumazwe amaninzi ulwaphulo-mthetho alulawuleki. Ukubulala, ubugebenga, ukudlwengula, ubugrogrisi nokunganyaniseki—umhla nezolo siva ngolwaphulo-mthetho olunjalo okanye lwenzeke kuthi.

Ezinye iziprofeto zeBhayibhile nazo zazixela kwangaphambili iimeko ezaziya kubakho ngemihla yokugqibela. Ngokomzekelo, kwincwadi yeSityhilelo, kukho umbono wamahashe amane. (ISityhilelo 6:1-8) Umkhweli wehashe lokuqala ufanekisela uYesu njengoKumkani owoyisayo. Abanye abakhweli bamahashe bafanekisela iziganeko ezenzeka emhlabeni eziphawula ukuqalisa kolawulo lukaYesu: imfazwe, indlala nokufa okungalindelekanga ngeendlela ezininzi.

Sekunjalo ezinye iziprofeto zeBhayibhile zichaza izimo zengqondo neemeko ezaziya kugquba ebudeni “bemihla yokugqibela.” Qwalasela oko umpostile kaYesu wakubhalayo. Xa ufunda esi siprofeto, zibuze: Ngaba oku akuwachazi ngokuchanileyo amaxesha aneenkathazo anamhlanje?

Umpostile wabhala: “Imihla yokugqibela iya kuba ngamaxesha anzima. Abantu baya kuba ngabathandi beziqu zabo, bathande imali, bezigwagwisa, bengoozwi-labo. Baya kunyelisa, bengathobeli bazali, bengabuleli, beluchasa unqulo, bengenabuntu, bengaxoleli mntu, behleba. Baya kuba neengcwangu, beziindlobongela, bayithiye into elungileyo. Baya kuba ngabangcatshi, bafane benze, benekratshi. Baya kuthanda iziyolo kunoThixo. Baya kulwamkela unqulo ngembonakalo, kodwa bewaphika amandla alo.”—2 Timoti 3:1-5, TE.

Esinye isiprofeto esibalulekileyo esingesiphelo sehlabathi seso sithembisa ukuba uThixo uya “konakalisa abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba.” (ISityhilelo 11:18) Abantu kwizizukulwana ezingaphambili babengenabo ubugcisa bokonakalisa umhlaba kodwa ngoku banabo. Yaye ubugcisa obutsha banamhlanje bunendima enkulu ekungcoliseni imekobume. NgoNovemba 1992, amaphephancwadi ayenemixholo eyintloko enjengale: “Izazinzulu Eziphambili Zilumkisa Ngentshabalalo Yomhlaba.”

Siqonde Isiprofeto Sokwenyaniso

Alinakuthandabuzisa elo. Zonke izinto iBhayibhile eyazixela kwangaphambili ukuba zaziya kwenzeka ebudeni ‘bemihla yokugqibela,’ okanye ‘bokupheliswa kwephakade eli,’ ngoku ziyenzeka. Sibona isiprofeto sokwenyaniso sizaliseka, yaye kubalulekile ukuba sisithobele. UYesu wakubonisa oku ekuchazeni imeko yemihla kaNowa, “umvakalisi wobulungisa,” nje ngaphambi kokuba ihlabathi lelo xesha liphele.—2 Petros 2:5.

UYesu wachaza oku: “Njengokuba babesithi, ngemihla ebingaphambi konogumbe, badle, basele, bazeke, bendise, kwada kwayimini awangena ngayo emkhombeni uNowa, bengaqondanga, wada wafika unogumbe, wabakhukulisa bonke: koba njalo nokufika koNyana woMntu.” (Mateyu 24:38, 39, akekeliswe sithi.) Xa isiprofeto sokwenyaniso sityeshelwa, imiphumo iba yintlekele.

Mhlawumbi uthi, ‘Ewe, ndiyazikholelwa ezi ziprofeto zeBhayibhile; isiphelo siza kufika ngenye imini, kodwa sisekude.’ Sekunjalo, ngaba uqinisekile? Ngaba akufanele uthobele isilumkiso ngoku?

Izilumkiso Esifanele Sizithobele

Licacile elokuba ezinye izilumkiso azisekelwanga ntweni, yaye bekuya kuba bubudenge ukuzithobela. Kodwa ezinye azinjalo. Ngenxa nje yokuba abaninzi, kuquka abantu abadumileyo, benganikeli ngqalelo kwisilumkiso esithile, eso asisosizathu sokuba usityeshele. Qwalasela lo mzekelo.

KwakungoMatshi 1902, kwisiqithi esihle iCaribbean saseMartinique, kwabakho iimpawu zokuqalisa kwentaba-mlilo kwiNtaba iPelée. NgoAprili, umsi, uthuthu namatye atsho ngesankqange selifu lomsi. Abemi baseSt. Pierre, ekumgama oziikhilomitha ezisibhozo ukusuka kuyo, baqala banedyudyu. Omnye umhlali walapho wabhala: “Isixeko sizaliswe luthuthu. Abantu abaninzi banyanzelekile ukuba bavale iimpumlo nemilomo ngeetshefu ezimanzi ukuze bazikhusele kwilifu lomsi.”

Ekuqaleni kukaMeyi le ntaba-mlilo yaba ngathi iyaqinisa. Iphephancwadi lasekuhlaleni lathi: “Uthuthu luyehla aluniki siqabu . . . Kunzima nokuva iinqwelo-mafutha ezidlula ezitratweni. Amavili agqumelelekile.” Ubushushu baburhaxa.

Kwaza, ngoMeyi 5, intaba-mlilo yakhupha udaka olutshisayo olwabulala abantu abaninzi ababekwindlela yalo. Kodwa zathini iinkokeli zesixeko?

Kwakusondele ixesha lokuvunwa kommoba, yaye oosomashishini baqinisekisa abantu ukuba kwakungekho ngozi ingako. Nabezobupolitika, bexhalabele unyulo oluzayo ngoMeyi 10, abazange bafune abantu ukuba basabe. Ngoko bazama ukuthomalalisa uloyiko lwabantu. Ngaphezu koko, abefundisi besebenzisana namaqela osoomashishini nawezobupolitika bacenga amarhamente abo ukuba angahambi.

Yaqhawuka imbeleko. NgoMeyi 8, nje ngaphambi kweyesi–8:00 a.m., iNtaba iPelée yadubula ngesithongakazi esikhulu. Yakhupha into emnyama netshisayo eyaphuma ngesantya esimangalisayo isiya eSt. Pierre. Loo gesi ishushu ngokukhawuleza yasuba imiphefumlo yamawaka abantu. Ngokoqobo wonk’ ubani eSt. Pierre wafa—abantu abamalunga nama-30 000 okanye ngaphezulu. Okuphela komntu owasindayo yayilibanjwa eliselula elalikwintolongo ephantsi komhlaba.

Imeko Yanamhlanje

Ngokufanayo namhlanje, baninzi abo bangabusiso ubungqina bokuba iziprofeto zeBhayibhile ziyazaliseka. Bayala ukuthobela ubungqina obufanele ukuba buyeyisa kuye nawuphi na umntu oqiqayo bokuba isiphelo sale nkqubo sikufutshane. Sekunjalo, iBhayibhile yasixela kwangaphambili isimo sengqondo sabo, isithi: “Kuya kuza ngemihla yokugqibela abagxeki, behamba ngokwezabo iinkanuko, besithi, Liphi na kaloku idinga lokufika kwakhe? Kuba kuseloko oobawo balalayo ukufa, izinto zonke zahlala zihleli zinjengokwasekuqalekeni kwendalo.”—2 Petros 3:3, 4.

Kodwa abagxeki banamhlanje bayaphazama. Isibakala sikukuba izinto ziguqukile. Iziprofeto zeBhayibhile ziyazaliseka. Ubungqina bokuba isiphelo sisondele abunakuphikiswa.

Ngobulumko, ufanele ungakubekeli amangomso ukwenza into eza kusindisa ubomi bakho. Kodwa yintoni ekufuneka uyenze?

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U.S. National Archives photo

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WHO/E. Hooper

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WHO photo by W. Cutting