Isahluko 8

Ukuzabalazela Ukuba Ngaboyisayo

ISMIRNA

1. (a) Liliphi elinye ibandla elifumana isigidimi esivela kuYesu ozukisiweyo? (b) Ngokuzibiza ngokuba ‘ungowokuQala nowokuGqibela,’ uYesu wawakhumbuza ngantoni amaKristu elo bandla?

NAMHLANJE, iEfese yamandulo ingamabhodlo. Kodwa indawo uYesu awayethumele kuyo isigidimi sakhe sesibini isesisixeko esihle. Malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-56 kumntla we-Efese engamabhodlo kukho isixeko saseTheki, i-Izmir, apho kufumaneka amabandla amane amaNgqina kaYehova asebenza ngenzondelelo nanamhla. Ngenkulungwane yokuqala, kule ndawo kwakukho iSmirna. Khawuphawule, amazwi alandelayo kaYesu: “Ingelosi yebandla eliseSmirna yibhalele uthi: Ezi zizinto azitshoyo, ‘owokuQala nowokuGqibela,’ owafayo waza wabuyela ebomini kwakhona.” (ISityhilelo 2:8) Ngokuchaza oku kuloo maKristu aseSmirna, uYesu uwakhumbuza ukuba wayengumgcini wengqibelelo wokuqala nowokugqibela awathi uYehova ngokungqalileyo wamvusela kubomi bomoya bokungafi. UYesu wayeya kuwavusa ngokwakhe onke amanye amaKristu athanjisiweyo. Ngaloo ndlela ukufanelekele kakuhle ukunikela isiluleko kubazalwana bakhe abanethemba lobomi basezulwini bokungafi kunye naye.

2. Kutheni onke amaKristu ethuthuzelwa kukufumana incwadi evela kuLowo ‘wafayo waza wabuyela ebomini’?

² UYesu waba ngowokuqala ukunyamezela intshutshiso ngenxa yobulungisa, ibe wafumana umvuzo ofanelekileyo. Ukuthembeka kwakhe kude kuse ekufeni nokuvuswa kwakhe kuwanik’ ithemba onke amaKristu. (IZenzo 17:31) Into yokuba uYesu ‘wafa waza wabuyela ebomini’ inikela ubungqina bokuba ukunyamezela nayiphi na into ngenxa yenyaniso akulolize. Ukuvuka kukaYesu kungumthombo wokhuthazo olukhulu kuwo onke amaKristu ngakumbi xa kufuneka eve ubunzima ngenxa yokholo lwawo. Ngaba ukwimeko enjalo? Ngoko nawe unokuba nenkalipho ngenxa yamazwi kaYesu alandelayo aya kwibandla laseSmirna:

3. (a) Luluphi ukhuthazo uYesu awalunika amaKristu aseSmirna? (b) Nangona amaKristu aseSmirna ayengamahlwempu, kutheni le nto uYesu wathi ‘azizityebi’?

³ “Ndiyayazi imbandezelo nobuhlwempu bakho—kodwa usisityebi—nokunyelisa kwabo bathi bona ngokwabo bangamaYuda, ukanti abangawo kodwa bayindlu yesikhungu kaSathana.” (ISityhilelo 2:9) UYesu akabagxeki abazalwana bakhe baseSmirna, koko ubancoma ngokufudumeleyo. Baye bafumana imbandezelo enkulu ngenxa yokholo lwabo. Bangamahlwempu ngokwezinto eziphathekayo, mhlawumbi ngenxa yokuthembeka kwabo. (Hebhere 10:34) Noko ke, into abayixhalabele ngokuyintloko zizinto zokomoya, yaye baziqwebele ubutyebi ezulwini, njengoko uYesu wacebisayo. (Mateyu 6:19, 20) Ngenxa yoko, uMalusi Oyintloko ubajonga ‘njengezityebi.’—Thelekisa uYakobi 2:5.

4. AmaKristu aseSmirna afumana inkcaso enamandla evela koobani, ibe uYesu wabajonga njani abo bachasi?

⁴ UYesu uphawula ngokukhethekileyo ukuba amaKristu aseSmirna aye anyamezela inkcaso enamandla ephuma kumaYuda emvelo. Kwimihla yangaphambili, abaninzi bolu nqulo ngokuzimisela bakuchasa ukusasazwa kobuKristu. (IZenzo 13:44, 45; 14:19) Ngoku, kumashumi nje ambalwa eminyaka emva kokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem, loo maYuda aseSmirna asabonisa kwaumoya ofanayo kaSathana. Akumangalisi ukuba uYesu abe uwajonga ‘njengendlu yesikhungu kaSathana’!a

5. Ziziphi iimvavanyo amaKristu aseSmirna awayeza kuzifumana?

⁵ Ejongene nentiyo enjalo, amaKristu aseSmirna ayathuthuzelwa nguYesu: “Musa ukuzoyika izinto osele uza kubandezeleka ngazo. Khangela! UMtyholi uya kuhlala ephosa bambi benu entolongweni ukuze nivavanywe ngokupheleleyo, nokuze nibe nembandezelo imihla elishumi. Zingqine uthembekile kude kuse ekufeni, mna ke ndokunika isithsaba sobomi.” (ISityhilelo 2:10) Apha uYesu usebenzisa igama lesiGrike elikwisininzi, ukubonisa ukuba amazwi akhe aquka ibandla liphela. UYesu akanakuthembisa ukuba iimvavanyo zamaKristu aseSmirna ziza kuphela kungekudala. Wambi awo aza kuqhubeka etshutshiswa aze afakwe entolongweni. Aya kufumana imbandezelo “imihla elishumi.” Ishumi linani elifuzisela ukuphelela kwezinto zasemhlabeni. Kwanabo bagcini bengqibelelo bazizityebi ngokomoya baza kuvavanywa ngokucokisekileyo ngoxa besenyameni.

6. (a) Kutheni le nto amaKristu aseSmirna engamele oyike? (b) UYesu wasiqukumbela njani isigidimi sakhe esiya kwibandla laseSmirna?

⁶ Sekunjalo, amaKristu aseSmirna akamele oyike okanye alalanise. Ukuba ahlala ethembekile kude kuse ekupheleni, abekelwe umvuzo ‘wesithsaba sobomi,’ ubomi bokungafi emazulwini. (1 Korinte 9:25; 2 Timoti 4:6-8) Umpostile uPawulos wawujonga lo mvuzo uxabisekileyo njengalowo wayemele ancame yonk’ into ngenxa yawo, kwanobomi bakhe basemhlabeni. (Filipi 3:8) Kucacile ukuba abo bathembekileyo baseSmirna bavakalelwa ngendlela efanayo. UYesu uqukumbela isigidimi sakhe ngokuthi: “Lowo unendlebe makakuve oko ukutshoyo umoya kuwo amabandla: Lowo woyisayo akasayi kuze onakaliswe kukufa kwesibini.” (ISityhilelo 2:11) Abantu aboyisayo baqinisekiswa ngobomi bokungafi ezulwini nobungenakuphazanyiswa kukufa.—1 Korinte 15:53, 54.

‘Imbandezelo Imihla Elishumi’

7, 8. Njengebandla laseSmirna, ibandla lamaKristu ‘lavavanywa njani ngokupheleleyo’ ngowe-1918?

⁷ Kanye njengamaKristu aseSmirna, udidi lukaYohane namaqabane alo namhlanje baye ‘bavavanywa ngokupheleleyo’ yaye basaqhubeka bevavanywa. Ukuthembeka kwabo phantsi kovavanyo kubaphawula njengabantu bakaThixo. (Marko 13:9, 10) Emva nje kokuqalisa kwemini yeNkosi, amazwi kaYesu awayewabhekisa kumaKristu aseSmirna alithuthuzela ngokwenene iqela elincinane lezizwe ngezizwe labantu bakaYehova. (ISityhilelo 1:10) Ukususela ngowe-1879, aba bantu bebephanda ubutyebi bokomoya kwiLizwi likaThixo baza babelana nabanye ngabo. Kodwa ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi I, bathiywa baza bachaswa ngokukrakra, ngenxa yokuba bengazange bangenwe ngumoya wemfazwe nangenxa yokuzibhenca kwabo ngokungenaloyiko iziphoso zeNgqobhoko. Intshutshiso abayifumanayo neyaqhwaywa ziinkokeli ezithile zeNgqobhoko yafikelela encotsheni ngowe-1918 ibe yayifana naleyo amaKristu aseSmirna ayifumana kwibutho lamaYuda.

⁸ Intshutshiso yaseUnited States of America yafikelela encotsheni xa umongameli omtsha weWatch Tower Society, uJoseph F. Rutherford namaqabane akhe asixhenxe bafakwa entolongweni ngoJuni 22, 1918, yaye uninzi lwabo lwagwetywa iminyaka engama-20 entolongweni. Bakhululwa ngebheyile emva kweenyanga ezisithoba. NgoMeyi 14, 1919, inkundla yesibheno ekugqibeleni yazichitha izimangalo ababetyholwa ngempazamo ngazo; kwaboniswa ukuba kwakukho iimpazamo ezili-130 ekuchotshelweni kweli tyala. UMgwebi uManton ongumRoma Katolika nolilungu lecandelo likaGregory Ongcwele noMkhulu, owayethe ngowe-1918 akavuma ukuba la maKristu afumane ibheyile, wagwetywa ngowe-1939, ngokuvalelwa iminyaka emibini entolongweni waza wadliwa ama-20 000 eerandi ngezimangalo ezithandathu zokufuna nokwamkela ukunyotywa.

9. AmaNgqina kaYehova kwiJamani yamaNazi aphathwa njani nguHitler, yaye bathini abefundisi?

⁹ Ebudeni bolawulo lwamaNazi eJamani, uHitler wawuvala ngokupheleleyo umsebenzi wokushumayela wamaNgqina kaYehova. Kangangeminyaka eliqela, amawaka amaNgqina ayevalelwe ngenkohlakalo kwiinkampu zoxinaniso nakwiintolongo, apho amaninzi awo afela khona, ngoxa kwabulawa abafana abamalunga nama-200 abangazange bavume ukulwa kumkhosi kaHitler. Into yokuba abefundisi bakuxhasa konke oku ingqinwa ngamazwi omfundisi wamaKatolika, awapapashwa kwiphephandaba iThe German Way kaMeyi 29, 1938. Wathi: “Ngoku kukho ilizwe elinye emhlabeni ekuthintelwe kulo iqela elibizwa ngokuba . . . ngaBafundi BeBhayibhile [amaNgqina kaYehova]. Elo lizwe yiJamani! . . . Xa uAdolph Hitler waqalisa ukulawula, laza neqela looBhishophu bamaKatolika baseJamani laphindaphinda isicelo salo, uHitler wathi: ‘Aba bantu kuthiwa ngaBafundi BeBhayibhile Abanyanisekileyo [amaNgqina kaYehova] bangabaqhwayi benkathazo; . . . bangabahanahanisi; andinakuyinyamezela into yokuba amaKatolika aseJamani anyeliswe ngolu hlobo ngulo Mgwebi waseMerika unguRutherford; ndiyawatshayela [amaNgqina kaYehova] eJamani.’” Lo mfundisi wakuqhwabel’ izandla oku.

10. (a) Njengoko imini yeNkosi ibiqhubeka, yiyiphi intshutshiso amaNgqina kaYehova aye ajongana nayo? (b) Ibidla ngokuba yintoni imiphumo xa amaKristu esilwela inkululeko yonqulo ezinkundleni?

¹⁰ Njengoko imini yeNkosi ibiqhubeka, iNyoka nembewu yayo ayizange iyeke ukulwa namaKristu athanjisiweyo namaqabane awo. Uninzi lwawo luye lwavalelwa ezintolongweni lwaza lwatshutshiswa ngenkohlakalo. (ISityhilelo 12:17) Ezi ntshaba ziye zaqhubeka ‘ziyila inkathazo ngommiselo,’ kodwa abantu bakaYehova ngenkalipho bazingisa besithi: “Simele sithobele uThixo njengomlawuli kunabantu.” (INdumiso 94:20; IZenzo 5:29) Ngowe-1954 iphephancwadi IMboniselo (yesiNgesi) lanikela le ngxelo: “Ngaxa lithile ebudeni beminyaka engamashumi amane edluleyo amazwe angaphezu kwamashumi asixhenxe aye akhupha imimiselo ethintela amangqina kaYehova aza awatshutshisa.” La maKristu ayelwela inkululeko yonqulo ezinkundleni xa ekwazi ukwenjenjalo, ibe aye aba noloyiso oluye lwaduma kumazwe aliqela. KwiNkundla Ephakamileyo yaseUnited States kuphela, amaNgqina kaYehova aphumelele kumatyala angama-50.

11. Sisiphi isiprofeto sikaYesu esingomqondiso wobukho bakhe esiye sazaliseka kumaNgqina kaYehova ebudeni bemini yeNkosi?

¹¹ Akukho qela limbi liye lanyaniseka kangaka ekuthobeleni umyalelo kaYesu wokunikela izinto zikaKesare kuKesare. (Luka 20:25; Roma 13:1, 7) Kanti, akukho qela limbi eliye lanamalungu avalelwa ezintolongweni kumazwe amaninzi kangaka naphantsi kweentlobo ngeentlobo ezingaka zoorhulumente, ibe oku kuyaqhubeka ukuza kuthi ga ngoku kumazwe aseMerika, eYurophu, eAfrika naseAsia. Isiprofeto sikaYesu esibalaseleyo esingomqondiso wobukho bakhe sasiquka la mazwi athi: “Baya kwandula ke abantu baninikele ekubandezelweni, banibulale, nithiywe ziintlanga zonke ngenxa yegama lam.” (Mateyu 24:3, 9) Oku ngokuqinisekileyo kuye kwazaliseka kumaNgqina kaYehova angamaKristu ebudeni bemini yeNkosi.

12. Udidi lukaYohane luye lwabomeleza njani abantu bakaThixo kwintshutshiso?

¹² Ukuze abantu bakaThixo baxhobele imbandezelo, udidi lukaYohane luye lwaqhubeka lubakhumbuza ngentsingiselo yamazwi kaYesu aya kumaKristu aseSmirna. Ngokomzekelo, njengoko kwakuqalisa intshutshiso yamaNazi, IMboniselo (yesiNgesi) yowe-1933 neyowe-1934 yayinenqaku elithi “Ningaboyiki,” elalixubusha ngoMateyu 10:26-33; elithi “Uvavanyo Oluqatha,” elalisekelwe kuDaniyeli 3:17, 18; nelithi “Imilomo Yeengonyama,” elalisekelwe kuDaniyeli 6:22. Ebudeni beminyaka yee-1980, eyapapashwa ngayo le ncwadi okokuqala, amaNgqina kaYehova ayetshutshiswa ngenkohlakalo kumazwe angaphezu kwama-40, IMboniselo yabaqinisa abantu bakaThixo ngenqaku elithi “Ukuvuya Nangona Sitshutshiswa!” nelithi “AmaKristu Ahlangabezana Nentshutshiso Ngonyamezelo.”b

13. NjengamaKristu aseSmirna, kutheni le nto amaNgqina kaYehova angamaKristu eye akayoyika intshutshiso?

¹³ Ngokwenyaniso, amaNgqina kaYehova angamaKristu afumana intshutshiso engokwasemzimbeni nezinye iimvavanyo kangangeentsuku ezilishumi zokomfuziselo. NjengamaKristu aseSmirna, akakhange oyike; yaye nathi asimele soyike njengoko iinkathazo ziya zisiba mbi ngokuba mbi apha emhlabeni. Sikulungele ukunyamezela ukubandezeleka nokwamkela ngovuyo ‘ukuphangwa kwempahla yethu.’ (Hebhere 10:32-34) Ngokufundisisa iLizwi likaThixo nangokuphila ngalo, siya kuxhotyiselwa ukuma siqinile elukholweni. Qiniseka ukuba uYehova unokukulondoloza kwingqibelelo yakho ibe uya kwenjenjalo. “Liphoseni kuye lonke ixhala lenu, kuba unikhathalele.”—1 Petros 5:6-11.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 39]

Kangangeminyaka emininzi, ababhali-mbali bebenikela ubungqina ngengqibelelo yamaNgqina kaYehova aseJamani ebudeni bolawulo lwamaNazi. Incwadi ethi Mothers in the Fatherland, ebhalwe ngumbhali-mbali uClaudia Koonz, eyapapashwa ngowe-1986, ithi: “Inkitha yamaJamani anemvelaphi engeyoyamaNazi yafumana iindlela zokuphila phantsi kolawulo awayeludelile. . . . Ukanti abanye abantu ababembalwa xa kuthelekiswa naba nababeneengcamango ezahlukileyo yayingamaNgqina kaYehova angama-20 000 awathi, phantse onke, akwala ngokupheleleyo ukumthobela nangayiphi na indlela urhulumente wamaNazi. . . . Elona qela lathi laxhathisa ngamandla lomelezwa lunqulo. Ukususela kwasekuqaleni, amaNgqina kaYehova akazange amthobele kuyo nantoni na urhulumente wamaNazi. Kwanasemva kokuba amaGestapo etshabalalise ikomkhulu lawo lelizwe ngowe-1933 aza alivala umlomo eli hlelo ngowe-1935, akazange avume nokuthi ‘Heil Hitler.’ Malunga nesiqingatha sawo (inkoliso ingamadoda) onke amaNgqina kaYehova sathunyelwa kwiinkampu zoxinaniso, iwaka lawo labulawa, ibe elinye iwaka lafa phakathi kowe-1933 nowe-1945. . . . AmaKatolika namaProtestanti abeva abefundisi bawo bewabongoza ukuba athobele uHitler. Ukuba ayexhathisa, oko akwenza ngokuchasene nemiyalelo evela kwicawa nakurhulumente.”