IArmagedon—Iya Kuba Nini?

“SIKWIARMAGEDON yaye silwela iNkosi.” Ngaloo mazwi, owayesakuba ngumongameli waseUnited States uTheodore Roosevelt wasebenzisa igama elithi “Armagedon” ukubhekisela kwidabi lezobupolitika awayebandakanyeke kulo. Ngoko, ngaba sifanele sikhangele iArmagedon kummandla wezobupolitika?

Kwiminyaka embalwa edluleyo, iphephancwadi laseKhanada iBusiness Life lalinenqaku elalinomxholo othi “IArmagedon Yezoqoqosho.” Umxholwana owawukulo wabuza oku: “Ngaba ukungakwazi kwaMazwe Asakhasayo ukuhlawula amatyala awo kunokubangela ukuwohloka kwezoqoqosho?” Kodwa ngaba sifanele sicinge ukuba iArmagedon yintlekele engokwemali?

Ngokutsho kolindixesha iNewsweek, ukuphela kwehlabathi kwaba ngumbandela ophambili ebudeni beengxoxo zasepalamente ngowe-1984. Ngeso sihlandlo, owayesakuba ngumongameli welaseUnited States uRonald Reagan “wabuzwa ukuba uyakholelwa ngokwenyaniso kusini na ukuba ihlabathi lisingise ‘kwiArmagedon yenyukliya.’ Lo kaReagan wazivuma ‘iingxubusho zentanda-bulumko’ ezingokudibana kweziganeko zangoku nemiqondiso yeBhayibhile ebonisa imihla yokugqibela, kodwa umphathi wemikhosi jikelele wagxininisa kwelokuba akazange athi ‘simele sicebe sicinga ngeArmagedon.’” Kanti, ngaba oko kuthethwa yiArmagedon sifanele sikukhangele sicinga ngento enokwenziwa ngumkhosi esongela ngokubangela imbubhiso yenyukliya?

Abantu abaninzi bonqulo bathi iArmagedon lidabi. Kodwa ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-19, umphengululi weBhayibhile uAdam Clarke wabhala esithi: “Hayi indlela ezingekho ngqiqweni ngayo iingcamango zabantu ngokuphathelele le ngongoma! Kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini edluleyo eli dabi belisiliwa kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo, ngokweemboni zethu ezibona luzizi nabaprofeti abazimise ngokwabo! Ngaxa lithile laliseAusterlitz, ngelinye laseMoscow, ngelinye laseLeipsic, yaye ngoku liseWaterloo! Yaye ngaloo ndlela ziye zaqhubeka, yaye zisaya kuqhubeka, zididekisa yaye zididekiswa.”

Ukuphanda ngentsingiselo yeArmagedon ngokucacileyo kuphakamisa imibuzo ethile ebalulekileyo. Iyintoni iArmagedon? Ukuba ilidabi, ngoobani abaya kubandakanyeka kuyo? Iya kulwelwa ntoni? Iya kulwelwa phi? Yaye iya kuba nini iArmagedon?

Iyintoni IArmagedon?

Igama elithi “Armagedon” lisuka kwigama elifunyanwa kwincwadi yeSityhilelo eBhayibhileni, eyaziwa ngokusebenzisa intetho efuziselayo. Kuyo umpostile uYohane wabhala esithi: “Ndabona kuphuma emlonyeni wenamba, nasemlonyeni werhamncwa, nasemlonyeni womprofeti wobuxoki, oomoya abathathu abangcolileyo, befana namasele. Kuba bangoomoya beedemoni, besenza imiqondiso; abaphuma baye kubo ookumkani bomhlaba, nabelimiweyo liphela, ukubahlanganisela emfazweni yaloo mini inkulu kaThixo, uSomandla. . . . Babahlanganisela endaweni ekuthiwa ngesiHebhere yiArmagedon.”—ISityhilelo 16:13-16.

Igama elithi Armagedon, okanye Har–Magedon, yinguqulelo ethe ngqo yesiGrike yebinzana lesiHebhere elithi Har Meghid·dohnʹ elithetha “iNtaba yaseMegido,” okanye “iNtaba Yokuhlanganisana Kwemikhosi.” Inxulunyaniswa ‘nemfazwe yaloo mini inkulu kaThixo uSomandla.’ Ngoko iArmagedon asiyomvukelo nje yezobupolitika, intlekele engokwezoqoqosho, imbubhiso yenyukliya, okanye ingxwabangxwaba yabantu. Kunoko, iArmagedon yimfazwe kaThixo.

Ngoobani Abaya Kubandakanyeka Kuyo?

Oomoya abathathu abangcolileyo abafana namasele baphuma emlonyeni wenamba (uSathana uMtyholi), kowerhamncwa (inkqubo yakhe yobupolitika yehlabathi) kwanakowomprofeti wobuxoki wamaNgesi neMerika. Aba moya beedemon, okanye izithunywa zezulu ezingendawo, bahlanganisela ookumkani bomhlaba, okanye abalawuli, eArmagedon.—Bona isahluko 32 sencwadi ethi ISityhilelo—Incopho Yaso Ezukileyo Isondele! epapashwe yiWatchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

Abangakwicala likaYehova kwimfazwe yaseArmagedon ngumkhosi omkhulu ongabonakaliyo wezidalwa zokomoya ezikhokelwa nguKumkani uYesu Kristu. Umpostile uYohane wanikela le ngxelo: “Ndalibona izulu livulekile, nalo ihashe elimhlophe; lowo uhleli phezu kwalo kusithiwa, nguThembekile, nguNyaniso; [uYesu] ugweba, enze imfazwe, ngobulungisa. . . . Yaye imikhosi esemazulwini imlandela. . . . Emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma ikrele elibukhali, ukuze azithi qwaka ngalo iintlanga. Yena uya kuzalusa ngentonga yentsimbi; yena unyathela isixovulelo sewayini yomsindo neyengqumbo kaThixo uSomandla. Engutyeni yakhe nasethangeni lakhe wayenegama libhaliwe kwathiwa, UKUMKANI KAKUMKANI, UNKOSI KANKOSI.” (ISityhilelo 19:11-16) Ikrele elide elibukhali lifanekisela igunya likaKristu lokuyalela ukuba batshatyalaliswe bonke abangafuniyo ukuxhasa uBukumkani bukaThixo. (ISityhilelo 1:16; 2:16) Imikhosi emikhulu engabonakaliyo ilungiselelwe imfazwe eArmagedon.

Ngakwelinye icala nguSathana, nomkhosi wakhe weedemoni, nookumkani balo lonke elimiweyo. Kodwa asifanele sicinge kuphela ngabalawuli bomhlaba kummandla obonakalayo, kuba nabantu ababalawulayo bakwabandakanyekile. Kwaxelwa kwangaphambili kwathiwa: “Uburhalarhume bukaYehova buphezu kweentlanga zonke, nobushushu bakhe buphezu komkhosi wazo wonke.”—Isaya 34:2.

Iya Kulwelwa Ntoni?

IArmagedon iya kuliwa kuba uThixo unobulungisa yaye akasayi kubunyamezela ngokungakumbi ubungendawo. (INdumiso 11:7) Ngoko ke intlangano kaSathana uMtyholi, ebunjwe ziidemoni nabantu abanemvukelo, ababekek’ ityala ngobungendawo nooyeha abenziwa zizigidi zabantu, ifanele itshatyalaliswe. (Thelekisa iGenesis 3:15.) Ulongamo lukaYehova lwendalo iphela luya kuphakanyiswa ngeArmagedon, yaye loo mfazwe iya kucoca igama lakhe kugculelo oluye lwafunjwa phezu kwalo kangangeenkulungwane. Kunjengokuba uThixo wavakalisa oku ngomprofeti wakhe uHezekile: “Ndingabuyi ndilingcolise igama lam elingcwele; zazi iintlanga ukuba ndinguYehova.”—Hezekile 39:7.

Eneneni imfazwe kaThixo eArmagedon iya kuthintela ukutshatyalaliswa koluntu lonke. UYehova wawudala umhlaba ukuze umiwe, kungekhona ukuba utshatyalaliswe kwimfazwe yenyukliya ephakathi kwabantu okanye wenziwe ungakwazi ukuxhasa ubomi. (Isaya 45:18) Uya “konakalisa abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba.” (ISityhilelo 11:18) Kodwa umdumisi wavakalisa oku: “UYehova ngukumkani, liya kuzinza ngoko elimiweyo [umhlaba ochumayo, NW (ngesiHebhere, te·velʹ; umhlaba, onjengotyebileyo nomiweyo, umhlaba uphela okunokuhlalwa kuwo)], lingashukumi.”—INdumiso 96:10.

Okuya kwenziwa nguThixo ngeArmagedon kuya kuvisisana ngokupheleleyo neempawu zakhe ezibalaseleyo zokusesikweni, ubulumko, amandla nothando. (Duteronomi 32:4; Yobhi 12:13; Isaya 40:26; 1 Yohane 4:8) Uya kulwa ‘naboni abangahloneli Thixo,’ kungengabo abalungileyo. (Yuda 14, 15) Kuphela ‘ngabangendawo abaya kunikelwa ekreleni.’ (Yeremiya 25:31) Oku kuya kuhlahl’ indlela yokubuyiselwa kweParadisi, kuzalisekisa injongo kaThixo ngomhlaba nangoluntu.—Luka 23:43.

Iya Kulwelwa Phi?

Ekubeni igama elithi “Armagedon” lisuka kwibinzana lesiHebhere elithetha “iNtaba yaseMegido,” bambi basenokugqiba ngelokuba le mfazwe iya kuliwa kwincopho ephakamileyo ebizwa ngelo gama. Noko ke, akuzange kubekho ntaba ebizwa ngokuba yiMegido. Malunga neekhilomitha ezili-100 kumntla-ntshona weYerusalem kwakukho idolophu eyayisendulini, okanye isixeko, esasibizwa ngokuba yiMegido, kodwa ngoku kuphela yindulana enokuba ziimitha ezingama-20 ukuphakama ekhoyo kuloo ndawo.—Yoshuwa 17:11.

Eso sixeko samandulo sasivelele ‘intlambo yaseMegido.’ (2 Kronike 35:22) Kufanelekile ukunxulumanisa iArmagedon (okanye iHar–Magedon) naloo mmandla kuba yayiyindawo yamadabi anecala eloyisayo. Ngokomzekelo, apho uYehova wabangela uMgwebi uBharaki ukuba oyise kabuhlungu ukumkani wamaKanan uYabhin nomkhosi wakhe owawukhokelwa nguSisera. (ABagwebi 4:12-24; 5:19, 20) Kuloo mmandla uGidiyon nomkhosi wakhe omncinane bawaswantsulisa amaMidiyan. (ABagwebi 7:1–8:35) Ukumkani uAhaziya noYosiya babulawelwa kwakuloo ndawo.—2 Kumkani 9:27; 23:29, 30.

Noko ke, kuyaphawuleka ukuba le ntlambo, ekwabizwa ngokuba yiNtlambo yase-Esdraelon, iziikhilomitha ezingama-32 kuphela ubude neekhilomitha ezingama-29 ububanzi ngasempuma. Ookumkani behlabathi lonke nemikhosi yabo babengenakuze bonele kulo mmandla mncinane ngolo hlobo. Ngaphandle koko, akukho nduli (induli yaseMegido) yaye kungekho thafa liyintaba. Ngoko, ngokucacileyo iArmagedon ayisayi kupheleliselwa kummandla othile oneentaba kuMbindi Mpuma. Kunoko, iArmagedon (okanye iHar–Magedon) ifuzisela imeko yazwenibanzi, nangona ukubaluleka kwayo kuthatyathelwa eMegido nakoko kwenzeka kuloo mmandla.

Iya Kuba Nini IArmagedon?

Ekubeni iMegido yayikwilizwe labantu bakaThixo bamandulo, oko kwenzeka eArmagedon kunokuthanani namaNgqina kaYehova kweli “xesha lokuphela.” (Daniyeli 12:4) IHar–Magedon ibhekisela “endaweni” apho abalawuli bobupolitika behlabathi bahlanganiselwa khona nxamnye noYehova noBukumkani bakhe obungoYesu Kristu. (ISityhilelo 16:14, 16) Kodwa loo ‘ndawo’ (ngesiGrike, toʹpos) ifuzisela imeko yehlabathi. IArmagedon iya kuqhambuka xa kuvela imeko ethile echaphazela amaNgqina kaYehova ehlabathini lonke.

Inkqubela engokomoya yamaNgqina kaYehova iyamcaphukisa uSathana uMtyholi, oza kuthi kungekudala awahlasele ngamandla loo maKristu abonakala engakwazi ukuzikhusela. Le ntlaselo yazwenibanzi kaSathana, okanye uGogi, ichazwe kuHezekile isahluko 38 nesama-39. Phantsi kwempembelelo kaMtyholi, izizwe ziya kubachasa abantu bakaYehova abathanda uxolo nabaphuma kwiintlanga zonke. Ewe, kuya kubakho inkcaso ebusathana eya kubonakala ehlabathini lonke nxamnye nabakhonzi bakaYehova basemhlabeni, abameli ababonakalayo nabavakalisi boBukumkani bukaThixo.

Ngokufuthi idabi laziwa ngendawo elilwelwa kuyo. Ngaloo ndlela, ukubakhusela kukaThixo ngendlela enamandla abantu bakhe kunokubizwa njengedabi, okanye imfazwe, yaseArmagedon. Xa uYehova esima ukuze akhusele abakhonzi bakhe nxamnye nentlaselo kaGogi, oko kuya kuqalisa iArmagedon! Baya kuwa oorhulumente babantu. Kuya kuwa izandyondyo zemvula, isichotho esitshabalalisayo, kuya kuhla umlilo nesulfure, kube ziindyikitya zokufa—enyanisweni izenzo zikaThixo—nto leyo eya kubangela ukunkwantya kubantu abangengomaNgqina kaYehova. Iintshaba zawo ezingabantu ziya kujikelana zibulalane kwazodwa ngezixhobo zazo. Yaye abo bangafanga kule mfazwe yokuzibhubhisa, uYehova uya kubatshabalalisa.—Hezekile 38:18-23; Daniyeli 2:44.

Ngenxa yokoyika, wonk’ ubani uya kuguqukela kummelwane wakhe ngomzamo wempambano ongaphumeleliyo wokuzisindisa. (Zekariya 14:12, 13) “Ababuleweyo nguYehova ngaloo mini, bathabathele ekupheleni kwehlabathi, bese ekupheleni kwehlabathi, bangambanjazelelwa, bangahlanganiswa, bangangcwatywa; baya kuba ngumgquba phezu komhlaba.” (Yeremiya 25:33) Naliphi na ilinge lokuzama ukuba ngundilele kwimfazwe kaThixo liya kuthetha ukuphulukana nobomi bakho eArmagedon! Yaye njengoko kuye ngokufuthi kwangqinwa ngokweZibhalo kweli phephancwadi, esi sizukulwana sikhoyo asisayi kudlula ngaphambi kokuba iArmagedon ifike!—Mateyu 24:21, 34.

Oko Kuya Kufezwa YiArmagedon

IArmagedon iya kushenxisa intsalela yokugqibela yentlangano esemhlabeni kaSathana. Ngaphezu koko, uMtyholi needemon zakhe baya kuphoswa enzonzobileni. (ISityhilelo 20:1-3) Ezinjani zona iintsikelelo ngelo xesha eziya kuthululelwa kubantu bakaYehova, abasindi abavuyayo bemfazwe yakhe enkulu yeArmagedon! Ngovuyo baya kuqhubeka besakha ngokutsha ukuze baguqule umhlaba wonke ube yiparadisi, kungasekho lungcoliso, zintlungu, zijwili, kukhala nakufa. (ISityhilelo 11:15, 18; 21:3, 4) Yaye usenokubakho ukuba uwathabathela entliziyweni amazwi omdumisi athi: “Thembela kuYehova, ugcine indlela yakhe; wokuphakamisa, ulidle ilifa ilizwe; ekunqanyulweni kongendawo wobonela.” (INdumiso 37:34) Enyanisweni, usenokuphila ukuze uyibone imfazwe enkulu yemini kaThixo uSomandla uze ube ngosindileyo novuyayo xa iArmagedon itshabalalisa!

“Ezo zinto zonke ngoku zichithakala nje, nimele ukuba ngabanjani na ngeehambo ezingcwele nokuhlonela uThixo; nikulindela, nikukhawulezela, ukufika kwayo imini kaThixo.”—2 Petros 3:11, 12

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 4]

IArmagedon asiyomvukelo nje yezobupolitika, intlekele engokwezoqoqosho, imbubhiso yenyukliya, okanye ingxwabangxwaba yabantu. IArmagedon yimfazwe kaThixo

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 5]

Imfazwe kaThixo yeArmagedon iya kuthintela intshabalaliso yoluntu lonke

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 6]

Naliphi na ilinge lokuhlala ungundilele kwimfazwe kaThixo liya kuthetha ukuphulukana nobomi bakho eArmagedon!