Ngoku Lixesha Lokuba Sivuke!
“UNGAZE uqhathwe lixesha esiphila kulo; selifikile ixesha lokuba sivuke ebuthongweni.” (Roma 13:11, Knox) Umpostile uPawulos wabhalela amaKristu aseRoma la mazwi kwiminyaka enokuba li-14 ngaphambi kwentlekele yokutshatyalaliswa kwenkqubo yezinto yamaYuda ngowama-70 C.E. Ngenxa yokuba ayephaphile ngokomoya, loo maKristu angamaYuda ayengekho eYerusalem ngelo xesha lentlekele, ibe asinda ekufeni okanye ebukhobokeni. Kodwa azi njani ukuba kwakufuneka esishiyile eso sixeko?
UYesu Kristu walumkisa ngelithi iintshaba zaziya kuyirhangqa iYerusalem nokuba abemi bayo babeya kuntlalwa emhlabeni. (Luka 19:43, 44) Emva koko, uYesu wanika abalandeli bakhe abathembekileyo umqondiso oyintlanganisela ekwakungenzima ukuwuphawula. (Luka 21:7-24) KumaKristu awayehlala eYerusalem, ukushiya isixeko kwakuthetha ukushiya amakhaya nemisebenzi yawo. Sekunjalo, ukuhlala kwawo ethe qwa kwabusindisa ubomi bawo.
Xa uYesu waxela kusengaphambili ngokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem, abafundi bakhe babuza: “Ziya kubakho nini na ezi zinto, kwaye uya kuba yintoni na umqondiso wobukho bakho nowokuqosheliswa kwenkqubo yezinto?” (Mateyu 24:3) Ekuphenduleni kwakhe, uYesu wafanisa ubukho bakhe bexesha elizayo nexesha elakhokelela kuMkhukula womhla kaNowa. UYesu wathi uNogumbe watshabalalisa bonke abangendawo. (Mateyu 24:21, 37-39) Ngaloo ndlela wabonisa ukuba uThixo wayeya kuphinda angenelele kwiingxaki zoluntu. Ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo? Kaloku, ukusa kumkhamo wokuba ashenxise lonke ihlabathi elingendawo okanye le nkqubo yezinto! (Thelekisa eyesi-2 kaPetros 3:5, 6.) Ngaba oko kunokwenzeka kwixesha lethu?
Ngaba Yonke Into Isafana?
Ambalwa gqitha amaYuda enkulungwane yokuqala awayecinga ukuba isixeko sawo esingcwele, iYerusalem sasinokutshatyalaliswa. Nabantu abahlala kufuphi nentaba-mlilo abangazange bakubone ukudubula kwayo baye abakukholelwa oko. Xa abantu belunyukiswa ngokuqhelekileyo baye bathi, “Oko akunakwenzeka ngoku ndisaphila.” Isazi ngentaba-mlilo uLionel Wilson uthi: “Ngokuqhelekileyo iintaba-mlilo zidubula emva kweenkulungwane ezimbini okanye ezintathu. Uba buhlungu ukuba kwafuneka abazali bakho bafuduke ngenxa yogqabhuko-dubulo. Kodwa ukuba oko kwenzeka koomawokhulu bakho, olo lulwimi etywaleni.”
Noko ke, inkcazelo echanileyo inokusinceda siphawule imiqondiso eyingozi size sicinge nzulu ngayo. Kulawo asaba kwiNtaba yasePelée, enye yawo yayiqhelene neentaba-mlilo yaza yayibona imiqondiso eyingozi. Imiqondiso enjalo yafunyaniswa kungekudala ngaphambi kogqabhuko-dubulo kwiNtaba iPinatubo. Izazi ngentaba-mlilo ezaziyiqwalasela imiqondiso eyayingabonakali eyayisenzeka ngaphakathi kule ntaba zaxelela abantu basekuhlaleni ukuba bawushiye loo mmandla.
Kakade ke, bambi baya kusoloko beyityeshela imiqondiso eyingozi baze bongezelele ngelithi akukho nto iza kwenzeka. Basenokude babagculele abo bathabatha inyathelo eliqatha. Umpostile uPetros waxela kusengaphambili ukuba loo mbono injalo yayiya kuxhaphaka kumhla wethu. Wathi: “Niyakwazi oku kuqala, ukuba ngemihla yokugqibela kuya kuza abagculeli nokugculela kwabo, beqhubeka ngokweminqweno yabo baze bathi: ‘Buphi obu bukho bakhe buthenjisiweyo? Kaloku, ukususela ngomhla ookhokho bethu abalala ngawo ekufeni, zonke izinto zisaqhubeka kanye njengasekuqaleni kwendalo.’”—2 Petros 3:3, 4.
Ngaba uyakholelwa ukuba ‘sikwimihla yokugqibela’? KwiThe Columbia History of the World, uJohn A. Garraty noPeter Gay babuza: “Ngaba oku kukuwohloka kwempucuko yethu?” Aba babhali-mbali bahlalutya iingxaki zikarhulumente, ukwanda kolwaphulo-mthetho emhlabeni wonke ukungathotyelwa kwamagunya, ukuwohloka kobomi bentsapho, ukusilela kwenzululwazi nobugcisa ukucombulula iingxaki zabantu, ukuwohloka kwegunya, nokuwohloka kwendlela yokuziphatha nonqulo kulo lonke ihlabathi. Bagqiba ngelithi: “Ukuba le asiyiyo imiqondiso yokuqinisekisa isiphelo, ibonakala ifana ngendlela emangalisayo.”
Sinesizathu esivakalayo sokuba sikholelwe ukuba “isiphelo” sikufuphi. Asimele soyike ukuba umhlaba ngokwawo uza kuphela, kuba iBhayibhile ithi uThixo “waliseka ihlabathi phezu kwemimiso yalo, ukuba lingashukunyiswa naphakade kanaphakade.” (INdumiso 104:5) Ukanti, simele silindele ukuba sifike ngokukhawuleza isiphelo sale nkqubo ingendawo yezinto eye yabangela inkxwaleko kulo lonke uluntu. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba sibona izinto ezininzi ezibubungqina bemihla yokugqibela yale nkqubo yezinto, njengokuba yaboniswa nguYesu Kristu. (Bona ibhokisi ethi “Eminye Imiqondiso Yemihla Yokugqibela.”) Kutheni ungathelekisi amazwi kaYesu neziganeko zehlabathi? Ukwenza oko kunokukunceda ukuba uzenzele izigqibo zobulumko wena nentsapho yakho. Kodwa kutheni umele uthabathe inyathelo ngoku?
Kukho Imfuneko Yokwenene Yokuhlala Uphaphile
Nangona izazinzulu zisenokwazi xa ugqabhuko-dubulo lwentaba-mlilo lukufuphi, azinakukwazi ukuchaza ngokuthe ngqo ukuba luya kubakho nini. Ngokufanayo, ngokuphathelele ukuphela kwale nkqubo yezinto, uYesu wathi: “Ngokuphathelele loo mhla nelo lixa akukho bani waziyo, azazi neengelosi zamazulu engazi noNyana, kodwa nguBawo kuphela.” (Mateyu 24:36) Ekubeni singazi ngokuthe ngqo ukuba le nkqubo yezinto iya kuphela nini, uYesu wasinika esi silumkiso: “Yazini into enye, ukuba umnini-ndlu ebesazi ukuba isela liza ngawuphi na umlindo, ebeya kuhlala evukile aze angavumi ukuba indlu yakhe iqhekezwe. Ngenxa yoku nani zingqineni nilungile, ngenxa yokuba uNyana womntu [uYesu] uza ngelixa eningacinganga kuba lilo.”—Mateyu 24:43, 44.
Amazwi kaYesu abonisa ukuba intlekele yokuphela kwale nkqubo iya kufika eli hlabathi lingalindelanga. Enoba singabalandeli bakhe, kufuneka ‘sizingqine silungile.’ Imeko yethu ifana kanye naleyo yomninikhaya onokufunyanwa engaqondanga ngenxa yokuba engazi ukuba isela liya kufika nini lize liqhekeze indlu yalo.
Ngokufanayo, umpostile uPawulos wawaxelela oku amaKristu aseTesalonika: “Kuba nina ngokwenu nazi kakuhle gqitha ukuba imini kaYehova iza kanye njengesela ebusuku. . . . Bazalwana, anikho bumnyameni, khon’ ukuze loo mini inifikele njengoko bekuya kuba njalo ngamasela.” Kwakhona uPawulos wabongoza: “Masingalali njengokuba abanye besenza, kodwa masihlale sivukile size sigcine iingqiqo zethu.” (1 Tesalonika 5:2, 4, 6, umbhalo osemazantsi weNW) Kuthetha ukuthini ‘ukuhlala sivukile size sigcine iingqiqo zethu’?
Ngokungafaniyo nokusaba kwamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala eYerusalem, ukusaba kwethu ukuze sisinde akuquki ukusaba kwisixeko esithile. Emva kokubongoza amanye amakholwa eRoma ukuba avuke ebuthongweni, uPawulos wawabongoza ukuba ‘ayikhulule imisebenzi yobumnyama’ ‘aze ambathe iNkosi uYesu Kristu.’ (Roma 13:12, 14) Ngokulandela ngokusondeleyo emanyathelweni kaYesu, siya kuzibonakalisa sithe qwa kula maxesha, yaye ukuhlala sithe qwa ngokomoya kuya kusinceda sikhuselwe nguThixo xa le nkqubo yezinto ingendawo iphelelwa.—1 Petros 2:21.
Abo balandela uYesu Kristu banelisekile yaye bayabunandipha ubomi. Izigidi zamaNgqina kaYehova ziye zafumanisa ukuba idyokhwe yokuba ngumfundi ongumKristu iyeyobubele yaye iyahlaziya. (Mateyu 11:29, 30, umbhalo osemazantsi weNW) Inyathelo lokuqala lokuba ngumfundi lelo ‘lokungenisa ulwazi ngoThixo nangalowo amthumeleyo, uYesu Kristu.’ (Yohane 17:3) AmaNgqina atyelela izigidi zamakhaya veki nganye ukuze ancede abantu bafumane ‘ulwazi oluchanileyo lwenyaniso.’ (1 Timoti 2:4) Aya kukuvuyela ukuqhuba kunye nawe isifundo seBhayibhile sesisa ekhayeni lakho. Yaye njengokuba ukhula elwazini lweLizwi likaThixo, alithandabuzeki elokuba nawe uya kweyiseka lelokuba ngokwenene imihla yethu yahlukile. Liyinene elokuba, lifikile ixesha lokuvuka ebuthongweni!
[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 7]
EMINYE IMIQONDISO YEMIHLA YOKUGQIBELA
“Uhlanga luya kuvukelana nohlanga”; ‘uxolo luya kususwa emhlabeni.’ (Mateyu 24:7; ISityhilelo 6:4)
Iimfazwe ezimbini zale nkulungwane, kuquka nezinye eziliqela eziye zakho nezinye iziphithiphithi, ziye zalususa uxolo emhlabeni. “EyokuQala—ngokunjalo neyeSibini—IMfazwe Yehlabathi zohluka gqitha kuzo zonke iimfazwe ezikhe zaliwa,” ubhala atsho umbhali-mbali uJohn Keegan “umgangatho wazo wawahlukile, ubukhulu nempahla eyatshatyalaliswayo kuquka nabantu abafayo. . . . IiMfazwe Zehlabathi zabulala abantu abaninzi, zasebenzisa ubuncwane obungakumbi zaza zabangela ukubandezeleka okungakumbi kwiindawo eziliqela kunokuba ezinye iimfazwe zenjenjalo.” Sithetha nje iimfazwe zenzakalisa abafazi nabantwana ngaphezu kwamajoni. Kubalo lwayo iUnited Nations Children’s Fund ithi kwiminyaka elishumi edluleyo, abantwana abazizigidi ezibini baye babulawa ezimfazweni.
“Ukunqongophala kokutya” (Mateyu 24:7; ISityhilelo 6:5, 6, 8)
Ngowe-1996 amaxabiso engqolowa nombona antinga. Sasiyintoni isizathu? Oovimba behlabathi abagcina ezi nkozo babehlile baya kufikelela isixa seentsuku ezingama-50 kuphela, elona nani lakhe laphantsi embalini. Ukunyuka kwamaxabiso okutya okusisiseko kuthetha ukuba amakhulu ezigidi zabantu abangamahlwempu ehlabathini lonke—uninzi lwabo ingabantwana—lulala lulambile.
‘Iinyikima zomhlaba kwiindawo ngeendawo’ (Mateyu 24:7)
Ebudeni beminyaka engama-2 500 edluleyo, ziinyikima zomhlaba ezisithoba kuphela eziye nganye zabulala abantu abangaphezu kwe-100 000. Ezine kwezi nyikima zenzeke ukususela ngowe-1914.
‘Ukwanda kokuchas’ umthetho’ (Mateyu 24:12)
Njengokuba inkulungwane yama-20 isondela esiphelweni, ukuchas’ umthetho, okanye ukwaphula umthetho, kuye kwaxhaphaka. Ukuhlaselwa kwabahlali ngabagrogrisi, abantu ababulala abantwana ngokungenasizi, nokubulawa kwabantu abaninzi kuphakathi kwezona nkalo zibuhlungu zale mihla yokugqibela inobundlobongela.
“Neendyikitya zokufa” (Luka 21:11)
Ebudeni beminyaka yee-1990, abantu abanokuba zizigidi ezingama-30 baya kuba bebulewe sisifo sephepha. Amayeza okubulala iintsholongwane aya ephelelwa ngamandla. Isifo seengcongconi, esinye isifo esibulalayo, sihlasela abantu abaphakathi kwezigidi ezingama-300 ukusa kuma-500 minyaka le size sibulale abaqikelelwa kwizigidi ezi-2. Ekupheleni kweli shumi leminyaka, kulindeleke ukuba uGawulayo abulale abantu abasisi-1,8 sesigidi ngonyaka. IState of the World 1996 yathi: “Namhlanje abantu bajamelene neyona ndyikitya yakhe yankulu yezifo.”
“Ezi ndaba zilungileyo zobukumkani ziya kushunyayelwa kuwo wonke umhlaba omiweyo.” (Mateyu 24:14)
Ngowe-1997, amaNgqina kaYehova achitha ngaphezu kweeyure eziliwaka lesigidi eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani. AmaNgqina angaphezu kwezigidi ezihlanu adlulisela esi sigidimi kubantu abakumazwe angama-232.
[Inkcazelo]
FAO photo/B. Imevbore
U.S. Coast Guard photo
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
AmaKristu asaba eYerusalem ngenxa yokuba ayethe qwa ngokomoya