Okwenza Abaningi Bakholelwe Ukuthi Izwe Lizophela

ABANINGI namuhla bavumela phezulu ukuthi izwe lisesimweni esidabukisayo ngempela. “Ngiye ngabuza abantu basezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zomhlaba ukuthi bacabangani ngamathuba ethu esikhathi esizayo,” kubhala umvangeli uBilly Graham. “Abaningi babo banombono wokulindela okubi. . . . Njalo kusetshenziswa amagama athi ‘Armagedoni’ nelithi ‘Apocalypse’ ekuchazeni izenzakalo zezwe.”

Kungani igama elithi “Armagedoni” nelithi “Apocalypse” esetshenziswa njalo ekuchazeni isimo sanamuhla? Abaluleke ngani?

Umsuka OngokweBhayibheli

IBhayibheli likhuluma ‘ngempi yosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke’ futhi lihlobanisa lempi nendawo “ngesiHeberu ebizwa ngokuthi iHar-Magedoni,” noma i-Armagedoni. (IsAmbulo 16:14-16) I-Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary ichaza i-Armagedoni ngokuthi “impi yokugcina futhi ewumnqamulajuqu phakathi kwamabutho obuhle nobubi.”

Nakuba elithi “apocalypse” livela egameni lesiGreki elisho “isambulo,” noma “ukwembula,” selibhekwa ngenye indlela. Incwadi yeBhayibheli isAmbulo, noma i-Apocalypse, iqokomisa ukubhubhisa kukaNkulunkulu ababi nokuBusa Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane kweNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu. (IsAmbulo 19:11-16; 20:6) Ngakho, i-Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary ichaza elithi “apocalypse” ngokuthi “inhlekelele esondelayo yendawo yonke lapho uNkulunkulu ebhubhisa khona imibuso yobubi ebusayo futhi avusele abalungile ekuphileni embusweni wobumesiya.”

Lapho abantu namuhla bekhuluma ngezwe nesimo salo, ngokusobala bathonywa yilokho okushiwo eBhayibhelini. Lithini ngempela iBhayibheli ngokuphela kwezwe?

IBhayibheli Nokuphela Kwezwe

IBhayibheli likubikezela ngokucacile ukuphela kwezwe. UJesu Kristu nabafundi bakhe bakhuluma ngesikhathi sokuphela. (Mathewu 13:39, 40, 49; 24:3; 2 Thimothewu 3:1; 2 Petru 3:3; King James Version) Nokho, babengasho ukuthi umhlaba ngokwawo wawuzobhujiswa. Ngokuqondene nomhlaba ongokoqobo, iBhayibheli lithi: ‘Awuyikuzanyazanyiswa kuze kube-phakade naphakade.’ (IHubo 104:5) Amazwi athi “ukuphela kwezwe” amane asho “isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.”—INguqulo Yezwe Elisha.

Umphostoli uPetru wakhuluma ngezwe langaphambi kweSikhukhula sikaNowa wayesethi: “Izwe langalesosikhathi [elalinabantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu] labhujiswa lapho limbozwa amanzi.” Khona-ke uPetru waqhubeka ethi izwe lethu elikhona manje ‘ligciniwe kuze kube sosukwini lokwahlulelwa nolokubhujiswa kwabantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu.’ (2 Petru 3:5-7) Umphostoli uJohane naye wabhala: “Izwe liyadlula kanjalo nesifiso salo, kodwa lowo owenza intando kaNkulunkulu uhlala kuze kube phakade.”—1 Johane 2:17.

Phakathi nokuphela kwalelizwe, umbusi walo ongabonakali ongamhloniphi uNkulunkulu naye uyosuswa endleleni. (IsAmbulo 20:1-3) Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala ngalombusi omubi: “Unkulunkulu walelizwe uphuphuthekisile ingqondo yabo [abangakholwa].” UJesu wathi ngaye: “Kalokhu umbusi walelizwe [uSathane uDeveli] uzakuxoshwa.”—2 Korinte 4:4; Johane 12:31; KJ.

Ngeke yini kube isibusiso ukususwa kwalelizwe nombusi walo omubi? Sekuyisikhathi eside amaKristu ethandazela ukuba lokhu kwenzeke, ecela ukuba uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uze futhi intando yakhe yenziwe emhlabeni. Athandazela ukuba uJesu Kristu athathe isinyathelo elalela umyalo kaYise wokususa bonke ububi emhlabeni!—IHubo 110:1, 2; IzAga 2:21, 22; Daniyeli 2:44; Mathewu 6:9, 10.

Nokho, lokhu kuphakamisa umbuzo: Ingabe izibikezelo zamanga, noma eziyiphutha, zokuphela kwezwe ziye zabangelwa ukuthi abantu baye babikezela usuku lwalesi senzakalo ngenxa yokungaqondi noma yokusebenzisa kabi iziprofetho zeBhayibheli zeqiniso? Ake sibone.

Ukungaqondi Kwangekhulu Lokuqala

Cabangela okwenzeka ekhulwini lokuqala. Lapho uJesu esezonyukela ezulwini, abaphostoli bakhe babuza ngentshiseko: “Nkosi, ingabe ubuyisela umbuso ku-Israyeli ngalesisikhathi?” Babefuna ukujabulela zonke izibusiso zoMbuso ngaso leso sikhathi, kodwa uJesu wathi: “Akukhona okwenu ukuthola ulwazi ngezikhathi noma izinkathi uBaba azibeke egunyeni lakhe siqu.”—IzEnzo 1:6, 7.

Ezinsukwini ezintathu nje ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uJesu wayekhulume okufanayo: “Ngakho-ke, hlalani nilindile ngoba anazi ukuthi iNkosi yenu iza ngaluphi usuku.” Wanezela: “Ngokuphathelene nalolosuku noma ihora akekho owaziyo, nazingelosi ezulwini naNdodana, ngaphandle kukaBaba. Hlalani nibhekile, nihlale niphapheme, ngoba anazi ukuthi sinini isikhathi esimisiwe.” (Mathewu 24:42, 44; Marku 13:32, 33) Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngaphambi kwalokho, uJesu wayekhuthazile futhi: “Hlalani nikulungele, ngoba iNdodana yomuntu iza ngehora eningacabangi ukuthi kungaba yilo.”—Luka 12:40.

Naphezu kwezixwayiso ezinjalo ezanikezwa uJesu, amaKristu okuqala, elangazelela ukuba khona kukaKristu nezibusiso okwakuzoziletha, aqala ukucabangela ukuthi izibusiso zoMbuso zaziyogcwaliseka nini. Ngakho, umphostoli uPawulu wabhalela abaseThesalonika: “Ngokuqondene nokuba khona kweNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu nokubuthelwa kwethu ndawonye kuyo, siyanicela ukuba ninganyakaziswa masinyane engqondweni yenu noma nithuswe inkulumo ethile ephefumulelwe noma isigijimi somlomo noma incwadi okusengathi ivela kithi, ethi usuku lukaJehova selufikile.”—2 Thesalonika 2:1, 2.

Amazwi kaPawulu abonisa ukuthi amanye amaKristu okuqala ayesehlakulele amathemba ayiphutha. Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi amaKristu aseThesalonika ayengabikezelanga usuku olukhethekile ‘lokubuthelwa kwawo ezulwini kuKristu,’ ngokusobala ayecabanga ukuthi leso senzakalo sasiseduze. Kwakudingeka ukuba imibono yawo ilungiswe, futhi incwadi kaPawulu yakwenza lokhu.

Nabanye Badinga Ukulungiswa

Njengoba siphawulile esihlokweni sokuqala, ngemva kwekhulu lokuqala, nabanye babelindele ukugcwaliseka kwezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu ngesikhathi esithile. Abanye babikezela ukuthi izwe laliyophela ekupheleni kweminyaka eyinkulungwane, uma kubalwa kusukela ekuzalweni kukaJesu noma ekufeni kwakhe. Kodwa izibikezelo zabo nazo zabonakala zingamanga, noma ziyiphutha.

Lokhu kuphakamisa lemibuzo: Ingabe amaphutha ngokuqondene nokugcwaliseka kwezithembiso zeBhayibheli ayesho ukuthi lezi zithembiso ngokwazo zaziyiphutha? Ingabe izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu zithembekile? Futhi amaKristu anamuhla aye akwamukela kanjani ukulungiswa kulendaba?