Ingabe Ungazethemba Izithembiso ZikaNkulunkulu?

UJEHOVA UNKULUNKULU, uMdali wethu, uye waligcina ngaso sonke isikhathi izwi lakhe. “Ngikhulumile,” esho. “Ngiyakukwenza.” (Isaya 46:11) Ngemva kokuholela ama-Israyeli eZweni Lesithembiso, inceku kaNkulunkulu uJoshuwa yabhala: “Akuphuthanga-lutho kukho konke okuhle uJehova akukhuluma khona kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli; kwenziwa konke.”—Joshuwa 21:45; 23:14.

Kusukela osukwini lukaJoshuwa kuze kube sekufikeni kukaMesiya, kwagcwaliseka amakhulu eziprofetho eziphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu. Isibonelo kulapho owayevuselela iJeriko ethola isijeziso esabikezelwa emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili. (Joshuwa 6:26; 1 AmaKhosi 16:34) Esinye futhi isithembiso, okwakubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukusigcwalisa, esokuthi izakhamuzi zaseSamariya ezibulawa indlala zaziyothola inala yokudla osukwini lwangemva kwesibikezelo. Ungafunda ngendlela uNkulunkulu asigcwalisa ngayo leso sithembiso kweyesi-2 AmaKhosi isahluko 7.

Ukuvela Nokuwa Kwemibuso Yezwe

UNkulunkulu waphefumulela abalobi beBhayibheli ukuba balobe imininingwane ephathelene nokuvela nokuwa kwemibuso yezwe. Ngokwesibonelo, uNkulunkulu wasebenzisa umprofethi wakhe u-Isaya ukuba abikezele ukugumbuqelwa kweBabiloni elinamandla cishe eminyakeni engu-200 ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke. Eqinisweni, amaMede, azihlanganisa namaPheresiya, akhonjwa njengabanqobi. (Isaya 13:17-19) Kodwa okuphawuleka kakhulu, umprofethi kaNkulunkulu wathi inkosi yasePheresiya uKoresi yayizohola kulokhu kunqoba, ngisho nakuba uKoresi ayengakazalwa ngisho nokuzalwa lapho kulotshwa lesi siprofetho! (Isaya 45:1) Kodwa kunokwengeziwe.

Umprofethi u-Isaya wabikezela nokuthi ukunqotshwa kweBabiloni kwakuyofezwa kanjani. Wabhala ukuthi amanzi avikele lomuzi, umfula i-Ewufrathe, ‘kumelwe ome’ nokuthi ‘amasango [aseBabiloni] ngeke esavalwa.’ (Isaya 44:27–45:1) Lemininingwane eqondile yagcwaliseka, njengoba kwabika isazi-mlando uHerodotus.

Ngesikhathi kusabusa iBabiloni, uNkulunkulu wasebenzisa nomprofethi wakhe uDaniyeli ukuba abikezele ngemibuso yezwe eyayizolandela. UDaniyeli waba nombono wenqama engokomfanekiso enezimpondo ezimbili eyaphumelela ekunqobeni zonke ezinye ‘izilo zasendle.’ Ukuze kungabi nakungabaza ukuthi lenqama enezimpondo ezimbili yayimelela bani, uDaniyeli wabhala ukuthi ‘imelela amakhosi aseMediya nasePheresiya.’ (Daniyeli 8:1-4, 20) Ngempela, njengoba kwabikezelwa, amaMede namaPheresiya aba umbuso wezwe owalandela lapho enqoba iBabiloni ngo-539 B.C.E.

Kulombono ovela kuNkulunkulu, uDaniyeli ngokulandelayo wabona “impongo [enophondo] oluqhamileyo emkhathini wamehlo ayo.” UDaniyeli waqhubeka nencazelo yakhe: ‘Ngayibona isondela kakhulu enqameni, yayishaya inqama, yaphula izimpondo zayo ezimbili, kwakungekho ongayophula inqama. Impongo yayisizikhulisa kakhulu; kwathi lapho isinamandla, uphondo olukhulu lwaphuka; esikhundleni salo kwamila ezine.’—Daniyeli 8:5-8.

IZwi likaNkulunkulu alikushiyi ukungabaza kokuthi konke lokhu kusho ukuthini. Phawula incazelo: “Impongo iyinkosi yaseJavani; uphondo olukhulu olusemkhathini wamehlo ayo luyinkosi yokuqala. Kepha olwaphukileyo, esikhundleni salo okwavela ezine, kuyakuvela imibuso emine esizweni salo, ingenamandla alo kodwa.”—Daniyeli 8:21, 22.

Umlando ubonisa ukuthi ‘lenkosi yaseJavani’ kwakungu-Alexander Omkhulu. Ngemva kokufa kwakhe ngo-323 B.C.E., umbuso wakhe wagcina uhlukaniswe phakathi kojenene bakhe abane—uSeleucus I Nicator, uCassander, uPtolemy I, noLysimachus. Njengoba iBhayibheli lalibikezele, ‘esikhundleni sakhe kwavela abane.’ Njengoba kwabikezelwa futhi, akekho kulaba owaba namandla u-Alexander ayenawo. Ngempela, lokhu kugcwaliseka kuye kwaphawuleka kakhulu kangangokuba iziprofetho zeBhayibheli ezinjalo ziye zabizwa ngokuthi “umlando olotshwe kusengaphambili.”

Ukuthenjiswa KukaMesiya

UNkulunkulu akazange nje kuphela athembise uMesiya owayezokhulula abantu emiphumeleni yesono nokufa kodwa futhi wanikeza iziprofetho eziningi ezaziyophawula lona Othenjisiwe. Cabangela ezimbalwa nje zazo, iziprofetho uJesu ayengenakuhlela ukuba azigcwalise.

Kwabikezelwa emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili ukuthi Othenjisiwe wayezozalelwa eBetlehema nokuthi wayezozalwa intombi. (Qhathanisa uMika 5:2 noMathewu 2:3-9; u-Isaya 7:14 noMathewu 1:22, 23.) Kwabikezelwa ukuthi wayezokhashelwa ngezinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-30. (Zakariya 11:12, 13; Mathewu 27:3-5) Kwabikezelwa futhi ukuthi alikho nelilodwa emathanjeni omzimba wakhe elalizophulwa nokuthi kwakuzokwenziwa izinkatho ngezingubo zakhe.—Qhathanisa iHubo 34:20 noJohane 19:36, iHubo 22:18 noMathewu 27:35.

Okuphawuleka ngokukhethekile iqiniso lokuthi iBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi uMesiya wayezofika nini. IZwi likaNkulunkulu laprofetha: ‘Kusukela ekuphumeni kwezwi lokubuyisa nokwakha iJerusalema kuze kufike ogcotshiweyo, umbusi, kuyakuba-ngamasonto ayisikhombisa, namasonto angamashumi ayisithupha nambili.’ (Daniyeli 9:25) NgokweBhayibheli, izwi lokuba kuvuselelwe futhi kwakhiwe kabusha iJerusalema lakhishwa ngonyaka wama-20 wokubusa kweNkosi u-Aritahishashita, umlando wezwe obonisa ukuthi kwakuwunyaka ka-455 B.C.E. (Nehemiya 2:1-8) Lamasonto eminyaka angu-69 aphela eminyakeni engu-483 kamuva (7 x 69 = 483), ngo-29 C.E. Lowo kwakuyiwo kanye unyaka uJesu abhapathizwa ngawo futhi wagcotshwa ngomoya ongcwele, eba uMesiya, noma uKristu!

Ngokuphawulekayo, abantu bosuku lukaJesu babelindele ukuba uMesiya avele ngaleso sikhathi, njengoba kwaphawula isazi-mlando esingumKristu uLuka. (Luka 3:15) Izazi-mlando ezingamaRoma uTacitus noSuetonius, isazi-mlando esingumJuda uJosephus, nesazi sefilosofi esingumJuda uPhilo Judaeus nabo bakufakazela lokhu kulinda. Ngisho no-Abba Hillel Silver, encwadini yakhe ethi A History of Messianic Speculation in Israel, uyavuma ukuthi “uMesiya wayelindelwe engxenyeni yesine yokuqala yekhulu lokuqala C.E.” Wathi lokhu kwakungenxa “yendlela evamile yokubala isikhathi yangaleso sikhathi,” esuselwa ngokwengxenye encwadini kaDaniyeli.

Ngenxa yokwaziswa okunjalo, akufanele kumangalise ukuthi iBhayibheli laliyophawula futhi ukuthi uMesiya wayeyobuya nini ukuze aqale ukubusa kwakhe kobukhosi. Ubufakazi bokubalwa kwesikhathi obusesiprofethweni sikaDaniyeli basikhomba ngokuqondile isikhathi lapho “oPhezukonke” ayezonikela ukubusa komhlaba ‘kophansi phakathi kwabantu,’ uJesu Kristu. (Daniyeli 4:17-25; Mathewu 11:29) Kukhulunywa ngenkathi ‘yezikhathi eziyisikhombisa,’ noma iminyaka eyisikhombisa engokwesiprofetho, futhi lenkathi kuye kwabalwa ukuthi yaphela ngonyaka ka-1914.a

Alukho Usuku Lokuphela Olunikeziwe

Nokho, unyaka ka-1914 umane uyisikhathi sokuqala kokubusa kukaKristu “phakathi kwezitha [zakhe].” (IHubo 110:1, 2; Heberu 10:12, 13) Incwadi yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo ibonisa ukuthi ngesikhathi uKristu ayeyoqala ngaso ukubusa ezulwini, wayeyophonsa uSathane uDeveli nezingelosi zakhe phansi emhlabeni. IBhayibheli lithi ngaphambi kokuba abhubhise laba bantu bomoya ababi, babeyobangela izinkathazo ezinkulu emhlabeni ‘inkathi yesikhathi emfushane.’—IsAmbulo 12:7-12.

Okubalulekile, iBhayibheli aliluvezi usuku ‘lenkathi yesikhathi emfushane’ eyayiyophela ngalo nesikhathi uKristu ayeyothatha ngaso isinyathelo njengoMahluleli wezitha zikaNkulunkulu e-Armagedoni. (IsAmbulo 16:16; 19:11-21) Eqinisweni, njengoba kuphawuliwe esihlokweni esandulele, uJesu wathi sihlale sikulungele ngoba akukho muntu olwaziyo usuku lwaleso senzakalo. (Marku 13:32, 33) Lapho othile eqela ngalé kwalokho okwashiwo uJesu, njengoba kwenza amaKristu okuqala eThesalonika namanye ngemva kwawo, kuyoba nezibikezelo zamanga, noma ezinganembile.—2 Thesalonika 2:1, 2.

Kudingeka Ukulungiswa Kombono

Ngaphambi kwengxenye yokugcina yonyaka ka-1914, amaKristu amaningi ayelindele ukuba uKristu abuye ngaleso sikhathi futhi awayise ezulwini. Ngakho, enkulumweni eyanikezwa ngo-September 30, 1914, u-A. H. Macmillan, umFundi weBhayibheli, wathi: “Cishe lenkulumo yeningi engiyibekayo ngeyokugcina ngoba ngokushesha sizoya ekhaya [ezulwini].” Ngokusobala, uMacmillan wayenze iphutha, kodwa lelo kwakungelona ukuphela kwethemba yena noma abaFundi BeBhayibheli ayekanye nabo ababenalo elingazange ligcwaliseke.

AbaFundi BeBhayibheli, abaziwa ngokuthi oFakazi BakaJehova kusukela ngo-1931, nabo babelindele ukuthi kwakuyogcwaliseka iziprofetho zeBhayibheli ezimangalisayo ngonyaka ka-1925. Babecabanga ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi kwakuyoqala uvuko lwasemhlabeni, lubuyise amadoda athembekile asendulo, anjengo-Abrahama, uDavide, noDaniyeli. Muva nje, oFakazi abaningi bebecabanga ukuthi izenzakalo ezihlobene nokuqala kokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane zaziyoqala ukugcwaliseka ngo-1975. Ukulangazela kwabo kwakusekelwe ekuqondeni ukuthi inkulungwane yesikhombisa yomlando womuntu yayiyoqala ngaleso sikhathi.

Lemibono eyiphutha yayingasho ukuthi izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu zaziyiphutha, ukuthi wayenze iphutha. Lutho neze! Amaphutha noma imibono enganembile, njengasendabeni yamaKristu ekhulu lokuqala, ayebangelwa ukungalaleli isixwayiso sikaJesu esithi, ‘Anisazi isikhathi.’ Iziphetho eziyiphutha zazingabangelwa unya noma ukungathembeki kuKristu, kodwa isifiso esiqotho sokubona ukugcwaliseka kwezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu ngesikhathi sawo.

Ngakho, kamuva u-A. H. Macmillan wachaza: “Ngafunda ukuthi kufanele siwavume amaphutha ethu futhi siqhubeke sihlola iZwi likaNkulunkulu ukuze sithole ukukhanyiselwa okwengeziwe. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ikuphi ukulungisa okungadingeka sikwenze ngezikhathi ezithile emibonweni yethu, lokho bekungenakulishintsha ilungiselelo lomusa lesihlengo nesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sokuphila okuphakade.”

Ngempela, izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu zingathenjelwa! Abantu abathambekele ekwenzeni amaphutha. Ngakho-ke, amaKristu eqiniso ayolondoloza isimo sengqondo sokulinda elalela umyalo kaJesu. Ayohlala ephapheme futhi elindele ukuza kukaKristu okungenakugwenywa njengoMahluleli kaNkulunkulu. Ngeke avumele izibikezelo zamanga ukuba zidunge izingqondo zawo futhi ziwabangele ukuba asishaye indiva isixwayiso seqiniso sokuphela kwezwe.

Khona-ke, kuthiwani ngenkolelo yokuthi lelizwe lizophela? Ingabe bukhona ngempela ubufakazi bokuthi kuzokwenzeka maduzane, phakathi nesikhathi sakho sokuphila?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Kwabikezelwa imininingwane enembile ngokuwa kweBabiloni

[Izithombe ekhasini 9]

UJesu wayengenakuhlela ukuba agcwalise eziningi zeziprofetho eziphathelene naye