Izinsuku Zokugcina—Bese Kuba Yini?
ABANYE abantu bafikelwa ukwesaba lapho becabanga “ngezinsuku zokugcina.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1) Okuwukuphela kwento abayibonayo izikhathi ezibucayi. Pho, kungani abaningi kuwo wonke umlando bebebheke phambili kuzo? Ngenxa yokuthi izinsuku zokugcina zibonisa nokuthi kuseza izikhathi ezimnandi.
Ngokwesibonelo, uSir Isaac Newton wayeqiniseka ngokuthi isikhathi sokuphela sasiyophumela enkathini entsha yokuthula nokuchuma emhlabeni wonke ngaphansi kokuBusa Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane koMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Wathi isiprofetho sikaMika 4:3, kanye nesika-Isaya 2:4, zaziyogcwaliseka ngaleso sikhathi: “Ziyokhanda izinkemba zazo zibe ngamageja nemikhonto yazo ibe ngocelemba. Ngeke ziphakamise inkemba, isizwe simelane nesizwe, futhi ngeke zisayifunda impi.”
Lapho uJesu ekhuluma ngesikhathi sokuphela, wakhuthaza abalandeli bakhe ukuba babe nombono owakhayo. Ngemva kokulandisa ngobunzima, ukukhathazeka nokwesaba okwakuyodlanga phakathi nosizi olukhulu, wathi: “Njengoba lezi zinto ziqala ukwenzeka, yimani niqonde futhi niphakamise amakhanda enu, ngoba ukukhululwa kwenu kuyasondela.” (Luka 21:28) Ukukhululwa kuphi?
Lokho UNkulunkulu Akuthembisayo
Impi, izinxushunxushu zombango, ubugebengu, ubudlova nendlala kuphakathi kwezinto ezimbalwa ezihlupha isintu namuhla futhi ezenza izigidi zesabe. Ingabe ikhona kulezi zinto eke yakuthinta? Khona-ke, phawula lokho uNkulunkulu akuthembisayo:
“Sekuyisikhashana nje, omubi abe engasekho . . . Abamnene bayodla ifa lomhlaba, futhi ngempela bayothola injabulo enkulu ngokuchichima kokuthula.”—IHubo 37:10, 11.
“Abantu bami bayohlala endaweni yokuhlala enokuthula nasezindaweni zokuhlala zokuqiniseka okuphelele nasezindaweni zokuphumula ezingaphazanyiswa.”—Isaya 32:18.
“[UJehova] uqeda izimpi kuze kube semkhawulweni womhlaba. Umnsalo uyawuphula anqamule umkhonto ube yizicucu; izinqola uzishisa ngomlilo.”—IHubo 46:9.
“Bayohlala, kube yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe naphansi komkhiwane wakhe, ngeke kube khona obenza bathuthumele.”—Mika 4:4.
“Kuyoba khona inala yokusanhlamvu emhlabeni; kuyoba khona ukuchichima esiqongweni sezintaba.”—IHubo 72:16.
“Kepha ongilalelayo, uyohlala ngokulondeka angaphazanyiswa yingebhe yenhlekelele.”—IzAga 1:33.
Ngisho noma sihlala endaweni enezimo zokuphila ezingconywana, sonke sibhekana nokugula nokufa. Nakho lokhu kuyobe kungasekho ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke, singabheka phambili ekuboneni abathandekayo bethu asebafa. Phawula okulandelayo:
“Akekho ohlala khona oyothi: ‘Ngiyagula.’”—Isaya 33:24.
“[UNkulunkulu] uyosula zonke izinyembezi emehlweni abo, ukufa ngeke kusaba khona, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu ngeke kusaba khona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlulile.”—IsAmbulo 21:4.
“Njengesitha sokugcina, ukufa kuzokwenziwa ize.”—1 Korinte 15:26.
“Ihora liyeza lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyokhunjulwa futhi bayolizwa izwi [likaJesu] baphume.”—Johane 5:28, 29.
Umphostoli uPetru wakufingqa kahle konke lokhu lapho ebhala: “Kukhona amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha esikulindele ngokwesithembiso sakhe, futhi kukho kuyohlala ukulunga.” (2 Petru 3:13) Ukuze kube khona ukulunga emhlabeni wonke, bekuyodingeka ukuba kususwe noma ubani ophazamisa leso simo. Kunjalo nangezizwe namuhla, ezibangela izingxabano nokuchitheka kwegazi okukhulu ngokuphishekela izithakazelo zazo ngobugovu. Yonke imibuso yomhlaba iyothathelwa indawo ukubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphansi kukaKristu. Ngokuphathelene nalokho kubusa, siyaqinisekiswa: “Ngeke kuphele ukuchichima kokubusa kwesikhulu kanye nokuthula, phezu kwesihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide naphezu kombuso wakhe ukuze umiswe uqine futhi usekelwe ngobulungisa nangokulunga, kusukela manje kuze kube nini nanini. Yona kanye intshiseko kaJehova wamabutho iyokwenza lokhu.”—Isaya 9:7.
Nawe ungalijabulela lelo themba, ngoba iBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa: ‘Intando kaNkulunkulu iwukuba zonke izinhlobo zabantu zisindiswe futhi zifinyelele olwazini olunembile lweqiniso.’ (1 Thimothewu 2:4) Ungazindeli. Ngenisa ulwazi olusho ukuphila okuphakade. (Johane 17:3) Qala ngokuthintana nabashicileli balo magazini futhi ucele isifundo seBhayibheli sasekhaya samahhala.
[Izithombe ekhasini 8, 9]
Ungabheka phambili ekuphileni phakade ngokuthula futhi uyingqabavu ePharadesi elizayo lapha emhlabeni