Imbubhiso—Nini?

CISHE kufana nokufunda iphephandaba lamuva—izimpi, ukuzamazama komhlaba, imishayabhuqe, izifo, indlala, ubugebengu, nokwesaba! Zonke lezizinto nezinye ezengeziwe kuprofethiwe ngazo eBhayibhelini. Zikhomba ezikhathini sonke esiphila kuzo ‘njengeziyizinsuku zokugcina.’ Lokhu kusho inkathi eholela embubhisweni eseduze nethenjisiwe. Ungaqiniseka kanjani ngalokhu?

Uyakubona ukugcwaliseka kweziprofetho zeBhayibheli namuhla. “Kumelwe ubhekane neqiniso,” kusho iBhayibheli, “inkathi yokugcina yalelizwe izoba isikhathi sezinkathazo. Akukho lutho abantu abayoluthanda ngaphandle kwemali nokuzithanda bona; bayoba ngabaqhoshayo, abazidlayo, nabahlambalazayo; abangabahloniphi abazali, abangabongi, abahlazisayo, abangenalo uthando lwemvelo; bayoba . . . abangakwazi neze okuhle, . . . abakhukhumele ngenxa yokuzazisa. Bayoba ngabantu ababeka injabulo endaweni kaNkulunkulu, abantu ababonisa isimo sangaphandle senkolo, kodwa bekuphika ngokusobala ukuba kwayo ngokoqobo.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5, The New English Bible) Ingabe awuziboni zona kanye lezizimo kuyo yonke indawo?

Abaningi abaphilayo namuhla, mhlawumbe ngisho nawe, bayazikhumbula izikhathi lapho izimo zazingezimbi njengoba zinjalo manje. Abantu babecabangelana kakhulu. Abantwana babebahlonipha kakhulu abazali babo nabantu abadala. Amadoda, abesifazane, nabantwana babengakwesabi ukuhamba emgwaqweni ngisho nasebusuku. Kodwa izikhathi zishintsha ngokushesha. Nakuba ezinye zalezizimo zibonakala zingavamile endaweni yakini, ngokuqinisekile ukusongela kwempi yenuzi—okubangelwa ukuphishekela ukubusa komuntu ngokuzazisa—kusithinta sonke.

Yebo, kunjengoba nje uNkulunkulu ngeZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli, aprofetha ngokucacile ‘ngenkathi yokugcina yalelizwe,’ kanti futhi, uye wasinikeza ukwaziswa ngokuqondene nesikhathi sembubhiso, lapho uJesu efika ezoletha isahlulelo.

Kuseduze Kunokuba Abaningi Becabanga

“Sengimemezela izinto ezintsha,” kusho uNkulunkulu. “Zingakaqhamuki, ngiyanizwisa zona.” (Isaya 42:9) Yebo, uye wasihlelela eBhayibhelini izenzakalo eziyinhloko eziyokwenzeka ngaphambi nje kwembubhiso.

Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu wakhuluma ngesigijimi esasiyomenyezelwa emhlabeni wonke futhi wasihlanganisa nembubhiso. Wathi: “Lezi zindaba ezinhle zombuso ziyoshunyayelwa kuwo wonke umhlaba owakhiwe ngenjongo yobufakazi kuzo zonke izizwe; khona-ke ukuphela kuyofika.” (Mathewu 24:14, NW) Lokho “kuphela” kuhlanganisa nembubhiso. Namuhla, oFakazi BakaJehova basebenzisa amakhulu ezigidi zamahora unyaka ngamunye bememezela ngenkuthalo isigijimi soMbuso endlini ngendlu nangezinye izindlela, emazweni angaphezu kwama-200 emhlabeni wonke!

Ebonisa ukufana okuphawulekayo ngenxa yenzuzo yabalandeli bakhe, uJesu wafanisa isikhathi esiholela embubhisweni nesikhathi sangaphambi kukaZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa. Ngesikhathi sikaNowa abantu babehileleke kakhulu ekudleni nasekuphuzeni nasekuzijabuliseni kangangokuthi ‘abasiqaphelanga’ isigijimi sikaNowa ngokuqondene nembubhiso eyayiseduze. Babengenandaba nezixwayiso zakhe.—Mathewu 24:37-39.

Yeka ukuthi usuku lwethu lufana kanjani nezimo zangaphambi kukaZamcolo! Abantu bagxile kakhulu emisebenzini yabo yansuku zonke kangangokuthi abazinaki izixwayiso nobufakazi bembubhiso esondelayo.

Nokho, imbubhiso iseduze kunokuba abaningi becabanga. Ngokuqondene nesibonakaliso sezinsuku zokugcina, uJesu wathi “lesisizukulwane asiyikudlula kungakenzeki konke lokhu.” (Mathewu 24:34) UJesu wayekhuluma ngasiphi isizukulwane?

Isizukulwane Sika-1914

Ebhekisela “enkathini kaVictoria waseGreat Britain eyayinokuthula neyayinokuchuma okulinganiselwe,” owayenguNdunankulu uHarold Macmillan wathi wayecabangela ‘umhlaba ayezalelwe kuwo’ njengowawuzoqhubeka “uba ngcono.” Kodwa “ngokungazelele, ngokungalindelekile, ngolunye usuku ekuseni ngo-1914 konke kwaphela.” Eyibiza ngokuthi ukuphela “kweminyaka eyi-100 yokuthula nentuthuko,” uMacmillan wakhumbula indlela iMpi Yezwe I eyaphawula ngayo “ukuphela kwenkathi” ‘nokuqala kokukhungatheka okusenzeka namanje.’ Abanye abaningi, ikakhulukazi labo ababephila ngo-1914 nabasaphila namanje, bayakwazi lokhu ukuthi kuyiqiniso.

Yebo, njengoba lomagazini uye wakuletha ekunakekeleni kwabafundi bawo eminyakeni eminingi, ubufakazi bukhomba esizukulwaneni sika-1914 njengesizukulwane uJesu ayekhuluma ngaso.a Ngalokho, “lesisizukulwane asiyikudlula kungakenzeki konke lokhu [kuhlanganise nembubhiso].”

Ngisho nakuba sekudlule iminyaka engaphezu kwengama-70 kusukela ngo-1914, basekhona abantu ababephila ngaleyonkathi. NgokweThe American Legion Magazine kaDecember 1984, kusekhona amasosha eMpi Yezwe I ayizi-272 000 asaphila eUnited States, futhi kungokufanayo nakwamanye amazwe. Nokho, isibalo sincipha ngokushesha. Ngakho kusazodlula isikhathi esingakanani ngaphambi kokuba isosha lokugcina leMpi Yezwe I lidlulele ekubeni umlando?

Njengoba lezibalo zingase zilethe ukunakekela kwethu emahoreni okugcina esizukulwane sika-1914, singasisho kanjani ngokuthe ngqó isikhathi sembubhiso?

‘Isela Ebusuku’

IBhayibheli liyaxwayisa: “Kepha ngezikhathi nangemizuzu, . . . nina uqobo niyazi kahle ukuthi usuku lweNkosi luza njengesela ebusuku.” (1 Thesalonika 5:1, 2) Ingabe ngokunengqondo ubungalindela isela ukuba lithumele incwadi yocingo likwazise ukuthi lihlela ukufika nini ukuzogqekeza umuzi wakho?

Ngokufanelekileyo-ke uJesu uyaseluleka ngokuqondene nehora: “Qaphelani, nilinde, ngokuba anisazi isikhathi ukuthi siyakuba nini.” (Marku 13:32-37) Noma kunjalo, siye saphawula ukuthi uJesu wachaza izenzakalo ezihlukahlukene ezikhomba esizukulwaneni sika-1914. Futhi iBhayibheli lichaza izenzakalo zesikhathi esizayo eziyophawula imbubhiso esiseduze. Yini esingayilindela?

Inguquko Yezenzakalo

Umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Nxa bethi: Ngukuthula nokuhlala kahle, khona ukubhujiswa kuyabazuma njengemihelo ifikela okhulelweyo, abasoze baphunyuka.” (1 Thesalonika 5:3) Ngakho njengoba sesiya ekupheleni ‘kwalezinsuku zokugcina,’ singalindela ukuba kulethwe ukunakekela okukhulu ‘Ekuthuleni nasekulondekeni!’ okugcwalisa amazwi kaPawulu. Bese kuba yini?

Iziprofetho zeBhayibheli zibonisa ukuthi inkolo yezwe, echazwe ‘njengeBabiloni Elikhulu,’ iyohlaselwa imibuso yezwe yezombangazwe ngokungazelele futhi iphele ngokungalindelekile! (IsAmbulo 17:5, 16; 18:10, 17) Lokhu kuyophawula ukuqala ‘kosizi olukhulu olungazange lube khona kwasekuqaleni kwezwe kuze kube manje.’ (Mathewu 24:21) Kodwa lokhu kuyobathinta kanjani labo abaye ‘baqapha’ futhi balindela imbubhiso?

AmaKristu eqiniso angaqiniseka ngokuthi uJehova uyowakhulula. (2 Petru 2:9) Yebo, uma nje kuphela bemazi uJehova uNkulunkulu futhi bemkhonza ngokungenabugovu, ngeke babe nasizathu sokwesaba lapho uNkulunkulu noKristu befika ukuzokulwa impi yeArmagedoni.—IsAmbulo 11:17, 18; 16:14, 16.

Ngokulandelayo, imbubhiso iyoholela ekususweni kukaSathane uDeveli namabutho akhe angabonakali esintwini. (IsAmbulo 20:2, 3) Yebo, ulaka oluzayo luzokwenza okungaphezu kokukhulula umhlaba kubantu abangazimisele ukukhonza uNkulunkulu. Ngisho nemimoya emibi ethonya izwe elisizungezile namuhla iyosuswa. (2 Thesalonika 1:6-9) Lokhu kuyosho isibusiso esingapheli ngabantu abayosinda embubhisweni.

Imbubhiso—Isandulela SePharadesi

Ngokuqondene nezakhamuzi zomhlaba, incwadi yesAmbulo (The Apocalypse, Douay) isitshela ukuthi uNkulunkulu “azesule izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikuba-khona; nokudabuka, nokukhala, nobuhlungu akusayikuba-khona; ngokuba okokuqala kudlulile.” (IsAmbulo 21:4) Esikhundleni sokuba kube nomphumela ongenathemba wembubhiso, iBhayibheli lembula ukuthi umuntu uyokwazi ukuphila phakade epharadesi emhlabeni.—IHubo 37:9-11, 29.

IPharadesi? Ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni? Cabanga nje, abantu abanempilo epheleleyo, abajabulayo abavela kuzo zonke izinhlanga bejabulela ukuphila ngokugcwele! ‘Lokhu kungaba kanjani umphumela wembubhiso?’ ungase ubuze. UNkulunkulu usekhulumile kakade. Kuyoba njengasendabeni yokusebenzelana kukaNkulunkulu no-Israyeli, ukuthi “akuphuthanga-lutho kukho konke okuhle uJehova akukhuluma khona . . . ; kwenziwa konke.”—Joshuwa 21:45.

Ngakho, ngokuqondene nosuku nehora eliqondile lembubhiso akekho owaziyo, kodwa ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi siphila enkathini yembubhiso. Lapho ifika, kwangathi singafunyanwa siqaphile futhi ‘silindile.’ Ngoba “izwe liyadlula kanye nenkanuko yalo; kepha owenza intando kaNkulunkulu uhlala kuze kube-phakade.”—Marku 13:33, 37; 1 Johane 2:17; Mathewu 24:36.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]