Kungani Kuyisikhathi Sokunquma?

EKHULWINI le-16 B.C.E., uNkulunkulu wakhetha ama-Israyeli ‘njengegugu lakhe kunazo zonke izizwe, isizwe esingcwele.’ (Eksodusi 19:5, 6) Ngokushesha alahlekelwa ubungcwele, ubumsulwa bawo obungokwenkolo, azivumela ukuba angcoliswe ukukhonza izithombe nemikhuba eyonakele yezizwe ezingomakhelwane. Ngaleyondlela azibonakalisa ‘eyisizwe esinentamo elukhuni.’ (Duteronomi 9:6, 13; 10:16; 1 Korinte 10:7-11) Phakathi nesikhathi esingaphezu kweminyaka engu-300 ngemva kokufa kukaJoshuwa, uJehova wavusa abahluleli, abaqondisi abathembekile okwakufanele bahole ama-Israyeli abuyele ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso. Nokho, abantu “abayekanga izenzo zabo nendlela yabo yenkani.”—AbAhluleli 2:17-19.

Ngemva kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wavusa amakhosi nabaprofethi abathembekile ukuze bashukumise abantu ukuba babuyele ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso. Umprofethi u-Azariya wakhuthaza iNkosi u-Asa nabantu bezwe ukuba bafune uJehova: “Uma nimfuna, uyakufunyanwa yinina; kepha uma nimshiya, uyakunishiya nani.” U-Asa waletha inguquko engokwenkolo embusweni wakwaJuda. (2 IziKronike 15:1-16) Ngokulandelayo, kwadingeka ukuba uNkulunkulu avuselele isimemo sakhe ngomprofethi wakhe uJoweli. (Joweli 2:12, 13) Kamuva futhi, uZefaniya wanxusa izakhamuzi zakwaJuda ukuba ‘zifune uJehova.’ Inkosi esencane uJosiya yenza kanjalo emkhankasweni wezinguquko wokunciphisa ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe nokonakala.—Zefaniya 2:3; 2 IziKronike 34:3-7.

Naphezu kwezenzakalo ezinjalo zokuphenduka, isimo esingokwenkolo sabantu sasiba sibi ngokwengeziwe. (Jeremiya 2:13; 44:4, 5) UJeremiya wasilahla isimiso senkolo esasingcoliswe imikhuba yokukhulekela izithombe, esichaza njengesingenakuguqulwa: “UmKushe angasiguqula isikhumba sakhe, nengwe amabala ayo, na? Khona ningenza okuhle nina enifundisiwe ukwenza okubi.” (Jeremiya 13:23) Ngenxa yalokhu, uNkulunkulu wakhipha isijeziso esinzima embusweni wakwaJuda. IJerusalema nethempeli lalo kwabhujiswa ngo-607 B.C.E., futhi abasinda bayiswa eBabiloni njengezigqila, lapho bahlala khona iminyaka engu-70.

Lapho leyonkathi iphela, uNkulunkulu wabonisa isihe. Washukumisela iNkosi uKoresi ukuba ikhulule ama-Israyeli, insali yawo eyaphindela eJerusalema ukuze yakhe kabusha ithempeli. Esikhundleni sokufunda isifundo kukho konke lokhu, aphinda aphambuka ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso, ebangela ukuba uJehova uNkulunkulu avuselele isimemo sakhe: “Buyelani kimi, ngiyakubuyela kini.”—Malaki 3:7.

Okwenza Ukuba U-Israyeli Enqatshwe

Sasiyini isimo esingokwenkolo sama-Israyeli esikhathini sikaJesu? Abaholi benkolo abangabazenzisi ‘babengabaholi abayizimpumputhe’ ababefundisa “izifundiso eziyimiyalo yabantu.” ‘Babeqa umyalo kaNkulunkulu ngenxa yesiko labo.’ Abantu babedumisa uNkulunkulu “ngezindebe zomlomo,” kodwa inhliziyo yabo idediselwe kude naye. (Mathewu 15:3, 4, 8, 9, 14) Ingabe njengesizwe babezothola elinye futhi ithuba lokuphenduka? Cha. UJesu wathi: “Niyakwamukwa umbuso kaNkulunkulu, uphiwe isizwe esiyakuveza izithelo zawo.” Waqhubeka wathi: “Indlu yenu,” ithempeli laseJerusalema, “isisala nani.” (Mathewu 21:43; 23:38) Isono sabo sasisikhulu kakhulu. Babenqabe uJesu njengoMesiya futhi babangela ukuba abulawe, bekhetha uKesari ocindezelayo wamaRoma ukuba abe inkosi yabo.—Mathewu 27:25; Johane 19:15.

Ama-Israyeli awazange afune ukuqonda ukuthi inkathi uJesu afeza ngayo inkonzo yakhe yayiyisikhathi sokwahlulela. Kuzakhamuzi zaseJerusalema ezingathembekile, uJesu wathi: ‘Anisazanga isikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwenu.’—Luka 19:44.

NgePentekoste lika-33 C.E., uNkulunkulu wakha isizwe esisha, noma abantu, abafundi abagcotshwe ngomoya beNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, ababeyokhethwa kuzo zonke izinhlanga nezizwe. (IzEnzo 10:34, 35; 15:14) Lalikhona yini ithemba lokuthi isimiso senkolo samaJuda sasiyoguqulwa ekugcineni? Amabutho amaRoma anikeza impendulo ngo-70 C.E., ngokulicekela phansi ngokuphelele iJerusalema. UNkulunkulu wayesenqabe ngokuphelele lesosimiso senkolo.—Luka 21:5, 6.

Ukuhlubuka Okukhulu KweLobukholwa

AmaKristu agcotshwe ngomoya nawo akha “isizwe esingcwele‚ abantu abazuziweyo.” (1 Petru 2:9; Galathiya 6:16) Kodwa ngisho nebandla lamaKristu lokuqala alizange libulondoloze isikhathi eside kakhulu ubumsulwa balo obungokwenkolo.

ImiBhalo yabikezela ukuhlubuka okukhulu, noma ukuhlubuka ekukholweni kweqiniso. Ukhula olungokomfanekiso emfanekisweni kaJesu, okungukuthi, amaKristu-mbumbulu, lwaluyozama ukuminyanisa amabele angokomfanekiso, noma amaKristu eqiniso, lawo agcotshwe ngomoya kaNkulunkulu. Lomfanekiso uveza ukuthi ukusakazeka kobuKristu bamanga, okwakukhuthazwa isitha esikhulu sikaNkulunkulu, uDeveli, kwase kuseduze ukuba kuqale, “abantu besalele.” Lokhu kwenzeka ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli abathembekile bakaKristu, phakathi nenkathi eyalandela yokozela ngokomoya. (Mathewu 13:24-30, 36-43; 2 Thesalonika 2:6-8) Njengoba kwakubikezelwe abaphostoli, amaKristu-mbumbulu amaningi angena ngokunyenya emhlanjini. (IzEnzo 20:29, 30; 1 Thimothewu 4:1-3; 2 Thimothewu 2:16-18; 2 Petru 2:1-3) UJohane wayengowokugcina kubaphostoli ukufa. Cishe ngonyaka ka-98 C.E., wabhala ukuthi ‘isikhathi sokugcina,’ ingxenye yokugcina yenkathi yabaphostoli, yayisiqalile kakade.—1 Johane 2:18, 19.

Ngenxa yokuhlanganiswa kwenkolo namandla ezombangazwe okwavunyelwa umbusi wamaRoma uConstantine, isimo seLobukholwa esingokomoya, esingokwemfundiso, nesokuziphatha siye sonakala kakhulu. Izazi-mlando eziningi ziyavuma ukuthi “ukunqoba kweSonto phakathi nekhulu lesine leminyaka,” ngokombono wamaKristu, “kwakuyinhlekelele.” ‘ELobukholwa liye lalahlekelwa ukuziphatha kwalo okuphakeme’ futhi lamukela imikhuba namafilosofi amaningi okusekelwe ebuqabeni, “njengokukhulekelwa kukaMariya” nokuhlonishwa “kosanta,” kanye nomqondo kaZiqu-zintathu.

Ngemva kokunqoba kwamanga kweLobukholwa, isimo salo siye sawohloka. Imithetho nezincazelo zezimfundiso ezingaphikiswa okunikezwa opapa nemikhandlu, ingasaphathwa eyokuQulwa Kwamacala Ezihlubuki, Izimpi Zenkolo, nezimpi “ezingcwele” phakathi kwamaKatolika namaProthestani, kuye kwaveza isimiso senkolo esingenakuguqulwa.

Encwadini yakhe ethi A World Lit Only by Fire, uWilliam Manchester uyabhala: “Opapa ekhulwini leshumi nesihlanu neleshumi nesithupha leminyaka babephila njengababusi bamaRoma. Babengabantu abacebe ngaphezu kwabo bonke emhlabeni, futhi okhadinali babo baqhubeka benezela engcebweni yabo ngokuthengisa izikhundla ezingcwele.” Phakathi nesikhathi sokuhlubuka okukhulu, amaqembu amancane noma abantu ngabanye bazama ukuphinde bathole ubuKristu beqiniso, bebonakalisa izici zamabele angokomfanekiso. Ngokuvamile babebhekana nokushushiswa okunzima. Incwadi efanayo ithi: “Ngezinye izikhathi kuye kwabonakala sengathi osanta beqiniso bezinkolo zobuKristu, zamaProthestani namaKatolika ngokufanayo, baye baba abafel’ ukholo abafusiwe abambozwe amalangabi.” Abanye, ababebizwa ngokuthi Abashisekeli Benguquko abanjengoMartin Luther noJohn Calvin, bakwazi ukwakha izimiso ezingokwenkolo eziqinile ezazihlukile eSontweni LamaKatolika kodwa ezazisalokhu zihlanganyela izimfundiso zalo eziyisisekelo. Nazo zazihileleke kakhulu ezindabeni zezombangazwe.

UbuProthestani buye benza imizamo ukuze buveze lokho okubizwa ngokuthi ukuvuselelwa kabusha okungokwenkolo. Ngokwesibonelo, phakathi nekhulu le-18 nele-19, lemizamo yaphumela emisebenzini enamandla yezithunywa zevangeli zakwamanye amazwe. Nokho, ngemvume yabelusi ngokwabo, namuhla isimo esingokomoya “somhlambi” wamaProthestani asikhuthazi neze. Isazi semfundiso yenkolo esingumProthestani u-Oscar Cullmann sisanda kuvuma ukuthi “emasontweni ngokwawo, kunenkinga enkulu yokholo.”

Izinguquko nezenzo zokumelana nazo futhi ziye zathuthukiswa ngaphakathi eSontweni LamaKatolika. Kusukela ekhulwini le-11 kuya kwele-13, naphezu kokonakala okusakazekile nengcebo enkulu yabefundisi, kwamiswa isimiso sobundela esasilandela ngokuqinile isifungo sobumpofu. Kodwa lesisimiso sasiqashelisisiwe futhi ngokusho kwezazi, sivinjelwa isigaba esiphethe sabefundisi. Kamuva kwafika iNkathi Yokumelana Nenguquko yangekhulu le-16 eyathuthukiswa uMkhandlu WaseTrent futhi ngokuyinhloko eyayiqondiswe ekunqobeni iNguquko YamaProthestani.

Engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu le-19, phakathi nenkathi yokubuyiselwa kwabefundisi, iSonto LamaKatolika lazithathela ukuma okunegunya elingaphikiswa nokudla ngoludala. Nokho, akunakushiwo ukuthi noma iziphi izinguquko zangempela zazenzelwa ukubuyisela ubuKristu beqiniso. Kunalokho, zazimane ziyimizamo yokuqinisa igunya labefundisi njengoba lalibhekene noshintsho lwezwe olungokwenkolo, ezombangazwe, nolwezenhlalo.

Muva nje, ngawo-1960, kuye kwabonakala sengathi iSonto LamaKatolika lalifuna ukuqala inqubo yoshintsho oluphawulekayo nomkhandlu ophethe zonke izindikimba zamasonto iVatican II. Nokho, upapa ophethe wagunyaza ukuvinjelwa okusheshayo kwalokho okwakubizwa ngokuthi ukuvuselelwa okugunyazwe umkhandlu ukuze kuvinjelwe umoya wentuthuko yamalungu esonto. Lengxenye ephawulekayo, abanye abayibiza ngokuthi ukubuyiselwa kukaWojtyła, iye yachazwa elinye iqembu lamaKatolika “njengohlobo olusha lobuConstantine.” Njengoba kuvezwe ngokucacile ephephabhukwini lamaJesuit i-Civiltà Cattolica, iSonto LamaKatolika, njengezinye izinkolo, libhekene “nosizi oluwumsuka nolwembulunga yonke: luwumsuka ngoba luhlanganisa wona kanye umsuka wokholo nokuphila kobuKristu; lungolwembulunga yonke ngoba luhlanganisa zonke izici zobuKristu.”

Izinkolo zeLobukholwa azizange ngempela zidlule enqubweni yenguquko, futhi azisoze zakwazi ukwenza lokhu, njengoba ubuKristu beqiniso babuzobuyiselwa kuphela ngesikhathi “sokuvuna,” ngokuqoqelwa kwamabele angokomfanekiso ebandleni elilodwa elimsulwa. (Mathewu 13:30, 39) Uhlu olude lobugebengu nezenzo ezimbi eziye zenziwa egameni lenkolo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ithi ingeyobuKristu noma cha, kuphakamisa lombuzo, Ingabe kungokoqobo ukulindela inguquko yeqiniso kweLobukholwa?

Ingabe Inguquko Ayinakwenzeka?

Incwadi yesAmbulo, noma i-Apocalypse, ikhuluma ngesifebe esikhulu esingokomfanekiso esinegama eliyimfihlakalo elithi “iBabiloni Elikhulu.” (IsAmbulo 17:1, 5) Emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka abafundi beBhayibheli baye bafuna ukuchaza imfihlakalo yaloluphawu. Abaningi baye banengwa ingcebo nokonakala kwabefundisi. Abathile babecabanga ukuthi iBabiloni Elikhulu limelela isigaba esiphethe sabefundisi. Phakathi kwabo kwakunguJan Hus, ongumpristi wamaKatolika waseBohemia owashiswa ephila ngo-1415, no-Aonio Paleario, isazi sezifundo eziphathelene nabantu esingumNtaliyane owalengiswa futhi washiswa ngo-1570. Bobabili balwa kanzima kodwa behluleka ukuguqula iSonto LamaKatolika benethemba lokuthi laliyophinde libe “nesizotha elalinaso ekuqaleni.”

Ngokuphambene, izahluko 17 no-18 zesAmbulo zibonisa ukuthi iBabiloni Elikhulu limelela umbuso wezwe wazo zonke izinkolo zamanga.a ‘Lesisifebe esikhulu’ esiyinhlanganisela asinakuguqulwa ngoba ‘izono zaso zifinyelele ezulwini.’ Eqinisweni, kulelikhulu lama-20, cishe zonke izinkolo, hhayi ezeLobukholwa kuphela, ziyahlanganyela ecaleni lezimpi eziqhubeka zichitha igazi eliningi nokuwohloka okukhulu kokuziphatha okuhlupha isintu. Ngenxa yalokho, uNkulunkulu uye wagunyaza ukubhujiswa ‘kweBabiloni.’—IsAmbulo 18:5, 8.

Manje Isikhathi ‘Sokuphuma Kulo’

Ukugcwaliseka kweziprofetho zeBhayibheli kwembula ukuthi izinsuku esiphila kuzo zihambisana ‘nesiphelo salelizwe’ elibi. (Mathewu 24:3) Noma ubani okufuna ngobuqotho ukukhulekela uNkulunkulu akanakukwazi ukulandela imibono yakhe siqu nokuzikhethela. Kumelwe ‘afune uJehova esenokutholwa,’ yebo, manje, ngoba “usizi olukhulu” olwabikezelwa uJesu luseduze. (Isaya 55:6; Mathewu 24:21) Njengoba kwakunjalo endabeni yabantu bakwa-Israyeli, uNkulunkulu akanakukubekezelela ukonakala kwenkolo ngenxa nje yokuthi iqhosha ngokuba kwayo eyasendulo. Kunokuzama ukulungisa umkhumbi onqunyelwe ukuba ucwile, bonke labo abafisa ukuzuza umusa kaNkulunkulu nensindiso kumelwe balalele lomyalo ophefumlelwe wesAmbulo 18:4 ngaphandle kokulibala: “Phumani [eBabiloni Elikhulu], bantu bami, ukuze ningahlanganyeli nalo izono zalo, nokuba ningamukeli okwezinhlupho zalo.”

Kodwa “phumani” ukuze niyephi? Kukuphi kwenye indawo lapho insindiso ingatholakala khona? Ayikho yini ingozi yokufuna isiphephelo endaweni okungeyona? Ingabonakala kanjani okuwukuphela kwenkolo uNkulunkulu ayamukelayo? Ukuphela kwezimpendulo ezinokwethenjelwa zingatholakala eZwini likaNkulunkulu. (2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17) OFakazi BakaJehova bakumema ukuba uhlolisise iBhayibheli. Uyokwazi ukuqonda ukuthi bangobani labo uNkulunkulu abakhethe ‘njengesizwe segama lakhe,’ labo ayobavikela phakathi nosuku lwentukuthelo yakhe oluzayo.—IzEnzo 15:14; Zefaniya 2:3; IsAmbulo 16:14-16.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Uma umkhumbi wakho ongokwenkolo ucwila, phendukela emkhunjini wesiphephelo wobuKristu beqiniso