Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Ngiyaqonda ukuthi igama lesiGreki elithi “toʹte” (khona-ke) lisetshenziselwa ukwethula okuthile okulandelayo. Ngakho kungani uMathewu 24:9 ethi: “Khona-ke [“toʹte”] abantu bayoninikela osizini,” kanti ukulandisa okufanayo okukuLuka 21:12 kuthi: “Kodwa ngaphambi kwazo zonke lezizinto abantu bayobeka izandla kini futhi banishushise”?

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi elithi toʹte lingasetshenziswa ukuze kwethulwe okuthile okulandelayo, okuza ngemva kokunye. Kodwa akudingeki ukuba sicabange ukuthi lena ukuphela kwendlela leli gama elisetshenziswa ngayo eBhayibhelini.

I-Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, kaBauer, u-Arndt, noGingrich, ibonisa ukuthi igama elithi toʹte lisetshenziswa ngemiqondo emibili eyisisekelo emiBhalweni.

Owokuqala owokuthi “ngaleso sikhathi.” Lokhu kungaba “ngaleso sikhathi esidlule.” Isibonelo esinikezwayo esikaMathewu 2:17: “Khona-ke kwagcwaliseka lokho okwakhulunywa ngoJeremiya umprofethi.” Lokhu akubhekiseli kokuthile okuza ngemva kokunye kodwa kukhomba enkathini ethile yesikhathi esidlule, ngaleso sikhathi. Ngokufanayo, elithi toʹte lingasetshenziswa ngokuqondene “naleso sikhathi esizayo.” Isibonelo esinjalo sitholakala kweyoku-1 Korinte 13:12: “Ngoba manje sibona kalufifi ngesibuko sensimbi, kodwa ngalesosikhathi kuyoba ubuso nobuso. Manje ngazi ngokwengxenye, kodwa ngalesosikhathi ngiyokwazi ngokunembile njengoba nje nami ngaziwa ngokunembile.” Lapha uPawulu wasebenzisa elithi toʹte ngomqondo wokuthi ‘ngaleyo nkathi ezayo.’

Ngokwalesi sichazamazwi, enye indlela elithi toʹte elisetshenziswa ngayo “ukwethula lokho okulandelayo.” Lesi sichazamazwi sinikeza izibonelo eziningi ezitholakala ekulandiseni okuthathu kwempendulo kaJesu embuzweni wabaphostoli ophathelene nesibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakhe.a Njengezibonelo zendlela yokusebenzisa elithi toʹte “ukwethula lokho okulandelayo,” lesi sichazamazwi sakhomba uMathewu 24:10, 14, 16, 30; Marku 13:14, 21; noLuka 21:20, 27. Ukucabangela umongo kubonisa ukuthi kungani kufanele ukuliqonda njengelisho okuthile okulandelayo. Futhi lokhu kuyasiza ekutholeni umqondo wesiprofetho sikaJesu esasiqukethe izenzakalo zesikhathi esizayo.

Nokho, akudingeki siphethe ngokuthi kuzo zonke izindawo elithi toʹte elivela kuzo kulokhu kulandisa kumelwe nakanjani lethule okuthile okulandelayo. Ngokwesibonelo, kuMathewu 24:7, 8, sifunda ukuthi uJesu wabikezela ukuthi isizwe sasiyovukela isizwe nokuthi kwakuyoba nokuswelakala kokudla nokuzamazama komhlaba. Ivesi 9 liyaqhubeka: “Khona-ke abantu bayoninikela osizini futhi banibulale, futhi niyoba izinto zokuzondwa yizizwe zonke ngenxa yegama lami.” Ingabe bekungaba nengqondo ukucabanga ukuthi izimpi, ukuswelakala kokudla, nokuzamazama komhlaba okwabikezelwa kumelwe kwenzeke konke, futhi mhlawumbe kuze kuphele, ngaphambi kokuba ushushiso luqale?

Lokho akunangqondo, futhi esikwaziyo ngokugcwaliseka kwangekhulu lokuqala akukuqinisekisi lokhu. Ukulandisa okusencwadini yezEnzo kumbula ukuthi cishe ngokushesha ngemva kokuba amalungu ebandla lobuKristu elaliselisha eqale ukushumayela, abhekana nokuphikiswa okungathi sína. (IzEnzo 4:5-21; 5:17-40) Ngokuqinisekile asinakusho ukuthi zonke izimpi, indlala, nokuzamazama komhlaba uJesu akhuluma ngakho kwenzeka ngaphambi kwalolo shushiso lokuqala. Ngokuphambene, lokho kuphikiswa kwenzeka “ngaphambi” kweziningi ezinye zezinto ezazibikezelwe, okuvumelana nendlela uLuka abeka ngayo: “Kodwa ngaphambi kwazo zonke lezizinto abantu bayobeka izandla kini futhi banishushise.” (Luka 21:12) Lokho kungasikisela ukuthi kuMathewu 24:9, elithi toʹte lisetshenziswe ngokufanele ngomqondo wokuthi “ngaleso sikhathi.” Phakathi nenkathi yezimpi, indlala, nokuzamazama komhlaba, noma ngaleso sikhathi, abalandeli bakaJesu babeyoshushiswa.

[Umbhalo waphansi]