Ingabe Ukuphela Kwezwe Okwabikezelwa Kuseduze?

UMAGAZINI i-Detroit Free Press ka-February 6, 1994, waphawula: “Amaphupho embubhiso ephelele aba inkathazo lapho kuqala inkathi yenuzi. Ngemva kokuqothulwa kweHiroshima ngo-Aug. 6, 1945, kwaba sobala kuwo wonke umuntu: Manje izwe lingaphela ngempela!”

Ngo-December nyakenye, uCharles B. Strozier, umhlaziyi wengqondo futhi onguprofesa wezomlando waseNew York, wathi: “Asisazidingi izimbongi ezisitshela ukuthi konke kungaphela ngokuqhuma okukhulu, noma buthule, noma ngosizi lwengculaza.” Eqinisweni, wanezela: “Manje kudingeka ingqondo enamandla okwakha imibono ukuze ungacabangi ngokuphela kwesintu.”

Njengoba uJesu Kristu afundisa ukuthi izwe laliyophela, singathola yini ezimfundisweni zakhe ukuthi ukuphela kuseduze ngempela?

Ukuphela—Nini?

Abafundi bakaJesu bacela kuye “isibonakaliso” sokubona ukuthi lelizwe, noma isimiso sezinto, sasiyophela nini. Babuza: “Ziyokwenzeka nini lezizinto, futhi siyoba yini isibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakho nesesiphelo sesimiso sezinto?” (Mathewu 24:3) Ungasihlola “isibonakaliso” uJesu asinikeza lapho ephendula lombuzo. Silotshwe eBhayibhelini kuMathewu isahluko 24, uMarku isahluko 13, noLuka isahluko 21. Ezinye zezenzakalo eziyinhloko ezakha leso sibonakaliso yilezi:

IZIMPI EZINKULU: “Isizwe siyovukela isizwe nombuso uvukele umbuso.” (Mathewu 24:7) Ngokuqinisekile siye sayibona igcwaliseka lengxenye yesibonakaliso. “IMpi Yezwe Yokuqala [eyaqala ngo-1914] kwakuyimpi yokuqala ‘ephelele,’” kuphawula isazi-mlando esithile. Nokho, iMpi Yezwe II yayiyimbi ngokuphindwe izikhathi eziningi, ibulala izisulu ezingaba izigidi ezingu-50. Futhi impi iyaqhubeka ibhubhisa umhlaba.

UKUSWELAKALA KOKUDLA: “Kuyoba khona ukuswelakala kokudla.” (Mathewu 24:7) IMpi Yezwe I yalandelwa indlala embi, futhi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi indlala iye yaqhubeka idlanga ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba. Ngisho nasemazweni acebile, indlala nokungondleki kusakazekile.

UKUZAMAZAMA KOMHLABA OKUKHULU: “Kuyoba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu.” (Luka 21:11) Cabangela okumbalwa nje okukhulu: ngo-1920, eChina, kwafa abangu-200 000; ngo-1923, eJapane, kwafa abangu-143 000; ngo-1970, ePeru, kwafa abangu-66-800; futhi ngo-1976, eChina, kwafa abangu-240 000 (abanye bathi babengu-800 000). Uchwepheshe othile wobunjiniyela bezinto ezimelana nokuzamazama komhlaba wabiza ukuzamazama kwaseChina ngo-1976 ngokuthi “inhlekelele yokuzamazama komhlaba enkulu kunazo zonke emlandweni wesintu.”

IZIFO: “Ezindaweni ngezindawo kube khona izifo eziwumshayabhuqe.” (Luka 21:11) Ngemva nje kweMpi Yezwe I, abantu abangaba izigidi ezingu-21 babulawa umkhuhlane waseSpain. I-Science Digest yabika: “Kuwo wonke umlando ukufa kwakungakaze kugadle ngendlela enamandla, neshesha kangaka.” Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, isifo senhliziyo, umdlavuza, ingculaza, nezinye izifo eziningi ziye zabulala amakhulu ezigidi.

UBUGEBENGU: ‘Ukwanda kokungabi namthetho.’ (Mathewu 24:12) Emazweni amaningi ubugebengu abusalawuleki. Ukubulala, ukuphanga, ukudlwengula, ubuphekula, ukonakala—nsuku zonke sizwa ngobugebengu obunjalo noma sibhekana nabo mathupha.

Ezinye iziprofetho zeBhayibheli nazo zabikezela izimo ezaziyoba khona ezinsukwini zokugcina. Ngokwesibonelo, encwadini yesAmbulo, kunombono wabagibeli bamahhashi abane. (IsAmbulo 6:1-8) Umgibeli wehhashi wokuqala ufanekisela uJesu ngokwakhe njengeNkosi enqobayo. Abanye abagibeli namahhashi abo bafanekisela izenzakalo zomhlaba eziphawula ukuqala kokubusa kukaJesu: impi, indlala, nokufa ngaphambi kwesikhathi ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene.

Ezinye-ke iziprofetho zeBhayibheli zichaza izimo zengqondo nezimo ezaziyovelela phakathi “nenkathi yokugcina yalelizwe.” Cabangela okwabhalwa omunye umphostoli kaJesu. Lapho ufunda lesi siprofetho, zibuze: Ingabe lokhu akuzichazi ngokunembile izikhathi zanamuhla ezinezinkathazo?

“Inkathi yokugcina yalelizwe,” kubhala lomphostoli, “iyoba inkathi yezinkathazo. Abantu ngeke bathande lutho ngaphandle kwemali nokuzithanda bona; bayozigabisa, baqhoshe, futhi bahlambalaze; bangabahloniphi abazali, bangabongi, bangabi nasihe, bangabi nakho ukusondelana ngokomzwelo okungokwemvelo; bayogxila enzondweni yabo, bathande ihlazo, babe abangazithibi nabanolaka, bangezwani nabo bonke ubuhle, abakhapheli, abangenandaba, abakhukhumele ngokuzazisa. Kuyoba abantu ababeka injabulo esikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu, abantu abalondoloza isimo sangaphandle senkolo, kodwa bekuphika ngokuqondile ukuba ngokoqobo kwaso.”—2 Thimothewu 3:1-5, The New English Bible.

Esinye isiprofetho esibalulekile ngokuqondene nokuphela kwezwe yileso esithembisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ‘uyochitha labo abachitha umhlaba.’ (IsAmbulo 11:18) Abantu bezizukulwane zesikhathi esidlule babengenalo ikhono lezobuchwepheshe lokuchitha umhlaba, kodwa manje sebenalo. Futhi namuhla ubuchwepheshe obusha bunendima eyinhloko ekungcoliseni indawo ezungezile. Ngo-November 1992, amaphephandaba ayenezihloko ezinkulu ezinjengalesi: “Ososayensi Abaphambili Baxwayisa Ngokubhujiswa Komhlaba.”

Qaphela Isiprofetho Seqiniso

Akukho kungabaza ngakho. Zonke izinto iBhayibheli elabikezela ukuthi zaziyokwenzeka phakathi “nenkathi yokugcina,” noma “isiphelo sesimiso sezinto,” ziyenzeka manje. Sibona ukugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho seqiniso, futhi kubalulekile ukuba sisilalele. UJesu wakubonisa lokhu lapho echaza isimo sezinsuku zikaNowa, “umshumayeli wokulunga,” ngaphambi nje kokuba kuphele izwe langaleso sikhathi.—2 Petru 2:5.

UJesu wachaza: “Njengoba babenjalo ngalezozinsuku zangaphambi kwesikhukhula, bedla futhi bephuza, amadoda eshada futhi abesifazane bendiswa, kwaze kwaba usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini; futhi abanakanga kwaze kwafika isikhukhula, sabakhukhula bonke, kuyoba njalo nokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu.” (Mathewu 24:38, 39) Lapho isiprofetho seqiniso sishaywa indiva, imiphumela iba inhlekelele.

Mhlawumbe uthi, ‘Yebo, ngiyazikholelwa lezi ziprofetho zeBhayibheli; ukuphela kuzofika ngolunye usuku, kodwa kusekude.’ Nokho, ingabe uyaqiniseka? Ingabe akufanele ulalele isixwayiso manje?

Izixwayiso Okufanele Zilalelwe

Ngokusobala, ezinye izixwayiso azinasisekelo, futhi kungaba ubuwula ukuzilalela. Kodwa ezinye azinjalo. Ngenxa nje yokuthi abaningi, kuhlanganise namalungu avelele emphakathini, balulaza isixwayiso, leso akusona isizathu sokungasinaki. Cabangela isibonelo.

Kwakungu-March 1902, futhi esiqhingini esihle saseCaribbean iMartinique, iMount Pelée eyintabamlilo yaqala ukuqhuma. Ngo-April, kwaphuma umusi, umlotha, nezingcezu zamadwala kanye nesisi esibukhali. Izakhamuzi zaseSt. Pierre, eqhele cishe ngamakhilomitha angu-8, zaqala ukukhathazeka. Esinye isakhamuzi sabhala: “Idolobha limbozwe umlotha. Abantu abaningi baphoqeleka ukuba bazemboze ngamaduku amanzi ukuze bazivikele esisini esibukhali.”

Ekuqaleni kuka-May lentabamlilo yaba namandla. Iphephandaba lendawo lathi: “Imvula yomlotha ayinqamuki . . . Ukudlula kwezinqola akusezwakali emigwaqweni. Amasondo abhajiwe.” Ukushisa kwakuhila.

Khona-ke, ngo-May 5, lentabamlilo yakhipha umlotha oshisayo owabulala amashumi amaningi abantu abasendleleni yawo. Kodwa bathini abaphathi bedolobha?

Ukuvunwa kukamoba kwakusondela, futhi osomabhizinisi baqinisekisa abantu ukuthi yayingekho ingozi enkulu. Nabaholi bezombangazwe, becabanga ngokhetho olwalusondela ngo-May 10, babengafuni ukuba abantu babaleke. Ngakho nabo bazama ukudambisa ukwesaba kwabantu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abefundisi babambisana namaqembu ezamabhizinisi nezombangazwe futhi banxusa amalungu ezifunda zabo ukuba angahambi.

Khona-ke kwenzeka. Ngo-May 8, ngaphambi nje kuka-8:00 ekuseni, iMount Pelée yaqhuma ngokuduma okukhulu. Amafu amnyama ayizikhatha, ashisa bhé, ehlela eSt. Pierre ngesivinini esibabazekayo. Igesi eshisayo ngokushesha yaqothula izinkulungwane zokuphila. Cishe kwafa wonke umuntu eSt. Pierre—abantu abangaba ngu-30 000 noma ngaphezulu. Okuwukuphela komuntu owasinda kwakuyisiboshwa esisha esasisemgodini ngaphansi kwejele.

Isimo Namuhla

Ngokufanayo namuhla, baningi abalulaza ubufakazi bokuthi iziprofetho zeBhayibheli ziyagcwaliseka. Abafuni ukulalela ubufakazi okufanele bugculise noma imuphi umuntu onengqondo ukuthi ukuphela kwalesi simiso kuseduze. Nokho, iBhayibheli labikezela ngisho nesimo sabo sengqondo, lithi: “Ezinsukwini zokugcina kuyofika abahleki bosulu nokuhleka kwabo usulu, beqhubeka ngokwezifiso zabo siqu futhi bethi: ‘Kuphi lokhu kuba khona kwakhe okuthenjisiwe? Phela, kusukela osukwini okhokho bethu abalala ngalo ekufeni, zonke izinto ziqhubeka ngokufana ncamashí nasekuqaleni kwendalo.’”—2 Petru 3:3, 4.

Kodwa abahleki bosulu banamuhla benza iphutha. Iqiniso liwukuthi, izinto zishintshile. Iziprofetho zeBhayibheli ziyagcwaliseka. Buningi ubufakazi bokuthi ukuphela kuseduze.

Ngokuhlakanipha, akufanele uzindele ekuthatheni isinyathelo esisindisa ukuphila. Kodwa yini okudingeka uyenze?

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 10]

U.S. National Archives photo

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 10]

WHO/E. Hooper

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 10]

WHO photo by W. Cutting