I-Armagedoni—Impi KaNkulunkulu Yokuqeda Zonke Izimpi

“Bathi kuwunya ukubulala omunye umuntu; ngakho-ke, emehlweni abo impi iyinto engacabangeki nenyanyekayo, abangenalo negama layo olimini lwabo.”—INDLELA UMHLOLI WAMAZWE WASENORWAY UFRIDTJOF NANSEN AWACHAZA NGAYO AMA-INUIT ASEGREENLAND NGO-1888.

UBANI obengeke athande ukuphila emphakathini lapho impi “iyinto engacabangeki nenyanyekayo”? Ubani ongalilangazeli izwe lapho ngisho negama lempi lingekho khona ngenxa yokuthi impi ayaziwa? Izwe elinjalo lingase libonakale liyiphupho, ikakhulukazi uma sithembela kubantu ukuba balilethe.

Kodwa, esiprofethweni sika-Isaya, uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe uthembisa ukuletha izwe elinjalo: “Ziyokhanda izinkemba zazo zibe ngamageja nemikhonto yazo ibe ngocelemba. Isizwe ngeke sisaphakamisela isizwe inkemba, futhi ngeke zisayifunda impi.”—Isaya 2:4.

Ngokusobala, izwe lanamuhla elinamasosha ayizigidi ezingu-20 nezimpi ezingaba ngu-20 ezisalwiwa bekuyodingeka ukuba lishintshe kakhulu ukuze lesi sithembiso sigcwaliseke. Yingakho uNkulunkulu ongumninimandla onke, uJehova, kuyodingeka ukuba angenele ezindabeni zesintu. Ukungenela kukaJehova kufinyelela umvuthwandaba kulokho iBhayibheli elikubiza ngokuthi i-Armagedoni.—IsAmbulo 16:14, 16.

Nakuba eminyakeni yamuva nje igama elithi “Armagedoni” liye lasetshenziselwa ukuchaza ukhukhulela-ngoqo wenuzi wembulunga yonke, isichazamazwi esithile sinikeza incazelo eyisisekelo yaleli gama ngale ndlela: “Indawo yempi enkulu neyokugcina phakathi kwamabutho okuhle nokubi.” Ingabe ubuhle buyoke bubunqobe ububi, noma ingabe impi enjalo iyiphupho?

Singaduduzeka ngokuqaphela ukuthi iBhayibheli likhuluma ngokuphindaphindiwe ngokuqedwa kobubi. Umhubi uyabikezela: “Izoni ziyoqedwa nyá emhlabeni; ababi bona, ngeke besaba khona.” (IHubo 104:35) Incwadi yezAga ithi: “Ngabaqotho abayohlala emhlabeni, futhi ngabangasoleki abayosala kuwo. Kepha ababi bayonqunywa emhlabeni; abakhohlisayo bona, bayosishulwa kuwo.”—IzAga 2:21, 22.

IBhayibheli libuye likwenze kucace ukuthi ababi ngeke badedele izikhundla zabo ngokuthula; yingakho kudingeka isinyathelo sikaNkulunkulu esiwujuqu sokuqeda bonke ububi, kuhlanganise nobubi bempi. (IHubo 2:2) Igama iBhayibheli eliyibiza ngalo le mpi eyingqayizivele, elithi Armagedoni, liyaphawuleka kakhulu.

Izimpi Ezidlule Ezalwelwa Eduze NaseMegido

Igama elithi “Armagedoni” lisho “iNtaba YaseMegido.” Umuzi wasendulo iMegido, kanye neThafa laseJizreyeli eliwuzungezile, kunomlando omude wezimpi eziwumnqamula-juqu. Encwadini ethi The Battles of Armageddon, isazi-mlando u-Eric H. Cline siyabhala: “Phakathi nawo wonke umlando, iMegido neSigodi saseJizreyeli zazilokhu ziyizindawo zezimpi ezashintsha umlando.”

Njengoba uCline ebonisa, izimpi ezazilwelwa eduze naseMegido zaziba ujuqu. Amabutho aseMongolia, ayenqobe cishe lonke elase-Asia ekhulwini le-13, anqotshwa ngokokuqala ngqa kulesi sigodi. Bude buduze naseMegido, amabutho aseBrithani ngaphansi kukaJenene Edmund Allenby anqoba abaseTurkey phakathi nempi yezwe yokuqala. Isazi-mlando sezempi sachaza ukunqoba kuka-Allenby “njengomunye wemikhankaso ewujuqu eshesha kakhulu nenye yezimpi eziwujuqu kunazo zonke emlandweni.”

Izimpi zeBhayibheli eziwujuqu nazo zalwelwa eduze naseMegido. Lapho, uMahluleli uBharaki wanqoba amabutho kaSisera aseKhanani. (AbaHluleli 4:14-16; 5:19-21) UGideyoni, enebutho elincane lamadoda angu-300, wanqoba ibutho lakwaMidiyani kule ndawo. (AbaHluleli 7:19-22) INkosi uSawule nendodana yayo uJonathani bafela eNtabeni iGilibowa eseduze, lapho amabutho amaFilisti enqoba ibutho lakwa-Israyeli.—1 Samuweli 31:1-7.

Ngenxa yokuba sendaweni ekahle, kuye kwalwelwa izimpi eziningi eMegido nasesigodini esakhelene nayo kule minyaka engu-4 000 edlule. Isazi-mlando esithile sabala okungenani ezingu-34!

Akungabazeki ukuthi umlando weMegido nokuba kwayo sendaweni ekahle kuhlobene nokusetshenziswa okungokomfuziselo kwegama elithi “Armagedoni.” Nakuba lelo gama livela kanye kuphela eBhayibhelini, ukusetshenziswa kwalo encwadini yesAmbulo kukwenza kucace ukuthi i-Armagedoni iyothinta ukuphila kwabo bonke abantu emhlabeni.

I-Armagedoni Ngokwalokho Okushiwo IBhayibheli

Nakuba izimpi eziningi ezidlule ezalwelwa eduze naseMegido zaziwujuqu, azikho ezaqeda ububi. Ayikho kuzo ngempela eyenza ukuba amabutho obuhle alwe nawobubi, ngomqondo ophelele. Kunengqondo ukuthi lolo hlobo lwempi kumelwe luqalwe uNkulunkulu. Njengoba uJesu ake asho, “akekho omuhle, ngaphandle koyedwa, uNkulunkulu.” (Luka 18:19) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli likhuluma ngokuqondile nge-Armagedoni njengempi kaNkulunkulu.

EBhayibhelini, incwadi yesAmbulo ithi ‘amakhosi omhlaba wonke owakhiwe’ ayobuthelwa ndawonye “empini yosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.” (IsAmbulo 16:14) Ukulandisa okungokwesiprofetho kube sekunezela ukuthi: “Zawabuthela ndawonye endaweni ngesiHebheru ebizwa ngokuthi iHar–Magedoni,” noma i-Armagedoni.a (IsAmbulo 16:16) Kamuva, isAmbulo sichaza ukuthi ‘amakhosi omhlaba namabutho awo ayobuthelwa ndawonye ngenjongo yokulwa nalowo ohlezi ehhashini nebutho lakhe.’ (IsAmbulo 19:19) Lo mgibeli wehhashi uchazwa ngokuthi uJesu Kristu.—1 Thimothewu 6:14, 15; IsAmbulo 19:11, 12, 16.

Uma sibheka la mavesi, singaphetha ngokuthini? Ngokuthi i-Armagedoni iyimpi phakathi kukaNkulunkulu namabutho esintu esingalaleli. Kungani uJehova neNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, bengalwa impi enjena? Phakathi kokunye, i-Armagedoni ‘iyochitha abachitha umhlaba.’ (IsAmbulo 11:18) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iyoletha izwe elinokuthula, “amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha esikulindele ngokwesithembiso [sikaNkulunkulu],” lapho “kuyohlala [khona] ukulunga.”—2 Petru 3:13.

Kungani I-Armagedoni Idingeka?

Ingabe ukuthola kunzima ukucabanga ukuthi uJehova, “uNkulunkulu wothando,” uyothuma iNdodana yakhe, “iSikhulu sokuthula,” ukuba ilwe impi? (2 Korinte 13:11; Isaya 9:6) Ngokungangabazeki ukuqonda izisusa zabo kuyocacisa izinto. Incwadi yamaHubo ichaza uJesu njengeqhawe eligibele ihhashi. Ulwelani? Umhubi uyachaza ukuthi uKristu ugibele “ngenjongo yeqiniso nokuthobeka nokulunga.” Ulwa impi ngoba ethanda ukulunga futhi ezonda ububi.—IHubo 45:4, 7.

Ngokufanayo, iBhayibheli lichaza indlela uJehova ayokusingatha ngayo ukungabi nabulungisa akubona ezweni namuhla. Umprofethi u-Isaya uyabhala: “INkosi ikubonile lokhu, futhi ayijabuli ngokuthi abukho ubulungisa. Iyogqoka ubulungisa njengejazi lensimbi namandla okusindisa njengesigqoko sesivikelo. Iyogqoka isifiso esinamandla sokulungisa izinto nesokujezisa nesokuphindisela ngobubi abantu ababhekene nabo.”—Isaya 59:15, 17, Today’s English Version.

Uma nje abantu ababi besenamandla, abantu abalungile ngeke bakujabulele ukuthula nokulondeka. (IzAga 29:2; UmShumayeli 8:9) Empeleni, asinakuyihlukanisa inkohlakalo nobubi kubantu abakwenzayo. Ngakho, kudingeka ukuba kwenziwe okuthile ukuze sibe nokuthula nobulungisa obuhlala njalo—ukususwa kwababi. USolomoni wabhala: “Omubi uyisihlengo solungile.”—IzAga 21:18.

Njengoba uNkulunkulu enguMahluleli, singaqiniseka ngokuthi esimweni ngasinye izahlulelo ezikhishwa kwababi ziyoba ezilungile. U-Abrahama wabuza: “Ubengeke yini uMahluleli womhlaba wonke enze okulungile?” U-Abrahama wezwa ukuthi impendulo iwukuthi uJehova ulungile ngaso sonke isikhathi! (Genesise 18:25) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa ukuthi uJehova akakujabuleli ukubhubhisa ababi; wenza lokho njengesixazululo sokugcina kuphela.—Hezekeli 18:32; 2 Petru 3:9.

Ukuqaphela I-Armagedoni

Siyobe sisohlangothini lukabani kule mpi ewujuqu? Abaningi bethu bamane bacabange ukuthi basohlangothini lwamabutho okuhle. Kodwa singaqiniseka kanjani? Umprofethi uZefaniya uyanxusa: “Funani ukulunga, funani ubumnene.” (Zefaniya 2:3) Intando kaNkulunkulu iwukuthi “zonke izinhlobo zabantu zisindiswe futhi zifinyelele olwazini olunembile lweqiniso,” kusho umphostoli uPawulu.—1 Thimothewu 2:4.

Ukufunda iqiniso ngoJehova nenjongo yakhe yokususa ububi emhlabeni kuyisinyathelo sokuqala esiya ensindisweni. Isinyathelo sesibili siwukwenza izinto ngokulunga, okusilethela umusa nesivikelo sikaNkulunkulu.

Uma sithatha lezi zinyathelo ezibalulekile, empeleni singabheka phambili e-Armagedoni, impi eyoziqeda ngempela izimpi zabantu. Lapho leyo mpi isidlulile, abantu kuyo yonke indawo bayobheka impi njengento engacabangeki nenyanyekayo. “Abasoze baphinde bafunde impi.”—Isaya 2:4, New American Standard Bible.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

Ukungenela kukaNkulunkulu ezindabeni zabantu kubizwa ngokuthi i-Armagedoni

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

IMEGIDO

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

UGideyoni namadoda akhe anqoba impi ewujuqu eduze naseMegido

[Isithombe ekhasini 6, 7]

Lapho i-Armagedoni isidlulile, abantu kuyo yonke indawo bayobheka impi njengento engacabangeki nenyanyekayo

[Isithombe ekhasini 8]

Ukufunda iqiniso ngoJehova nenjongo yakhe kuyisinyathelo sokuqala esibalulekile esiya ensindisweni