1-3. (a) Yiphi enye imfundiso eqakathekileyo esayithola lapho siqala ukufunda iqiniso? (b) Kungani imfundiso le iqakathekile? (Khangela umfanekiso osekuqaliseni.)

UBUNGATHINI nxa othile angakucela ukuthi umchazele lokho okukholwayo? Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi ubuzamxoxela ngezinto eziqakathekileyo owazithola lapho uqala ukufunda iqiniso. Ubuzamtshela ukuthi uJehova unguMdali wezinto zonke lokuthi uJesu Khristu wasifela kanye lokuthi ngesikhathi esizayo sizaphila phakade emhlabeni olipharadayisi. Kodwa ubuzakhumbula yini ukumtshela ngethemba lokuvuswa kwabafileyo esililindele ngabomvu?

² Indaba yokuvuswa kwabafileyo iqakatheke kakhulu kithi lanxa singabe silethemba lokuthi sizangena emhlabeni omutsha silokhu siphila. Umphostoli uPhawuli watshengisa ukuthi kungani indaba le iqakathekile. Wathi: “Uma kungekho ukuvuka kwabafileyo, loKhristu kavuswanga phela. Njalo uma uKhristu engavuswanga, ukutshumayela kwethu akusizi lutho.” Kanti njalo ngabe kavuswanga ubengasoze abe yiNkosi yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Bala u-1 Khorinte 15:12-19.) Kodwa thina siyakholwa ukuthi uJesu wavuswa kwabafileyo, kasifanani labaSadusi ababesala besithi akulakuvuka ekufeni. Lanxa abantu besihleka sizahlala sibambelele  kulokho esikukholwayo mayelana lokuvuswa kwabafileyo.​—Mak. 12:18; ImiSeb. 4:2, 3; 17:32; 23:6-8.

³ UPhawuli wathi imfundiso ‘yokuvuka kwabafileyo’ iyingxenye ‘yemfundiso elula ngoKhristu’ esiyithola nxa siqala ukufunda iqiniso. (Heb. 6:1, 2) Watshengisa lokuthi wayekholwa ukuthi abafileyo bazavuswa. (ImiSeb. 24:10, 15, 24, 25) Lanxa safunda ngokuvuswa kwabafileyo lapho siqala ukufunda iqiniso, akumelanga sicabange ukuthi le yindaba elula nje. (Heb. 5:12) Sikutsho ngani lokhu?

4. Yiphi imibuzo engabakhona mayelana lokuvuswa kwabafileyo?

⁴ Ngesikhathi siqala ukufunda iBhayibhili safunda ngezimangaliso zokuvuswa kwabafileyo ezenzakala endulo. Safunda lokuthi u-Abhrahama, uJobe loDanyeli babekholwa ukuthi abafileyo bazavuswa ngesikhathi esizayo. Kodwa bukhona yini ubufakazi eBhayibhilini obutshengisa ukuthi isithembiso sokuvuswa kwabafileyo sizagcwaliseka lanxa sakhulunywa kudala? IBhayibhili liyakutsho yini ukuthi ukuvuswa kwabafileyo kuzakwenzakala nini? Imibuzo le iqakathekile, ngakho asehleni layo indaba sizwe ukuthi iMibhalo ithini.

5. Sizahlolani esihlokweni lesi?

⁵ Kulula ukukholwa ukuthi umuntu othile wavuswa ikakhulu nxa lokho kwenzakala esanda kufa. (Joh. 11:11; ImiSeb. 20:9, 10) Kodwa kulengqondo yini ukukholwa ukuthi abantu bazavuswa ngesikhathi esizayo? Uyakholwa yini ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulamandla okuvusa abafileyo kungelani lokuthi bafe nini? Ake sihlole isiphrofetho esiphathelane lokuvuswa kothile esagcwaliseka ngemva kweminyaka eminengi sikhulunyiwe. Ukuhlola indaba le kuzasinceda lokuthi siqinise ithemba esilalo ngokuvuswa kwabafileyo.

6. UJesu ungena njani esiphrofethweni esitholakala kuHubo. 118?

⁶ Isiphrofetho esikhuluma ngaso lapha sitholakala kuHubo 118. Abanye bakholwa ukuthi iHubo leli ngelikaDavida. Ngokwesibonelo lilamazwi athi: “O Jehova, sisindise; . . . Ubusisiwe lowo ozayo ngegama likaJehova.” Mhlawumbe uyakhumbula ukuthi ngesikhathi uJesu efika eJerusalema ngoNisan 9 ixuku labantu lamhlangabeza ngentokozo enkulu limemeza amazwi la. (Hubo. 118:25, 26; Mat. 21:7-9) Kodwa kungani sisithi isiphrofetho esikuHubo 118 sasikhuluma ngokuvuswa kukaMesiya okwakuzakwenzakala ngemva kweminyaka eminengi? Kuvesi 22 umhubi wathi: “Ilitshe abalilahlileyo abakhi seliyilona litshe lesisekelo.”​—Hubo. 118:22.

7. AmaJuda amphatha njani uJesu?

⁷ “Abakhi” okukhulunywa ngabo esiphrofethweni lesi ngabakhokheli bamaJuda ngoba abazange bamamukele uJesu futhi baphika ukuthi unguMesiya. Kanti njalo amaJuda amanengi ayelandela abakhokheli laba atshotshozela ukuthi uJesu abulawe. (Luk. 23:18-23) Ngakho lawo aba lesandla ekubulaweni kwakhe.

8. Kwenzakala njani ukuthi uJesu abe lilitshe lesisekelo?

⁸ Kwakuzakwenzakala njani ukuthi uJesu abe ‘lilitshe lesisekelo’ njengoba abantu bamphika futhi bambulala? Kwasekumele avuswe kwabafileyo ukuze kugcwaliseke lokhu. UJesu wakuveza lokhu lapho elandisa umzekeliso omayelana lendoda eyathuma izithunywa zayo ebantwini ababesebenza ensimini yayo. Izisebenzi lezo zabahlukuluza abantu ababethunywe yindoda le. Ekucineni yabona kungcono ukuthi ithumele indodana yayo ngoba yayithemba ukuthi izisebenzi lezo zizayilalela. Kodwa zona zayisukela zayibulala. Lokhu yikho kanye okwenziwa ngabako-Israyeli, babaphatha kubi  abaphrofethi ababethunywe nguNkulunkulu. Ekucineni uJehova wathumela indodana yakhe enguMesiya kodwa layo abazange bayamukele futhi bacina beyibulala. UJesu wathi ephetha umzekeliso wakhe wakhuluma amazwi atholakala kuHubo 118:22. (Luk. 20:9-17) Umphostoli uPhetro laye wawasebenzisa amazwi esiphrofetho lesi ngesikhathi ekhuluma ‘lababusi, labadala, labafundisi bomthetho ababebuthene eJerusalema.’ Wabatshela wathi: “Kungenxa . . . kaJesu Khristu waseNazaretha elambethelayo kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo.” Waqhubeka wathi: “Yena uyilo ‘ilitshe lina abakhi elalilahlayo, khathesi eseliyihloko yengosi’” loba eliyisisekelo.​—ImiSeb. 3:15; 4:5-11; 1 Phet. 2:5-7.

9. Yisiphi isenzakalo esiqakathekileyo okwaphrofethwa ngaso kuHubo 118:22?

⁹ Sesibonile ukuthi isiphrofetho esiphathelane lokuvuswa esitholakala kuHubo 118:22 sagcwaliseka lanxa kwasekudlule iminyaka eminengi sakhulunywa. Isiphrofetho lesi satshengisa ukuthi abantu babezamphika uMesiya njalo bambulale kodwa uNkulunkulu wayezamvusa kwabafileyo abe lilitshe lesisekelo. Ukuvuswa kwakhe kuqakatheke kakhulu ngoba nguye yedwa ‘olebizo elaphiwa abantu ukuthi basindiswe ngalo.’​—ImiSeb. 4:12; Efe. 1:20.

10. (a) Yisiphi isiphrofetho esitholakala kuHubo 16:10? (b) Chaza ukuthi kungani kuthiwa iHubo leli kalikhulumi ngoDavida?

¹⁰ Ake sixoxe ngesinye isiphrofetho esakhuluma ngokuvuswa okwakuzakwenzakala ngemva kweminyaka eminengi. Isiphrofetho leso sagcwaliseka ngemva kweminyaka edlula 1 000 njalo ukusihlola kuzasisiza siqinise ithemba esilalo mayelana lokuvuswa kwabafileyo. KuHubo isahluko 16 uDavida wathi: “Ngokuba kawuzukungidela ngize ngiye engcwabeni, njalo kawuyikuyekela Ongcwele wakho abone ukubola.” (Hubo. 16:10) Kambe uDavida wayesitsho ukuthi kasoze afe kumbe angcwatshwe ethuneni yini? Hatshi. IBhayibhili lichaza ukuthi uDavida waguga wasesifa futhi ngemva kwalokho wangcwatshwa emzini wakhe lapho okwakulele khona okhokho bakhe. (1 AmaKho. 2:1, 10) Manje ngubani okwakukhulunywa ngaye kuHubo 16:10?

11. UPhetro walichaza nini iHubo 16:10?

¹¹ Ngemva kweminyaka edlula 1 000 uDavida elobe iHubo 16, uPhetro wachazela izinkulungwane zamaJuda labanye abantu ukuthi ngubani okwakukhulunywa ngaye kuvesi 10. Ngalesosikhathi uJesu wayelamaviki athile evusiwe kwabafileyo. (Bala ImiSebenzi 2:29-32.) UPhetro wachaza ukuthi uDavida wafa wasengcwatshwa labokhokho bakhe futhi ababemlalele babekwazi mhlophe lokho. Kanti njalo abazange bamphikise lapho esithi uDavida “wakhuluma kusengaphambili ngokuvuka” kukaMesiya.

12. IHubo 16:10 lagcwaliseka njani futhi lokhu kusitshengisani ngokuvuswa kwabafileyo esikulindeleyo?

¹² UPhetro wasebenzisa amazwi atholakala kuHubo 110:1 ukuze agcizelele lokho ayekutsho. (Bala ImiSebenzi 2:33-36.) Indlela ayicacisa ngayo indaba le yenza bonke ababemlalele bakholwa ukuthi uJesu ‘wayeyiNkosi loKhristu.’ Kwabacacela lokuthi iHubo 16:10 lagcwaliseka lapho uJesu evuswa kwabafileyo. Ngokuya kwesikhathi umphostoli uPhawuli laye wasebenzisa ubufakazi obufananayo ngesikhathi ekhuluma lamaJuda edolobheni le-Antiyokhi ePhisidiya. AmaJuda la athokoza kakhulu futhi ayeselesifiso sokuzwa okunengi. (Bala ImiSebenzi 13:32-37, 42.) Siyabona-ke ukuthi lanxa iziphrofetho ezaziphathelane lokuvuswa kukaMesiya zakhulunywa kudala zagcwaliseka futhi lokhu kwenza sikholwe ukuthi abafileyo bazavuswa ngesikhathi esizayo.

13. Yiphi imibuzo esingaba layo mayelana lokuvuswa kwabafileyo?

¹³ Kuyasikhuthaza kakhulu ukwazi ukuthi isithembiso sokuvuswa kwabafileyo sizagcwaliseka lanxa kungabe sekudlule iminyaka eminengi sikhulunyiwe. Kodwa lokhu kwenza sibe lemibuzo: ‘Sizalinda okwesikhathi esinganani abathandekayo bethu belokhu bengakavuswa? Kuzakwenzakala nini ukuvuswa kwabafileyo esikulindeleyo?’ Siyazidinga sibili izimpendulo zemibuzo le. Kodwa khumbula ukuthi uJesu watshela abaphostoli bakhe ukuthi zikhona izinto ababengasoze bazazi. Kayisikho kwethu ukwazi ‘izikhathi kumbe izinsuku uBaba azimisileyo ngokuthanda kwakhe.’ (ImiSeb. 1:6, 7; Joh. 16:12) Kodwa lokhu akutsho ukuthi kasilabo ubufakazi obutshengisa ukuthi ukuvuswa kwabafileyo kuzakwenzakala nini.

14. Ukuvuswa kukaJesu kwakutshiyene njani lokwabanye abantu abavuswa endulo?

¹⁴ Ukuhlola ukuvuswa kukaJesu kuzasinceda ukuthi siyizwisise ngokugcweleyo indaba yokuvuswa kwabafileyo. Aluba kavuswanga besingasoze sibe lethemba lokuthi sizaphinda sibabone abathandekayo bethu abafileyo. Ukuvuswa kukaJesu kwakutshiyene kakhulu lokwabantu abake bavuswa endulo ngoba bona baphinda bafa. Kodwa mayelana loJesu, iBhayibhili lithi “wavuswa kwabafileyo [njalo] angeke afe futhi; ukufa akuselawo amandla phezu kwakhe.” Khathesi usezulwini njalo iMibhalo iveza ukuthi uzaphila kuze kube nini lanini lokuthi kasoze akubone ukubola.​—Rom. 6:9; Isam. 1:5, 18; Kol. 1:18; 1 Phet. 3:18.

15. Kungani uJesu ebizwa ngokuthi ‘yizithelo zakuqala’?

¹⁵ UJesu waba ngowokuqala ukuvuswa aye ezulwini njalo ukuvuswa kwakhe kuqakatheke kakhulu. (ImiSeb. 26:23) Loba kunjalo iBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi bakhona abanye abazavuswa bayephila ezulwini. Ngokwesibonelo ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni watshela abaphostoli bakhe ukuthi bazabusa laye ezulwini. (Luk. 22:28-30) Ukuze bawuthole umvuzo lo kwakumele baqale bafe besebevuswa sebelemizimba yomoya njengoJesu. UPhawuli wabhala wathi: “UKhristu wavuswa impela kwabafileyo, izithelo zakuqala zalabo asebelele.” Ngemva kwalokho watshengisa ukuthi bakhona abanye abazavuswa bayephila ezulwini. Wathi: “Yilowo lalowo ngethuba lakhe; uKhristu, oyizithelo zakuqala; muva, ekubuyeni kwakhe [“ngesikhathi sokuba khona kwakhe,” NW] labo abangabakhe.”​—1 Khor. 15:20, 23.

16. Ukuvuswa kwalabo abazaphila ezulwini kwakuzakwenzakala nini?

¹⁶ Okwatshiwo ngumphostoli uPhawuli kuyasinceda sizwisise ukuthi ukuvuswa kwalabo abazaphila ezulwini kwakuzakwenzakala nini? Kwakuzakwenzakala ngesikhathi “sokuba khona kukaKhristu.” Ukuhlola ubufakazi  obuseMibhalweni kwasisiza sabona ukuthi ukuba khona kukaKhristu kwaqala ngo-1914. Ngakho kusukela ngalowomnyaka kuze kube lamuhla siphila esikhathini sokuba khona kukaKhristu futhi lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi ukuphela sekusondele.

17, 18. IBhayibhili lisitshelani ngokuvuswa kwabagcotshiweyo ngesikhathi sokuba khona kukaKhristu?

¹⁷ Kulokunye iBhayibhili elisitshela khona mayelana lokuvuswa kwalabo abazaphila ezulwini. Lithi: “Kasifuni ukuba libe ngabangaziyo ngalabo abalalayo . . . Siyakholwa ukuthi uJesu wafa wabuya wavuka njalo ngalokho siyakholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzabavusa kanye loJesu labo asebelele . . . thina esisaphilayo, esatshiywayo iNkosi ize ifike, kasiyikubandulela impela labo asebelele. Ngoba iNkosi uqobo izakwehla ivela ezulwini, ngelizwi elikhulu, . . . kuthi abafileyo kuKhristu bavuke kuqala. Emva kwalokho thina esisaphilayo njalo sitshiyiwe sizahlwithwa kanye labo emayezini ukuba sihlangabeze iNkosi emoyeni. Ngakho sizahlala leNkosi kuze kube nininini.”​—1 Thes. 4:13-17.

¹⁸ Ukuvuswa kwalabo abazaphila ezulwini kwaqala ngemva kwesikhathi esithile uKhristu eqalise ukubusa. Kodwa iBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi abagcotshiweyo abazabe bephila ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka okukhulu “bazahlwithwa.” Kutshoni lokhu? Kutsho ukuthi bazakufa njengabo bonke abantu. Kodwa abasoze bahlale bekuleso simo okwesikhathi eside ngoba iBhayibhili lithi, ‘bazaguqulwa ngesikhatshana, ngokucwayiza kwelihlo, ngecilongo lokucina.’​—1 Khor. 15:51, 52; Mat. 24:31.

19. Yikuphi ukuvuswa okuhle esikulindeleyo?

¹⁹ Ithemba lokuyaphila ezulwini ngelabalutshwana ababizelwe ukuyabusa loKhristu. Inengi lethu silindele ukuphela komumo lo wezinto okuzakwenzakala ‘ngosuku lukaJehova.’ Loba kunjalo kasikwazi ukuthi lolosuku luzafika nini kodwa iMibhalo itshengisa ukuthi seluseduze kakhulu. (1 Thes. 5:1-3) Emhlabeni omutsha kuzakuba lokuvuswa kwabafileyo okutshiyene lokwalabo abazaphila ezulwini. Abazavuswa ngalesosikhathi kabasoze baphinde bafe ngoba isono sizasuswa kancane kancane ebantwini besebethola impilo epheleleyo. Lokho kuzabe ‘kuyikuvuswa okuhle’ okutshiyene lokwalabo abake bavuswa endulo ngoba bona baphinda bafa.​—Heb. 11:35.

20. Kungani sileqiniso lokuthi ukuvuswa kwabafileyo kuzakwenzakala ngendlela ehlelekileyo?

²⁰ IBhayibhili lithi abazaphila ezulwini bazavuswa “yilowo lalowo ngethuba lakhe.” (1 Khor. 15:23) Ngakho silethemba lokuthi ukuvuswa kwabantu emhlabeni lakho kuzakwenzakala ngendlela ehlelekileyo. Kodwa indaba le ingenza sibe lemibuzo: Ngobani abazavuswa kusanda kuqalisa iminyaka eyinkulungwane yokubusa kukaKhristu? Kuzaqala ngalabo esibaziyo yini ukuze senelise ukubahlangabeza? Kuzaqala ngamadoda ayengabakhokheli endulo yini ukuze aqondise abantu bakaNkulunkulu emhlabeni omutsha? Abantu abangazange bafunde ngoJehova bona bazavuswa nini? Minengi kakhulu imibuzo esingaba layo kodwa okwakhathesi akumelanga sikhathazeke ngalokhu. Kasilindeni sizabona ngakho. Esikwaziyo yikuthi sizathokoza kakhulu nxa sesibona indlela uJehova azakwenza ngayo lokhu.

21. Yiliphi ithemba olalo ngabafileyo?

²¹ Kasizimiseleni ukuqinisa ukholo lwethu ukuze senelise ukuzibonela ngawethu uJehova esegcwalisa isithembiso sokuvusa abafileyo. (Joh. 5:28, 29; 11:23) UJesu watshengisa ukuthi uJehova ulamandla okuvusa abafileyo lapho esithi u-Abhrahama lo-Isaka loJakhobe ‘bayaphila kuye.’ (Luk. 20:37, 38) Lathi njengoPhawuli silezizatho eziqinileyo zokutsho amazwi la athi: “Ngilalona lelothemba kuNkulunkulu . . . ukuthi kuzakuba lokuvuka kwabafileyo.”​—ImiSeb. 24:15.