OBONA ngezomkhathi uhlola umfanekiso otshengisa ukuthi umkhathi uzakuba njani. Ubona kusiza isiphepho esesabekayo endaweni ehlala abantu abanengi. Ulendaba labantu abahlala lapho, yikho wenza konke angakwenza ukuthi abaxwayise kungakabi lomonakalo.

UJehova laye uxwayisa abantu ngokukhulu okuzayo okwesabeka ukwedlula loba yini abantu abangayizwa ibikwa ngabezomkhathi. Ukwenza njani lokho? Kuyini okungenza sibe leqiniso lokuthi unika abantu isikhathi eseneleyo sokuthi benze okuthile ngesixwayiso abayabe besizwile? Asixoxeni ngezinye izixwayiso uJehova azinika abantu basendulo ukuze siphendule imibuzo le.

Ngezikhathi zeBhayibhili uJehova waxwayisa abantu ababengalaleli imilayo yakhe ‘ngeziphepho’ loba ngezahlulelo zakhe ezizayo. (Zaga. 10:25; Jer. 30:23) Wayehlala ebaxwayisa kuseselesikhathi ngalokho ayezakwenza futhi ebatshela lokwakumele bakwenze ukuze abamukele. (2 AmaKho. 17:12-15; Neh. 9:29, 30) Izikhathi ezinengi wayesebenzisa izinceku zakhe ezisemhlabeni eziqotho ukuthi zimemezele izahlulelo zakhe futhi zincede abantu babone ukuthi kwakungamelanga bapholise amaseko.​—Amos. 3:7.

UNowa ngomunye owasetshenziswa nguJehova ukuthi amemezele izahlulelo zakhe. Watshumayela ngesibindi okweminyaka eminengi exwayisa abantu ababengaziphathanga lababelodlakela ngoZamcolo owayesiza. (Gen. 6:9-13, 17) Waphinda wabatshela lokwakumele bakwenze ukuze basinde. Wayekhuthele sibili okokuthi ngemva kwesikhathi wabizwa ngokuthi ‘ungumtshumayeli wokulunga.’​—2 Phet. 2:5.

Lanxa uNowa wayekhuthele ekutshumayeleni, abantu bangalesosikhathi bephulela izigodo endlebeni. Batshengisa ukuthi babengelakholo ngitsho, yikho uZamcolo ‘wafika wabakhukhula bonke.’ (Mat. 24:39; Heb. 11:7) Abantu laba babengeke bakhale ngokuthi uNkulunkulu wayengabaxwayisanga.

Ngezinye izikhathi uJehova wayexwayisa abantu sekusele isikhathi esincane ukuthi akhiphe isahlulelo sakhe. Lanxa kunjalo wayesiba leqiniso lokuthi bathola isikhathi eseneleyo sokuthi baphenduke. Wakwenza lokhu ngesikhathi esehlisela abaseGibhithe Inhlupho Ezilitshumi. Ngokwesibonelo, wathuma uMosi lo-Aroni ukuthi bayetshela uFaro lezinceku zakhe ngohlupho lwesikhombisa olwaluyisiqhotho esikhulu. Manje uNkulunkulu wayebanike isikhathi eseneleyo yini sokuthi bacatshele isiqhotho leso njengoba sasizakuba khona ngelanga elilandelayo? IBhayibhili lithi: “Lezozikhulu zikaFaro ezalesabayo ilizwi likaJehova zaphanga zangenisa izigqili zazo lezifuyo ngaphakathi. Labo abangalinanzanga ilizwi likaJehova izigqili zabo lezifuyo zabo bakuyekela kusegangeni.” (Eks. 9:18-21) Kusegcekeni ukuthi uJehova wabaxwayisa kuseselesikhathi ngoba labo abangazange batshone bezilazila basinda.

UJehova waphinda waxwayisa uFaro lezinceku zakhe esezaletha uhlupho lokucina. Kodwa batshengisa ukuthi bayizithutha zokucina ngoba kabasilalelanga isixwayiso leso. (Eks. 4:22, 23) Ukungalaleli kwabo kwenza amazibulo abo angabafana afa. Lokhu kwaba buhlungu kakhulu. (Eks. 11:4-10; 12:29) Babephiwe isikhathi eseneleyo yini sokuthi balalele isixwayiso? Ye! UMosi wathi  esetshelwe ngohlupho lokucina wahle watshela ama-Israyeli ngalo futhi wawatshela lokwakumele akwenze ukuze izimuli zawo zisinde. (Eks. 12:21-28) Bangaki abamlalelayo uMosi? Abanye bacabanga ukuthi abantu abangu-3 miliyoni okugoqela ama-Israyeli ‘labanye nje abanengi’ ababengayisiwo ma-Israyeli kanye lamaGibhithe basinda baphuma eGibhithe.​—Eks. 12:38.

Izibonelo lezi zitshengisa ukuthi uJehova wayehlala exwayisa abantu kulesikhathi eseneleyo. (Dute. 32:4) Wayekwenzelani lokho? Umphostoli uPhetro wathi uJehova “kafisi ukuthi loba ngubani abhujiswe kodwa ufisa ukuthi abantu bonke baphenduke.” (2 Phet. 3:9) UNkulunkulu wayelendaba sibili labantu. Wayefuna baphenduke futhi bamlalele engakakhiphi isahlulelo sakhe.​—Isaya. 48:17, 18; Rom. 2:4.

Lalamuhla abantu bonke kumele balalele isixwayiso esiqakathekileyo esimenyezelwa emhlabeni wonke. Ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni wathi umumo wezinto okhona uzatshabalaliswa ‘ekuhluphekeni okukhulu.’ (Mat. 24:21) Watshela abafundi bakhe isiphrofetho esasichasisa lokho abalandeli bakhe ababezakubona ngesikhathi isahlulelo leso sesizafika. Isiphrofetho leso sasimayelana lezenzakalo eziqakathekileyo esizibonayo lamuhla.​—Mat. 24:3-12; Luk. 21:10-13.

Lamuhla uJehova ukhuthaza wonke umuntu ukuthi amkhonze njalo amlalele singakafiki isahlulelo uJesu aphrofetha ngaso. Ufuna abantu abalalelayo baphile impilo ethokozisayo khathesi futhi bathole izibusiso esikhathini esizayo emhlabeni omutsha olokulunga. (2 Phet. 3:13) UJehova ufuna ukuncedisa abantu ukuthi bakholwe izithembiso zakhe yikho ebanika ‘izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso’ uJesu athi “zizatshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke ukuze kube lobufakazi ezizweni zonke.” (Mat. 24:14) Unike labo abamkhonza ngeqiniso umsebenzi ‘wokufakaza’ loba owokutshumayela umlayezo ovela kuye emazweni angaba ngu-240. UJehova ufuna abantu abanengi balalele isixwayiso sakhe futhi basinde nxa esekhipha isahlulelo sakhe.​—Zef. 1:14, 15; 2:2, 3.

Yikho umbuzo oqakathekileyo kayisiwo wokuthi uJehova uyabanika yini abantu isikhathi eseneleyo sokuthi bantshintshe ngoba kuyazicacela ukuthi uhlala esenza njalo. Umbuzo oqakathekileyo ngowokuthi bazasilalela yini isixwayiso sakhe isikhathi sisesekhona. Njengoba siyizithunywa zikaNkulunkulu kasiqhubekeni sincedisa abantu abanengi ukuthi basinde nxa umumo lo wezinto usutshabalaliswa.