UJehova wabaqinisa sibili abatshumayeli laba ababezimisele ngoba ngomnyaka lowo inani lamaphayona lakhwela lisuka ku-225 laya ku-350. Kanti njalo kwakuqala ngqa ukuthi kubike abamemezeli abedlula 8 000. UJehova wababusisa okuzwayo abantu bakhe.

Mhlaka 21 March 1920, uJoseph F. Rutherford owayekhokhela aBafundi BeBhayibhili ngalesosikhathi wenza inkulumo eyayilesihloko esithi “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” (Izigidi Eziphilayo Khathesi Kazisoze Zife). ABafundi BeBhayibhili benza konke okusemandleni abo ukunxusela abantu enkulumeni le. Baqhatsha enye yamawolu amakhulu eNew York City njalo bahambisa izimemo ezingaba ngu-320 000.

Kwabuya abantu abanengi ukwedlula labo aBafundi BeBhayibhili ababebakhangelele. Babesedlula 5 000 futhi bayigcwalisa phamu iwolu okokuthi abanye abangu-7 000 baphendukiswa. INqabayokulinda yathi lo “kwakungomunye wemihlangano owaphumelela kakhulu owenziwa ngaBafundi BeBhayibhili.”

ABafundi BeBhayibhili baziwa ngokutshumayela besithi “izigidi eziphilayo khathesi kazisoze zife.” Ngalesosikhathi babengazwisisi ukuthi umlayezo woMbuso kwakumele utshunyayelwe endaweni ezinengi lokuthi lokhu kwakuzathatha isikhathi eside. Lanxa kunjalo babetshiseka okumangalisayo. U-Ida Olmstead owaqalisa ukungena imihlangano ngo-1902 wathi, “Sasikwazi ukuthi abantu bazathola izibusiso esikhathini esizayo futhi sasitshela esasihlangana labo ekutshumayeleni izindaba lezi ezinhle.”

Abazalwane eBhetheli baqalisa ukuziphrintela amanye amabhuku ukuze kuhlale kulokudla okuqinisa ukholo. Bathenga imitshina eyayidingakala basebeyifaka esakhiweni ababesirentile esasiku-35 Myrtle Avenue eBrooklyn eNew York, duzane leBhetheli.

ULeo Pelle loWalter Kessler baqalisa ukusebenza eBhetheli ngoJanuary 1920. UWalter wathi: “Sathi sifika umzalwane obona ngokuphrinta wasikhangela wathi, ‘Lisalelwe yihora lengxenye ukuthi lisebenze lingakayikudla ukudla kwemini.’ Wasicela ukuthi sithwale amanye amabhokisi amabhuku ayeku-basement.”

ULeo wakhuluma ngokwenzakala ngelanga elalandelayo wathi: “Umsebenzi wethu wawungowokuklina imiduli ku-ground  floor esakhiweni leso. Ngangingakaze ngisebenze endaweni engcole kangako selokhu ngaba yimi. Kodwa lo kwakungumsebenzi weNkosi yikho sasizimisele ukuwenza.”

Kungakapheli amaviki amangaki, iNqabayokulinda yayisiphrintwa ngabafowethu abatshisekayo. Kwaphrintwa amakhophi kaFebruary 1 1920 angu-60 000 emtshineni owawusestezi sokuqala. Ku-basement abazalwane bafaka umtshina wokuphrinta abawubiza ngokuthi yi-Battleship. I-The Golden Age yokuqala eyaphrintwayo emtshineni lo yayingeka-April 14 1920. Kusegcekeni ukuthi uJehova wakubusisa lokho okwakusenziwa yizisebenzi lezi ezizinikeleyo.

Abantu bakaJehova abaqotho basebevuselelwe emsebenzini wokutshumayela futhi sebemanyene. Kodwa ngo-1917 kusiya ku-1919 abanye aBafundi BeBhayibhili babetshiye inhlanganiso ngeminyaka leyo eyayinzima. Babengancedwa njani?

INqabayokulinda ka-April 1 1920 yayilesihloko esithi “Kasihlaleni Ngokuthula.” Isihloko lesi sathi: ‘Kasithandabuzi ukuthi wonke umuntu olomoya weNkosi uzimisele ukukhohlwa izinto ezisemuva lokumanyana labantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuze enze umsebenzi wakhe.’

Abanengi basilalela iseluleko lesi. Omunye umfowethu lomkakhe babhala bathi: “Saphambanisa ngokuzihlalela abanye betshumayela eminyakeni eyadlulayo. Sizimisele ukuthi singakuphindi lokhu.” Mnengi umsebenzi owawulindele izisebenzi lezi ezasezivuselelwe.

Mhlaka 21 June 1920, aBafundi BeBhayibhili baqalisa umkhankaso wokuhambisa i-ZG. Yayimumethe izinto ezazithethwe ebhukwini elithi The Finished Mystery. * Ngo-1918 iziphathamandla zazithe ibhuku leli kalisavunyelwa, yikho amanengi akhona ayegciniwe.

 Amaphayona ayisiwo wodwa acelwa ukuthi ahambise imagazini le, labamemezeli bonke bacelwa. I-Bulletin * kaJune 1920 yathi: “Wonke umuntu obhabhathiziweyo osebandleni owenelisayo ukuba semkhankasweni lo kumele enze njalo. Nanku okumele ngamunye azitshele khona: ‘Into eyodwa engiyenzayo nansi,’ ukuhambisa i-ZG.” U-Edmund Hooper wathi abanengi babeqala ukutshumayela endlini ngendlu ngesikhathi somkhankaso lo. Waphinda wathi, “Saqalisa ukuzwisisa okwakukhangelelwe ukuthi sikwenze emsebenzini lo owawuzakwenziwa ngendlela enkulu kakhulu.”

Ngesikhathi seMpi Yomhlaba Yokuqala kwakunzima ukuthintana laBafundi BeBhayibhili abakwamanye amazwe yikho umfowethu uRutherford wayefuna ukukhuthaza abazalwane labo lokuhlela kutsha umsebenzi wokutshumayela. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi mhlaka 12 August 1920 yena labanye abafowethu abane bathathe uhambo olude besiya eNgilandi lakwamanye amazwe amanengi.

Ngesikhathi umfowethu uRutherford eseNgilandi, aBafundi BeBhayibhili baba lemihlangano emikhulu emithathu leminye engu-12 emincane. Kucatshangelwa ukuthi kwakulabantu abangu-50 000 emihlanganweni le. INqabayokulinda yakhuluma ngokuvakatsha kukamfowethu uRutherford yathi: “Abafowethu labodadewethu bavuselelwa njalo bakhuthazwa. Baba lesikhathi sokuba ndawonye lesokusebenza ndawonye futhi lokhu kwenza bathokoza.” EParis, umfowethu uRutherford waphinda wenza inkulumo eyayilesihloko esithi “Izigidi Eziphilayo Khathesi Kazisoze Zife.” Iwolu yayigcwele phamu ngesikhathi inkulumo le iqala. Abantu abangu-300 bacela ukufundiswa okunengi.

Emavikini alandelayo umfowethu uRutherford labanye bakhe baya e-Athens, eCairo laseJerusalem. Umfowethu uRutherford wavula igatsha edolobheni leRamallah duzane leJerusalem ukuze kuncedwe labo ababefuna ukufunda okunengi. Ngemva kwalokho wabuyela e-Europe wavula igatsha leCentral Europe njalo wahlela ukuthi amabhuku aphrintwe khona.

NgoSeptember 1920 aBafundi BeBhayibhili bethula i-The Golden Age, No. 27 eyayiveza  egcekeni indlela ababehlukuluzwe ngayo ngo-1918. Umtshina wokuphrinta okuke kwakhulunywa ngawo okuthiwa yi-Battleship wasebenza ubusuku lemini uphrinta omagazini laba abedlula 4 miliyoni.

Abantu ababala imagazini le babakwazi okwehlela u-Emma Martin. Udade lo wayeliphayona eSan Bernardino, eCalifornia. Mhlaka 17 March 1918, yena labafowethu abathathu u-E. Hamm, lo-E. J. Sonnenburg kanye lo-E. A. Stevens babesemhlanganweni webandla.

Enye indoda eyayilapho yayingalandanga ukuzofunda iBhayibhili. Sekudlule isikhathi yathi: ‘Ngahamba emhlanganweni lo ngoba ngangithunywe yiziphathamandla zomthetho ukuthi ngiyedinga ubufakazi.’ Yabuthola ubufakazi eyayibudinga, obabulibhuku elithi The Finished Mystery. Kungakapheli insuku ezingaki, udade Martin labafowethu abathathu babotshwa. Betheswa icala lokuhambisa ibhuku elalingavunyelwa yiziphathamandla.

U-Emma labafowethu labo bagwetshwa iminyaka emithathu. Bacela kanengi ukuthi indaba yabo iphinde ihlolwe kodwa kwehlula, yikho mhlaka 17 May 1920 baqalisa ukupika. Kodwa izinto zatshintsha kungakayi ngaphi.

Mhlaka 20 June 1920 umfowethu uRutherford wakhuluma ngendaba le emhlanganweni omkhulu owawuseSan Francisco. Ababesemhlanganweni lo bethuswa yindlela amaKhristu la ayephathwe ngayo basebevuma ukuthi kuthunyelwe ithelegramu kumongameli weMelika. Yayisithi: ‘Sibona ukugwetshwa kukaNkosazana Martin kungaqondanga. Kulihlazo okwenziwa yiziphathamandla ukusebenzisa kubi amandla azo ukuthi zimthiye ukuze atholakale elecala abesebotshwa.’

Ngelanga elalandelayo, uMongameli uWoodrow Wilson wahle wesula icala likadade Martin lomfowethu uHamm loSonnenburg loStevens futhi bakhululwa ejele.

Ekupheleni kuka-1920, aBafundi BeBhayibhili babethokoza ngoba kunengi okwakwenzakele ngalowomnyaka. Umsebenzi waqhubeka usanda emawofisini amakhulu njalo babekhuthele betshumayela besithi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu yiwo ozaqeda ukuhlupheka kwabantu. (Mat. 24:14) Ngo-1921 kunengi ababezakwenza emsebenzini wokutshumayela ngoMbuso.