UNGENZANI nxa ufuna ukubona ukuthi sekuyisikhathi bani? Ungakhangela iwatshi esesandleni sakho kumbe esemdulini. Nxa umngane wakho engakubuza ukuthi sekuyisikhathi bani, ungamphendula uthini? Phela zinengi indlela zokubala isikhathi. Asihlole ezinye zakhona.

Ake sithi sekulehola elilodwa lemizuzu engu-30 kwedlule imini enkulu. Ubungathi sekuyisikhathi bani? Sijayele ukuthi sekungu-1:30. Kwezinye indawo nxa bebala isikhathi basuka ku-12 baye ku-13, yikho bona bangathi sekungu–13:30. Abanye bathi sekungu-half two, besitsho ukuthi sekusele imizuzu engu-30 ukuthi kutshaye ihola lesibili. Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi indlela abantu ababala ngayo isikhathi iyatshiyana kusiya ngendawo abahlala kuyo lalokho abakujayeleyo.

Mhlawumbe uyake uzibuze ukuthi abantu basendulo abaphila ngesikhathi kubhalwa iBhayibhili babesibala njani isikhathi. Zinengi indlela ababezisebenzisa. IMibhalo YesiHebheru ikhuluma ‘ngekuseni,’ ‘ngemini,’ ‘ngemini enkulu’ kanye ‘lentambama.’ (Gen. 8:11; 19:27; 43:16; Dute. 28:29; 1 AmaKho. 18:26) Kodwa kwezinye izikhathi kuhle kuqanjwe ukuthi okulandiswayo kwenzakala sikhathi bani.

Ngesikhathi seBhayibhili kwakujayele ukuba labalindi ababelinda ikakhulu ebusuku. Kusasele iminyaka eminengi ukuthi uJesu azalwe, ama-Israyeli ayesehlukanisa ubusuku bube zingxenye ezintathu ezazibizwa ngokuthi yimilindo. (Hubo. 63:6) KuBahluleli 7:19 kukhulunywa ‘ngomlindo waphakathi.’ UJesu wathi esemhlabeni, amaJuda ayesesebenzisa indlela yamaGrikhi lamaRoma yokwehlukanisa ubusuku bube yimilindo emine.

Izikhathi lezi kukhulunywa ngazo kanengi emaVangelini. Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu wafika kubafundi bakhe ehamba phezu kwamanzi ‘ngomlindo wesine ebusuku.’ (Mat. 14:25) Kanti njalo komunye umzekeliso wakhe uJesu wathi: “Kuzakuba kuhle kulezo zinceku inkosi yazo ezazifica zilindile loba ingabe ifika ngomlindo wesibili loba owesithathu ebusuku.”​—Luk. 12:38.

UJesu wayiqamba yomine imilindo yobusuku lapho etshela abafundi bakhe esithi: “Ngakho lindani ngokuba kalikwazi ukuthi umninindlu uzabuya nini​—mhlawumbe kusihlwa, kumbe phakathi kwamabili, loba inkukhu sezikhala loba emathathakusa.” (Mak. 13:35) Umlindo wokuqala wawubizwa ngokuthi “kusihlwa.” Wawuqalisa ilanga litshona uyephela ngabo-9 ebusuku. Owesibili wawuthiwa ‘kuphakathi kwamabili’ futhi wawuqalisa ngabo-9 ebusuku uyecina ngo-12 ebusuku. Lapho esithi “inkukhu sezikhala” wayesitsho umlindo wesithathu owawuqalisa ngo-12 ebusuku uyephela ngabo-3 ekuseni. Kungenzakala ukuthi lo yiwo umlindo iqhude elakhala ngawo ngobusuku uJesu abotshwa ngabo. (Mak. 14:72) Umlindo wesine wawubizwa ngokuthi ‘kusemathathakusa.’ Wawuqala ngabo-3 ekuseni uyephela ilanga seliphuma.

Lanxa abantu abaphila ngesikhathi kubhalwa iBhayibhili babengela mawatshi esiwasebenzisa lamuhla, babelayo indlela yokuqamba ukuthi sekuyisikhathi bani kungelani lokuthi kusemini loba ebusuku.