1. Ngomnyaka ka-95 bekunjani ukuphila kwakampostoli uJwanisi?

PHEZE ngomnyaka ka-95, umpostoli uJwanisi bekaqalene nobujamo obubudisi. Bekaluphele, avalelwe esihlengeleni sePatmosi, begodu kungenzeka bekunguye kwaphela ebapostolini obekasaphila. (IsAm. 1:9) Bekazi ukuthi iinhlubuki bezidurhisa amabandla begodu zibanga nokuhlukana. Bekubonakala ngasuthi ikolo yeqiniso besele ifadalala.—Jud. 4; IsAm. 2:15, 20; 3:1, 17.

2. NgokwesAmbulo 7:9-14, ngimuphi umbono othabisako owabonwa nguJwanisi? (Qala isithombe esingaphandle.)

² Njengombana umpostoli uJwanisi bekaqalene nobujamo obubudisi, uZimu wamnikela umbono othabisako omalungana nengomuso. Embonweni loyo, iingilozi zitjelwa bona zibambe imimmoya etjhabalalisako yesizi elikhulu bekube kulapho isiqhema seenceku zibekwa itshwayo lokugcina. (IsAm. 7:1-3) Isiqhemeso sakhiwa babantu abazi-144 000 abazokubusa noJesu ezulwini. (Luk. 12:32; IsAm. 7:4) Ngemva kwalokho, uJwanisi ukhuluma ngesinye isiqhema esikhulu, uthi: “Ngabona”—amezwi la aveza indlela amangala ngayo ngokubona into ebekangakayilindeli. Khuyini ayibonako? “Isiqubuthu esikhulu, obekunganamuntu obekangakghona ukusibala, sivela kizo zoke iintjhaba, iinkoro, abantu namalimi, sijame phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi naphambi kweMvana.” (Funda isAmbulo 7:9-14.) UJwanisi bekathabe kwamambala ukwazi ukuthi kuzokuba nabantu abanengi abazokulotjha uJehova ngendlela efaneleko esikhathini esizako!

3. (a) Kubayini umbono kaJwanisi kufuze uqinise ukukholwa kwethu? (b) Khuyini esizoyifunda esihlokwenesi?

³ Siyaqiniseka bona umbono lo waqinisa ukukholwa kwakaJwanisi. Umbono lo kufuze ukuqinise khulu ukukholwa kwethu,  khulukhulu njengombana siphila emihleni yokuphela! Esikhathini sethu, iingidi zabantu zilotjha uJehova begodu zinethemba lokusinda esizini elikhulu nelokufumana ukuphila okungapheliko ephasina. Esihlokwenesi, sizokufunda ngendlela uJehova asiveze ngayo isiqubuthu esikhulu ebantwini bakhe eminyakeni engaphezu kwama-80 edlulileko. Ngemva kwalokho, sizokucoca ngezinto ezimbili ezimalungana nesiqubuthu: (1) ubukhulu baso nangokuthi, (2) amalungaso avela ephasini mazombe. Amaphuzu la kufuze aqinise ukukholwa kwabo boke abanethemba lokuba yingcenye yesiqhemeso.

4. Ngiliphi iqiniso eliseBhayibhelini amaSondo angakhenge alizwisise, begodu abaFundi beBhayibheli bahluke njani endabeni le?

⁴ Ngokujayelekileko, amasondo amanengi akafundisi iqiniso eliseBhayibhelini ukuthi ngelinye ilanga abantu abalalelako bazokuphila ngokungapheliko ephasini. (2 Kor. 4:3, 4) Namhlanjesi, amaSondo amanengi afundisa ukuthi boke abantu abalungileko nabafako baya ezulwini. Nanyana kunjalo, bekuhlukile ngesiqhema sabaFundi beBhayibheli ebesibagadangisi be-Watch Tower kusukela ngomnyaka ka-1879. Sazwisisa ukuthi uZimu uzokwenza iphasi libe yiPharadesi begodu iingidi zabantu ezilalelako zizokuphila ephasina, ingasi ezulwini. Nokho, kwabathatha isikhathi eside ukuhlukanisa ukuthi kuzokuba bobani abantu abalalelako.—Mat. 6:10.

5. Khuyini abaFundi beBhayibheli ebebayikholelwa ngabazii-144 000?

⁵ AbaFundi beBhayibheli godu bakghonile ukubona eBhayibhelini ukuthi abanye ‘bazokuthengwa ephasini’ bona bayokubusa noJesu ezulwini. (IsAm. 14:3) Isiqhemeso sizokwakhiwa babantu abatjhisekako abazii-144 000 amaKrestu azinikeleko alotjhe uZimu ngokuthembeka nakasephasini. Kuthiwani ngesiqubuthu esikhulu?

6. Khuyini abafundi beBhayibheli ebebayikholelwa ngesiqubuthu esikhulu?

⁶ Embonweni loyo, uJwanisi wabona isiqhemeso “sijame phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi naphambi kweMvana.” (IsAm. 7:9) Amezwi lawo enza abafundi beBhayibheli baphetha ngokuthi, njengabazii-144 000, isiqubuthu esikhulu naso sizokuphila ezulwini. Nangabe zombili iinqhemezi zizokuphila ezulwini, esinye sizokuhluka njani kwesinye? Abafundi beBhayibheli bebacabanga ukuthi isiqubuthu esikhulu sakhiwa maKrestu ebewangamlaleliko uZimu. Nanyana bewalalela iinkambisolawulo zeBhayibheli, amanye wawo aragela phambili nokuzihlanganisa namaSondo. AbaFundi beBhayibheli baphetha ngokuthi abantu abanjalo bebamthanda uZimu, kodwana ingasi ngokupheleleko bona babuse noJesu. Ngebanga lokuthi bebangamthandi ngokwaneleko uZimu, isiqubuthu esikhulu besizokufanelekela ukuya ezulwini sijame phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi, kodwana ingasi bona sihlale eenhlalweni zobukhosi.

7. AbaFundi beBhayibheli bebacabanga ukuthi bobani ebebazokuphila ephasini hlangana nemiNyaka eyiKulungwana begodu khuyini ebebayikholelwa ngabathembekileko abafa ngaphambi kwakaKrestu?

⁷ Bobani-ke abazokuphila ephasina? AbaFundi beBhayibheli bebakholelwa ukuthi ngemva kokuya ezulwini kwabazii-144 000 nesiqubuthu esikhulu, iingidi zabanye zizokusala ephasini zithabele iimbusiso ezizokulethwa kuBusa kwakaKrestu kwemiNyaka eyiKulungwana. AbaFundi beBhayibheli bebangakalindeli ukuthi iingidi zabantwezo zizokulotjha uJehova ngaphambi kobana kuthome ukuBusa kwakaKrestu. Kunalokho, bekucatjangwa ukuthi isiqhemesi sizokufundiswa iindlela zakaJehova hlangana nemiNyaka  eyiKulungwana. Ngemva kwalokho, labo abalalela imithetho kaJehova bazokufumana ukuphila okungapheliko ephasini, kuthi labo abangakhenge balalele batjhatjalaliswe. AbaFundi beBhayibheli godu bebacabanga ukuthi abanye bazokuba ‘makhosana’ ephasini ngesikhatheso, kuhlanganise nabavusiweko abathembekileko abafa ngaphambi kwakaKrestu, bazokufumana umvuzo wokuphila ezulwini ekupheleni kwemiNyaka eyiKulungwana.—Rhu. 45:17.

8. Ngiziphi iinqhema ezintathu ebekubonakala ngasuthi zinendawo emnqophweni kaZimu?

⁸ Abafundi beBhayibheli bebacabanga ukuthi kuneenqhema ezintathu: (1) zii-144 000, eziyokubusa noJesu ezulwini; (2) isiqubuthu esikhulu samaKrestu ebesingatjhiseki ebesizokujama phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi sakaJesu ezulwini; (3) neenkulungwana zabantu ezizokufundiswa ngeendlela zakaJehova hlangana nemiNyaka eyiKulungwana yokuBusa kwakaKrestu. * Ngesikhathi esifaneleko, uJehova wabasiza bona bayizwisise kuhle indaba le.—IzA. 4:18.

9. (a) Kungayiphi indlela isiqubuthu esikhulu esisephasini ‘sizokujama phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi naphambi kweMvana’? (b) Kubayini ihlathululo efumaneka kusAmbulo 7:9 izwisiseka?

⁹ Ngo-1935 aboFakazi bakaJehova bazwisisa kuhle ukuthi sibobani isiqubuthu esikhulu okukhulunywa ngaso embonweni kaJwanisi. Balemuka ukuthi isiqubuthu esikhulu akutlhogeki bona siye ezulwini ‘siyokujama phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi naphambi kweMvana.’ Kunalokho, sijame ngokomfanekiso. Ngitjho nanyana sizokuphila ephasini, isiqubuthu esikhulu ‘singajama phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi’ ngokulemuka igunya lakaJehova lokubusa nangokuzithoba ebukhosini bakhe. (Isa. 66:1) Enye indlela ‘esingajama ngayo ngaphambi kweMvana’ kukholelwa emhlatjelweni kaJesu wesihlengo. Ngokufanako, kuMatewu 25:31, 32, ‘zoke iintjhaba’—kuhlanganise nabantu abambi “zizokubuthelwa phambi” kwesihlalo sobukhosi sakaJesu esiphazimulako. Kuyakhanya bona iintjhabezi, azisisezulwini kunalokho zisephasini. Yeke ihlathululo le yakhanyiswa ngo-1935 begodu iyazwakala. Ihlathulula nokuthi kubayini iBhayibheli ingatjho bona isiqubuthu esikhulu akhenge siye ezulwini. Kunalokho siqhema esisodwa kwaphela esithenjiswe ukuphila ezulwini—esizii-144 000, ‘esizokubusa noJesu njengamakhosi phezu kwephasi.’—IsAm. 5:10.

10. Kubayini kutlhogeka bona isiqubuthu esikhulu sifundiswe ngeendlela zakaJehova ngaphambi kokuthoma kwemiNyaka eyiKulungwana?

¹⁰ Kusukela ngo-1935, aboFakazi bakaJehova bazwisisa ukuthi isiqubuthu esikhulu esabonwa nguJwanisi sakhiwa maKrestu athembekileko, anethemba lokuphila ngokungapheliko ephasini. Nasizakusinda esizini elikhulu, isiqubuthu esikhulu kufuze sifunde ngoJehova besimlotjhe ngaphambi kokuthoma kwemiNyaka eyiKulungwana. Kufuze sibe nokukholwa okuqinileko bona ‘siphumelele ekubalekeleni zoke izintwezi okufuze zenzeke’ ngaphambi kokuBusa kwakaKrestu kwemiNyaka eyiKulungwana.—Luk. 21:34-36.

11. Kubayini abanye abaFundi beBhayibheli bebacabanga ukuthi mhlamunye kunabanye abazokuvuselwa ezulwini ngemva kwemiNyaka eyiKulungwana?

¹¹ Kuthiwani ngalabo abathembekileko abasephasini abazokuvuselwa ezulwini ngemva kokuthoma kwemiNyaka eyiKulungwana? Indaba le kwakhulunywa ngayo eminyakeni eminengi eyadlulako esiThaleni sangoFebherbari 15, 1913, esifumaneka ngesiNgisi. Omunye bekangathi, ‘Kubayini iinceku zakaZimu ezithembekileko zekadeni zizokuvuselwa  ephasini, kuthi amaKrestu ebewangakathembeki njengazo avuselwe ezulwini?’ Kuliqiniso ukuthi ukucabanga okunjalo bekusekelwe ezintweni ezimbili ezingasiliqiniso: (1) ukuthi isiqubuthu esikhulu besizokuhlala ezulwini nokuthi, (2) isiqubuthu esikhulu besizokukwakhiwa maKrestu ebekangatjhiseki.

12-13. Iinqhema ezimbilezi, khuyini eziyilemukako malungana nemivuzwazo?

¹² Njengombana sibonile, kuyakhanya ukuthi kusukela ngo-1935, aboFakazi bakaJehova bazwisisa kuhle ukuthi abazokusinda e-Arimagedoni siqubuthu esikhulu esabonwa nguJwanisi. Sizokuphuma “esizini elikhulu” ephasina begodu “sizokurhuwelela ngelizwi elikhulu sithi: ‘Isindiso ivela kuZimethu, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi, neMvaneni.’” (IsAm. 7:10, 14) Ukungezelela kilokho, imiTlolo ifundisa ukuthi labo abazokuvuselwa ezulwini bazokufumana “okuthileko okungcono” okudlula ithemba amadoda wekadeni athembekileko ebekanalo. (Heb. 11:40) Ngetjiseko abafowethu bathoma ukumema abantu bona balotjhe uJehova, banethemba lokuphila ngokungapheliko ephasini.

¹³ Isiqubuthu esikhulwesi siyathaba ngethemba laso. Isiqubuthwesi siyazwisisa ukuthi nguJehova okhethela iinceku zakhe ezithembekileko ukuthi zizomlotjhela kuphi, ephasini namkha ezulwini. Iinqhema ezimbilezi ziyatjheja ukuthi zifumana imivuzwaso ngebanga lomusa kaJehova omkhulu awutjengisa ngomnikelo wesihlengo sakaJesu Krestu.—Rom. 3:24.

14. Ngemva kwaka-1935, kubayini inengi labantu belizibuza ukuthi isiphorofido esimalungana nesiqubuthu esikhulu sizokuzaliseka njani?

¹⁴ Ngemva kokulungiswa kwendlela abantu bakaJehova ebebazwisisa ngayo indaba le ngo-1935, inengi belisolo lizibuza ukuthi labo abanethemba lokuphila ephasina bazokukhula njani babe siqubuthu esikhulu ngesibalo. Ngokwesibonelo, uRonald Parkin bekaneminyaka eli-12 nayikhanyiswa kuhle indaba yesiqubuthu esikhulu. Nakakhumbulako uthi, “ngesikhatheso ephasini mazombe bekunabarhuweleli abazii-56 000 begodu kungenzeka ukuthi inengi labo belizesiwe. Yeke bekungabonakali ukuthi isiqubuthu esikhulu sinamalunga amanengi.”

15. Ukubuthelelwa kwesiqubuthu esikhulu kuragele njani phambili nokukhula?

¹⁵ Nanyana kunjalo, ematjhumini weminyaka eyalandelako, kwathunyelwa iinthunywa zevangeli eenarheni ezinengi begodu lokho kwenza bona isibalo saboFakazi bakaJehova siragele phambili sikhula. Kwathi ngo-1968 kwathonywa ihlelo lokufunda iBhayibheli kusetjenziswa incwadi ethi, The Truth That Leads  to Eternal Life. Indlelayo elula yokuhlathulula iqiniso leBhayibheli yadosela inengi labantu kuJehova. Kwabhajadiswa abafundi abatjha abasiquntu sesigidi hlangana neminyaka emine. Njengombana iSondo lamaKatolika besele liphelelwa mamandla wokulawula iLatin Amerika nezinye iinarha begodu njengombana bekupheliswa ukuvinjelwa komsebenzethu eenarheni zePumalanga ye-Europe neengcenyeni ze-Afrika, iingidi zabantu zabhajadiswa. (Isa. 60:22) Eminyakeni yamva nje, ihlangano kaJehova igadangise amathulusi amanengi wokusiza abantu bona bafunde lokho okufundiswa liBhayibheli. Kuyakhanya ukuthi nje sele kubuthelelwe isiqubuthu esikhulu esingaphezu kweengidi ezibunane.

16. Sivelaphi isiqubuthu esikhulu?

¹⁶ Nakatlola umbonwakhe, uJwanisi wathi isiqubuthu esikhulu sizokuvela kizo “zoke iintjhaba, iinkoro, abantu namalimi.” Ngaphambilini, umphorofidi uZakariya wabikezela ngento efanako. Watlola: “Emihleni leyo amadoda alitjhumi kizo zoke izizwe ezihlukeneko azakukakarela umJuda ngomphetho wesambatho sakhe athi, ‘Sifuna ukukhamba nawe ngombana sizwile bonyana uZimu unani.’”—Zak. 8:23.

17. Khuyini eyenziweko bona kusizwe abantu abavela eentjhabeni nabakhuluma amalimi ahlukahlukeneko?

¹⁷ AboFakazi bakaJehova bayazi ukuthi nakuzakubuthelelwa abantu bamalimi ahlukahlukeneko,  iindaba ezimnandi kufuze zitjhunyayelwe ngamalimi amanengi. Sele kudlule iminyaka engaphezu kweli-130, kutjhugululwa iincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini kodwana nje senza umsebenzi wokutjhugulula omkhulu ongakhenge ube khona ngamalimi engaphezu kwama-900. Kuyakhanya ukuthi uJehova wenza umkarisomraro esikhathini sethu, ngokubuthelela isiqubuthu esikhulu kizo zoke iintjhaba. Ngombana iBhayibheli neencwadi ezisekelwe kilo zitholakala ngamalimi amanengi, isiqubuthwesi silotjha uJehova ngobunye ngitjho nanyana sivela ephasini mazombe. Abofakazi baziwa khulu ngokutjhiseka emsebenzini wokutjhumayela nangokuthanda abafowabo. Mbala lokho kuqinisa ukukholwa kwethu!—Mat. 24:14; Jwa. 13:35.

18. (a)Ngokwaka-Isaya 46:10, 11, kubayini kungasirari ukuthi uJehova usizalisile isiphorofido esimalungana nesiqubuthu esikhulu? (b) Kubayini labo abanethemba lokuphila ephasina bangacabangi ukuthi balahlekelwe?

¹⁸ Sithabisa khulu isiphorofido esimayelana nesiqubuthu esikhulu! Akusirari ukuthi uJehova uzalise isiphorofidwesi ngendlela ekhethekileko. (Funda u-Isaya 46:10, 11.) Amalunga wesiqubuthu esikhulu alithabela khulu ithemba alinikelwe nguJehova. Awazizwa alahlekelwe ngombana awakazeswa nguZimu ngommoyakhe bona ayokubusa noJesu ezulwini. Kiyo yoke imiTlolo sifunda ngamadoda nabafazi abakholwako ebebanqotjhiswa mmoya ocwengileko. Nanyana kunjalo, abasiyingcenye yabazii-144 000. Omunye walaba nguJwanisi uMbhabhadisi. (Mat. 11:11) UDavida ngomunye wabo. (IzE. 2:34) Ekhabolakhona kunabanye abanengi abazokuvuselwa epharadesi elizokuba sephasini. Boke abathembekileko, kuhlanganise nesiqubuthu esikhulu bazokuba nethuba lokutjengisa ukuthembela kwabo kuJehova nekubuseni kwakhe.

19. Ukuzaliseka kombono kaJwanisi malungana nesiqubuthu esikhulu kukuveza njani ukuqakatheka kweenkhathi esiphila kizwezi?

¹⁹ Kiwo woke umlando wabantu akhenge khekwenzeke ukuthi uZimu ahlanganise iingidi zabantu ezivela kizo zoke iinarha. Kungenzeka abanye bethu banethemba lokuphila ezulwini kuthi abanye banethemba lokuphila ephasina. Soke sitlhoga ukusiza abantu abanengi ngendlela esingakghona ngayo bona nabo babe yingcenye yesiqubuthu esikhulu ‘sezinye izimvu.’ (Jwa. 10:16) Ingasikade uJehova uzokuletha isizi elikhulu elabikezelwako elizokurhayila ababusi namasondo abangele ukutlhaga ebantwini. Woke amalunga wesiqubuthu esikhulu anelungelo elihle lokulotjha uJehova ephasini isiphelani.—IsAm. 7:14.