UYATSANDZA yini kuya emaphathini?— Kumnandzi kakhulu kuba kuwo. Ucabanga kutsi Umfundzisi Lomuhle Kakhulu angafuna yini kutsi siye emaphathini?— Phela naye waya ephathini ngesikhatsi kunemuntfu loshadako, futsi bekahamba nalabanye bafundzi bakhe. Jehova ‘unguNkulunkulu lojabulako,’ ngako uyajabula nangabe sitijabulisa ngemaphathi lakahle.​—1 Thimothi 1:11; Johane 2:1-11.

Ekhasini 29 kulencwadzi sifundzile kutsi Jehova wehlukanisa Lwandle Lolubovu kute kuwele ema-Israyeli. Usakhumbula yini sifundza ngaloko?— Ngemuva kwaloko, labantfu bahlabela, bajayiva futsi babonga Jehova. Kwaba shengatsi banephathi. Labantfu bebajabule kakhulu, futsi singaciniseka kutsi naNkulunkulu bekajabulile.​—Eksodusi 15:1, 20, 21.

Ngemuva kwekutsi sekwendlule iminyaka lecishe ibe ngu-40, ema-Israyeli aya kulenye iphathi lenkhulu. Nyalo bewamenywe bantfu labebangamkhonti Jehova. Ecinisweni, labantfu lebebawamemile, bebakhotsamela ngisho netitfombe baphindze balale nebantfu labangakashadi  nabo. Ucabanga kutsi bekufanele yini ema-Israyeli aye ephathini lenjalo?— Phela Jehova kwamphatsa kabi loko, futsi wawajezisa.​—Numeri 25:1-9; 1 Khorinte 10:8.

LiBhayibheli liphindze lisitjele ngemaphathi lamabili emalanga ekutalwa. Ucabanga kutsi kulenye yawo bekugujwa lilanga lekutalwa leMfundzisi Lomuhle Kakhulu yini?— Akusinjalo, ngobe omabili lamaphathi emalanga ekutalwa bewentelwe emadvodza labengamkhonti Jehova. Iphathi yekucala yelilanga lekutalwa beyiyeNkhosi Herodi, lobekangumholi wesigodzi saseGalile lapho Jesu bekahlala khona.

INkhosi Herodi yenta tintfo letinyenti letimbi. Yatsatsa umfati wemnakabo yamenta wayo. Ligama lakhe bekunguHerodiyasi. Inceku yaNkulunkulu Johane uMbhabhatisi watjela Herodi kutsi lentfo layentile yimbi. Herodi akazange akutsandze loko. Ngako, watsi Johane akavalelwe ejele.​—Lukha 3:19, 20.

Ngesikhatsi Johane asejele, kwafika sikhatsi sekugubha lilanga lekutalwa kwaHerodi. Ngako Herodi wenta iphathi lenkhulu. Wamema bantfu labanyenti lababalulekile. Bonkhe labantfu badla, banatsa futsi batijabulisa. Ngako indvodzakati yaHerodiyasi yefika kute ibadansele. Bonkhe bantfu bajabula ngendlela labekajayiva ngayo,  kangangekutsi iNkhosi Herodi yafuna kuyinika sipho lesikhulu. Watsi kuyo: “Nobe yini loyicelako ngitakunika yona, ngisho nobe ungacela incenye yembuso wami.”

Beyitawucelani? Beyitawucela imali yini? Timphahla letinhle? Nobe sigodlo sayo yodvwa? Lentfombatana beyingati kutsi iceleni. Ngako yaya kumake wayo, Herodiyasi, yefika yatsi: “Kufanele ngiceleni?”

Herodiyasi abemtondza kakhulu Johane uMbhabhatisi. Ngako wayitjela kutsi icele inhloko yakhe. Lentfombatana yabuyela enkhosini yafike yatsi: “Ngiphe nyalo ngemgcwembe inhloko yaJohane uMbhabhatisi.”

INkhosi Herodi beyingafuni kubulala Johane ngobe beyati kutsi uyindvodza lelungile. Kodvwa Herodi bekente setsembiso, futsi bekesaba kutsi labantfu labasephathini batawucabangani ngaye nangabe ashintja loko lakushito. Ngako watfuma indvodza kutsi iye ejele bese ijuba inhloko yaJohane. Lendvodza yabuya ngekushesha. Beyiphetse inhloko yaJohane ngemgcwembe, yabese iyinika lentfombatana. Lentfombatana yatsatsa lenhloko yayinika make wayo.​—Makho 6:17-29.

Nalena lenye iphathi yelilanga lekutalwa liBhayibheli lelisitjela ngayo ayikehluki kulena yekucala. Bekuyiphathi yenkhosi yaseGibhithe.  Nangalesikhatsi kuchubeka lephathi, lenkhosi yatsi akujutjwe inhloko yalomunye umuntfu. Ngemuva kwaloko, yalengisa lenhloko kute tinyoni tiyidle. (Genesisi 40:19-22) Ucabanga kutsi Nkulunkulu wawemukela lamaphathi lamabili?— Wena bewungafuna yini kuba kuwo?—

Siyati kutsi tonkhe tintfo letiseBhayibhelini tibhalwe ngenjongo. LiBhayibheli lisitjela ngemaphathi lamabili emalanga ekutalwa. Kulamaphathi, kwentiwa tintfo letimbi. Ngako, ucabanga kutsi Nkulunkulu usitjelani ngemaphathi emalanga ekutalwa? Uyafuna yini Nkulunkulu kutsi sente emaphathi ngemalanga etfu ekutalwa?—

Kuliciniso kutsi lamuhla emaphathini lanjalo bantfu abatijubi tinhloko tebantfu. Kodvwa lendzaba yekugubha emalanga ekutalwa yacalwa bantfu lebebangamkhonti Nkulunkulu weliciniso. Lenye incwadzi isho naku ngemikhosi yemalanga ekutalwa lokukhulunywa ngayo eBhayibhelini: “Toni kuphela . . . Letenta emaphathi ngelilanga latalwa ngalo.” (The Catholic Encyclopedia) Uyafuna yini kufanana nato?—

Kutsiwani ngeMfundzisi Lomuhle Kakhulu? Waligubha yini lilanga latalwa ngalo?— LiBhayibheli alisho lutfo ngephathi yaJesu yangelilanga latalwa ngalo. Ecinisweni, balandzeli baJesu bekucala abazange baligubhe lilanga latalwa ngalo. Uyati kutsi kungani ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi bantfu bakhetsa kugubha lilanga laJesu lekutalwa ngaDecember 25?—

Lenye incwadzi itsi lelo langa lakhetfwa ngobe “bantfu baseRoma ngalelo langa bebavele bagubha uMkhosi waSaturn, lokungumkhosi wekutalwa kwelilanga.” (The World Book Encyclopedia) Ngako bantfu bakhetsa kugubha lilanga laJesu lekutalwa ngeliholide lelisetjentiswa bantfu labangamkhonti Nkulunkulu.

Uyati kutsi kungani kungeke kwenteke kutsi Jesu watalwa ngaDecember?— Kungenca yekutsi liBhayibheli litsi ngesikhatsi Jesu atalwa, belusi bebasolo basemadlelweni ebusuku. (Lukha 2:8-12) Futsi bebangeke bahlale ngephandle ngobe ngaDecember kumakhata futsi liyana.

 Bantfu labanyenti bayati kutsi Khisimusi akusilo lilanga Jesu latalwa ngalo. Bayati nekutsi ngalelo langa bantfu lebebangamkhonti Nkulunkulu bebaba nemkhosi longamjabulisi Nkulunkulu. Kodvwa nanobe kunjalo, bantfu labanyenti bayawugubha Khisimusi. Bakhatsateka kakhulu ngekuba nephathi kunekutsi batfole kutsi Nkulunkulu utiva njani ngaKhisimusi. Nanobe kunjalo, angitsi tsine sifuna kujabulisa Jehova?—

Ngako nasiba nemaphathi, sifuna kuciniseka ngekutsi ayamjabulisa Jehova. Singaba nawo nobe nini ngemnyaka. Akukafaneli silindze lilanga lelikhetsekile. Singadla kudla lokumnandzi futsi sitijabulise ngekudlala. Ungatsandza yini kwenta njalo?— Mhlawumbe ungakhuluma nebatali bakho bese uyabacela bakusite kutsi uhlele iphathi. Angitsi kungaba mnandzi kwenta njalo?— Kodvwa ngaphambi kwekutsi uhlele iphathi, ciniseka ngekutsi iyemukeleka yini kuNkulunkulu.