KungoLwesibini emva kwemini, ibe uNisan 11 seza kuphela. UYesu ebexakekile kwezi ntsuku zimbalwa zidlulileyo ibe ixesha lakhe emhlabeni sele liza kuphela. Kwezi ntsuku, ebeshumayela etempileni aze ebusuku ayokulala eBhethani. Abantu bebenomdla kakhulu kuba ‘bebesiya etempileni ekuseni beyokummamela.’ (Luka 21:37, 38) Ngoku ukwiNtaba YemiNquma nabapostile bakhe abane, uPetros, uAndreya, uYakobi, noYohane.

Aba bapostile bafuna ukuthetha naye yedwa. Banexhala ngetempile kuba usandokubaxelela ukuba akukho nelinye ilitye eliza kushiyeka lingadilizwa kuyo. Kodwa ikhona nenye into abafuna ukuyibuza. UYesu ebekhe wathi kubo: “Hlalani nilindile, kuba uNyana womntu uza ngexesha eningamlindelanga ngalo.” (Luka 12:40) Ebethethe “nangemini abonakala ngayo uNyana womntu.” (Luka 17:30) Ngaba yonke le nto idibana nento asandokuyithetha ngetempile? Abapostile bafuna nyhani ukwazi. Bathi: “Sixelele, ziza kwenzeka nini ezi zinto, ibe siza kubona ngantoni xa ukho naxa sekuza kupheliswa ihlabathi?”​—Mateyu 24:3.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba bacinga ngokutshatyalaliswa kwetempile ekufuphi kule ndawo bakuyo. Baphinda babuze nangobukho boNyana womntu. Mhlawumbi bacinga ngomzekelo uYesu ebekhe wawenza wenye “indoda yasebukhosini” eyayiza kuhamba ‘iyokwenziwa ukumkani, ize ibuye emva koko.’ (Luka 19:11, 12) Enye into abafuna ukuyazi kukuba kuza kwenzeka ntoni xa “kupheliswa ihlabathi.”

UYesu ubaphendula ngokubachazela ukuba baza kubona ngantoni xa iYerusalem netempile yayo iza kupheliswa. Kodwa akapheleli nje apho. Le nto athi baza kubona ngayo iza kunceda namaKristu exesha elizayo ayazi xa ‘ekho’ naxa seliza kupheliswa ihlabathi.

Njengokuba iminyaka ihamba, abapostile babona isiprofeto sikaYesu sisenzeka. Izinto ezininzi awathi ziza kwenzeka, ziqala ngexesha labo ukwenzeka. Yiyo loo nto ngo-70 C.E., kwiminyaka eyi-37 eye yalandela, amaKristu athe qwa ekulungele ukutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem netempile. Kodwa ke azenzeki zonke izinto uYesu ebethe ziza kwenzeka ngaphambi nango-70 C.E. Ukuba kunjalo, uza kubonakala ngantoni xa ekho ibe elawula kuBukumkani?

UYesu uthi kuza kubakho ‘iimfazwe kwiindawo ngeendawo’ ibe “iintlanga ziza kulwa nezinye iintlanga namazwe alwe namanye amazwe.” (Mateyu 24:6, 7) Uphinda athi “kuza kubakho iinyikima ezinkulu, kubekho indlala nezifo ezingubhubhani kwiindawo ngeendawo.” (Luka 21:11) Uyabalumkisa abafundi bakhe athi: “Abantu baza kunibamba, banitshutshise.” (Luka 21:12) Kuza kubakho abaprofeti bobuxoki baze baqhathe abantu abaninzi. Ububi buza kuba buninzi, ibe luza kuphola uthando lwabantu abaninzi. Uphinda athi ‘indaba zilungileyo ezingoBukumkani ziza kushunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke, ziviwe zizo zonke iintlanga, emva koko sifike isiphelo.’​—Mateyu 24:14.

Nangona enye indawo yesiprofeto sikaYesu isenzeka xa amaRoma etshabalalisa  iYerusalem, akunakwenzeka na ukuba enye indawo yaso iseza kwenzeka ibe iza kuba nkulu kunale seyenzekile? Ngaba uyabubona ubungqina bokuba indawo enkulu kwesi siprofeto sikaYesu sibalulekileyo iyenzeka kweli xesha lethu?

Enye into uYesu athi baza kubona ngayo xa ekho ibe elawula kuBukumkani ‘yinto eyenyanyekayo netshabalalisayo.’ (Mateyu 24:15) Ngo-66 C.E., le nto yenyanyekayo netshabalalisayo iba ‘ngamajoni amaRoma amisa iintente’ naphethe izithixo zawo. AmaRoma ajikeleza iYerusalem aze adilize ezinye iindawo zodonga lwayo. (Luka 21:20) Ngoko, “into eyenyanyekayo” imi kwindawo ibingamele ukuba ima kuyo, indawo amaYuda athi ‘yindawo engcwele.’

UYesu uphinda athi: “Elo iza kube ilixesha lentlungu engathethekiyo engazange ibonwe ukususela ekuqaleni kwehlabathi de kube ngoku, nengasoze iphinde ibekho.” Ngo-70 C.E., amaRoma ayayitshabalalisa iYerusalem. Ukutshatyalaliswa ‘kwesixeko esingcwele’ samaYuda kunye netempile, yintlungu engathethekiyo ibe kubulawa amawaka abantu. (Mateyu 4:5; 24:21) Esi sixeko namaYuda zange ayibona into enje, ibe ukutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem kuyayiphelisa indlela amaYuda ebekhonza ngayo yonke le minyaka. Kuyacaca ukuba enye into eza kuphinda yenzeke ekwesi siprofeto sikaYesu iza koyikeka.

UYesu akakagqibi ukuthetha nabapostile bakhe ngobukho bakhe kumandla oBukumkani nokupheliswa kwehlabathi. Ngoku ubalumkisa ngokuleqeka emva ‘kooKristu nabaprofeti bobuxoki.’ Uthi aba bantu baza kuzama ‘ukulahlekisa nkqu nabakhethiweyo, ukuba kunokwenzeka.’ (Mateyu 24:24) Kodwa abakhethiweyo abazokuqhatheka. OoKristu bobuxoki bayabonakala ebantwini kodwa yena uYesu akazokubonakala xa ekhona.

Ngoku uthetha ngenye intlungu engathethekiyo engaphezulu kwale ibikho, eza kubakho xa kupheliswa eli hlabathi. Uthi: “Ilanga liza kuba mnyama, inyanga ingakhanyi, kuwe iinkwenkwezi, nesibhakabhaka sidlikidlwe.” (Mateyu 24:29) Xa abapostile besiva ezi zinto zoyikekayo uYesu azichazayo, abaqinisekanga ukuba kuza kwenzeka ntoni kodwa bayaqonda ukuba loo nto iza kwenzeka iza kubothusa abantu.

Baza kuthini abantu xa sele zisenzeka ezi zinto? UYesu uthi: “Abantu baza kuphelelwa ngamandla ngenxa yokoyika izinto eziza kwenzeka emhlabeni, kuba isibhakabhaka siza kudlikidlwa.” (Luka 21:26) Kuyacaca ukuba oko babakho abantu eli iza kuba lelona xesha linzima.

Kodwa ke, uYesu uyabacacisela abapostile bakhe ukuba akuzokukhathazeka wonke umntu xa ‘uNyana womntu esiza, enamandla nozuko olukhulu.’ (Mateyu 24:30) Ebesele etshilo ukuba uThixo uza kungenelela “ngenxa yabo bakhethiweyo.” (Mateyu 24:22) Ngoko bamele bathini abafundi abathembekileyo xa besiva ezi zinto zothusayo uYesu azithethayo? Uyabakhuthaza athi: “Xa ziqala ukwenzeka ezi zinto, yimani nkqo niphakamise iintloko zenu, kuba seniza kusindiswa.”​—Luka 21:28.

Bona abafundi bakaYesu abaza kuphila ngeli xesha zenzeka ngalo ezi zinto baza kuyazi njani xa seliza kupheliswa ihlabathi? UYesu wenza umzekelo womthi wamafiya. Uthi: “Xa ethamba amasetyana alo mthi, kuphume namagqabi, niyazi ukuba ihlobo likufutshane. Nani ke, xa nibona zonke ezi zinto, ze nazi ukuba uNyana womntu sele esemnyango. Ndiyaniqinisekisa ukuba, soze sidlule esi sizukulwana zingenzekanga zonke ezi zinto.”​—Mateyu 24:32-34.

Ngoko xa abafundi bebona zonke izinto ekuthiwe baza kubona ngazo zisenzeka, bamele bazi ukuba isiphelo sikufutshane. UYesu uthi kubafundi abaza kube bekho ngelo xesha libalulekileyo:

 “Akukho mntu uyaziyo loo mini naloo yure, ayaziwa ziingelosi zamazulu, ingaziwa nanguNyana, yaziwa nguTata kuphela. Ubukho boNyana womntu buza kuba njengemihla kaNowa. Njengokuba kwakunjalo ngemihla yangaphambi koMkhukula, abantu besitya, besela, amadoda etshata nabafazi betshatiswa, de kwaba yimini awangena ngayo uNowa emkhombeni, bengahoyanga nto de kwafika uMkhukula wabatshayela bonke, buza kuba njalo ke nobukho boNyana womntu.” (Mateyu 24:36-39) Ukhumbuza abantu abammameleyo ukuba uMkhukula wexesha likaNowa wabakho emhlabeni wonke. Ngoko kuza kuba njalo nokupheliswa kweli hlabathi.

Abapostile abamamele uYesu kwiNtaba YemiNquma inoba ngoku bayayiqonda indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuhlala bethe qwa. UYesu uthi: “Gadani iintliziyo zenu, zingasindwa kukutya kakhulu nokusela kakhulu nangamaxhala obomi, ize loo mini iniqubule, inibambise ningalindelanga. Kuba iza kubafikela bonke abantu abasemhlabeni. Ngoko ke, hlalani nithe qwa, nimcenga ngalo lonke ixesha uThixo, ukuze nisinde kuzo zonke izinto ezimele zenzeke, nikwazi nokuma phambi koNyana womntu.”​—Luka 21:34-36.

Uphinda abonise ukuba le nto athi iza kwenzeka, ayizokwenzeka nje kwindawo ethile. Akaprofeti nje ngento eza kwenzeka kwiminyaka eyi-30 okanye eyi-40 ezayo neza kwenzeka kwisixeko saseYerusalem nesizwe sakwaYuda qha. Kodwa uthetha ngento ‘eza kubafikela bonke abantu abasemhlabeni.’

Uthi abafundi bakhe kuza kufuneka bahlale bethe qwa belindile. Uphinda ayibethelele le nto ngokwenza omnye umzekelo. Uthi: “Kodwa yazini le nto: Ukuba umnikazi wendlu ebelazi ixesha eliza kufika ngalo isela, ebengazukulala ukuze aqinisekise ukuba indlu yakhe ayiqhekezwa. Ngoko ke, nani hlalani nilindile, kuba uNyana womntu uza ngexesha eningalilindelanga.”​—Mateyu 24:43, 44.

UYesu uqhubeka ebanika isizathu sokuba babe nethemba abafundi bakhe. Uyabaqinisekisa ukuba xa sisenzeka isiprofeto sakhe, kuza kubakho “ikhoboka” elithe qwa nelisebenzayo. Ubenzela umzekelo wento abanokuyiqonda. Uthi: “Ngubani kanye kanye olikhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi, elanikwa yinkosi yalo umsebenzi wokukhathalela abo basebenza endlini yayo, ukuze libanike ukutya kwabo ngexesha elifanelekileyo? Liza konwaba elo khoboka ukuba inkosi yalo ifika liwenza loo msebenzi. Ndiyaniqinisekisa ukuba, iza kuliphathisa zonke izinto zayo.” Kodwa ukuba eli “khoboka” liqalisa ukuba ngumntu ombi lize libaphathe kakubi abanye, inkosi ‘iza kulohlwaya kakhulu.’​—Mateyu 24:45-51; thelekisa noLuka 12:45, 46.

UYesu akathi abanye babafundi bakhe baza kuba ngabantu ababi. Yintoni ke eyona nto ayifundisa abafundi bakhe? Ufuna bahlale bethe qwa baze basebenze, ibe loo nto uyicacisa ngomnye umzekelo.