UJESU KRISTU wafundisa abalandeli bakhe: “Khona-ke, kumelwe nithandaze ngale ndlela: ‘Baba wethu osemazulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho. Umbuso wakho mawuze. Intando yakho mayenzeke nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.’” (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Lo mthandazo abaningi abawazi ngokuthi uBaba Wethu noma uMthandazo WeNkosi, uchaza injongo yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.

Lo Mbuso uyongcwelisa igama likaNkulunkulu. Kuyosuswa sonke isihlamba elathelwa ngaso ngenxa yokuvukela kukaSathane nomuntu. Lokhu kubalulekile. Injabulo yazo zonke izidalwa ezihlakaniphile ixhomeke ekuphatheni kwazo igama likaNkulunkulu ngobungcwele nasekwamukeleni ngokuzithandela ilungelo lakhe lokubusa.—IsAmbulo 4:11.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, uMbuso umiselwe ukuba wenze ukuba ‘intando kaNkulunkulu yenzeke nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.’ Iyini leyo ntando? Iwukubuyisela ubuhlobo phakathi kukaNkulunkulu nomuntu, ubuhlobo u-Adamu abulahla. UMbuso uyofeza nenjongo yoMbusi Wendawo Yonke, uJehova, yokwenza umhlaba ube ipharadesi abantu abalungile abangajabulela ukuphila phakade kulo. Yebo, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uyolungisa wonke umonakalo owabangelwa isono sokuqala futhi uyofeza injongo kaNkulunkulu yothando ngomhlaba. (1 Johane 3:8) Empeleni, lo Mbuso kanye nalokho oyokufeza uyisigijimi esiyinhloko seBhayibheli.

UMbuso kaNkulunkulu uwuhulumeni ongokoqobo onamandla amakhulu. Umprofethi uDaniyeli wathi fahla ngendlela onamandla ngayo. Wabikezela kudala: “UNkulunkulu wezulu uyomisa umbuso . . . [oyochoboza] uqede yonke le mibuso” yabantu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokungafani nemibuso yabantu ebifika idlule kuwo wonke umlando, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu “ngeke neze uchithwe.” (Daniyeli 2:44) Akukhona lokho kuphela. Lo Mbuso uphakeme ngaphezu kwanoma imuphi umbuso wabantu ngazo zonke izindlela.

UMbuso kaNkulunkulu uneNkosi ephakeme.

Cabanga nje ukuthi ingubani leyo Nkosi. ‘Ephusheni nasemibonweni’ ayinikwa, uDaniyeli wabona uMbusi woMbuso kaNkulunkulu ‘engothile onjengendodana yomuntu’ elethwa phambi kukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke futhi enikwa “ububusi nesithunzi nombuso.” (Daniyeli 7:1, 13, 14) Leyo Ndodana yomuntu inguJesu Kristu—uMesiya. (Mathewu 16:13-17) UJehova uNkulunkulu ukhethe iNdodana yakhe siqu, uJesu, ukuba ibe iNkosi yoMbuso wakhe. Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni, uJesu wathi kubaFarisi ababi: “Umbuso kaNkulunkulu uphakathi kwenu,” esho ukuthi yena, njengeNkosi yesikhathi esizayo yalowo Mbuso, wayephakathi kwabo.—Luka 17:21.

Obani esintwini abangasondela ngisho nokusondela ezimfanelweni zikaJesu njengoMbusi? UJesu kakade usebonakalisile ukuthi unguMholi olunge ngokuphelele, onokwethenjelwa futhi onobubele. AmaVangeli amchaza njengomuntu ongananazi kodwa futhi onesisa nemizwa ejulile. (Mathewu 4:23; Marku 1:40, 41; 6:31-34;  Luka 7:11-17) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJesu ovusiwe akasenakufa futhi azikho ezinye izinto ezingamkhinyabeza.—Isaya 9:6, 7.

UJesu nalabo azobusa nabo babusa besendaweni ephakeme kakhulu.

Embonweni wakhe wasephusheni, uDaniyeli wabona futhi ‘umbuso nobubusi kunikwa abantu abangabangcwele.’ (Daniyeli 7:27) UJesu akabusi yedwa. Unabanye abazobusa njengamakhosi futhi bakhonze njengabapristi. (IsAmbulo 5:9, 10; 20:6) Ngokuqondene nabo, umphostoli uJohane wabhala: “Ngabona, bheka! iWundlu limi eNtabeni iZiyoni, kumi kanye nalo abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amane nane . . . abathengwé emhlabeni.”—IsAmbulo 14:1-3.

IWundlu linguJesu Kristu eyiNkosi yoMbuso. (Johane 1:29; IsAmbulo 22:3) Le Ntaba iZiyoni ibhekisela ezulwini. * (Hebheru 12:22) UJesu nabangu-144 000 abakanye naye babusa besezulwini. Yeka ukuthi babusa besendaweni ephakeme kangakanani! Njengoba besezulwini, bakwazi ukubona kahle yonke into. Njengoba uzobusa usezulwini, ‘umbuso kaNkulunkulu’ ubizwa nangokuthi ‘umbuso wamazulu.’ (Luka 8:10; Mathewu 13:11) Akukho zikhali, ngisho nezenuzi ezingawuketula lowo hulumeni wasezulwini. Awunakunqotshwa futhi uyoyifeza injongo uJehova awumisele yona.—Hebheru 12:28.

UMbuso kaNkulunkulu unabameleli abathembekile emhlabeni.

Sazi kanjani? IHubo 45:16 lithi: ‘Uyomisa izikhulu emhlabeni wonke.’ Lesi siprofetho sikhuluma ngeNdodana kaNkulunkulu. (IHubo 45:6, 7; Hebheru 1:7, 8) Ngakho, uJesu Kristu ngokwakhe uyomisa abameleli abayizikhulu. Singaqiniseka ukuthi bayofeza iziqondiso zakhe ngokwethembeka. Ngisho nanamuhla, amadoda afanelekayo akhonza njengabadala ebandleni lobuKristu afundiswa ukuba ‘angazenzi izingqongqo’ phezu kwalabo akholwa nabo, kodwa ukuba abavikele, abaqabule futhi abaduduze.—Mathewu 20:25-28; Isaya 32:2.

UMbuso unezikhonzi ezilungile.

UNkulunkulu uzibheka njengezingasoleki futhi eziqotho. (IzAga 2:21, 22) IBhayibheli lithi: “Abamnene bayodla ifa lomhlaba, futhi ngempela bayothola injabulo enkulu ngokuchichima kokuthula.” (IHubo 37:11) Izikhonzi zoMbuso zimnene—ziyafundiseka futhi zithobekile, zinobuvi nesisa. Zikhathalela ngokuyinhloko izinto ezingokomoya. (Mathewu 5:3) Zifuna ukwenza okulungile futhi zilalela isiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu.

UMbuso kaNkulunkulu ulawulwa imithetho ephakeme kakhulu.

Imithetho nezimiso ezilawula lo Mbuso zivela kuJehova uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe. Kunokuba zisinqinde ngokungafanele, ziyasizuzisa. (IHubo 19:7-11) Abantu abaningi sebeyazuza kakade ngokuphila ngezimfuneko zikaJehova ezilungile. Ngokwesibonelo, ukulalela iseluleko seBhayibheli esiqondiswe emadodeni, emakhosikazini, nakubantwana kuthuthukisa imikhaya yethu. (Efesu 5:33–6:3) Lapho silalela umyalo ‘wokugqoka uthando,’ ubuhlobo bethu nabanye buyathuthuka. (Kolose 3:13, 14) Njengoba siphila ngezimiso ezingokomBhalo, sihlakulela nemikhuba emihle yokusebenza kanye nombono onokulinganisela ngemali. (IzAga 13:4; 1 Thimothewu 6:9, 10) Ukugwema ukudakwa, ukuziphatha kabi ngokobulili, ugwayi nezinye izidakamizwa eziluthayo kusisiza ukuba sivikele impilo yethu.—IzAga 7:21-23; 23:29, 30; 2 Korinte 7:1.

UMbuso kaNkulunkulu uwuhulumeni omiswe uNkulunkulu. INkosi yawo—uMesiya, uJesu Kristu—nabo bonke ababusi abakanye nayo banesibopho kuNkulunkulu sokusekela imithetho yakhe elungile nezimiso zakhe zothando. Izikhonzi zalo Mbuso, kuhlanganise nabameleli bawo basemhlabeni, bayakujabulela ukuphila ngemithetho kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho, ukuphila kwababusi nezikhonzi zalo Mbuso kugxile kuNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke, lo Mbuso ungumbuso ongokwasezulwini ngempela—ubuswa uNkulunkulu. Nakanjani uyophumelela ekufezeni  injongo owamiselwa yona. Kodwa lo Mbuso kaNkulunkulu, obuye futhi waziwe ngokuthi uMbuso kaMesiya, uqala nini ukubusa?

Isihluthulelo sokuqonda ukuthi lo Mbuso uqala nini ukubusa sitholakala emazwini kaJesu. Wathi: “IJerusalema liyonyathelwa phansi yizizwe, kuze kugcwaliseke izikhathi ezimisiwe zezizwe.” (Luka 21:24) IJerusalema laliwukuphela komuzi kuwo wonke umhlaba owawuhlobene ngokuqondile negama likaNkulunkulu. (1 AmaKhosi 11:36; Mathewu 5:35) Laliyikomkhulu lombuso wasemhlabeni owawuvunyelwa uNkulunkulu. Lowo muzi wawuzonyathelwa ngabezizwe ngoba ukubusa kukaNkulunkulu phezu kwabantu bakhe kwakuyophazanyiswa ohulumeni bezwe. Kwakuyoqala nini lokhu?

Inkosi yokugcina eyahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaJehova eJerusalema yatshelwa: “Susa umshuqulo, ususe umqhele. . . . Ngeke kube okwamuntu aze afike onelungelo elingokomthetho, ngikunike yena.” (Hezekeli 21:25-27) Umqhele wawuzosuswa ekhanda laleyo nkosi, futhi ukubusa kukaNkulunkulu phezu kwabantu bakhe kwakuzophazanyiswa. Lokhu kwenzeka ngo-607 B.C.E. lapho abaseBhabhiloni bebhubhisa iJerusalema. Phakathi ‘nezikhathi ezimisiwe’ ezazizolandela, uNkulunkulu wayengeke abe nohulumeni emhlabeni omelele ubukhosi bakhe. Kwakuyoze kube sekupheleni kwalezo zikhathi lapho uJehova ayeyonika lowo “onelungelo elingokomthetho”—uJesu Kristu—lobu bukhosi. Yayizothatha isikhathi eside kangakanani leyo nkathi?

Isiprofetho esisencwadini yeBhayibheli kaDaniyeli sithi: “Gawulani umuthi, niwuchithe. Nokho, shiyani isiphunzi sawo emhlabeni, kodwa nisishiye siboshwé ngebhande lensimbi nelethusi . . . kuze kudlule phezu kwaso izikhathi eziyisikhombisa.” (Daniyeli 4:23) Njengoba sizobona, “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa” okukhulunywa ngazo lapha zilingana ‘nezikhathi ezimisiwe zezizwe.’

EBhayibhelini, abantu, ababusi nemibuso ngezinye izikhathi bamelelwa imithi. (IHubo 1:3; Jeremiya 17:7, 8; Hezekeli, isahluko 31) Umuthi ongokomfanekiso ‘wawubonakala nasemkhawulweni wawo wonke umhlaba.’ (Daniyeli 4:11) Ngakho, ukubusa okwakumelelwe yilowo muthi owawuzogawula futhi uboshwe kwakwenabele “emkhawulweni womhlaba,” kuhlanganisa wonke umbuso wesintu. (Daniyeli 4:17, 20, 22) Ngakho-ke, lo muthi umelela umbuso ophakeme kaNkulunkulu, ikakhulukazi ngokuhlobene nomhlaba. Lo mbuso wabonakaliswa isikhathi esithile umbuso uJehova awumisa phezu kwesizwe sakwa-Israyeli. Umuthi ongokomfanekiso wagawulwa, futhi isiphunzi sawo saboshwa ngebhande lensimbi nelethusi ukuze singahlumi. Lokhu kwabonisa ukuthi umbuso omelele uNkulunkulu emhlabeni wawuzokhawula ukusebenza, njengoba kwenzeka ngo-607 B.C.E.—kodwa kwakungeke kube umlibe. Umuthi wawuyohlala uboshiwe kuze kudlule “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa.” Lapho leyo nkathi iphela, uJehova wayeyonika  indlalifa engokomthetho, uJesu Kristu, umbuso. Ngokusobala, “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa” ‘nezikhathi ezimisiwe zezizwe’ zibhekisela enkathini efanayo.

IBhayibheli lisisiza ukuba sithole ukuthi “izikhathi eziyisikhombisa” ziyinkathi engakanani. Lithi izinsuku ezingu-1 260 zilingana ‘nesikhathi’ esisodwa “nezikhathi [ezimbili, ubuningi] nengxenye yesikhathi”—ingqikithi yezikhathi ezintathu nengxenye. (IsAmbulo 12:6, 14) Lokhu kusho ukuthi uma leso sibalo siphindwa kabili, noma izikhathi eziyisikhombisa, siyizinsuku ezingu-2 520.

Uma sibala izinsuku ezingokoqobo ezingu-2 520 kusukela ku-607 B.C.E. zisiletha ku-600 B.C.E. Nokho, izikhathi eziyisikhombisa zathatha isikhathi eside kunalokho. Zazisaqhubeka lapho uJesu ekhuluma ‘ngezikhathi ezimisiwe zezizwe.’ Ngakho-ke, izikhathi eziyisikhombisa zingokwesiprofetho. Okusho ukuthi kumelwe sisebenzise isimiso esingokomBhalo esithi: “Usuku lube unyaka.” (Numeri 14:34; Hezekeli 4:6) Uma sibala ngale ndlela, izikhathi eziyisikhombisa zokubuswa komhlaba imibuso yezwe ngaphandle kokuphazanyiswa umbuso kaNkulunkulu ziba yiminyaka engu-2 520. Ukubala iminyaka engu-2 520 kusukela ku-607 B.C.E. kusiletha ku-1914 C.E. Lowo unyaka “izikhathi ezimisiwe zabezizwe,” noma izikhathi eziyisikhombisa, ezaphela ngawo. Lokhu kusho ukuthi uJesu Kristu waqala ngo-1914 ukubusa njengeNkosi yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.

Njengoba uMbuso kaMesiya usumisiwe ezulwini, kufanele yini siqhubeke siwuthandazela ukuba ufike, njengoba uJesu asifundisa emthandazweni oyisibonelo? (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Yebo. Leso sicelo siyafaneleka futhi sisasebenza ngokugcwele. UMbuso kaNkulunkulu usazobusa umhlaba ngokugcwele.

Yeka izibusiso isintu esithembekile esiyozijabulela lapho ufika! IBhayibheli lithi: “UNkulunkulu ngokwakhe uyoba nabo. Uyosula zonke izinyembezi emehlweni abo, ukufa ngeke kusaba khona, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu ngeke kusaba khona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlulile.” (IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Ngaleso sikhathi, “akekho ohlala khona oyothi: ‘Ngiyagula.’” (Isaya 33:24) Labo abathokozisa uNkulunkulu bayojabulela ukuphila okuphakade. (Johane 17:3) Njengoba silindele ukugcwaliseka kwalezi ziprofetho ezimangalisayo kanye nezinye eziseBhayibhelini, ‘masiqhubeke sifuna kuqala umbuso nokulunga kukaNkulunkulu.’—Mathewu 6:33.