1. (a) Fingqa umfanekiso kakolweni nokhula. (b) UJesu wakuchaza kanjani okushiwo yilo mfanekiso?

KOMUNYE wemifanekiso yakhe ephathelene noMbuso, uJesu ukhuluma ngomlimi ohlwanyela imbewu enhle kakolweni bese kufika isitha, sihlwanyele ukhula kuyo leyo nsimu. Ukhula lukhula luminyanise ukolweni, kodwa umlimi uyala izinceku zakhe ukuba ‘zikuyeke kukhule ndawonye kokubili kuze kube sekuvuneni.’ Phakathi nenkathi yokuvuna, ukhula luyashiswa futhi ukolweni uyabuthwa. UJesu wawuchaza ngokwakhe lo mfanekiso. (Funda uMathewu 13:24-30, 37-43.) Yini eyembulwa yilo mfanekiso? (Bheka ishadi elithi “Ukolweni Nokhula.”)

2. (a) Yini eboniswa izenzakalo ezenzeka ensimini yomlimi? (b) Iyiphi ingxenye yalo mfanekiso esizoxoxa ngayo?

² Izenzakalo ezenzeka ensimini yalowo mlimi zibonisa isikhathi nendlela uJesu ayeyobutha ngayo esintwini bonke abantu besigaba sikakolweni—amaKristu agcotshiwe ayobusa naye eMbusweni wakhe. Ukuhlwanyela kwaqala ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. Ukubutha kuyophela lapho abagcotshiweyo abayobe besaphila ekupheleni kwalesi simiso sezinto bebekwa uphawu lokugcina bese bethathwa beyiswa ezulwini. (Math. 24:31; IsAm. 7:1-4) Njengendawo esentabeni eyenza ukuba ubone kahle indawo, ngokufanayo lo mfanekiso usinikeza umbono omuhle ocacile wezinto ezaziyokwenzeka phakathi nenkathi yeminyaka engaba izinkulungwane ezimbili. Ngokwalokho esikubonayo, iziphi izenzakalo ezihlobene noMbuso esiziqaphelayo? Umfanekiso uchaza isikhathi sokuhlwanyela, sokukhula nesokuvuna. Lesi sihloko sizogxila kakhulu esikhathini sokuvuna. *

3. (a) Isiphi isimo esavela ngemva kwekhulu lokuqala leminyaka? (b) NgokukaMathewu 13:28, imuphi umbuzo owabuzwa, futhi obani abawubuza? (Bheka nephuzu elisekugcineni.)

³ ‘Ukhula lwabonakala’ ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili C.E. lapho amaKristu mbumbulu eqala ukubonakala  ensimini eyizwe. (Math. 13:26) Ngasekhulwini lesine, amaKristu anjengokhula ayesemaningi kakhulu kunamaKristu agcotshiwe. Khumbula ukuthi kulo mfanekiso, izinceku zacela enkosini yazo imvume yokusiphula ukhula. * (Math. 13:28) Yasabela kanjani inkosi?

4. (a) Ibonisani impendulo yeNkosi, uJesu? (b) AmaKristu anjengokolweni aqala nini ukubonakala?

⁴ Ekhuluma ngokolweni nokhula, uJesu wathi: “Kuyekeni kukhule ndawonye kokubili kuze kube sekuvuneni.” Lo myalo ubonisa ukuthi amaKristu athile agcotshiwe anjengokolweni abelokhu ekhona emhlabeni kusukela ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka kuze kube namuhla. Leso siphetho siqinisekiswa yilokho uJesu akutshela abafundi bakhe kamuva: “Nginani izinsuku zonke kuze kube isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.” (Math. 28:20) Ngakho uJesu wayeyowavikela amaKristu agcotshiwe zonke izinsuku kuze kube sesikhathini sokuphela. Nokho, njengoba aminyaniswa amaKristu anjengokhula, asazi ngokuqinisekile ukuthi obani ababengabesigaba sikakolweni phakathi naleyo nkathi ende yesikhathi. Nokho, emashumini eminyaka ngaphambi kokuqala kwenkathi yokuvuna, isigaba sikakolweni saqala ukubonakala. Kwenzeka kanjani lokho?

5. Isiprofetho sikaMalaki sagcwaliseka kanjani ekhulwini lokuqala?

 ⁵ Emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba uJesu anikeze lo mfanekiso kakolweni nokhula, uJehova waphefumulela umprofethi wakhe uMalaki ukuba abikezele izenzakalo ezivelayo nasemfanekisweni kaJesu. (Funda uMalaki 3:1-4.) UJohane uMbhapathizi waba ‘isithunywa esalungisa indlela.’ (Math. 11:10, 11) Lapho efika ngo-29 C.E., kwase kusondele isikhathi sokwahlulelwa kwesizwe sakwa-Israyeli. UJesu waba isithunywa sesibili. Walihlanza  kabili ithempeli eJerusalema—ekuqaleni kwenkonzo yakhe nangasekupheleni kwayo. (Math. 21:12, 13; Joh. 2:14-17) Ngakho, umsebenzi kaJesu wokuhlanza wathatha inkathi ethile.

6. (a) Ikuphi ukugcwaliseka okukhulu kwesiprofetho sikaMalaki? (b) UJesu walihlola phakathi nayiphi inkathi ithempeli elingokomoya? (Bheka nephuzu elisekugcineni.)

⁶ Ikuphi ukugcwaliseka okukhulu kwesiprofetho sikaMalaki? Phakathi namashumi eminyaka aholela ku-1914, uC. T. Russell nalabo ayebambisene nabo benza umsebenzi ofana nalowo owenziwa uJohane uMbhapathizi. Lowo msebenzi obalulekile wawuhilela ukubuyiselwa kwamaqiniso eBhayibheli. AbaFundi BeBhayibheli bafundisa ukuthi usho ukuthini ngempela umhlatshelo wesihlengo kaKristu, badalula amanga esihogo somlilo futhi bamemezela ukuphela kweZikhathi Zabezizwe okwakuzokwenzeka. Noma kunjalo kwakunamaqembu enkolo amaningi ayethi angabalandeli bakaKristu. Ngakho, nanku umbuzo obalulekile okwadingeka ukuba uphendulwe: Obani kulawo maqembu ababengukolweni? Ukuze kutholakale impendulo yalowo mbuzo, uJesu waqala ukuhlola ithempeli elingokomoya ngo-1914. Lowo msebenzi wokuhlola nokuhlanza wathatha inkathi ethile—kusukela ngo-1914 kwaze kwaba sekuqaleni kuka-1919. *

7. Lapho uJesu eqala umsebenzi wakhe wokuhlola ngo-1914, yini ayithola?

⁷ Lapho uJesu eqala umsebenzi wakhe wokuhlola, yini ayithola? Wathola iqembu elincane labaFundi BeBhayibheli abashisekayo okwase kuyiminyaka engaphezu kwengu-30 lisebenzisa amandla alo nengcebo yalo emkhankasweni wokushumayela ngenkuthalo. * Yeka ukuthi kumelwe ukuba uJesu nezingelosi bajabula kanjani ukuthola lowo kolweni ombalwa ngokuqhathaniswa kodwa oqinile ungaminyaniswanga  ukhula lukaSathane! Noma kunjalo, saba khona isidingo ‘sokuhlanza amadodana kaLevi,’ angabagcotshiweyo. (Mal. 3:2, 3; 1 Pet. 4:17) Kungani?

8. Iziphi izenzakalo ezenzeka ngemva kuka-1914?

⁸ Ekupheleni kuka-1914, abanye abaFundi BeBhayibheli babedikibele ngoba bengazange baye ezulwini. Phakathi kuka-1915 no-1916, ukuphikiswa okuvela ngaphandle kwenhlangano kwawukhinyabeza umsebenzi wokushumayela. Okubi nakakhulu ukuthi ngemva kokufa koMfoweth’ uRussell ngo-October 1916, kwaba nokuphikiswa ngaphakathi enhlanganweni. Abane kubaqondisi abayisikhombisa beWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society bamelana ngokuqinile nesinqumo sokuba kube uMfoweth’ uRutherford oholayo. Bazama ukubangela ukwahlukana phakathi kwabazalwane, kodwa ngo-August 1917, bahamba eBethel—ukuhlanzwa kwangempela! Kwaba khona nabanye abaFundi BeBhayibheli abawela ogibeni lokwesaba abantu. Noma kunjalo, njengeqembu abaFundi BeBhayibheli basabela ngenhliziyo evumayo emsebenzini kaJesu wokuhlanza futhi benza izinguquko ezidingekile. Yingakho uJesu abahlulela njengokolweni omelela amaKristu eqiniso, kodwa wawalahla wonke amaKristu mbumbulu, kuhlanganise nawo wonke ayesemasontweni eLobukholwa. (Mal. 3:5; 2 Thim. 2:19) Kwabe sekwenzekani? Ukuze sithole, asiphinde siwubheke umfanekiso kakolweni nokhula.

9, 10. (a) Yini esizoyidingida manje ngokuphathelene nenkathi yokuvuna? (b) Yini eyenzeka kuqala phakathi nenkathi yokuvuna?

⁹ UJesu wathi: “Ukuvuna yisiphelo sesimiso sezinto.” (Math. 13:39) Leyo nkathi yokuvuna yaqala ngo-1914. Sizodingida izenzakalo ezinhlanu uJesu abikezela ukuthi zaziyokwenzeka ngaleso sikhathi.

¹⁰ Esokuqala, ukubuthwa kokhula. UJesu uthi: “Ngenkathi yokuvuna ngizotshela abavuni ngithi, Buthani ukhula kuqala nilubophe izinyanda.” Ngemva kuka-1914, izingelosi zaqala ‘ukubutha’ amaKristu anjengokhula ngokuwahlukanisa kwabagcotshiweyo ‘abangabantwana bombuso.’—Math. 13:30, 38, 41.

11. Kuze kube manje, yini ebilokhu ihlukanisa amaKristu eqiniso kumaKristu mbumbulu?

¹¹ Njengoba umsebenzi wokubutha uqhubeka, umahluko ophakathi kwala maqembu amabili wacaca ngokwengeziwe. (IsAm. 18:1, 4) Ngo-1919, kwaba sobala ukuthi iBhabhiloni Elikhulu liwile. Yini ngokukhethekile eyahlukanisa amaKristu eqiniso kumaKristu mbumbulu? Umsebenzi wokushumayela. Labo abaholayo phakathi kwabaFundi BeBhayibheli baqala ukugcizelela ukubaluleka kokuba umuntu ngamunye ahlanganyele emsebenzini wokushumayela ngoMbuso. Ngokwesibonelo, incwajana yesiNgisi eyanyatheliswa ngo-1919 enesihloko esithi, To Whom the Work Is Entrusted (Kulabo Abaphathiswe Umsebenzi), yanxusa wonke amaKristu agcotshiwe ukuba ashumayele endlini ngendlu. Yathi: “Umsebenzi ubonakala umkhulu ngendlela esabekayo, kodwa ungoweNkosi, futhi sizowenza ngamandla ayo. Unelungelo lokuhlanganyela kuwo.” Asabela kanjani? Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, INqabayokulinda yesiNgisi ngo-1922 yabika ukuthi abaFundi BeBhayibheli bandisa umsebenzi wabo wokushumayela. Kungakabiphi, ukushumayela endlini ngendlu kwaba uphawu lwalawo maKristu athembekile—njengoba kusenjalo nanamuhla.

12. Abesigaba sikakolweni baqala nini ukubuthwa?

¹² Esesibili, ukubuthwa kukakolweni. UJesu wayala izingelosi zakhe: “[Buthelani] ukolweni enqolobaneni yami.” (Math. 13:30) Kusukela ngo-1919, abagcotshiweyo bebelokhu bebuthelwa ebandleni lobuKristu elibuyiselwe. Ukubuthwa kokugcina kwamaKristu agcotshiwe ayobe esaphila ekupheleni kwalesi simiso sezinto kuyokwenzeka lapho ethola umvuzo wawo wasezulwini.—Dan. 7:18, 22, 27.

13. IsAmbulo 18:7 sembulani ngesimo sengqondo samanje sesifebe, noma iBhabhiloni Elikhulu, kuhlanganise neLobukholwa?

 ¹³ Esesithathu, ukukhala nokuququda amazinyo. Ngemva kokuba izingelosi sezibophe ukhula lwaba izinyanda, kube sekwenzekani? Ekhuluma ngesimo sesigaba sokhula, uJesu uthi: “Lapho yilapho beyokhala khona baququde amazinyo.” (Math. 13:42) Ingabe lokhu kuyenzeka kwamanje? Cha. Namuhla, eLobukholwa, eliyingxenye yesifebe, lisaqhubeka lithi: “Ngihlezi njengendlovukazi, angiyena umfelokazi, futhi angisoze ngakubona ukulila.” (IsAm. 18:7) Ngempela, eLobukholwa alizikhohliwe liphethe, lize lagabadela ‘lahlala njengendlovukazi’ phezu kwesigaba sabaholi bezombusazwe. Okwamanje, labo abamelele ukhula bayaziqhayisa, abakhali. Kodwa izinto sezizoshintsha.

14. (a) AmaKristu mbumbulu ‘ayowaququda nini amazinyo,’ futhi ngani? (b) Ukulungiswa kokuqonda ebesinakho ngoMathewu 13:42 kuvumelana kanjani nomqondo okumaHubo 112:10? (Bheka iphuzu elisekugcineni.)

¹⁴ Phakathi nosizi olukhulu, ngemva kokuba yonke inkolo yamanga ehleliwe isibhujisiwe, ababengabalandeli bayo bayofuna indawo yokucasha, kodwa ngeke bayithole indawo elondekile. (Luka 23:30; IsAm. 6:15-17) Lapho beqaphela ukuthi abakwazi ukubalekela ukubhujiswa, bayobe sebekhala ngokuphelelwa ithemba futhi ‘baququde amazinyo’ bethukuthele. Njengoba uJesu ebikezela esiprofethweni sakhe esiphathelene nosizi olukhulu, ngalowo mzuzu onzima, ‘bayozishaya belila.’ *—Math. 24:30; IsAm. 1:7.

15. Yini eyokwenzeka ngokhula, futhi leso senzakalo siyoba nini?

¹⁵ Esesine, ukuphonswa kokhula esithandweni somlilo. Kuyokwenzekani ngezinyanda zokhula? Izingelosi ‘ziyoziphonsa esithandweni somlilo.’ (Math. 13:42) Lokho kusho ukubhujiswa ngokuphelele. Ngakho, labo balandeli bezinkolo zamanga bayobhujiswa phakathi nengxenye yokugcina yosizi olukhulu, i-Armagedoni.—Mal. 4:1.

16, 17. (a) Isiphi isenzakalo sokugcina uJesu akhuluma ngaso emfanekisweni wakhe? (b) Kungani siphetha ngokuthi ukugcwaliseka kwaleso senzakalo kusazokwenzeka?

¹⁶ Esesihlanu, ukukhanya ngokukhazimulayo. UJesu uphetha isiprofetho sakhe ngokuthi: “Ngaleso sikhathi abalungileyo bayokhanya ngokukhazimulayo njengelanga embusweni kaYise.” (Math. 13:43) Lokho kuyokwenzeka nini futhi kuphi? La mazwi asazogcwaliseka. UJesu wayengabikezeli isenzakalo esenzeka manje emhlabeni, kodwa wayebikezela isenzakalo sesikhathi esizayo esasiyokwenzeka ezulwini. * Qaphela izizathu ezimbili eziholela kulesi siphetho.

¹⁷ Esokuqala, umbuzo othi siyokwenzeka “nini.” UJesu wathi: “Ngaleso sikhathi abalungileyo bayokhanya.” Kusobala  ukuthi inkulumo ethi “ngaleso sikhathi” ibhekisela esenzakalweni uJesu ayesanda kukhuluma ngaso, ‘esiwukuphonswa kokhula esithandweni somlilo.’ Lokho kwenzeka engxenyeni yokugcina yosizi olukhulu. Ngakho, ‘ukukhanya ngokukhazimulayo’ kwabagcotshiwe kumelwe ukuba nakho kuyokwenzeka ngaleso sikhathi esizayo. Esesibili, umbuzo othi siyokwenzeka “kuphi.” UJesu wathi abalungileyo ‘bayokhanya embusweni.’ Kusho ukuthini lokho? Bonke abagcotshiweyo abathembekile abayobe besesemhlabeni ngemva kokuba ingxenye yokuqala yosizi olukhulu isidlulile bayobe sebebekwe uphawu lwabo lokugcina. Khona-ke, njengoba kuboniswe esiprofethweni sikaJesu esiphathelene nosizi olukhulu, bayobuthelwa ezulwini. (Math. 24:31) Yilapho beyokhanya khona ‘embusweni kaYise,’ futhi ngemva nje kwempi ye-Armagedoni, bayohlanganyela ‘emshadweni weWundlu’ njengomlobokazi ojabule kaJesu.—IsAm. 19:6-9.

18, 19. Ukuqonda umfanekiso kaJesu kakolweni nokhula kusizuzisa ngaziphi izindlela?

¹⁸ Sizuza kanjani thina kulo mbono wezenzakalo zesikhathi esizayo esiwuthola kulo mfanekiso? Cabangela izindlela ezintathu. Eyokuqala, ujulisa ukuqonda kwethu. Lo mfanekiso wembula isizathu esibalulekile sokuvumela kukaJehova ububi. ‘Wabekezelela izitsha zolaka’ ukuze alungiselele ‘izitsha zesihe’—abesigaba sikakolweni. * (Roma 9:22-24) Eyesibili, uqinisa ithemba lethu. Njengoba ukuphela kusondela, izitha zethu ziyolwa nathi nakakhulu, ‘kodwa ngeke zinqobe.’ (Funda uJeremiya 1:19.) Njengoba uJehova eye wabavikela abesigaba sikakolweni phakathi nayo yonke le minyaka, ngokufanayo uBaba wethu osezulwini, esebenzisa uJesu nezingelosi uyoba nathi “zonke izinsuku” ezizayo.—Math. 28:20.

¹⁹ Eyesithathu, lo mfanekiso usenza sibone abesigaba sikakolweni. Kungani lokhu kubaluleke kakhulu? Ukwazi ukuthi obani abangamaKristu esigaba sikakolweni kubaluleke kakhulu ekutholeni impendulo yombuzo owabuzwa uJesu esiprofethweni sakhe eside esiphathelene nezinsuku zokugcina. Wabuza: “Ngubani ngempela oyinceku ethembekileyo neqondayo?” (Math. 24:45) Izihloko ezimbili ezilandelayo zizonikeza impendulo egculisayo yalo mbuzo.