Ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., umphostoli uPawulu watshela abadala ababekhonza ebandleni lase-Efesu: “Ziqapheleni nina nawo wonke umhlambi umoya ongcwele onimise phakathi kwawo ukuba nibe ngababonisi, ukuze neluse ibandla likaNkulunkulu, alithenga ngegazi leNdodana yakhe.” (IzE. 20:28) Umoya ongcwele unayiphi indima namuhla ekumisweni kwabadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo?

Okokuqala, umoya ongcwele washukumisela abalobi beBhayibheli ukuba balobe izimfanelo ezilindeleke kubadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo. Kubalwe izimfuneko ezingu-16 kweyoku-1 Thimothewu 3:1-7. Ezinye izimfanelo zitholakala emiBhalweni enjengokaThithu 1:5-9 nokaJakobe 3:17, 18. Izimfanelo ezilindeleke ezincekwini ezikhonzayo ziboniswe kweyoku-1 Thimothewu 3:8-10, 12, 13. Okwesibili, labo abatusa futhi bamise labo badala nezinceku ezikhonzayo bawuthandazela ngokuqondile umoya kaJehova ukuba ubaqondise njengoba behlola ukuthi ingabe umzalwane uyahlangabezana yini nalezo zimfuneko ngokwezinga elifinyelelekayo. Okwesithathu, umuntu otuswayo kudingeka abonise izithelo zomoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwakhe. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Ngakho umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu uhilelekile kuzo zonke izici zenqubo yokumiswa.

Kodwa ubani ngempela omisa abazalwane abanjalo? Esikhathini esidlule, konke ukutusa okuphathelene nokumiswa kwabadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo kwakuthunyelwa ehhovisi legatsha lendawo. Abazalwane abamiswe iNdikimba Ebusayo abakhonza khona bababelwa ukuba bakuhlole lokho kutusa futhi bamise abafanelekayo. Ihhovisi legatsha lalibe selazisa indikimba yabadala. Abadala bona babazisa laba bazalwane abasanda kumiswa ngokumiswa kwabo, bababuze ukuthi bayavuma yini nokuthi bayakufanelekela yini ngempela ukwamukela leso sabelo. Ekugcineni kwakube sekwaziswa ibandla.

Kodwa babemiswa kanjani ekhulwini lokuqala? Ngezinye izikhathi abaphostoli babemisa abazalwane ngokuqondile njengangesikhathi bemisa amadoda ayisikhombisa ayezonakekela ukwabelwa kwabafelokazi ukudla kwansuku zonke. (IzE. 6:1-6) Nokho, kungenzeka ukuthi lawo madoda ayesevele ekhonza njengabadala ngaphambi kokuba anikezwe lesi esinye isabelo.

Nakuba imiBhalo ingayichazi ngokuningiliziwe  indlela ukumiswa ngakunye okwakwenziwa ngayo emuva ngaleso sikhathi, zikhona izinkomba ezithile ezibonisa indlela okwakwenziwa ngayo lokhu. Isitshela ukuthi ngesikhathi uPawulu noBarnaba sebegoduka bevela ohambweni lwabo lokuqala njengezithunywa zevangeli, “babamisela amadoda amadala ebandleni ngalinye, futhi, benza umthandazo ohambisana nokuzila ukudla, babanikela kuJehova ababeye bakholwa nguye.” (IzE. 14:23) Eminyakeni ethile kamuva, uPawulu wabhalela uThithu ayejikeleza naye: “Ngakushiya eKrethe, ukuze ulungise izinto eziyiphutha futhi umise amadoda amadala emzini ngomuzi, njengoba ngakuyala.” (Thithu 1:5) Kubonakala sengathi noThimothewu owahamba kakhulu nomphostoli uPawulu naye wanikezwa igunya elifanayo. (1 Thim. 5:22) Kusobala ukuthi laba bazalwane bamiswa ababonisi abajikelezayo, hhayi abaphostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema.

Icabanga ngalesi sibonelo esisemiBhalweni, iNdikimba Ebusayo YoFakazi BakaJehova iye yalungisa indlela okumiswa ngayo abadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo. Kusukela ngo-September 1, 2014, ukumiswa sekwenziwa ngale ndlela: Umbonisi wesigodi ngamunye uhlola ngokucophelela ukutusa okwenziwayo esigodini sakhe. Ngesikhathi ehambele amabandla, uyozama ukubazi labo abatuswayo, uma kunokwenzeka asebenze nabo ensimini. Ngemva kokuxoxa nendikimba yabadala yebandla ngalokho kutusa, umbonisi wesigodi unomthwalo wemfanelo wokumisa abadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo emabandleni asesigodini sakhe. Lokhu kwenza leli lungiselelo lisondele kakhulu enqubweni eyayilandelwa ekhulwini lokuqala.

Obani abasingatha izindima ezihlukahlukene kule nqubo? Njengenhlalayenza, “inceku ethembekileyo neqondayo” inomthwalo wemfanelo oyinhloko wokondla abendlu. (Math. 24:45-47) Lokhu kuhlanganisa ukucwaninga emiBhalweni ngosizo lomoya ongcwele ukuze inikeze isiqondiso sendlela ezisebenza ngayo izimiso zeBhayibheli ezihlobene nendlela ibandla lomhlaba wonke elihlelwe ngayo. Inceku ethembekile iyona futhi emisa bonke ababonisi bezigodi namalungu amaKomiti Amagatsha. Ihhovisi legatsha libe selinikeza usizo olungokoqobo lwendlela yokusebenzisa leso siqondiso esinikeziwe. Indikimba yabadala ngayinye inesibopho esikhulu sokuhlolisisa izimfanelo ezingokomBhalo zabazalwane etusa ukuba bamiswe ebandleni likaNkulunkulu. Umbonisi wesigodi ngamunye unomthwalo wemfanelo omkhulu wokucabangela ngokucophelela nangosizo lomthandazo ukutusa kwabadala bese emisa lawo madoda afanelekayo.

Ukuqonda indlela abazalwane abamiswa ngayo kusenza siyiqonde ngokwengeziwe indima yomoya ongcwele kule nqubo. Sibe sesibethemba futhi sibahloniphe ngokwengeziwe labo abamisiwe ebandleni lobuKristu.—Heb. 13:7, 17.

IsAmbulo 11:3 sikhuluma ngofakazi ababili ababeyoprofetha izinsuku ezingu-1 260. Lokhu kulandisa kube sekuthi isilo sasendle ‘sasiyobanqoba sibabulale.’ Kodwa ‘ngemva kwezinsuku ezintathu nengxenye,’ lab’ ofakazi ababili babeyovuswa, bonke abantu ababukele basale bebambe ongezansi.—IsAm. 11:7, 11.

Bangobani lab’ ofakazi ababili? Imininingwane ekulokhu kulandisa iyasisiza ekutholeni ukuthi bangobani. Okokuqala, sitshelwa ukuthi “bafanekiselwa iminqumo emibili nayizinti zezibani ezimbili.” (IsAm. 11:4) Lokhu kusikhumbuza uthi lwesibani neminqumo emibili okukhulunywa ngakho esiprofethweni sikaZakariya. Leyo minqumo emibili kwathiwa imelela “abagcotshiweyo ababili,” okungukuthi, uMbusi uZerubhabhele noMpristi Ophakeme uJoshuwa, “abemi eceleni kweNkosi yomhlaba wonke.” (Zak. 4:1-3, 14) Okwesibili, ofakazi ababili bachazwa njengabenza izibonakaliso ezifana nalezo ezenziwa uMose no-Eliya.—Qhathanisa isAmbulo 11:5, 6 noNumeri 16:1-7, 28-35 neyoku-1 AmaKhosi 17:1; 18:41-45.

Ikuphi ukufana okukhona kule miBhalo? Yomibili ibhekisela kwabagcotshiweyo bakaNkulunkulu ababehola ngesikhathi esinzima sokuvivinywa. Ngakho ekugcwalisekeni kwesAmbulo isahluko 11, abazalwane abagcotshiwe ababehola ngesikhathi sokumiswa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu ezulwini ngo-1914 bashumayela “begqoke indwangu yesaka” iminyaka emithathu nengxenye.

Ekupheleni kokushumayela kwabo begqoke leyo ndwangu yesaka, laba abagcotshiweyo babulawa ngokomfanekiso lapho bephonswa etilongweni isikhathi esifushane, izinsuku ezintathu nengxenye ezingokomfanekiso. Emehlweni ezitha zabantu bakaNkulunkulu, kwakufana nokuthi umsebenzi wabo wawubulewe, okwabajabulisa kakhulu laba baphikisi.—IsAm. 11:8-10.

Nokho, lab’ ofakazi ababili bavuswa ekupheleni kwalezo zinsuku ezintathu nengxenye, njengoba nje isiprofetho sasishilo. Abadedelwanga etilongweni kuphela kodwa futhi labo abahlala bethembekile bamiswa ngokukhethekile uNkulunkulu esebenzisa iNkosi yabo, uJesu Kristu. Ngo-1919 baba phakathi kwalabo abamiswa ‘njengenceku ethembekileyo neqondayo’ ukuba banakekele izidingo ezingokomoya zabantu bakaNkulunkulu phakathi nezinsuku zokugcina.—Math. 24:45-47; IsAm. 11:11, 12.

Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi isAmbulo 11:1, 2 sihlobanisa lezi zenzakalo nesikhathi ithempeli elingokomoya elaliyolinganiswa noma lihlolwe ngaso. UMalaki isahluko 3 ukhuluma ngokuhlolwa okufanayo kwethempeli elingokomoya okwalandelwa isikhathi sokuhlanzwa. (Mal. 3:1-4) Kwathatha isikhathi esingakanani lokho kuhlolwa nokuhlanzwa? Kwaqala ngo-1914 kwaphela ngasekuqaleni kuka-1919. Le nkathi yesikhathi ihlanganisa izinsuku ezingu-1 260 (izinyanga ezingu-42) nezinsuku ezintathu nengxenye ezingokomfanekiso okukhulunywa ngazo kusAmbulo isahluko 11.

Yeka ukuthi sijabula kanjani ngokuthi uJehova wahlela ukuba kube nalo msebenzi wokucwengisiswa ngokomoya ukuze azihlanzele isizwe esikhethekile esenza imisebenzi emihle! (Thithu 2:14) Ngaphezu kwalokho, siyasazisa isibonelo esibekwe abagcotshiweyo abathembekile ababehola phakathi naleso sikhathi sokuvivinywa ngaleyo ndlela bakhonza njengofakazi ababili abangokomfanekiso. *