IMBONISELO kaJanuwari 1, 1914 yathi, “Sikholelwa ukuba lo nyaka ngowona simele sisebenze nzima ngawo kumsebenzi wokuVuna. Wade wafika lo nyaka Abafundi BeBhayibhile babekade bethetha ngawo, yaye babekhuthele entsimini. Ngenxa yokusebenza nzima kwaBafundi BeBhayibhile ngaloo nyaka, izithembiso eziseBhayibhileni zaviwa ngabantu abaninzi. Kodwa ke abantu belo xesha, babesenza nje izinto ezahlukileyo koko.

Ekuqaleni kuka-1914 kwenzeka esinye sezona ziganeko zobundlobongela kwezakha zakhona eUnited States, kwabulawa amadoda, amabhinqa kunye nabantwana kuqhankqalazo lwabasebénzi. Abantu abaphangela emigodini baqhankqalaza, zaza iintsapho zabo zagxothwa kwizindlu zomgodi, kwafuneka zihlale ezintenteni. NgoAprili 20, kufutshane neLudlow eColorado kwiintente ezazihlala kuzo, ezi ntsapho zadutyulwa ibe kwatshiswa nezo ntente. Abasebénzi balo mmandla baziphindezelela ngokubulala oonogada abaninzi bemigodi. Kwabizwa umkhosi wamajoni ukuze ubuyisele uxolo.

EYurophu izinto zazimbi nangakumbi. NgoJuni 28, uGavrilo Princip, umfana oneminyaka eyi-19 ongumSerb waseBosnia wadubula iTshawe uFrancis Ferdinand laseAustria, ezo zithonga wazidubulayo zabangela iintlantsi zomlilo owavutha ehlabathini lonke wade waphumela kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Ekupheleni kwaloo nyaka, le mfazwe eyayisaziwa ngokuba yiMfazwe Enkulu yayisele iyigubungele yonke iYurophu.

Ebudeni besiphithiphithi esasikho ehlabathini ngelo xesha, Abafundi BeBhayibhile bakhuthazana ukuba bawenze kakuhle lo msebenzi. Indibano yokuqala eyayikho eMzantsi Afrika yayingoAprili 10. Kule ndibano, kweza abantu abayi-34. UWilliam W. Johnston wabhala, “‘Sasingumhlambi omncinane’ nyhani. Sabhaptiza isiqingatha sabantu abézayo. Oodade abasibhozo nabazalwana abasibhozo bazahlulela ngalaa ndlela iNkosi yayiyalele ngayo.” Ngosuku lokugqibela lwale ndibano, abo bezileyo bathetha ngendlela ekungashunyayelwa ngayo eMzantsi Afrika ukuze inyaniso ifikelele abaninzi. Sithethanje, kukho abavakalisi abangaphezu kwe-90 000 abakhonza ngokuthembeka eMzantsi Afirika  nabafumaneka ngenxa yomsebenzi waloo ‘mhlambi mncinane.’

NgoJuni 28, 1914, kanye ngolwa suku eladutyulwa ngalo iTshawe uFerdinand, Abafundi BeBhayibhile bahlanganisana eClinton, eIowa, eMerika. Kuloo ndibano eyayingoJuni 30, uA. H. MacMillan wathi: “Ukuba siyawufuna umvuzo wethu kuza kufuneka sihlale sixakekile sisenza intando kaThixo, siphume siye entsimini nanini na ithuba livela, sivakalise isigidimi kubo bonke.”

I-“Photo-Drama of Creation,” eneentetho ezirekhodiweyo zeBhayibhile, umculo, izilayidi eziyimibala-bala kunye nemifanekiso, yadlalwa okwesihlandlo sokuqala kwiSixeko saseNew York ngoJanuwari 11, 1914. Ngeso sihlandlo, yabukelwa ngabantu abayi-5 000 kwaye abaninzi bajikwa kuba kungekho ndawo.

Kwathatha iminyaka emibini kusenziwa i-“Photo-Drama of Creation,” kodwa ngokutsho kweMboniselo, “kwakubonakala ngathi ayikakulungeli ukubukelwa ngoJanuwari waloo nyaka.” Ekuqaleni kuka-1914, abazalwana bayiphucula i-“Photo-Drama.” Ngokomzekelo, bafakela ilizwi likaCharles Taze Russell ukuze lihambelane nemifanekiso eboniswayo, nto leyo eyayisenza kucace ukuba ngoobani abayenzileyo.

I-“Photo-Drama” yakha yadlala ngexesha elinye kwizixeko eziyi-80. Kuthe kubetha uJulayi 1914, yabe seyidlalwe naseBritani, kumakhaya azele ngabantu aseGlasgow naseLondon. NgoSeptemba i-“Photo-Drama” yayisele idlalwe eDenmark, eFinland, eJamani, eSweden naseSwitzerland. Ngo-Oktobha yayisele ibukelwa eOstreliya naseNew Zealand. Lilonke ngabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezisithoba abayibukelayo i-“Photo-Drama” kunyaka wayo wokuqala.

Kopi nganye ye-“Photo-Drama” yayineezilayidi ezininzi, imifanekiso kunye namacwecwe omculo. Kwakubiza imali eninzi ukwenza iikopi zayo kwaye yayifuna abazalwana noodade  abaqheleneyo nayo ukuze isebenze. Ngenxa yeso sizathu i-“Photo-Drama” epheleleyo yayidlalwa kwizixeko ezikhulu. Ukuze abantu abasezilalini bakwazi ukuyibukela i-“Photo-Drama,” Abafundi BeBhayibhile benza ezinye ezintathu ezimfutshane. Eyokuqala yayibizwa ngokuba yi-“Eureka Drama Y,” ibe yayineezilayidi ezineentetho zeBhayibhile nomculo. Eyesibini yi-“Eureka Drama X” kwaye eyokugqibela yi-“Eureka Family Drama,” ibe yayiyeyona imfutshane ibe zombini zinamazwi kuphela. Ngasekupheleni kuka-1914, i-“Eureka Drama” yakhutshwa eUnited States ibe yayisele ibukelwe ngabantu abayi-70 000 kungekadluli neenyanga nje ezine.

Nakubeni i-“Photo-Drama” yayisafika kwaye ibangel’ umdla, Abafundi BeBhayibhile baqonda ukuba asiyondlela iphambili esimele sishumayele ngayo. Ileta eyayisuka kuCharles Taze Russell isiya kuzo zonke ii-colporteurs ngoku ezaziwa njengoovulindlela yathi: “Umsebenzi weecolporteurs ngowona uphumelelayo ekwenzeni abafundi ngeli xesha lokuVuna.  Ngenxa yeso sizathu, asizikhuthazi ukuba ziwenze umsebenzi we-“Photo-Drama” . . . Bakho abanye abazalwana noodade abathembekileyo abanokuwenza lo msebenzi.

NgoJanuwari 1914 ii-colporteurs ezazikho zaziyi-850. Ebudeni baloo nyaka, abo bashumayeli banenzondelelo basasaza iikopi ezingaphezu kwe-700 000 zencwadi ethi, Studies in the Scriptures. IMboniselo yathi ii-colporteurs “mazikhuthazwe, kuba ubomi abusoloko buzihambela lula.”

Abanye Abafundi BeBhayibhile basasaza amaphecana amaninzi. Ebudeni bonyaka ka-1914, basasaza iikopi zeBible Students Monthly ezingaphezu kweziyi-47 miliyoni namanye amaphecana!

Imigudu yaBafundi BeBhayibhile yayibonakala nakuthathatha. Kwakushunyayelwa kumntu wonke yaye kwakungangenwa ngamali kwiintlanganiso. Omnye wabefundisi beecawa wathi: “Ndijongile nje abantu baza kuqalisa ukuthi kusisono ukukhupha inkongozelo, siza kutya ntoni ke thina? UMfundis’ uRussell uyasihlaza.”

Abafundi BeBhayibhile babekholelwa ukuba “amaxesha eentlanga,” ekuthethwa ngawo kuLuka 21:24 ayeya kuphela ngo-Oktobha 1, 1914. Njengoko lo mhla wawusondela, bonke babejong’ enkalweni. Abanye Abafundi BeBhayibhile bade baneekhalenda abakrwela kuzo iintsuku ezidlulayo. Abanye babecinga ukuba ngalo mhla babeya kusiwa ngaphaya kwekhuselo, okanye ezulwini.

Ngentsasa yango-Oktobha 2, 1914, uMzalwan’ uRussell wenza esi saziso kwintsapho yaseBheteli: “Amaxesha Eentlanga aphelile; ookumkani bazo baphelelwe.” Kunokwenzeka ukuba abo babemphulaphule babewaqhelile la mazwi, ngoba ayekwingoma-171 kwiculo elithi, Hymns of the Millennial Dawn. Ukususela ngo-1879, Abafundi BeBhayibhile babecula ingoma ethi, “Amaxesha Eentlanga ayaphela,” kodwa ke kwakufuneka etshintshiwe la mazwi kuba “Amaxesha  Eentlanga” okanye “amaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga,” ayesele ephelile kakade. (Luka 21:24) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, amaculo ethu atshintsha ukuze le nyaniso icace gca.

Ngasekupheleni kwaloo nyaka, uBukumkani bukaMesiya bamiselwa emazulwini, ibe abanye aBafundi BeBhayibhile babecinga ukuba umsebenzi wabo ugqityiwe. Kodwa babengazi ukuba babeza kuvavanywa baze bahluzwe. Umbhalo wonyaka ka-1915 wawusekelwe kuMateyu 20:22, ingumbuzo othi, “Ninako na ukusela indebe endiza kuyisela?” Le ‘ndebe’ wayethetha ngayo uYesu kulo mbhalo iquka zonke iimvavanyo awayeza kujongana nazo kuse ekufeni. Abafundi BeBhayibhile babeza kufumana iimvavanyo, ngaphakathi nangaphandle entlanganweni. Babeya kuzingqina bethembekile kuYehova ngendlela abajongana ngayo nezo mvavanyo.