1-3. Ziziphi iziganeko ezabangela iPentekoste yaba lusuku olukhethekileyo, ibe zakuzalisekisa njani oko kwakuprofetiwe eZibhalweni? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

KWAKUKUSASA ngeCawa eYerusalem. Le yayiyimini ekhethekileyo nebangel’ imincili. Abantu babebhiyozela iPentekoste, eyayingumsitho ongcwele ekuqaleni kwesivuno sengqolowa. Ngaloo ntsasa, umbingeleli omkhulu wenza imibingelelo njengesiqhelo etempileni. Kwathi ke malunga nentsimbi yesithoba wanikela ngezonka ezibini ezinegwele ezenziwe ngengqolowa yesivuno sokuqala okanye iintlahlela. Umbingeleli omkhulu wazinikela kuYehova ezo zonka njengomnikelo otshangatshangiswayo. KwakungePentekoste yonyaka ka-33.—Levitikus 23:15-20.

² Nyaka ngamnye, kangangamakhulukhulu eminyaka, umbingeleli omkhulu wayesenza lo mnikelo utshangatshangiswayo. Lo mnikelo wawunento yokwenza nento ebaluleke kakhulu eyenzeka ngePentekoste yonyaka ka-33 kubafundi bakaYesu abayi-120 ababehlanganisene kwigumbi eliphezulu  eYerusalem. (IZenzo 1:13-15) Umprofeti uYoweli wayeprofetile ngako oku kwiminyaka eyi-800 ngaphambili. (Yoweli 2:28-32; IZenzo 2:16-21) Yintoni le ibaluleke kangaka yenzekayo?

³ Funda iZenzo 2:2-4. NgePentekoste yonyaka ka-33, uThixo wawathambisa loo maKristu ngomoya wakhe oyingcwele. (IZenzo 1:8) Emva koko angqongwa sisihlwele sabantu, aza aqalisa ukuthetha ngezinto ezimangalisayo azibonileyo nazivileyo. Umpostile uPetros wacacisa oko kwakusandul’ ukwenzeka, nesizathu sokuba kubalulekile. Emva koko, wathi kweso sihlwele: “Guqukani, yaye ngamnye wenu makabhaptizwe egameni likaYesu Kristu ukuze kuxolelwe izono zenu, kwaye niya kwamkela isipho sesisa somoya oyingcwele.” Ngaloo mini, kwabhaptizwa abantu abamalunga ne-3 000, yaye nabo bafumana umoya oyingcwele.—IZenzo 2:37, 38, 41.

4. (a) Kutheni simele sibe nomdla koko kwenzeka ngePentekoste? (b) Sisiphi esinye isiganeko esibalulekileyo ekusenokuba senzeka ngolo suku kwiminyaka emininzi ngaphambili? (Jonga umbhalo osekugqibeleni.)

⁴ Wayefanekisela ntoni umbingeleli omkhulu kunye nombingelelo awayewenza ngePentekoste nganye? Umbingeleli omkhulu wayefanekisela uYesu. Izonka zona zazifanekisela abafundi bakaYesu abathanjisiweyo. Abo bafundi bakhethwa phakathi kwabantu abanesono, yaye babizwa ngokuba “ziintlahlela.” (Yakobi 1:18) UThixo uye wabamkela njengoonyana bakhe, abaza kulawula njengookumkani kunye noYesu ezulwini, babe yinxalenye yoBukumkani bukaThixo. (1 Petros 2:9) UYehova uza kusebenzisa uBukumkani bakhe ukusikelela bonke abantu abathobelayo. Ngoko enoba sinethemba lokuphila ezulwini noYesu okanye emhlabeni oyiparadesi, iPentekoste yonyaka ka-33 ibaluleke kakhulu kuthi. [1]—Jonga umbhalo osekugqibeleni.

5. Sazi njani ukuba abo bathanjisiweyo abathanjiswanga ngendlela efanayo?

⁵ Yimini eyayingasoze ilibaleke leyo kubafundi ababekwigumbi eliphezulu. Kwabonakala into engathi lilangatye lomlilo entlokweni yakhe ngamnye wabo. UYehova wabenza bakwazi ukuthetha iilwimi zasemzini. Babengayithandabuzi into yokuba babethanjiswe ngomoya oyingcwele. (IZenzo 2:6-12) Kodwa oku akwenzeki kuwo onke amaKristu xa ethanjiswa. Ngokomzekelo, iBhayibhile ayitsho ukuba kwabonakala amalangatye omlilo ezintlokweni zamawaka abantu abathanjiswayo eYerusalem ngaloo mini. Bathanjiswa xa babebhaptizwa. (IZenzo 2:38) Kodwa asingawo onke amaKristu athanjiswa xa ebhaptizwa. AmaSamariya athanjiswa emva kwethuba ebhaptiziwe. (IZenzo 8:14-17) Yaye kwimeko engaqhelekanga, uKorneli nabendlu yakhe bathanjiswa ngaphambi kokuba babhaptizwe.—IZenzo 10:44-48.

6. Yintoni efunyanwa ngabo bonke abathanjiswa, ibe oku kubachaphazela njani?

⁶ Kucacile ukuba amaKristu ayiqonda ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo into yokuba athanjisiwe. Kunokwenzeka ukuba amanye ayiqonde zisuka nje into yokuba uYehova uwathambisile. Kwamanye  kuthathe ixesha ukuyiqonda loo nto. Kodwa umpostile uPawulos uchaza oko kwenzekayo kuye ngamnye wabo. Uthi: “Nakuba nikholiwe, natywinwa ngomoya oyingcwele owathenjiswayo, ongumqondiso wangaphambili welifa lethu.” (Efese 1:13, 14) Ngoko uYehova usebenzisa umoya wakhe oyingcwele ukuze awenze acacelwe gca la maKristu ukuba uwakhethile ukuze aye ezulwini. Ngaloo ndlela, umoya oyingcwele uba ‘ngumqondiso wangaphambili,’ okanye ubungqina bokuba kwixesha elizayo aza kuphila ngonaphakade ezulwini kungekhona emhlabeni.—Funda eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 1:21, 22; 5:5.

7. Yintoni amele ayenze mKristu ngamnye othanjisiweyo ukuze afumane umvuzo wakhe wasezulwini?

⁷ Xa umKristu ethanjisiwe, ngaba oko kuthetha ukuba uza kuwufumana ngokuqinisekileyo umvuzo wakhe? Hayi. Uqinisekile ukuba umenyiwe ukuba aye ezulwini. Kodwa uya kuya kuphela ukuba uhlala ethembekile kuYehova. UPetros wakuchaza ngale ndlela oku: “Ngenxa yoko, bazalwana, yenzani unako-nako wokuqinisekisa ngobizo lwenu nokunyulwa kwenu; kuba ukuba niqhubeka nizenza ezi zinto anisayi kuze nisilele. Enyanisweni, ngaloo ndlela niya kubonelelwa ngokutyebileyo ngokungeniswa kubukumkani obungunaphakade beNkosi noMsindisi wethu uYesu Kristu.” (2 Petros 1:10, 11) Ngoko mKristu ngamnye othanjisiweyo umele angavumeli nantoni na imyekise ukukhonza uYehova. Nangona emenyiwe, okanye efumene ubizo lwasezulwini, ukuba akahlali ethembekile, akazukuwufumana umvuzo wakhe.—Hebhere 3:1; ISityhilelo 2:10.

8, 9. (a) Kutheni kunzima kwabaninzi ukuqonda oko kwenzekayo xa umntu ethanjiswa? (b) Umntu uzazi njani ukuba uthanjisiwe?

⁸ Abakhonzi bakaThixo abaninzi namhlanje basenokukufumanisa kunzima ukuqonda ukuba kwenzeka ntoni emntwini xa ethanjiswa nguThixo. Oku kuqhelekile, kuba kaloku bona abathanjiswanga. UThixo ubadale abantu ukuze baphile emhlabeni, kungekhona ezulwini. (Genesis 1:28; INdumiso 37:29) Kodwa ukhethe abathile ukuba babe ngookumkani nababingeleli ezulwini. Ngoko xa ebathambisa, ithemba labo nendlela abacinga ngayo iyatshintsha, baze babe nomnqweno wokuphila ezulwini.—Funda amaEfese 1:18.

⁹ Kodwa umntu uzazi njani ukuba uthanjisiwe? Phawula oko kwathethwa nguPawulos kubazalwana abathanjisiweyo baseRoma, ‘ababebizelwe ukuba ngabo bangcwele.’ Wathi kubo: “Anifumananga moya wobukhoboka obangela uloyiko kwakhona, kodwa nifumene umoya wokwenziwa oonyana, moya lowo esithi ngawo sidanduluke sisithi: ‘Abha, Bawo!’ Umoya lowo ngokwawo  ungqinelana nomoya wethu ukuba singabantwana bakaThixo.” (Roma 1:7; 8:15, 16) Ngomoya wakhe oyingcwele, uThixo uyenza icace emntwini into yokuba uthanjisiwe ukuze alawule njengokumkani ezulwini noYesu.—1 Tesalonika 2:12.

10. Itheth’ ukuthini eyoku-1 kaYohane 2:27 xa isithi umKristu othanjisiweyo akuyomfuneko ukuba afundiswe nangubani na?

¹⁰ Abo bafumana esi simemo sikaThixo abadingi kuxelelwa nguye nabani na ukuba bathanjisiwe. UYehova ubenza bazive beqinisekile. Umpostile uYohane uthi kumaKristu athanjisiweyo: “Niye nathanjiswa ngulowo ungcwele; ngoko ke nonke ninolwazi.” Uphinda athi: “Ke nina, njengoko enithambisile, akukho mfuneko yokuba nifundiswe nangubani na; kodwa, ekubeni ngokunithambisa kwakhe enifundise zonke izinto, yaye imfundiso yakhe iyinyaniso ingebobuxoki, hlalani ke nimanyene naye.” (1 Yohane 2:20, 27) AmaKristu athanjisiweyo amele afundiswe nguYehova njengamntu wonke. Kodwa akuyomfuneko ukuba kubekho umntu owaqinisekisayo ukuba athanjisiwe. UYehova usebenzise owona moya unamandla, umoya wakhe oyingcwele, ukuze awenze acacelwe!

11, 12. Usenokuzibuza ntoni umKristu othanjisiweyo, kodwa yintoni angaze ayithandabuze?

¹¹ Xa amaKristu ethanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele, atshintsha kakhulu. UYesu wade wathi ‘ayazalwa kwakhona.’ (Yohane 3:3, 5) Emva koko wathi: “Musa ukumangaliswa ngenxa yokuba ndikuxelele ukuba, Nimele nizalwe kwakhona. Umoya uvuthuza apho ufuna khona, yaye uyasiva isandi sawo, kodwa akuwazi apho uvela khona nalapho uya khona. Unjalo wonk’ ubani ozelwe ngumoya.” (Yohane 3:7, 8) Kucacile ke ukuba, akunakwenzeka ukuchazela umntu ongathanjiswanga ukuba uvakalelwa njani kanye kanye umntu othanjisiweyo. [2]—Jonga umbhalo osekugqibeleni.

¹² Umntu othanjisiweyo usenokuzibuza ukuba, ‘Kutheni uYehova ekhethe mna?’ Usenokude azibuze nokuba ufanelekile na. Kodwa akayithandabuzi into yokuba uYehova umkhethile. Kunoko, uvuya gqitha ibe unombulelo omkhulu ngeso sipho. Abathanjiswa bavakalelwa njengoPetros owathi: “Makabongwe uThixo noYise weNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu, kuba ngokwenceba yakhe enkulu wasizala ngokutsha ngokubhekisele kwithemba eliphilayo ngokuvuka kukaYesu Kristu kwabafileyo, kwilifa elingenakonakala nelingadyobhekanga nelingambatshiyo. Libekelwe nina emazulwini.” (1 Petros 1:3, 4) Xa abathanjiswa befunda la mazwi, abayithandabuzi into yokuba uYise uthetha nabo ngqo.

13. Itshintsha njani indlela acinga ngayo umntu xa ethanjiswa ngomoya oyingcwele, yaye lubangelwa yintoni olu tshintsho?

¹³ Ngaphambi kokuba uYehova awathambise la maKristu, ayenethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni.  Ayekhangele phambili kwixesha laxa uYehova eya kuwenza iparadesi lo mhlaba, aze aphelise bonke ubungendawo. Mhlawumbi ayenombono wawo esamkela ilungu lentsapho okanye umhlobo ovusiweyo. Ibe ayekhangele phambili ekuzakheleni indlu aze atyale imithi, atye neziqhamo. (Isaya 65:21-23) Yintoni ewenze acinga ngeny’ indlela? Ngaba aye atshintsh’ ingqondo kuba edandathekile okanye ebandezelekile? Ngaba asuke avakalela kukuba aza kudikwa kukuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni, yaye awazukonwaba? Okanye ngaba aye afuna ukubona ukuba kunjani ukuphila ezulwini? Akunjalo. Kunoko, nguThixo owenzele isigqibo. Xa wayewathambisa, wasebenzisa umoya wakhe oyingcwele ukuba utshintshe indlela acinga ngayo nethemba lawo.

14. Abathanjiswa bavakalelwa njani ngobomi babo basemhlabeni?

¹⁴ Ngoko ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba abathanjiswa bafuna ukufa? UPawulos wayichaza indlela abavakalelwa ngayo. Wafanisa umzimba wabo wenyama ‘nentente,’ esithi: “Enyanisweni, thina bakule ntente siyagcuma, sisindwa; ngenxa yokuba sifuna, kungekhona ukuyikhulula, kodwa ukufaka enye, ukuze oko kufayo kuginywe bubomi.” (2 Korinte 5:4) La maKristu awanqweneli kufa. Ayabuthanda ubomi, ibe afuna ukuchitha suku ngalunye esebenzela uYehova kunye neentsapho zawo nabahlobo. Kodwa asoloko ekukhumbula oko uThixo awathembise kona kwixesha elizayo.—1 Korinte 15:53; 2 Petros 1:4; 1 Yohane 3:2, 3; ISityhilelo 20:6.

15. Yintoni engebobungqina bokuba umntu uthanjiswe ngomoya oyingcwele?

¹⁵ Mhlawumbi uyazibuza enoba uYehova ukuthambisile na ukuba uye ezulwini. Ukuba ucinga njalo, zibuze le mibuzo ibalulekileyo: Ngaba uvakalelwa kukuba unenzondelelo ekhethekileyo entsimini? Ngaba ukunandipha nyhani ukufunda iBhayibhile nokufunda ‘izinto ezinzulu zikaThixo’? (1 Korinte 2:10) Ngaba uvakalelwa kukuba uYehova ukuncedile waphumelela kakhulu kumsebenzi wokushumayela? Ngaba eyona nto iphambili kuwe kukwenza ukuthanda kukaYehova? Ngaba unothando olunzulu ngabantu, ibe ukunqwenela ngentliziyo yakho yonke ukubanceda bakhonze uYehova? Ngaba uye wambona uYehova ekunceda ngeendlela ezikhethekileyo ebomini bakho? Ukuba uthi ewe kuyo yonke le mibuzo, ngaba oko kuthetha ukuba uthanjisiwe? Hayi, akunjalo. Ngoba? Kaloku bonke abakhonzi bakaThixo basenako ukuvakalelwa ngale ndlela, enoba bathanjisiwe okanye akunjalo. Ibe ngomoya wakhe oyingcwele, uYehova angaxhasa nawuphi na umkhonzi wakhe, enoba unaliphi ithemba. Eyona nyaniso kukuba, ukuba uyazibuza ukuba uthanjisiwe okanye akunjalo, kucacile ukuba awuthanjiswanga. Abo abakhethileyo uYehova abakuthandabuzi oko! Baqinisekile!

16. Sazi njani ukuba asinguye wonke umntu onomoya kaThixo othanjisiweyo?

¹⁶ IBhayibhile inemizekelo emininzi yabantu abathembekileyo ababenomoya oyingcwele kaYehova kodwa abaya ezulwini. Omnye wabo yayinguYohane  umBhaptizi. UYesu wathi akekho umntu owayemkhulu kunoYohane, kodwa sekunjalo wathi uYohane wayengazukuya ezulwini. (Mateyu 11:10, 11) NoDavide wayenomoya oyingcwele. (1 Samuweli 16:13) Lo moya wamnceda waqonda izinto ezintsonkothe gqitha ngoYehova, waza wamnceda wabhala iinxalenye zeBhayibhile. (Marko 12:36) Sekunjalo, umpostile uPetros wathi uDavide “akenyukelanga emazulwini.” (IZenzo 2:34) Ngomoya wakhe oyingcwele, uYehova wabenza banamandla okwenza izinto ezimangalisayo aba bakhonzi bakhe, kodwa ke akazange abathambise ngawo. Ngaba le nto itheth’ ukuba babenganyanisekanga ngokwaneleyo ukuba baye ezulwini? Hayi. Ithetha nje ukuba uYehova uza kubavusela apha emhlabeni baze baphile eParadesi.—Yohane 5:28, 29; IZenzo 24:15.

17, 18. (a) Yintoni olukhangele phambili kuyo uninzi lwabakhonzi bakaThixo namhlanje? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo esiza kuyiphendula kwinqaku elilandelayo?

¹⁷ Uninzi lwabakhonzi bakaThixo namhlanje aluzukuya ezulwini. NjengoAbraham, uDavide, uYohane umBhaptizi, namanye amadoda namabhinqa amaninzi ekuthethwe ngawo eBhayibhileni, lukhangele phambili ekuphileni emhlabeni phantsi kolawulo lorhulumente kaThixo. (Hebhere 11:10) Bayi-144 000 abantu abaza kulawula noYesu ezulwini. Kodwa iBhayibhile ithetha ngabathanjiswa ‘abaseleyo’ emhlabeni kweli xesha lesiphelo. (ISityhilelo 12:17) Ngoko uninzi lwabo bayi-144 000 sele lufile lwaza lwaya ezulwini.

¹⁸ Kodwa ukuba umntu uthi uthanjisiwe, bamele basabele njani abo banethemba lokuphila emhlabeni? Ukuba umntu osebandleni lakho uqalisa ukutya eSikhumbuzweni, ufanele umjonge njani? Ibe kuthekani ukuba inani labo bathi bathanjisiwe liqhubeka lisanda? Ngaba ufanele ukhathazeke? Le mibuzo siza kuyiphendula kwinqaku elilandelayo.