Lesivumelwane saphindze sasungula inhlangano lebitwa ngekutsi Tive Letihlangene (League of Nations). Umgomo wayo “bewukukhutsata kubambisana emkhatsini wemave nekutsi kube nekuthula nekulondzeka kuwo.” Tinkholo letinyenti Letitsi TebuKhristu tayisekela lenhlangano. Inhlangano Leyengamele Emasontfo Latsi ebuKhristu eMelika yayidvumisa, yatsi “iyindlela uMbuso waNkulunkulu losebenta ngayo kutepolitiki emhlabeni.” Lenhlangano yeTinkholo Letitsi TebuKhristu yayisekela lenhlangano yeTive Letihlangene ngekutsi itfumele emalunga ayo emhlanganweni weSivumelwane Sekuthula lobewuseParis. Lomunye kulamalunga lebekatfunyelwe watsi lomhlangano “waba sicalo sesikhatsi lesisha emlandvweni wemhlaba.”

Sikhatsi lesisha sacala, kodvwa asicaliswanga bantfu lebebakhona kulomhlangano. Nga-1919, kwacala sikhatsi lesisha kubantfu baJehova ngesikhatsi abaniketa emandla ekushumayela ngelizinga leliphakeme kakhulu kunasesikhatsini lesendlulile. Nobe kunjalo, kunelushintjo lolubalulekile lobekufanele lwenteke kuBafundzi BeliBhayibheli.

Kukhetfwa kwebacondzisi be-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society lobekwentiwa njalo ngemnyaka bekuhlelwe kutsi kube ngeMgcibelo waJanuary 4, 1919. Ngaleso sikhatsi, Joseph F. Rutherford, lobekahola bantfu baJehova, bekaboshiwe e-Atlanta leseGeorgia, eMelika, waboshelwa licala lebekangakalenti futsi bekanalabanye labangu-7. Umbuto lowaphakama bewukutsi labazalwane lebebabacondzisi futsi lebebaboshiwe bekufanele baphindze bakhetfwe yini, nobe bekufanele kukhetfwe labanye?

Ngesikhatsi uMzalwane Rutherford asejele, bekakhatsateke ngelikusasa lenhlangano yaJehova. Bekati kutsi labanye bazalwane bebeva shengatsi kuncono kutsi kukhetfwe lomunye umzalwane lobekatawuba ngumholi. Ngenca yaloko, wabhala incwadzi lebeyiya kulabantfu lebebahlangene kuze bakhetse bacondzisi, ancoma umzalwane Evander J. Coward kutsi kube nguye umholi. Rutherford wachaza Coward ngekutsi ungumuntfu “lonemoya lophansi,” “lohlakaniphile,” futsi “lowetsembekile eNkhosini.” Nobe kunjalo, bazalwane labanyenti bebanembono lowehlukile, bebafuna kutsi lolukhetfo luchutjekiselwe embili ngetinyanga  letisitfupha. Bameli lebebamelele labazalwane lababoshiwe bavuma. Kwatsi nakusacocwa ngekutsi kutawentiwa njani, labanye bazalwane batfukutsela.

Kwase kwenteka intfo Richard H. Barber layichaza ngekutsi yaba sisombululo. Lomunye umzalwane lobekakhona kulolukhetfo watsi: “Angisiso sati semtsetfo, kodvwa ngiyati kutsi yini umuntfu lokufanele ayente nangabe etsembekile. Nkulunkulu ufuna setsembeke. Ngako indlela lencono kakhulu yekukhombisa kutsi setsembekile kuNkulunkulu kutsi siphindze sikhetse uMzalwane Rutherford kube nguye umholi.”—Hla. 18:25.

Umzalwane A. H. Macmillan naye lobekaboshiwe, utsi ngelilanga lelilandzelako uMzalwane Rutherford wanconcotsa esitokisini sakhe watsi, “Veta sandla sakho.” UMzalwane Rutherford wamniketa Ithelegramu. Macmillan wawubona lomlayeto lomfishane, futsi ngekushesha wawucondza kutsi usho kutsini. Lomlayeto bewutsi: “RUTHERFORD WISE VAN BARBER ANDERSON BULLY NA-SPILL BACONDZISI BEKUCALA LABATSATFU BAHOLI SINITSANDZA NONKHE.” Loku bekusho kutsi bonkhe labacondzisi bebaphindze bakhetfwa, nekutsi Joseph Rutherford naWilliam Van Amburgh bebatawuchubeka babaholi. Ngako, uMzalwane Rutherford bekatawuchubeka angumholi.

Ngesikhatsi baseboshiwe labazalwane labangu-8, Bafundzi BeliBhayibeli bacela bantfu kutsi basayine sicelo lesiya kuhulumende sekutsi labazalwane bakhululwe ejele. Kucela bantfu labangasibo Bafundzi BeliBhayibeli kutsi basayine lesicelo bekuyintfo ledzinga sibindzi, futsi kwasayina bantfu labangetulu kwa-700 000. UMzalwane Rutherford kanye nalalabanye bazalwane bakhululwa ngaLesitsatfu, ngaMarch 26, 1919, sisengakafakwa lesicelo.

Nakakhuluma nalabo labamemukela ngemuva kwekukhululwa kwakhe, uMzalwane Rutherford watsi: “Ngiyaciniseka kutsi loku lokwenteke kitsi sonkhe kusilungiselela tikhatsi letimatima letitako. . . . Beningalweli nje kukhululwa kwebazalwane benu ejele, leyo bekungasiyo injongo yenu mbamba. . . . Injongo yekulwa kwenu bekukuletsa ludvumo kuJehova, futsi labo lababe nencenye kuko batfole sibusiso lesikhulu.”

Tintfo letenteka kulabazalwane tiyasikhombisa kutsi nguJehova lobekacondzisa lendzaba. NgaMay 14, 1919, inkantolo lelalela ticelo tebantfu yakhokha sijubo lesitsi: “Licala lalabasolwa alikatekwa ngendlela lobekufanele litekwe ngayo, . . . ngako kufanele liyekelwe.” Labazalwane bebabekwe emacala lamakhulu, futsi letijubo betitawuhlala kumarekhodi abo kube lelicala alizange liyekelwe nobe kube bancishiselwa iminyaka yetigwebo tabo. Labazalwane abazange babekwe lamanye emacala. Ngenca yaloko, Lijaji Rutherford lachubeka lisebentisa lwati lwalo ngetemtsetfo kuze livikele bantfu baJehova embikweNkantolo Lephakeme yaseMelika, futsi loko lakwenta tikhatsi letinyenti ngemuva kwekukhululwa kwalo.

UMzalwane Macmillan utsi: “Besingeke sihlale  sigoce tandla simele iNkhosi kutsi isitsatse siye ezulwini. Sabona kutsi bekufanele sente lokutsite kuze sitfole kutsi beyiyini intsandvo yeNkhosi.”

Bazalwane labasendlunkhulu bebangeke bachubeke nemsebenti lebebawente iminyaka leminyenti. Leni? Ngobe ngesikhatsi lalabanye bazalwane baseboshiwe, yonkhe imishini yekubhala lebebayisebentisa kuze babhale tincwadzi beyibulewe. Loku bekubacedza emandla, futsi labanye bazalwane bebatibuta kutsi sewuphelile yini vele umsebenti wekushumayela.

Bantfu bebasawulalela yini umlayeto weMbuso lobewushunyayelwa Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli? Kuze batfole imphendvulo yalombuto, uMzalwane Rutherford wancuma kubeka inkhulumo. Bekutawumenywa wonkhe muntfu. UMzalwane Macmillan watsi: “Nangabe kute umuntfu lobekatawuta kulenkhulumo, besitawubona kutsi umsebenti wekushumayela sewuphelile.”

NgeLisontfo, ngaMay 4, 1919, uMzalwane Rutherford wabeka inkhulumo eLos Angeles, leseCalifornia, ngisho nobe bekagula kamatima, futsi beyinesihloko lesitsi: “Litsemba Lebantfu Labacindzetelekile.” Bantfu labacishe babe ngu-3 500 bayilalela lenkhulumo, kodvwa emakhulu ebantfu akakhonanga kuyilalela ngobe besekute indzawo leyenele. Ngelilanga lelindzaleko kweta labanye labangu-1 500 kutewulalela lenkhulumo. Bazalwane bayitfola imphendvulo—bantfu bebasawulalela umlayeto weMbuso!

Loko labazalwane labakwenta ngemuva kwaloko kusayitsintsa indlela BoFakazi BaJehova labawenta ngayo umsebenti wekushumayela kuze kube ngulamuhla.

Sicongosekulindza sa-August 1, 1919 samemetela kutsi ekucaleni kwaSeptember, bekutawuba nemhlangano wesifundza eCedar Point, e-Ohio. Clarence B. Beaty lobekanguMfundzi weliBhayibheli losemusha waseMissouri, watsi: “Wonkhe muntfu bekeva shengatsi kufanele abe khona.” Bazalwane nabodzadze labangetulu kwa-6 000 babakhona kulomhlangano, futsi bebabanyenti  kakhulu kwendlula indlela lebebayilindzele. Intfo leyenta lomhlangano waba mnandzi kakhulu kutsi kwabhajatiswa bantfu labangetulu kwa-200 esitibeni lelisesedvute lokutsiwa yi-Erie.

NgaSeptember 5, 1919, ngelilanga lesihlanu lalomhlangano, uMzalwane Rutherford wabeka inkhulumo lenesihloko lesitsi: “Sicondziso Lesiya Etisebentini Lesikanye Nato,” futsi kulenkhulumo wakhulula magazine lomusha lonesihloko lesitsi The Golden Age. * Lomagazini bewutawukhuluma “ngetindzaba letibalulekile lebetikhona ngaleso sikhatsi, bese kuba nemBhalo lochazako kutsi kungani [betenteka] letentakalo.”

Bonkhe Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli bakhutsatwa kutsi bashumayele ngesibindzi basebentisa lomagazini lomusha. Incwadzi lebeyichaza indlela lomsebenti lokufanele wentiwe ngayo yatsi: “Wonkhe umuntfu lobhajatisiwe akakhumbule kutsi kulilungelo lelikhulu kuba nencenye ekwenteni lomsebenti, futsi kufanele ente konkhe lokusemandleni akhe kuze ashumayele emhlabeni.” Bantfu labanyenti bawenta lomsebenti wekushumayela! NgaDecember, bamemeteli beMbuso labakhutsele bese batfole ticelo talomagazini lomusha lebetivela kubantfu labangetulu kwa-50 000.

Ngasekupheleni kwa-1919, bantfu baJehova besebahleleke kabusha futsi sebanemandla. Ngetulu kwaloko, letinye tiphrofetho letibalulekile letikhuluma ngemalanga ekugcina besetivele tigcwalisekile. Kuvivinywa nekuhlantwa kwebantfu baNkulunkulu lokukhulunywa ngako kuMalakhi 3:1-4 besekuphelile. Bantfu baJehova besebakhululekile ekutfuntjweni ‘yiBhabhulona Lenkhulu’ lengumfanekiso, futsi Jesu besekasikhetsile ‘sisebenti lesetsembekile nalesihlakaniphile.’ * (Semb. 18:2, 4; Mat. 24:45) Nyalo Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli besebawulungele umsebenti Jehova bekafuna kutsi bawente.