1, 2. (a) Beliyini “lithende laDavide,” futsi belitawakhiwa njani kabusha? (b) Bobani lamuhla labakhonta ndzawonye njengetinceku taJehova?

EMHLANGANWENI lobalulekile wesigungu lesibusako lowawuseJerusalema nga-49 C.E., umfundzi Jakobe watsi: “Simoni [Phetro] usandza kuchaza kutsi Nkulunkulu wacala kunakekela betive ngekutitsatsela sive emkhatsini wabo kutsi sibe sakhe. Loku kuvumelana ncamashi nemavi ebaphrofethi, njengobe imiBhalo itsi: ‘Emvakwaloko ngiyawuncandzeka, ngiyawuvusa indlu yaDavide lewile; ngiyawuvusa tindvonga tayo ngibuye ngitakhe futsi, kuze labanye bantfu nato tonkhe tive letibitwa ngelibito lami batewufuna iNkhosi, kusho iNkhosi, leyenta loko kwateke kusukela emandvulweni.’”—Imis. 15:13-18.

² “Lithende [nobe sigodlo sasebukhosini] laDavide” lawa ngesikhatsi iNkhosi Sedekiya yemukwa bukhosi. (Amo. 9:11) Nobe kunjalo, ‘lelothende’ belitawakhiwa kabusha ngesikhatsi intalelwane yaDavide lenguJesu ibekwa kutsi ibe yiNkhosi yaphakadze. (Hez. 21:27; Imis. 2:29-36) Njengobe Jakobe akuveta loku kulowo mhlangano lobalulekile, lesiphrofetho sa-Amosi besigcwaliseka ngekubutselwa ndzawonye kwetindlalifa teMbuso lebetitsetfwe kumaJuda nebeTive. Lamuhla, insali yemaKhristu lagcotjiwe netigidzi ‘taletinye timvu’ taJesu, tinebunye ekumemeteleni liciniso ngeliBhayibheli njengobe titinceku taJehova.—Joh. 10:16.

3, 4. Bantfu baJehova bakhona njani kuchubeka bamkhonta eBhabhulona?

³ Ngesikhatsi emaJuda atfunjelwa eBhabhulona, kwavele kwacaca kutsi “lithende laDavide” liwile. Njengobe inkholo yemanga beyidvumile eBhabhulona, bantfu baNkulunkulu bakhona njani kuchubeka bamkhonta kuleyo minyaka lengu-70 yekutfunjwa kwabo, kusukela nga-607 B.C.E. kuya ku-537 B.C.E.? Basebentisa indlela lesiyisebentisako natsi njengebantfu  baJehova kute sisindze kulelive lelibuswa nguSathane. (1 Joh. 5:19) Lifa lelivela Nkulunkulu lente kutsi sikhone kusindza etimeni letinjalo.

⁴ Kulelifa letfu, sineliVi laNkulunkulu. EmaJuda labetfunjelwe eBhabhulona abete imiBhalo Lengcwele, kodvwa abenalo lwati lweMtsetfo waMosi, lowawuneMiyalo Lelishumi. Abetati ‘tingoma taseSiyoni,’ atikhumbula taga letinyenti futsi etayelene nekuphatfwa kabi kwetinceku taJehova tasendvulo. Labo bantfu labebatfunjiwe bebakhala nabakhumbula iSiyoni, futsi abazange bamkhohlwe Jehova. (Fundza Tihlabelelo 137:1-6.) Loko kwabagcina banebuhlobo lobuhle naNkulunkulu ngesikhatsi baseBhabhulona, lebeligcwele timfundziso nekutiphatsa kwemanga.

5. Ngubuphi bufakazi babonkulunkulu labatsatfu nobe bomtsatfu amunye benkholo lesinabo baseBhabhulona naseGibhithe?

⁵ Intfo lebeyibalulekile ekukhonteni kwaseBhabhulona, bekukukhonta bonkulunkulu labatsatfu nobe mtsatfu amunye. Licembu labonkulunkulu labatsatfu baseBhabhulona belakhiwa nguSin (nkulunkulu wenyanga), Shamash (nkulunkulu welilanga) na-Ishtar (nkulunkulu wentalo nemphi). EGibhithe lasendvulo, bekutsiwa nkulunkulu lotsite ushade nankulunkulukati lobese umtalela indvodzana, “bese kwakheka bonkulunkulu labatsatfu nobe mtsatfu amunye.” Labonkulunkulu bebete tikhundla letilinganako. (New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology) Labanye bonkulunkulu labatsatfu baseGibhithe bebahlanganisa nkulunkulu longu-Osiris, nkulunkulukati Isis, nendvodzana yabo Horus.

6. Ungamchaza njani Mtsatfu Amunye, futsi tsine siphephe njani ekukholelweni lelo phutsa?

⁶ Tinkholo Letitsi TebuKhristu nato tinabo bonkulunkulu labatsatfu—banguMtsatfu Amunye. Bafundisi batsi Babe, iNdvodzana nemoya longcwele bakha Nkulunkulu munye. Kodvwa loko kukuhlasela bukhosi baJehova, kumente abonakale shengatsi uyincenye yinye kubonkulunkulu labatsatfu. Bantfu baJehova baphephile ekukholelweni liphutsa lelinjalo ngobe bavumelana nemavi laphefumulelwe, latsi: “Lalelani, ma-Israyeli, Simakadze Nkulunkulu wetfu nguye yedvwana longuSimakadze.” (Dut. 6:4) Jesu wawacaphuna lawo mavi, futsi nobe ngumuphi umKhristu weliciniso angavumelana naye.—Mak. 12:29.

7. Yini leyenta umuntfu losakholelwa kuMtsatfu Amunye angakhoni kutinikela kuNkulunkulu futsi abhajatiswe?

⁷ Inkholelo yaMtsatfu Amunye iphambene nemyalo Jesu lawunika balandzeli bakhe wekutsi ‘bente tive tonkhe tibe bafundzi bakhe, tibhajatiswe egameni leYise, neleNdvodzana, nelemoya longcwele.’ (Mat. 28:19) Kute umuntfu abhajatiswe abengumKhristu weliciniso futsi abe nguFakazi waJehova, kufanele asicaphele sikhundla lesiphakeme saJehova, longuBabe, aphindze asati nesikhundla neligunya leNdvodzana yaNkulunkulu, lenguJesu. Lomuntfu lotawubhajatiswa kufanele akholelwe nekutsi umoya longcwele ungemandla aNkulunkulu lawasebentisako, awusiyo incenye yaMtsatfu Amunye. (Gen. 1:2) Umuntfu lochubeka akholelwa kuMtsatfu Amunye angeke akhone kwenta kutinikela lokufanele kuNkulunkulu Jehova futsi akukhombise loko ngekubhajatiswa. Siyajabula ngekutsi lifa letfu lelivela kuNkulunkulu lisivikele ekuyikholelweni lemfundziso lengamhloniphi Nkulunkulu.

8. Bantfu baseBhabhulona bebanamuphi umbono ngabonkulunkulu nemadimoni?

⁸ Kucabanga kwenkholo kwaseBhabhulona kwabangela kutsi kuvele timfundziso letingemanga, bonkulunkulu labanyenti, emadimoni nekusebentisa imimoya. Incwadzi letsi-The International Standard Bible  Encyclopaedia itsi: “Ngaphandle kwabonkulunkulu benkholo yaseBhabhulona, lokunye lobekubalulekile bekungemadimoni labenemandla ekuhlupha bantfu ngetifo letinyenti temtimba nobe tengcondvo. Kubonakala shengatsi incenye lenkhulu yalenkholo yayekelwa njengobe bebalwisana nekuhlushwa kamatima ngemadimoni, bantfu base bathantaza kubonkulunkulu babo bacela kuvikelwa kulawo madimoni.”

9. (a) Ngemuva kwekutfunjelwa eBhabhulona, emaJuda lamanyenti ayifundza njani imibono yenkholo yemanga? (b) Tsine sivikelwe njani etingotini tekutihlanganisa nemadimoni?

⁹ Ngemuva kwekutfunjelwa eBhabhulona, emaJuda lamanyenti acala kufundza imibono lengakasekelwa emibhalweni. Njengobe timfundziso temaGriki betichubeka tandza, emaJuda lamanyenti aba sengotini yekuhlaselwa ngemadimoni ngobe abesamukele umbono wekutsi emadimoni angabalimata nobe abasite. Lifa letfu lelivela kuNkulunkulu liyasivikela etingotini tekutihlanganisa nemadimoni, ngobe siyati kutsi Nkulunkulu akazange ayemukele imikhuba yaseBhabhulona yekusebentisa imimoya. (Isa. 47:1, 12-15) Ngetulu kwaloko, sicondziswa ngumbono waNkulunkulu mayelana nekusebentisa imimoya.—Fundza Dutheronomi 18:10-12; Sembulo 21:8.

10. Yini lengashiwo ngetento netinkholelo teBhabhulona Lenkhulu?

¹⁰ Kusebentisa imimoya akuzange kusetjentiswe baseBhabhulona kuphela, kodvwa nalabo labasekela iBhabhulona Lenkhulu, umbuso wemhlaba wenkholo yemanga. (Semb. 18:21-24) I-The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible itsi: “IBhabhulona [Lenkhulu] inhlanganisa imibuso leminyenti nobe emasiko. Ayichazwa ngendzawo lekuyo nobe ngemincele yayo, kodvwa ichazwa ngetitfombe tayo letibalulekile.” (Umc. 1, likh. 338) IBhabhulona Lenkhulu isekhona nalamuhla njengobe ihlanganisa kusebentisa imimoya, kukhonta titfombe naletinye tono—kodvwa angeke ibe khona sikhatsi lesidze.—Fundza Sembulo 18:1-5.

11. Ngutiphi tecwayiso lesitishicilele mayelana nekusebentisa imimoya?

¹¹ Jehova wamemetela watsi: “Ngingeke ngiyibeketelele lemihlangano yenu lemibi.” (Isa. 1:13) Lomkhuba lobitwa ngekutsi kusebentisa imimoya waba nendzima lenkhulu endleleni yekucabanga yangelikhulu lesi-19 leminyaka. Ngako-ke, i-Zion’s Watch Tower yangaMay 1885 yatsi: “Inkholelo yekutsi bantfu labafile bayaphila endzaweni letsite nobe basesimeni lesitsite, yindzala. Leyo bekuyinkholelo yebantfu basendvulo futsi yaba ngumsuka wetimfundziso temanga.” Lesihloko sachubeka satsi lombono longakasekelwa embhalweni wekutsi labafile bayakhuluma nalabaphilako, usite emadimoni akhona kutenta bantfu labafile labetama kukhuluma nebantfu labaphilako. Akujabulele kusebentisa lendlela yekutifihla kutsi abobani, futsi ngaloko akhona kuchubeka adukisa tingcondvo nekuphila kwebantfu labanyenti. Incwajana yakadzeni lenesihloko lesitsi “What Say the Scriptures About Spiritism?” yakhipha tecwayiso letifana naleto letivela etincwadzini tetfu lamuhla.

12. Ngesikhatsi aphefumulelwe, yini Solomoni layisho ngesimo sebantfu labafile?

¹² “Bonkhe labalatiko liciniso” bangawuphendvula lowo mbuto. (2 Joh. 1) Siyavumelana nemavi aSolomoni latsi: “Inja lephilako incono kunelibhubesi lelifile. Liciniso, labaphilako bayati kutsi batakufa, kodvwa labafile abati lutfo . . . Wonkhe umsebenti losetandleni takho wente ngemandla akho onkhe, ngobe ethuneni lapho uya khona, kute kusebenta, nekucabanga, nelwati kanye nekuhlakanipha.”—Shu. 9:4, 5, 10.

13. Emasiko nenkholo yemaHellenic yawatsintsa njani emaJuda?

¹³ EmaJuda abengakhona kulati liciniso  ngebantfu labafile. Nobe kunjalo, ngesikhatsi iGrisi ihlukaniselwa tindvuna ta-Alexander Lomkhulu, kwentiwa imetamo yekuhlanganisa iJuda neSiriya ngenkholo yaseGrisi nemasiko emaHellenic. Ngaleso sizatfu, emaJuda emukela letimfundziso temanga tekutsi umphefumulo wemuntfu awufi nekutsi kunendzawo letsite lapho bahlushwa khona. Incwadzi letsi “The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria,” iveta kutsi bantfu baseGrisi akusibo labacalisa inkholelo yekutsi imiphefumulo iyahlupheka endzaweni letsite, ngobe baseBhabhulona ngibo labebakholelwa kutsi kunalenye indzawo lapho bonkulunkulu labanemandla nemadimoni ahlupha khona bantfu. Ngako-ke, bantfu baseBhabhulona bebakholelwa kutsi umphefumulo awufi.

14. Yini Jobe na-Abrahama labebayati ngekufa nangeluvuko?

¹⁴ Ngisho nobe Jobe indvodza lelungile abete liBhayibheli, abelati liciniso ngalabafile. Abati nekutsi Jehova unguNkulunkulu lonelutsandvo lonesifiso sekumvusa. (Jobe 14:13-15) Abrahama naye abekholelwa eluvukweni. (Fundza Hebheru 11:17-19.) Njengobe kungeke kwenteke kuvusa umuntfu longafi, lawo madvodza labesaba Nkulunkulu abengakholelwa kutsi umphefumulo wemuntfu awufi. Umoya waNkulunkulu wasita Jobe na-Abrahama kutsi basicondze kahle simo sebantfu labafile nekutsi babe nekukholwa eluvukweni. Lawo maciniso ayincenye yalelifa letfu.

15, 16. Sikhululwe njani esonweni nekufa?

¹⁵ Siyajabula nangekutsi Nkulunkulu usembulele liciniso ngendlela latasikhulula ngayo kulelifa lesono nekufa lesalitfola ku-Adamu. (Rom. 5:12) Siyati kutsi Jesu ‘akatelanga kutawukhontwa, kodvwa wetela kutawukhonta, nekunikela ngekuphila kwakhe kutsi kube yinhlawulo yalabanyenti.’ (Mak. 10:45) Kujabulisa kakhulu  kwati “ngekuhlengwa lokukuKhristu Jesu.”—Rom. 3:22-24.

¹⁶ EmaJuda nebeTive bangelikhulu lekucala bekudzingeka baphendvuke etonweni tabo futsi babe nekukholwa emhlatjelweni waJesu loyinhlawulo. Ngaphandle kwaloko abengeke atsetselelwe. Lesimo siyafana nalamuhla. (Joh. 3:16, 36) Nangabe umuntfu abambelele etimfundzisweni temanga, njengalena yaMtsatfu Amunye neyekungafi kwemphefumulo, angeke akhone kuzuza kulenhlawulo. Kodvwa tsine singazuza. Siyalati liciniso ‘ngeNdvodzana [yaNkulunkulu] letsandzekako. Kuyo sinekuhlengwa, lokukutsetselelwa kwetono tetfu.’—Khol. 1:13, 14.

17, 18. Singakutfolaphi kwatiswa lokulusito ngemlandvo wetfu, futsi singazuza njani ngekufundza ngawo?

¹⁷ Kunyenti lokungashiwo ngetimfundziso teliciniso lesinalo, lokuhlangenwe nako kwetfu, netibusiso lesinato tekwati Nkulunkulu nekuba netintfo lesitidzingako ekuphileni. Sekungemakhulu eminyaka, Tincwadzi Temnyaka tinekulandzisa lokujabulisako mayelana nemsebenti wetfu emaveni emhlaba wonkhe. Umlandvo wetfu kucocwa ngawo kulama-video latsi Faith in Action, Incenye 1 na-2, nasetincwadzini letifana naletsi Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom. Nabomagazini betfu bavame kuba nekulandzisa kwebazalwane betfu labatsandzekako.

¹⁸ Siyazuza ngekucabanga ngemlandvo wenhlangano yaJehova, njengobe nje bantfu baka-Israyeli bebazuza ngekukhumbula indlela Nkulunkulu labakhulula ngayo ebugcilini baseGibhithe. (Eks. 12:26, 27) Njengobe abesayindvodza lekhulile lebeyibone tento taNkulunkulu letimangalisako, Mosi wakhutsata ema-Israyeli watsi: “Khumbulani tikhatsi tasemandvulo, cabangani ngetitukulwane lese tendlula kadzeni. Buta kuboyihlo, batakunitjela, nakubo labadzala, batawunichazela.” (Dut. 32:7) ‘Tsine-ke lesisive saJehova netimvu telidlelo lakhe,’ simemetela ludvumo lwakhe ngekujabula futsi sitjela labanye ngemisebenti yakhe lemikhulu. (Hla. 79:13) Ngetulu kwaloko, kuhle kuhlolisisa umlandvo wetfu, sifundze kuwo futsi sihlelele likusasa.

19. Njengobe sijabulela kukhanya lokuvela kuNkulunkulu, yini lokufanele siyente?

¹⁹ Siyajabula ngekutsi asihambi ebumnyameni, kodvwa sijabulela kukhanya lokuvela kuNkulunkulu. (Taga 4:18, 19) Ngako-ke, asilitadishe ngekutimisela liVi laNkulunkulu futsi sibe nenshisekelo yekutjela labanye ngeliciniso sinemoya wemthantazo wemhlabeleli, lowadvumisa iNkhosi lenguMbusi Jehova ngalamavi latsi: ‘Ngitawubabata kulunga kwakho, wena wedvwa. Yebo, Nkulunkulu, wangifundzisa kusukela ebusheni bami, kuze kube ngunyalo ngisayimemetela imisebenti yakho lemangalisako. Nanyalo-ke nome sengigugile sengimphunga, ungangishiyi, Nkulunkulu, kuze ngishumayele ingalo yakho kuso situkulwane, nemandla akho kubo bonkhe labefikako.’—Hla. 71:16-18.

20. Nguyiphi imphikiswano lekhona, futsi utiva njani ngayo?

²⁰ Njengebantfu baJehova labatinikele, siyayati imphikiswano lemayelana nekubusa kwaNkulunkulu nekwetsembeka kwebantfu. Ngako-ke, simemetela liciniso lelingaphikiswa lekutsi Jehova unguMbusi Wendzawo Yonkhe, lofanelwe kutinikela ngenhlitiyo yonkhe. (Semb. 4:11) Njengobe asiphe umoya wakhe, siphindze simemetele tindzaba letimnandzi kubantfu labatfobekile, sibophe labanetinhlitiyo letephukile futsi sidvudvute labalilako. (Isa. 61:1, 2) Ngisho nobe Sathane etamile kubusa bantfu baNkulunkulu nabo bonkhe bantfu, sinekubonga lokukhulu ngelifa letfu lelivela kuNkulunkulu futsi sitimisele kugcina bucotfo betfu kuNkulunkulu siphindze sidvumise iNkhosi lenguMbusi Jehova nyalo naphakadze.—Fundza Tihlabelelo 26:11; 86:12.