1. Incwadi yeSityhilelo ithi uSathana wenza ntoni kubantu bakaThixo?

 INCWADI yeSityhilelo isixelela ukuba uBukumkani BukaThixo buyalawula ezulwini nokuba uSathana ugxothiwe khona. (ISityhi. 12:1-9) Iyavuyisa ke loo nto ezulwini, kodwa emhlabeni, izisa iingxaki. Ngoba? Kuba uSathana unomsindo. Loo msindo uwukhuphela kubantu abasemhlabeni abakhonza uYehova bethembekile, ngokubahlasela.​—ISityhi. 12:12, 15, 17.

2. Yintoni eza kusinceda sihlale sithembekile?

² Yintoni esinokuyenza ukuze sihlale sithembekile ngoxa sihlaselwa nguSathana? (ISityhi. 13:10) Enye into eza kusinceda kukwazi into eza kwenzeka kwixesha elizayo. Ngokomzekelo, kwiSityhilelo umpostile uYohane uchaza iintsikelelo esiza kuzivuyela kungekudala. Enye yazo kukutshatyalaliswa kweentshaba zikaThixo. Ngoku makhe sithethe ngendlela iSityhilelo esizichaza ngayo ezi ntshaba nento eza kwenzeka kuzo.

3. Yeyiphi imiqondiso ekuthethwa ngayo kwiSityhilelo?

³ Iqala nje incwadi yeSityhilelo isixelela ukuba izinto esiza kuzifunda zichazwa “ngemiqondiso.” (ISityhi. 1:1) Kwezinye izahluko zale ncwadi sixelelwa ngamarhamncwa amela iintshaba zikaThixo. Ngokomzekelo, ithetha ‘ngerhamncwa eliphuma elwandle.’ ‘Lineempondo ezilishumi neentloko ezisixhenxe.’ (ISityhi. 13:1) Eli rhamncwa lilandelwa ‘lelinye eliphuma emhlabeni.’ Eli lona ‘lithetha njengenamba’ futhi ‘lenza umlilo uhle uvela ezulwini.’  (ISityhi. 13:11-13) Emva koko sibona ‘irhamncwa elibomvu krwe kuhleli unongogo phezu kwalo.’ La marhamncwa mathathu amela iintshaba ekudala zisilwa noYehova uThixo noBukumkani bakhe. Ngoko kubalulekile ukuba sizazi ezi ntshaba.​—ISityhi. 17:1, 3.

4-5. UDaniyeli 7:15-17 usinceda njani siqonde into ethethwa yile miqondiso?

⁴ Ngaphambi kokuba sifunde ngezi ntshaba, simele sazi ukuba amela ntoni la marhamncwa nonongogo. IkwayiBhayibhile enokusenza siyazi kakuhle le nto. Imiqondiso emininzi echazwe kwiSityhilelo kuyathethwa ngayo nakwezinye iincwadi zeBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo, umprofeti uDaniyeli waphupha ‘ngamarhamncwa amane amakhulu awayephuma elwandle.’ (Dan. 7:1-3) Uthi la marhamncwa makhulu amela ‘ookumkani’ abane okanye oorhulumente. (Funda uDaniyeli 7:15-17.) Le nto isinceda siqonde ukuba amarhamncwa ekuthethwa ngawo kwiSityhilelo amela amagunya eepolitiki.

⁵ Ngoku makhe sithethe ngeminye imiqondiso echazwe kwiSityhilelo. Njengokuba sithetha ngayo, siza kubona ukuba iBhayibhile isinceda njani siyazi into eyithethayo. Siza kuqala sithethe ngemiqondiso yamarhamncwa. Siza kubona ukuba amela ntoni nokuba kwenzeka ntoni kuwo. Emva koko sibone ukuba yonke le nto ithetha ntoni kuthi.

6. Limela ntoni irhamncwa elineentloko ezisixhenxe ekuthethwa ngalo kwiSityhilelo 13:1-4?

⁶ Limela ntoni irhamncwa elineentloko ezisixhenxe? (Funda iSityhilelo 13:1-4.) Siyabona ukuba eli rhamncwa lifana nehlosi, kodwa iinyawo zalo zifana nebhere, umlomo walo ufana nowengonyama futhi lineempondo ezilishumi. Namarhamncwa amane ekuthethwa ngawo kuDaniyeli isahluko 7 abonakala ngolu hlobo. Kodwa irhamncwa elinye elikwincwadi yeSityhilelo lifana nawo onke. Eli rhamncwa alimeli urhulumente okanye igunya lehlabathi elinye nje qha. Kuthiwa lilawula “zonke izizwe, abantu, iilwimi neentlanga.” Ngoko limele ukuba likhulu ukodlula nawuphi na urhulumente welizwe. (ISityhi. 13:7) Eli rhamncwa ke limele ukuba limela onke amagunya eepolitiki aye alawula abantu emhlabeni ukuza kutsho ngoku. *​—INtshu. 8:9.

7. Zimela ntoni iintloko ezisixhenxe zerhamncwa?

⁷ Zimela ntoni iintloko ezisixhenxe? Singayifumana impendulo xa sijonga into ethethwa siSityhilelo isahluko 17, esichaza umfanekiso werhamncwa ekuthethwa ngalo kwiSityhilelo isahluko 13. KwiSityhilelo 17:10 kuthiwa: “Kukho ookumkani abasixhenxe: abahlanu bawile, omnye ukho, omnye akakafiki, kodwa xa efika umele ahlale ixesha elifutshane.” Kuwo onke amagunya eepolitiki aye asetyenziswa nguSathana, asixhenxe afaniswa ‘neentloko’ ngenxa yamandla awo amakhulu. La ngamagunya ehlabathi ekuye kwakho abantu bakaThixo kumazwe awalawulayo okanye aye abatshutshisa abantu bakaThixo. Kwakusekulawule amahlanu ngexesha lompostile uYohane: iYiputa, iAsiriya, iBhabhiloni, amaMedi NamaPersi neGrisi. Xa uYohane wayefumana iSityhilelo, kwakusalawula  elesithandathu, iRoma. Yayiza kuba yeyiphi intloko okanye igunya lehlabathi lesixhenxe nelokugqibela?

8. Imela ntoni intloko yesixhenxe yerhamncwa?

⁸ Ngoku siza kubona indlela iziprofeto ezikwincwadi kaDaniyeli ezisinceda ngayo siyazi intloko yesixhenxe neyokugqibela yerhamncwa. Leliphi igunya lehlabathi elilawulayo kweli xesha lesiphelo, okanye ‘ngemini yeNkosi’? (ISityhi. 1:10) YiUnited Kingdom neUnited States of America, ngamany’ amazwi iGunya Lehlabathi LamaNgesi NamaMerika. Ngoko sinokugqiba ngelithi yintloko yesixhenxe ekuthethwa ngayo kwiSityhilelo 13:1-4.

9. Limela ntoni irhamncwa ‘elineempondo ezimbini njengetakane legusha’?

⁹ Xa siqhubeka iSityhilelo isahluko 13 siva ukuba le ntloko yesixhenxe, iGunya Lehlabathi LamaNgesi NamaMerika, ilinganisa irhamncwa ‘elalineempondo ezimbini njengetakane legusha, kodwa laqalisa ukuthetha njengenamba.’ Eli rhamncwa ‘lenza imiqondiso emikhulu phambi kwabantu, lide lenze nomlilo uhle uye emhlabeni uvela ezulwini.’ (ISityhi. 13:11-15) ISityhilelo isahluko 16 no-19 sithi eli rhamncwa ‘ngumprofeti wobuxoki.’ (ISityhi. 16:13; 19:20) NoDaniyeli uthetha into efanayo xa esithi eli Gunya Lehlabathi LamaNgesi NamaMerika liza “kwenza umonakalo omkhulu kakhulu.” (Dan. 8:19, 23, 24) Kwenzeka kanye loo nto ngeMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Iibhombu zeathom ezimbini ezaphoswa eJapan nezaphelisa loo mfazwe, zazakhiwe ngoososayensi baseBritani kunye nabaseMerika. Ngokwenza loo nto, kwaba ngathi eli Gunya Lehlabathi LamaNgesi NamaMerika ‘lehlise umlilo waya emhlabeni uvela ezulwini.’

10. Umela ntoni “umfanekiso werhamncwa”? (ISityhilelo 13:14, 15; 17:3, 8, 11)

¹⁰ Siphinda sibone nelinye irhamncwa. Liphantse lifane nerhamncwa elineentloko ezisixhenxe, qha lona libomvu krwe. Kuthiwa ‘ngumfanekiso werhamncwa,’ ochazwa ‘njengokumkani wesibhozo.’ * (Funda iSityhilelo 13:14, 15; 17:3, 8, 11.) Lo ‘kumkani’ kuthiwa uba khona, angabikho kodwa aphinde abe khona. Le ndlela achazwa ngayo ihambelana kakuhle nentlangano yeZizwe Ezimanyeneyo, exhasa inkqubo yeepolitiki emhlabeni wonke. Ukuqala kwayo ukubakho yayiluManyano Lwezizwe, yaza yanyamalala ngeMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Yaphinda yavela, ngoku seyiziZizwe Ezimanyeneyo.

11. Enza ntoni amarhamncwa eepolitiki, futhi kutheni singamele siwoyike?

¹¹ La marhamncwa eepolitiki ayaxoka esenza ukuba abantu bangamfuni uYehova nabantu bakhe. Kufana nokungathi ‘aqokelelela ookumkani bomhlaba wonke’ kwimfazwe yeArmagedon, ‘eyimini enkulu kaThixo uSomandla.’ (ISityhi. 16:13, 14, 16) Thina akukho nto simele siyoyike. Ngokuqhwanyaza kweliso, uThixo wethu omkhulu uYehova, uza kubasindisa bonke abo baluxhasayo ulawulo lwakhe.​—Hez. 38:21-23.

12. Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kuwo onke la marhamncwa?

¹² Kwenzeka ntoni kuwo onke la marhamncwa? ISityhilelo 19:20 siyawuphendula lo mbuzo. Sithi: “Irhamncwa labanjwa, lona kunye nomprofeti wobuxoki owayesenza imiqondiso phambi kwalo,  elahlekisa abantu abamkela uphawu lwerhamncwa nabo bakhonza umfanekiso walo. Bobabini baphoswa bephila kwichibi lomlilo elivutha isalfure.” Ngoko ezi ntshaba zikaThixo ziza kutshatyalaliswa ngonaphakade zisalawula.

13. Yeyiphi ingxaki afakwa kuyo amaKristu ngoorhulumente behlabathi?

¹³ Simele senze ntoni ke thina? Simele sithembeke kuThixo nakuBukumkani bakhe kuba singamaKristu. (Yoh. 18:36) Ukuze sikwazi kufuneka singathath’ icala kwiipolitiki zeli hlabathi. Inokuba nzima kakhulu ke loo nto kuba oorhulumente beli hlabathi bafuna sibaxhase ngokupheleleyo ngezinto esizithethayo nesizenzayo. Abantu abavumayo ukubaxhasa bafumana uphawu lwerhamncwa. (ISityhi. 13:16, 17) Nabani na onolu phawu akazukuthandwa nguYehova futhi akazukubufumana ubomi obungunaphakade. (ISityhi. 14:9, 10; 20:4) Ngoko kubaluleke kakhulu ukuba singathath’ icala nangayiphi na indlela nokuba aba rhulumente bangasinyanzela kangakanani ukuba sibaxhase.

14. ISityhilelo 17:3-5 sithi yintoni le imangalisayo ibonwa ngumpostile uYohane?

¹⁴ Umpostile uYohane uthi ‘yammangalisa kakhulu’ into awayibonayo. Wabona ntoni? Umfazi okhwele kweli rhamncwa likhohlakeleyo. (ISityhi. 17:1, 2, 6) ‘Ngunongogo omkhulu’ obizwa ngokuba ‘yiBhabhiloni Enkulu.’ ‘Uziphatha kakubi ngesondo’ ‘nookumkani bomhlaba.’​—Funda iSityhilelo 17:3-5.

15-16. Yintoni “iBhabhiloni Enkulu”? Siyazi njani loo nto?

¹⁵ Ingubani le ‘Bhabhiloni Enkulu’? Lo mfazi akanakumela imibutho yeepolitiki kuba kuthiwa uziphethe kakubi neenkokheli zeepolitiki zeli hlabathi. (ISityhi. 18:9) Kwainto yokuba akhwele kweli rhamncwa ibonisa ukuba ufuna ukuzenzisa nantoni na afuna ziyenze. Akanakumela nabarhwebi abanyolukileyo beli hlabathi likaSathana. Kaloku bona kuthethwa ngabo kwenye indawo kwincwadi yeSityhilelo, kusithiwa ‘ngoosomashishini bomhlaba.’​—ISityhi. 18:11, 15, 16.

¹⁶ KwiZibhalo igama elithi ‘unongogo’ linokuthetha abantu abathi bakhonza uThixo kodwa ngandlel’ ithile babe bekhonza izithixo okanye bengabahlobo beli hlabathi. (1 Kron. 5:25; Yak. 4:4) Kanti bona abamkhonza uThixo bethembekile kuthiwa banyulu, okanye bafana ‘nentombi engazange yalala nandoda.’ (2 Kor. 11:2; ISityhi. 14:4) Iinkonzo zobuxoki zaqala kwiBhabhiloni yakudala. Ngoko iBhabhiloni Enkulu imele ukuba imela zonke iintlobo zeenkonzo zobuxoki. Phofu ibubukhosi behlabathi beenkonzo zobuxoki.​—ISityhi. 17:5, 18; jonga inqaku elithi “Yintoni IBhabhiloni Enkulu?” kwiwebhsayithi ethi jw.org/xh.

17. Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu?

¹⁷ Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu? ISityhilelo 17:16, 17 siwuphendula ngolu hlobo lo mbuzo: “Iimpondo ezilishumi ozibonileyo, nerhamncwa, baza kumcaphukela lo mfazi uthengisa ngomzimba, yaye baza kumxuthela zonke izinto zakhe, bamshiye eze. Baza kuyitya inyama yakhe baze bamtshise aphele ngomlilo. Kuba uThixo wenze iintliziyo zabo ukuba zenze izinto ezicingwa nguye.” UYehova uza kwenza iintlanga zisebenzise iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo, ezimelwa lirhamncwa elibomvu krwe, ukuze zihlasele zize zitshabalalise ubukhosi behlabathi  beenkonzo zobuxoki, bungaze buphinde bubekho.​—ISityhi. 18:21-24.

18. Yintoni esinokuyenza ukuze kungabikho nto isidibanisa neBhabhiloni Enkulu?

¹⁸ Simele senze ntoni ke thina? Masingaze siyiyeke indlela “ecocekileyo nengenachaphaza yokukhonza uThixo.” (Yak. 1:27) Singaze sivume ukulahlekiswa ziimfundiso zobuxoki, ukuthanda imibhiyozo yabahedeni, ukuziphatha ngendlela engenasidima nokusebenzelana needemon okwenziwa yiBhabhiloni Enkulu. Masingayeki nokulumkisa abantu ukuba ‘baphume kuyo’ ukuze bangabi netyala lezono zayo kuThixo.​—ISityhi. 18:4.

19. Ngubani ‘inamba enkulu enombala ofana nowomlilo’?

¹⁹ Incwadi yeSityhilelo ithetha ‘nangenamba enkulu enombala ofana nowomlilo.’ (ISityhi. 12:3) Le namba ilwa noYesu neengelosi zakhe. (ISityhi. 12:7-9) Ihlasela abantu bakaThixo, inika nerhamncwa elingoorhulumente amandla. (ISityhi. 12:17; 13:4) Ngubani le namba? Yilaa “nyoka yakudala, le ibizwa ngokuba nguMtyholi, uSathana.” (ISityhi. 12:9; 20:2) Zonke iintshaba zikaYehova zilawulwa nguye.

20. Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kwinamba?

²⁰ Kwenzeka ntoni kwinamba? ISityhilelo 20:1-3 sithi ingelosi iza kumphosa uSathana emngxunyeni ongenasiphelo. Xa ekuloo mngxuma, uza kuba ngathi usetrongweni. Apho akasoze akwazi ukulahlekisa “iintlanga de kuphele iminyaka eyi-1 000.” Ekugqibeleni, yena needemon zakhe baza kutshatyalaliswa ngonaphakade, ibe ngathi baphoswe “echibini lomlilo nesalfure.” (ISityhi. 20:10) Khawube nombono wokuba kuza kuba njani emhlabeni xa uSathana needemon zakhe bengekho. Kuza kuba mnandi nyhani.

21. Kutheni isivuyisa nje into ethethwa kwincwadi yeSityhilelo?

²¹ Kuvuyisa nyhani ukwazi into ethethwa yimiqondiso ekuthethwa ngayo kwincwadi yeSityhilelo. Ngoku siyazazi iintshaba zikaYehova, siyayazi nento eza kwenzeka kuzo. Ngokuqinisekileyo, “wonwabile umntu owafunda ngokuvakalayo amazwi esi siprofeto.” (ISityhi. 1:3) Kodwa xa iintshaba zikaThixo zitshatyalalisiwe, zeziphi iintsikelelo abaza kuzivuyela abantu abathembekileyo? Kuza kuthethwa ngaloo nto kwinqaku elilandelayo.