1-2. (a) Kutheni iArmagedon iza kusenza sivuye? (b) Yeyiphi imibuzo esiza kuyiphendula kweli nqaku?

ABANYE abantu bakholelwa ukuba umhlaba uza kutshatyalaliswa ngemfazwe yenyukliya okanye yintlekele yemvelo. Kodwa iBhayibhile ayifundisi loo nto. Endaweni yoko, ifundisa ukuba kuza kubakho imfazwe ekuthiwa yiArmagedon ibe iza kusenza sivuye. (ISityhi. 1:3) Eyona nto ibangela ukuba uYehova azise iArmagedon kukusindisa abantu kunokubatshabalalisa. Njani?

² IBhayibhile ifundisa ukuba iArmagedon iza kuluphelisa ulawulo lwabantu. Le mfazwe iza kubasindisa abantu ngokutshabalalisa abo benza izinto ezimbi, baze bangatshabalali abenza izinto ezintle. Kwakhona, iza kusindisa abantu ngokukhusela umhlaba ukuze ungonakali. (ISityhi. 11:18) Ukuze siziqonde ngakumbi ezi zinto sithethe ngazo, makhe siphendule le mibuzo ilandelayo: Yintoni iArmagedon? Ziintoni eziza kwenzeka ngaphambi kokuba ifike? Singenza njani ukuze nathi sisinde xa ifikile? Singahlala njani sithembekile njengokuba isondela?

3. (a) Lithetha ukuthini igama elithi Armagedon? (b) Ngokutsho kweSityhilelo 16:14, 16, kutheni sisithi iArmagedon ayilogama lendawo elapha emhlabeni?

³ Funda ISityhilelo 16:14, 16. Igama elithi Armagedon livela kanye eBhayibhileni. NgesiHebhere, eli gama lithetha “iNtaba yaseMegido.” IMegido yayisisixeko esasikwaSirayeli kudala. (Yosh. 17:11) Kodwa ke, iArmagedon ayilogama lendawo elapha emhlabeni. Endaweni yoko, kuxa kudibene ‘ookumkani bomhlaba omiweyo uphela’ ukuze bachase uYehova. (ISityhi. 16:14) Kweli nqaku siza kubiza imfazwe eza kuba semva kokuba ookumkani bomhlaba bedibene ngokuthi yiArmagedon. Kutheni sisithi iArmagedon asiyondawo elapha emhlabeni? Okokuqala, ayikho intaba ekuthiwa yiMegido.  Okwesibini, iMegido incinci kakhulu, ngoko ‘ookumkani bomhlaba omiweyo uphela’ nemikhosi yabo ayinokonela, ingakumbi iphethe izixhobo zokulwa. Okwesithathu, njengoko siza kubona kweli nqaku, imfazwe yeArmagedon iza kuqala xa ‘ookumkani’ behlasela abantu bakaThixo abasemhlabeni wonke.

4. Kutheni uThixo edibanisa imfazwe yakhe yokugqibela kunye neMegido?

⁴ Kutheni uYehova edibanisa le mfazwe kunye neMegido? Kwakudla ngokuliwa iimfazwe ezininzi eMegido nakwiNtlambo yaseYizereli. Ngamanye amaxesha, uYehova wayebanceda abantu bakhe bazoyise iintshaba zabo. Ngokomzekelo, uThixo wanceda umgwebi wakwaSirayeli, uBharaki, woyisa umkhosi wamaKanan owawukhokelwa nguSisera, “ngakumanzi aseMegido.” UBharaki nomprofetikazi uDebhora bambulela uYehova ngenxa yokuba boyisa ngendlela ababengayicinganga. Bacula bathi: “Iinkwenkwezi zalwa zisezulwini . . . zalwa noSisera. Umsinga waseKishon wabakhukulisa.”​—ABagwe. 5:19-21.

5. Iza kohluka ngantoni imfazwe eyayisiliwa ngamaSirayeli kule yeArmagedon?

⁵ UBharaki noDebhora bayigqibezela ingoma yabo ngokuthi: “Ngaloo ndlela mazitshabalale zonke iintshaba zakho, Yehova, yaye abakuthandayo mababe njengokuphuma kwelanga ngamandla alo.” (ABagwe. 5:31) Ngendlela efanayo, iintshaba zikaThixo ziza kutshabalala ngeArmagedon kodwa abantu abamthandayo baza kusinda. Kodwa kukho into enye ebalulekileyo eyahluke ngayo imfazwe eyayisiliwa ngamaSirayeli kule yeArmagedon. Abantu bakaThixo abazukulwa ngeArmagedon. Abazukuba nazo nezixhobo ezi! Baza komelela ukuba bahlala bezolile yaye bemthemba uYehova kunye nemikhosi yakhe yasezulwini.​—Isa. 30:15; ISityhi. 19:11-15.

6. UYehova usenokuzitshabalalisa njani iintshaba zakhe kwimfazwe yeArmagedon?

⁶ UThixo uza kuzitshabalalisa njani iintshaba zakhe kwimfazwe yeArmagedon? Usenokuzitshabalalisa ngeendlela ezohlukeneyo. Ngokomzekelo, usenokusebenzisa iinyikima, isichotho okanye ukubaneka. (Yobhi 38:22, 23; Hez. 38:19-22) Usenokubangela ukuba iintshaba zakhe zilwe zodwa. (2 Kron. 20:17, 22, 23) Kanti, usenokusebenzisa iingelosi zakhe ukuze zibulale abantu abangendawo. (Isa. 37:36) Enoba uThixo utshabalalise njani, kodwa ke uza koyisa. Zonke iintshaba zakhe ziza kutshabalala, wona amalungisa aza kusinda.​—IMize. 3:25, 26.

7-8. (a) Ngokutsho kweyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 5:1-6, sesiphi isaziso esingaqhelekanga esiza kwenziwa? (b) Kutheni esi saziso siza kuba yingozi?

⁷ Ngaphambi kokuba ifike “imini kaYehova,” kuza kubakho isaziso sokuba kukho ‘uxolo nonqabiseko.’ (Funda eyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 5:1-6.) Xa kuthethwa ‘ngemini kaYehova’ kweyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 5:2, kuthethwa ‘ngembandezelo enkulu.’ (ISityhi. 7:14) Siza kwazi njani ukuba sele iza kuqala imbandezelo enkulu? IBhayibhile ithi kuza kwenziwa isaziso esingaqhelekanga. Siza kubona ngesi saziso ukuba sele iza kuqala iArmagedon.

⁸ Esi saziso sokuba kuza kubakho ‘uxolo nonqabiseko’ iza kuba sisaziso esasichazwe kwakudala. Yintoni eza kubangela ukuba iinkokeli zehlabathi zithethe le nto? Ngaba iinkokeli zonqulo ziza kuba nento yokwenza nesi saziso? Mhlawumbi. Kodwa ke nantsi into esiqiniseke ngayo, xa iinkokeli zonqulo zisithi “luxolo nonqabiseko,” obu buxoki buza kube buvela kwiidemon. Obu buxoki buza kuba yingozi kuba abantu baza kucinga ukuba bakhuselekile, ibe sele iza  kuqala yona eyona mbandezelo inkulu yakha yakhona ehlabathini. Emva koko, “iya kwandula ke intshabalalo yequbuliso ibafikele ngephanyazo kanye njengenimba kumfazi omithiyo.” Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kubakhonzi bakaYehova? Ekubeni nabo bengayazi ncam ukuba iza kuqala nini imbandezelo enkulu, basenokothuka xa iqala, kodwa ke baza kube beyilindele.

9. Ngaba uYehova uza kulitshabalalisa lonke ihlabathi likaSathana ngemini nje enye? Cacisa.

⁹ UYehova akazukulitshabalalisa lonke ihlabathi likaSathana ngemini nje enye, ngohlobo awenza ngalo ngexesha likaNowa. Okokuqala, uza kutshabalalisa iBhabhiloni Enkulu, okanye iqela leecawa ezifundisa ubuxoki. Okwesibini, kwimfazwe yeArmagedon, uza kutshabalalisa ihlabathi likaSathana, kuquka ezepolitiki, imikhosi nezorhwebo. Makhe sithethe ngezi zinto zimbini zibalulekileyo ziza kwenzeka.

10. Ngokutsho kweSityhilelo 17:1, 6 no-18:24, kutheni uYehova eza kuyitshabalalisa iBhabhiloni Enkulu?

¹⁰ “Umgwebo wehenyukazi elikhulu.” (Funda ISityhilelo 17:1, 6; 18:24.) IBhabhiloni Enkulu iye yabangela abantu abaninzi ukuba bangalihloniphi igama likaThixo. Ifundise abantu ubuxoki ngoThixo. Kanye njengebhinqa eliziphethe kakubi, unqulo lobuxoki khange luthembeke kuThixo kuba luye lwaxhasa oorhulumente babantu. Unqulo lobuxoki luye lwabaphatha kakubi abantu balo lwaza lwabathathela nemali yabo. Lude lwabulala abantu abaninzi, kuquka abakhonzi bakaThixo. (ISityhi. 19:2) UYehova uza kuyitshabalalisa njani iBhabhiloni Enkulu?

11. ‘Irhamncwa elimbala ungqombela’ limela ntoni, ibe uThixo uza kulisebenzisa njani ukuze litshabalalise iBhabhiloni Enkulu?

¹¹ UYehova uza kusebenzisa “iimpondo ezilishumi” ‘zerhamncwa elimbala ungqombela’ ukuze atshabalalise ‘ihenyukazi elikhulu.’ Eli rhamncwa limela iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo. Zona iimpondo ezilishumi zimela oorhulumente abaxhasa iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo. Ngexesha uThixo alikhethileyo, oorhulumente neZizwe Ezimanyeneyo  ziza kuyijikela iBhabhiloni Enkulu. Ziza ‘kuyiphanzisa, ziyihlube ibe ze,’ ngokuthatha izinto enazo nangokuyenza icace gca ebantwini indlela engcole ngayo. (ISityhi. 17:3, 16) Indlela eza kwenzeka ngokukhawuleza ngayo le nto, kuza kuba ngathi yenzeke nje ‘ngemini enye.’ Ngoko, abantu abebeluxhasa unqulo lobuxoki baza kothuka kuba belusoloko luzingomba isifuba lusithi: “Ndingukumkanikazi, andingomhlolokazi, yaye andisayi kuze ndikubone ukuzila.”​—ISityhi. 18:7, 8.

12. Yintoni uYehova angenakuyivumela ukuba iintlanga ziyenze, ibe ngoba?

¹² UThixo akasoze aziyeke iintlanga zitshabalalise abantu bakhe. Kaloku, abantu bakhe bazibiza ngegama lakhe ibe bawuthobele umyalelo wakhe wokuphuma kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu. (IZe. 15:16, 17; ISityhi. 18:4) Akuphelelanga nje apho, kodwa bancede nabanye abantu ukuba baphume kuyo. Yiloo nto abantu bakaYehova ‘bengazukwamkeliswa kwizibetho zayo.’ Nangona kunjalo, kuza kufuneka baqinise ukholo lwabo ukuze bakwazi ukunyamezela into eza kwenzeka.

13. (a) Ngubani uGogi? (b) Ngokutsho kukaHezekile 38:2, 8, 9 iza kuqala xa kutheni iArmagedon?

¹³ UGogi uza kuhlasela. (Funda uHezekile 38:2, 8, 9.) Emva kokuba uThixo elutshabalalisile unqulo lobuxoki, ngabantu bakaYehova kuphela abaza kushiyeka. USathana uza kuvutha ngumsindo. Uza kusebenzisa “amazwi aphefumlelweyo angahlambulukanga” ibe loo mazwi bubuxoki obuvela kwiidemon. Le nto iza kubangela ukuba iqela leentlanga lihlasele abantu bakaYehova. (ISityhi. 16:13, 14) Eli qela leentlanga libizwa ngokuba ‘nguGogi welizwe lakwaMagogi.’ Iza kuqala ke iArmagedon xa ezi ntlanga zihlasela abantu bakaYehova.​—ISityhi. 16:16.

14. UGogi uza kubona ukuba ulwa nabani?

¹⁴ UGogi uza kuthembela ‘ngengalo yenyama,’ ngamanye amazwi ngemikhosi yakhe yokulwa. (2 Kron. 32:8) Kodwa ke thina, siza kuthembela ngoYehova uThixo wethu, ibe le nto iza kubonakala  ibubudenge kwiintlanga. Ngoba? Kuba kaloku, iBhabhiloni Enkulu inamandla, kodwa ke ayizukusindiswa ngoothixo bayo ‘kwirhamncwa’ ‘nakwiimpondo zalo ezilishumi’! (ISityhi. 17:16) Yiyo loo nto uGogi eza kucinga ukuba uza kubatshabalalisa lula abantu bakaYehova. Uza kubahlasela “njengamafu agubungele ilizwe.” (Hez. 38:16) Kodwa uGogi uza kubona ukuba uzinqikele ilitye elineembovane. Kanye njengoFaro kuLwandle Olubomvu, uza kubona ukuba ulwa noYehova.​—Eks. 14:1-4; Hez. 38:3, 4, 18, 21-23.

15. Yintoni uYesu aza kuyenza kwimfazwe yeArmagedon?

¹⁵ UKristu nemikhosi yasezulwini baza kubakhusela abantu bakaThixo baze balitshabalalise iqela leentlanga nemikhosi yazo. (ISityhi. 19:11, 14, 15) Kodwa ke, kuza kwenzeka ntoni kolona tshaba lukaYehova lukhulu, uSathana, oye waxokisa iintlanga waza wazenza zahlasela abantu bakaThixo, yaza loo nto yabangela ukuba kuqale imfazwe yeArmagedon? UYesu uza kumphosa enzonzobileni needemon zakhe, apho baza kuvalelwa khona kangangeminyaka eliwaka.​—ISityhi. 20:1-3.

16. (a) Sibonisa njani ukuba ‘siyamazi uThixo’? (b) Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kubantu abamaziyo uYehova kwimfazwe yeArmagedon?

¹⁶ Enoba kudala sisenyanisweni okanye akunjalo, ukuze sisinde kwiArmagedon simele ‘simazi uThixo’ size ‘sizithobele iindaba ezilungileyo ezingeNkosi yethu uYesu.’ (2 Tes. 1:7-9) Xa sizazi izinto azithandayo nangazithandiyo uThixo, siyazi nendlela afuna siphile ngayo, sibonisa ukuba ‘siyamazi uThixo.’ Enye indlela esibonisa ngayo ukuba siyamazi kuxa simthanda, simthobela naxa sikhonza yena yedwa. (1 Yoh. 2:3-5; 5:3) Xa sisenza izinto ezibonisa ukuba siyamazi uThixo, nathi siye ‘saziwe nguye,’ ibe loo nto ingasinceda sisinde kwiArmagedon! (1 Kor. 8:3) Njani? Kuba xa uThixo ‘esazi,’ loo nto iza kuthetha ukuthi uyakholiswa sithi.

17. Sibonisa njani ukuba ‘siyazithobela iindaba ezilungileyo ezingeNkosi yethu uYesu’?

 ¹⁷ “Iindaba ezilungileyo ezingeNkosi yethu uYesu” zizo zonke iinyaniso awazifundisayo uYesu, ezifumaneka kwiLizwi LikaThixo. Siyazithobela iindaba ezilungileyo xa sizenza izinto esizifunda eBhayibhileni. Oku kuquka ukubeka uBukumkani kwindawo yokuqala, ukuphila ngendlela ayifunayo uYehova nokushumayela ngoBukumkani bakhe. (Mat. 6:33; 24:14) Enye into esimele siyenze kukuxhasa abathanjiswa ekubeni besenza umsebenzi obalulekileyo.​—Mat. 25:31-40.

18. Abathanjiswa baza kubanceda njani ‘abezinye izimvu’?

¹⁸ Abathanjiswa baza kubanceda abo ‘bezinye izimvu,’ kuba bebesoloko bebanceda nabo. (Yoh. 10:16) Njani? Ngaphambi kokuba iqale iArmagedon, bonke abo bayi-144 000 baza kube sele besezulwini, bezizidalwa zomoya ezingafiyo. Baza kuba phakathi kwemikhosi yasezulwini eza kutshabalalisa uGogi ize isindise “isihlwele esikhulu” sabantu bakaThixo. (ISityhi. 2:26, 27; 7:9, 10) Isihlwele esikhulu siza kuvuya nyhani kuba besisoloko sixhasa abathanjiswa xa bebeselapha emhlabeni!

19-20. Yintoni eza kusinceda sihlale sithembekile njengokuba iArmagedon isondela enoba sineengxaki ezinjani?

¹⁹ Kule mihla yokugqibela, abantu bakaYehova abaninzi baneengxaki. Nangona kunjalo, sinako ukunyamezela sivuya. (Yak. 1:2-4) Eyona nto iza kusinceda kakhulu kukuthandaza. (Luka 21:36) Kodwa ke asimele siphelele nje apho, simele sifunde iLizwi LikaThixo yonke imihla, sicinge ngezinto esizifundayo nangeziprofeto ezisele ziza kwenzeka. (INdu. 77:12) Xa sizenza ezi zinto size sishumayele kangangoko sinako, ukholo lwethu luza kuqina nethemba esinalo liza komelela.

²⁰ Khawucinge indlela oza konwaba ngayo xa ingasekho iBhabhiloni Enkulu naxa iphelile imfazwe yeArmagedon. Kwakhona, khawucinge nangendlela oza konwaba ngayo xa bonke abantu belihlonipha igama likaThixo naxa beqonda ukuba nguye omele alawule. (Hez. 38:23) Yiyo loo nto abantu abamaziyo uThixo, abamthobelayo uNyana wakhe nabaqhubeka benyamezele beyijonge ngamehlo abomvu iArmagedon.​—Mat. 24:13.