1, 2. Yiyiphi imfazwe yokwenene esondeleyo, ibe yintoni ekungayi kufuneka bayenze abakhonzi bakaThixo?

NGO-OKTOBHA 30, 1938, izigidi zabantu baseUnited States ziphulaphule umdlalo othile kwinkqubo ethandwayo kanomathotholo. Umdlalo waloo mini wawusekelwe kwingcamango yenzululwazi ekwincwadi ethi The War of the Worlds. Kubadlali bawo kwakukho obhengeza ukugaleleka kwemikhosi yezidalwa ezivela kuMars zize kutshabalalisa uMhlaba. Nangona kwakuchaziwe ukuba yayingumdlalo nje lowo, abaphulaphuli abaninzi baye bacinga ukuba olo hlaselo lwalusenzeka ngokwenene, baza boyika. Abanye bade baxhoba belungiselela ukuzikhusela.

² Namhlanje kukho imfazwe yokwenene esondeleyo. Kodwa, abantu abanaxesha layo. Le yona imfazwe ayichazwa kwiincwadi zamabali, kodwa ichazwa kwiLizwi eliphefumlelweyo likaThixo, iBhayibhile. Yimfazwe yeArmagedon—imfazwe kaThixo etshabalalisa le nkqubo yezinto ingendawo. (ISityhi. 16:14-16) Kule mfazwe, abakhonzi bakaThixo abasemhlabeni akuyi kufuneka bazikhusele kwizidalwa ezivela kwisijikelezilanga esithile. Sekunjalo, baya kumangaliswa ziziganeko ezothusayo namandla oyikekayo kaThixo.

3. Sisiphi isiprofeto esiza kunikela ingqalelo kuso, yaye kutheni sinomdla kuso?

³ Isiprofeto seBhayibhile esikuZekariya isahluko 14 sisichazela lukhulu ngemfazwe yeArmagedon. Nakuba sabhalwa kwiminyaka emalunga nama-2 500 eyadlulayo, esi siprofeto sichaphazela nathi namhlanje. (Roma 15:4) Izinto ezithethwa apho zichaphazela abantu bakaThixo ukususela ekumiselweni  koBukumkani bukaMesiya emazulwini ngowe-1914, kuquka iziganeko ezibangel’ umdla esele kumbovu zenzeke. Esi siprofeto sisixelela ‘ngentlambo enkulu’ nangokuphuma ‘kwamanzi aphilayo.’ (Zek. 14:4, 8) Le ntlambo inendima ebalulekileyo ekukhuseleni abanquli bakaYehova. Xa siyiqonda intsingiselo yamanzi aphilayo kuthi, asiyi kufuna nje ukuba nenxaxheba kuwo kodwa siya kufuna nokuwasela. Ngoko, kuya kusinceda gqitha ukunikela ingqalelo kwesi siprofeto.—2 Pet. 1:19, 20.

4. (a) Yaqalisa nini ‘imini kaYehova’? (b) Kumashumi eminyaka ngaphambi kowe-1914, yintoni eyayivakaliswa ngabanquli bakaYehova, ibe zasabela njani iinkokeli zehlabathi?

⁴ Isahluko 14 sikaZekariya sivula ngamazwi achaza “imini, kaYehova.” (Funda uZekariya 14:1, 2.) Yiyiphi le mini? ‘Yimini yeNkosi,’ eyaqalisa xa “ubukumkani behlabathi” “baba bubukumkani beNkosi yethu nobukaKristu wayo.” (ISityhi. 1:10; 11:15) Le mini yaqalisa ngowe-1914 ekuzalweni koBukumkani bukaMesiya emazulwini. Kumashumi eminyaka ngaphambi kowe-1914, abanquli bakaYehova bavakalisa kuzo zonke iintlanga ukuba isiphelo ‘samaxesha amisiweyo eentlanga’ sasiza kufika kuloo nyaka yaye ihlabathi laliza kuba kumbhodamo ongazange ubonwe. (Luka 21:24) Zasabela njani iintlanga? Kunokuthobela eso silumkiso sifike ngexesha, iinkokeli zezopolitiko nezonqulo zahlekisa ngabo, zabatshutshisa abo bashumayeli bathanjisiweyo banenzondelelo. Ngeso senzo, ezo nkokeli zazihlekisa ngoThixo uSomandla ngenkqu, kuba oonozakuzaku abathanjisiweyo boBukumkani bamela “iYerusalem yasezulwini”—uBukumkani bukaMesiya—abayinxalenye yabo.—Heb. 12:22, 28.

5, 6. (a) Ziziphi izinto ezaxelwa kwangaphambili ezaziza kwenziwa ziintlanga nxamnye ‘nesixeko nabemi baso’? (b) Yaba ngoobani “abaseleyo”?

⁵ UZekariya wakuchaza kwangaphambili oko kwakuza kwenziwa ziintlanga, wathi: “Isixeko [iYerusalem] okunene siya kuthinjwa.” “Isixeko” sifuzisela uBukumkani bukaThixo obulawulwa nguMesiya. Emhlabeni simelwa ‘ngabemi’ baso, intsalela yamaKristu athanjisiweyo. (Fil. 3:20) Ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi I, abazalwana abathwaliswe iimbopheleleko kwinxalenye esemhlabeni yentlangano kaYehova ‘bathinjwa,’ okanye babanjwa baya kuvalelwa kwintolongo yaseAtlanta, eGeorgia, eUnited States. Kwaba ngathi ‘izindlu zesixeko ziphangiwe’ kuba aba bazalwana nabanye abagcini bengqibelelo baphathwa ngokungekho sikweni nangogonyamelo. Iintshaba zakuvala ukupapashwa koncwadi, zawubekela imiqathango umsebenzi wokushumayela.

⁶ Nangona abantu bakaThixo babembalwa, bebekwa amabala, bechaswa yaye betshutshiswa, unqulo lokwenyaniso lwalungenakutshayelwa. Kwakukho “abaseleyo,” intsalela yabathanjiswa engazange ivume ‘ukunqunyulwa esixekweni.’

7. Umzekelo wamaNgqina athanjisiweyo kaYehova ubamisela wuphi umzekelo bonke abanquli bokwenyaniso namhlanje?

⁷ Ngaba esi siprofeto sazaliseka ngokupheleleyo ekupheleni kweMfazwe Yehlabathi I? Nakanye. Kwakuseza intshutshiso engakumbi eyachazwa nguZekariya. (ISityhi. 12:17) IMfazwe Yehlabathi II ibubungqina boko. Nanamhlanje, abakhonzi bakaThixo basomelezwa ngumzekelo wokholo owamiselwa ngamaKristu athanjisiweyo. Ngenxa yalo mzekelo wawo, siyakwazi ukunyamezela naziphi na iimvavanyo, kuquka ukuchaswa zizalamane ezingakholwayo, abo sisebenza  nabo, okanye abo sifunda nabo basigculelayo ngenxa yokholo lwethu. (1 Pet. 1:6, 7) Enoba bahlala phi na, abanquli bokwenyaniso bazimisele ‘ukuma beqinile moyeni mnye, bengothuswa ngabo bamelene nabo.’ (Fil. 1:27, 28) Abakhonzi bakaYehova baza kuyifumana phi ke indawo ekhuselekileyo kweli hlabathi libathiye kangaka?—Yoh. 15:17-19.

8. (a) Yintoni enokufuziselwa ziintaba eBhayibhileni? (b) Ifuzisela ntoni ‘intaba yeminquma’?

⁸ Ekubeni iYerusalem—“isixeko”—ifuzisela iYerusalem yasezulwini, nayo ‘intaba yeminquma, ephambi kweYerusalem,’ imele ibe nento eyifuziselayo. Yintoni ke efuziselwa yile ntaba? Iza ‘kwahlukana njani phakathi’ ize ibe ziintaba ezimbini? Kutheni uYehova ebiza ezi ntaba ngokuthi ‘iintaba zam’? (Funda uZekariya 14:3-5.) EBhayibhileni, iintaba zinokufuzisela izikumkani okanye oorhulumente. Iintsikelelo nokhuseleko zinxulunyaniswa nentaba kaThixo. (INdu. 72:3; Isa. 25:6, 7) Ngoko, intaba yeminquma imela ulongamo lukaYehova phezu kwayo yonke indalo yakhe, ubungangamsha bolawulo lwakhe.

9. Yahlukana ngayiphi ingqiqo ‘intaba yeminquma’?

⁹ Yintoni echazwa kukwahlukana kwentaba yeminquma? Le ntaba, ikwimpuma yeYerusalem, iyahlukana kuba uYehova umisela olunye ulawulo, olungaphantsi kolwakhe. Olu lawulo lwesibini buBukumkani obuphethwe nguMesiya, uYesu Kristu. Yiloo nto uYehova ebhekisela kwiintaba ezimbini ezibangelwa kukwahlukana ‘kweNtaba yemiNquba’ ngokuthi ‘iintaba zam.’ (Zek. 14:4) Zombini zezakhe.

10. Yintoni efuziselwa ‘yintlambo enkulu’ ephakathi kweentaba ezimbini?

¹⁰ Xa le ntaba yokomfuziselo isahlukana, esinye isiqingatha siba semntla size esinye sibe ngasemzantsi, ngoxa iinyawo zikaYehova zisala zimi kwezi ntaba zombini. Phantsi kweenyawo zikaYehova kuvela “intlambo enkulu.” Le ntlambo ifuzisela ukhuseleko oluvela kuThixo, apho abakhonzi bakhe bafumana ukhuseleko kulongamo lwendalo iphela nakuLawulo lukaMesiya onguNyana wakhe. UYehova uyakuqiniseka ukuba unqulo olunyulu soze lutshatyalaliswe. Yahlukana nini le ntaba yeminquba? Oku kwenzeka xa kwakumiselwa uBukumkani bukaMesiya ekupheleni kwamaXesha Eentlanga ngowe-1914. Abanquli bokwenyaniso baqalisa nini ukusabela kwintlambo yokomfuziselo?

11, 12. (a) Abantu baqalisa nini ukusabela kwintlambo yokomfuziselo? (b) Yintoni engqina ukuba ingalo enamandla kaYehova ikhusela abantu bakhe?

¹¹ UYesu walumkisa abalandeli bakhe wathi: ‘Niya kuthiywa ziintlanga zonke ngenxa yegama lam.’ (Mat. 24:9) Ukususela ngowe-1914, kwimihla yokugqibela yale nkqubo yezinto, loo ntiyo iye yaqatsela. Phezu kwako nje ukutshutshiswa okungathethekiyo kwentsalela yamaKristu athanjisiweyo ziintshaba zawo ngeMfazwe Yehlabathi I, iqela lamaKristu athembekileyo alizange litshayelwe. Ngowe-1919, lakhululwa kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu—ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki. (ISityhi. 11:11, 12) * Lelo xesha ke abaqalisa ngalo ukusabela kwintlambo yeentaba zikaYehova abantu bakhe.

¹² Ukususela ngowe-1919, uYehova ebesoloko ebakhusela abanquli bakhe ehlabathini lonke. Ukutyhubela iminyaka kwamanye amazwe, uncwadi lweBhayibhile lwamaNgqina kaYehova nomsebenzi wokushumayela ubungavunyelwa.  Asekho amazwe anjalo namhlanje. Sekunjalo, alikho ilizwe eliya kuze liphumelele ukutshayela unqulo lokwenyaniso! Ingalo kaYehova enamandla iya kuqhubeka ibakhusela abantu bakhe.—Dut. 11:2.

13. Singahlala njani kwintlambo kaYehova yokhuseleko, ibe kutheni kubaluleke ngakumbi ngoku?

¹³ Ukuba asigungqi kwinyaniso size sithembele ngoYehova, yena noNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu, baya kudlala eyabo indima, ibe uThixo akayi kuvumela nabani na okanye nantoni na ‘isixhwile esandleni sakhe.’ (Yoh. 10:28, 29) UYehova ukulungele ukusinceda nangantoni na esiyifunayo ukuze sithobele ulawulo lwakhe noloNyana wakhe. Kubalulekile ukuba sihlale kwintlambo yokhuseleko, kuba iya kuba luncedo ngakumbi kubanquli bokwenyaniso ebudeni bembandezelo enkulu ezayo.

14, 15. Iya kuba njani imeko yabo bangaphandle kwentlambo xa uYehova ‘esilwa’ neentshaba zakhe ‘ngemini yokulwa kwakhe imfazwe’?

¹⁴ Njengokuba isiphelo sale nkqubo yezinto sisondela, uSathana uza kuthi chatha ekuhlaseleni abakhonzi bakaYehova. Iya kwandula ke ‘imini [kaThixo] yemfazwe’ ifikele iintshaba zakhe. UYehova uya kuqinisekisa ukuba uSathana uhlasela okokugqibela. Ngaloo mini, uMongami wendalo yonke uya kuzibonakalisa ukuba uyiNdoda Yemfazwe ezuke ngakumbi kunayo nayiphi na enye ‘imini yokulwa.’—Zek. 14:3.

¹⁵ Ngemini kaThixo yemfazwe, iya kuba njani imeko yabo bangaphandle ‘kwentlambo enkulu’ yokhuseleko? Abayi kukufumana ‘ukukhanya okuxabisekileyo,’ into ethetha ukuba uThixo akayi kukholiswa ngabo. Ngaloo mini yokulwa, ‘ihashe, imeyile, inkamela, ne-esile eliliduna, nalo lonke uhlobo lwesilwanyana sasekhaya’—ezifuzisela izixhobo zomkhosi—ziya kuba lilize. Ziya “kujiya,” zithi nko zingasebenzi ngokungathi zibanjwe ngumkhenkce. UYehova uya kusebenzisa nendyikityha yokufa ‘nesibetho.’ Enoba sesokoqobo okanye akunjalo, esi sibetho siphelisa naziphi na izisongelo. Ngaloo mini, ‘amehlo kabani, nolwimi lwakhe luya kubola’ kuba abahlaseli abayi kuphumelela ibe amazwi abo iya kuba kukubhibhidla amazinyo. (Zek. 14:6, 7, 12, 15.) ‘Ookumkani bomhlaba nemikhosi yabo’ baya kuma kwicala likaSathana. Ayikho emhlabeni indawo engayi kufika kuyo le ntshabalalo. (ISityhi. 19:19-21) “Abo babuleweyo nguYehova ngaloo mini ngokuqinisekileyo baya kususela kwesinye isiphelo somhlaba base kwesinye isiphelo.”—Yer. 25:32, 33.

16. Ngenxa yemini ezayo yemfazwe kaThixo, yiyiphi imibuzo esimele sizibuze yona, ibe yintoni ekuya kufuneka siyenze?

¹⁶ Imfazwe ihlala izisa unxunguphalo, nkqu nakwabo boyisileyo. Basenokuphelelwa kukutya. Banokuphulukana nezinto zabo. Ubomi bunokuba nzima, wehle umgangatho. Abantu banokuphulukana nenkululeko bangabi namalungelo. Yintoni esiya kuyenza xa sisehlelwa zezo zinto? Ngaba siya kuphakuzela? Ngaba siya kulahla ukholo lwethu? Ngaba siya kuphelelwa lithemba sidakumbe? Eyona nto ibiya kusinceda ngembandezelo enkulu kukulondoloza ukholo esinalo lokuba uYehova unamandla okusisindisa size ke sihlale kwintlambo kaYehova yokhuseleko.—Funda uHabhakuki 3:17, 18.

17, 18. (a) Ayintoni “amanzi aphilayo”? (b) Yintoni emelwa ‘lulwandle lwasempuma nolwasentshona’? (c) Njengoko ukhangele phambili kwikamva, yintoni ozimisele ukuyenza?

¹⁷ Emva kweArmagedon, “amanzi  aphilayo” aya kuqhubeka ephuma kwisihlalo soBukumkani bukaMesiya. La ‘manzi aphilayo’ ngamalungiselelo enziwa nguYehova ukuze siphile. ‘Ulwandle lwasempuma’ lubhekisela kuLwandle Olufileyo, ngoxa ‘ulwandle lwasentshona’ lubhekisela kuLwandle lweMeditera. Omabini abhekisela ebantwini. ULwandle Olufileyo lubamela kakuhle abo basemangcwabeni. Ekubeni uLwandle lweMeditera lunyakazela zizinto eziphilayo, lumele lubhekisele ‘kwisihlwele esikhulu’ sabasinde kwiArmagedon. (Funda uZekariya 14:8, 9; ISityhi. 7:9-15) Omabini ke la maqela aya kuxhamla ngokukhululwa ekufeni okweza noAdam aze afezeke njengoko esanelisa unxano lwawo ngamanzi aphilayo okanye ‘kumlambo wamanzi obomi.’—ISityhi. 22:1, 2.

¹⁸ Xa uYehova etshabalalisa le nkqubo yezinto ingendawo, uya kusikhusela aze asingenise kwihlabathi lakhe elitsha lobulungisa. Nangona sithiywe zizo zonke iintlanga, masiqhubeke sinyanisekile kuBukumkani bukaThixo, sizimisele ngakumbi ukuhlala kwintlambo yokhuseleko kaYehova.