1, 2. Yeyiphi eyona mfazwe yakha yankulu ezayo, ibe isenza sizibuze ntoni? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

KANGANGAMAWAKA eminyaka, bekusifa abantu abaninzi ezimfazweni, kuquka abo bafa kwimfazwe yehlabathi yokuqala neyesibini, ezaliwa ngeminyaka yoo-1900. Kodwa kuseza eyona mfazwe yakha yankulu. Le ayomfazwe nje ephakathi kwamazwe ngenxa yochuku lwawo. Kodwa iza kube ‘iyimfazwe yemini enkulu kaThixo uSomandla.’ (ISityhi. 16:14) Utshaba olucinga ukuba lunamandla luza kuyiqala le mfazwe ngokuhlasela ilizwe elibalulekileyo kuThixo. Loo nto iza kwenza iNkosi enguMongami uYehova ikhuphe awona mandla makhulu okutshabalalisa angazange abonwa ngaphambili.

² Le nto isenza sizibuze le mibuzo: Ngubani olu tshaba? Leliphi eli lizwe luza kulihlasela? Luza kulihlaselela ntoni, nini yaye njani? Kufuneka sizazi iimpendulo zale mibuzo, kuba ezi zinto ziza kwenzeka zidibanisa nathi bakhonzi bakaYehova. Siza kuzifumana ezi mpendulo kwisiprofeto esikuHezekile isahluko 38 no-39.

3. Zeziphi ezona zinto ziphambili kwisiprofeto sikaGogi wakwaMagogi?

 ³ Funda uHezekile 38:1, 2, 8, 18; 39:4, 11. Nazi ezona zinto ziphambili kwezi vesi: “Ekupheleni kweminyaka,” utshaba olubizwa ngokuba ‘nguGogi wakwamaGogi’ luhlasela “ilizwe” labantu bakaThixo. Kodwa loo nto ‘imcaphukisa kakhulu uYehova,’ aze angenelele amoyise uGogi. * Emva kokoyisa utshaba lwakhe nabo bonke abo bakunye nalo, ubenza babe “kukutya kwazo zonke iintlobo zeentaka ezitya inyama namarhamncwa asendle.” Ekugqibeleni, uGogi ‘uyangcwatywa.’ Ukuze sazi ukuba siza kwenzeka njani esi siprofeto kungekudala, kufuneka kuqala sazi ukuba ngubani uGogi.

4. Singathi ngubani uGogi wakwaMagogi?

⁴ Ngubani ke uGogi wakwaMagogi? Xa sijonga indlela uHezekile amchaza ngayo, singathi lutshaba lwabakhonzi bakaYehova. Ngaba uGogi umela uSathana, olona tshaba lungafuni akhonzwe kakuhle uYehova? Kangangeminyaka emininzi, iincwadi zethu bezisitsho. Kodwa ke emva kokuphinda sisifundisise esi siprofeto, iye yatshintsha indlela esisiqonda ngayo. IMboniselo ibonise ukuba igama elithi Gogi wakwaMagogi alithethi ngengelosi, kodwa liqela leentlanga ezidibanayo ukuze zilwe nabakhonzi bakaYehova. * Ngaphambi kokuba sijonge isizathu sokuba sitsho, makhe siqale sijonge izinto ezimbini ezibonisa ukuba uGogi akayongelosi.

5, 6. Yintoni kwisiprofeto sikaHezekile ebonisa ukuba uGogi wakwaMagogi akayongelosi?

⁵ “Ndiza kukwenza ube kukutya kwazo zonke iintlobo zeentaka ezitya inyama.” (Hez. 39:4) IBhayibhile idla ngokuthetha ngeentaka ezitya inyama yento efileyo xa ilumkisa ngomgwebo kaThixo. UThixo wayebalumkisa ngolo hlobo abantu bakwaSirayeli nabezinye iintlanga. (Dut. 28:26; Yer. 7:33; Hez. 29:3, 5) Kodwa ke qaphela ukuba wayengalumkisi iingelosi, kodwa wayelumkisa abantu. Kaloku, nezi ntaka kunye namarhamncwa zitya inyama, azityi moya. Ngenxa yaloo nto, isilumkiso sikaThixo esikwisiprofeto sikaHezekile sibonisa ukuba uGogi akayongelosi, kuba yona ingumoya.

⁶ ‘UGogi ndiza kumnika indawo aza kungcwatyelwa kuyo kwaSirayeli.’ (Hez. 39:11) Akukho nto eZibhalweni ethi iingelosi zakha zangcwatywa emhlabeni. Kodwa zithi uSathana needemon zakhe baza kuvalelwa emngxunyeni ongenasiphelo iminyaka eyi-1 000, baze emva koko baphoswe kwichibi lomlilo, elimela ukutshatyalaliswa kwabo. (Luka 8:31; ISityhi. 20:1-3, 10) Ekubeni kusithiwa uGogi uza kunikwa ‘indawo aza kungcwatyelwa kuyo,’ singathi akanakuba uyingelosi.

7, 8. Ifana njani into eza kwenzeka ‘kukumkani wasemntla’ naleyo iza kwenzeka kuGogi wakwaMagogi?

 ⁷ Ngubani ke lo Gogi uza kuhlasela abakhonzi bakaYehova, xa engeyiyo ingelosi? Ukuze simazi, makhe sijonge ezi ziprofeto zibini.

⁸ “Ukumkani wasemntla.” (Funda uDaniyeli 11:40-45.) UDaniyeli wathetha ngokuvela kwamagunya ehlabathi ngexesha lakhe ukuza kutsho kwelethu. Esi siprofeto siphinda sithethe ngamagunya awayeziintshaba, ‘ukumkani wasemzantsi nokumkani wasemntla.’ Baninzi ookumkani neentlanga eziye zaba ngukumkani wasemzantsi nowasemntla kula makhulu eminyaka edlulileyo, njengoko amazwe ebelwela ukulawula. Xa uDaniyeli wayethetha ngento eza kwenziwa ngukumkani wasemntla “ngexesha lesiphelo,” wathi: ‘Uza kuphuma ngomsindo ukuze anqumle aze atshabalalise abaninzi.’ Abona bantu abafunayo ukumkani wasemntla ngabakhonzi bakaYehova. * Kodwa ke njengoGogi wakwaMagogi, ukumkani wasemntla “uza kufikelela esiphelweni sakhe” xa esoyiswa ekulweni kwakhe nabantu bakaThixo.

9. Ifana njani into eza kwenzeka kuGogi wakwaMagogi nento eza kwenzeka “kookumkani bomhlaba wonke”?

⁹ ‘Ookumkani bomhlaba wonke.’ (Funda iSityhilelo 16:14, 16; 17:14; 19:19, 20.) Incwadi yeSityhilelo yachaza ukuba ‘ookumkani bomhlaba’ baza kulwa “noKumkani wookumkani,” uYesu. Kodwa kuba bengenakufikelela kuye ezulwini, baza kulwa nabantu abasemhlabeni abaxhasa uBukumkani bakhe. Aba kumkani baza koyiswa kwimfazwe yeArmagedon. Nabo njengoGogi wakwaMagogi baza kufikelela esiphelweni sabo emva kokuhlasela abantu bakaThixo. *

10. Singathi ngubani uGogi wakwaMagogi?

¹⁰ Emva kokuva yonke le nto, singathi ngubani ke uGogi? Okokuqala, akayongelosi. Okwesibini, uGogi umela iintlanga eziza kuhlasela abantu bakaThixo kungekudala. Ezo ntlanga ziza kudibana, zimanyane. Ngoba? Ekubeni abantu bakaThixo bekho kuwo wonke umhlaba, kuza kufuneka iintlanga zimanyane ukuze zibahlasele. (Mat. 24:9) Kodwa ke nakuba beza kuhlaselwa ziintlanga, ziza kube ziqhutywa nguSathana. Uza kube engaqali ukwenza iintlanga zibacaphukele abantu abakhonza uThixo. (1 Yoh. 5:19; ISityhi. 12:17) Kodwa eyona nto sithetha ngayo isiprofeto sikaHezekile esingoGogi wakwaMagogi, yinto eza kwenziwa ziintlanga zasemhlabeni xa zihlasela abantu bakaYehova. *

11. Isiprofeto sikaHezekile silichaza njani “ilizwe” eliza kuhlaselwa nguGogi?

¹¹ Njengoko sifundile  kwisiqendu 3, uGogi wakwaMagogi uza kuhlasela ilizwe elixabisekileyo kuYehova, ibe loo nto iza kumcaphukisa kakhulu. Leliphi elo lizwe? Makhe sibuyele kwisiprofeto sikaHezekile. (Funda uHezekile 38:8-12.) Sithi uGogi “uza kuhlasela ilizwe labantu ababuyisiweyo, nezizwana eziqokelelwe  ezintlangeni.” Jonga ukuba siphinda sithini esi siprofeto ngabakhonzi bakaYehova ababuyiselweyo nabahlala kweli lizwe: “Bahlala bekhuselekile,” ilizwe labo ‘alinazindonga zikhuselayo, nazingcango namivalo, ibe banobutyebi.’ Eli lilizwe abahlala kulo abantu bakaThixo emhlabeni wonke. Silibona njani?

12. Kwenzeka ntoni kwilizwe lakwaSirayeli ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile?

¹² Kuyasinceda ukucinga ngento eyenzeka kwaSirayeli, ilizwe abantu abakhethwe nguThixo ababehlala, besebenza kwaye bekhonzela kulo kangangamakhulu eminyaka. Xa bayekayo ukuthembeka, uYehova wathuma uHezekile ukuba aprofete athi ilizwe labo laliza kuba yindawo engahoywanga mntu. (Hez. 33:27-29) Kodwa waphinda waprofeta wathi babekhona abantu abambalwa ababeza kubuya ekuthinjweni baze baphinde bakhonze uThixo ngendlela ayifunayo kwelo lizwe. UYehova wayeza kulisikelela eli lizwe, liphinde libe lihle “njengomyezo wase-Eden.” (Hez. 36:34-36) AmaYuda abuyela eYerusalem ngo-537 B.C.E., aza aphinda akhonza uYehova kakuhle kwilizwe lawo.

13, 14. (a) Lithetha ntoni ilizwe labantu bakaThixo? (b) Kutheni uYehova elithanda nje eli lizwe?

¹³ Nabakhonzi bakaThixo bexesha lethu bekukhe kwafuneka bebuyiselwe kwilizwe labo. Njengokuba besifundile kwiSahluko 9 sale ncwadi, ngo-1919 abantu bakaThixo bakhululwa ekubeni ngamakhoboka eBhabhiloni Enkulu. Ngaloo nyaka, uYehova wazisa abantu bakhe kwilizwe labo. Elo lizwe lithetha indlela yethu yokuphila, sonwabile yaye sikhuselekile ekukhonzeni uThixo wokwenene. Simanyene, kwaye akukho nto siyoyikayo okanye  esixhalabisayo. (IMize. 1:33) Sifundiswa izinto ezininzi eziqinisa ukholo lwethu, ibe sinomsebenzi omnandi wokuxelela abantu ngoBukumkani BukaThixo. Siwabona eyinyani amazwi emizekeliso athi: “Yintsikelelo kaYehova etyebisayo, ibe akongezi ntlungu kuyo.” (IMize. 10:22) Ukuba siqhubeka sisenza ukuthanda kukaThixo, siya kuba sihlala kweli lizwe, nokuba siphi na emhlabeni.

¹⁴ UYehova uyalithanda eli lizwe sihlala kulo. Ngoba? Kuba abantu abahlala kulo, aye wabakhetha ukuze bamkhonze ngendlela ayifunayo, ‘bazizinto ezixabisekileyo zazo zonke iintlanga.’ (Hag. 2:7; Yoh. 6:44) Bazama kangangoko banako ukunxiba ubuntu obutsha obubonisa iimpawu eziphakamileyo zikaThixo. (Efe. 4:23, 24; 5:1, 2) Ekubeni bengabakhonzi bakaThixo, bayazimisela emsebenzini wakhe, bewenza ngeendlela ezibonisa ukuba bayamzukisa kwaye bayamthanda. (Roma 12:1, 2; 1 Yoh. 5:3) Inoba uvuya nyhani uYehova xa ebona abakhonzi bakhe besebenza nzima ukuze baqhubeke belenza lihle eli lizwe. Khawuyicinge le nto: Xa eyona nto ibalulekileyo kuwe ikukukhonza uYehova ngendlela ayifunayo, ulenza lihle eli lizwe ibe umvuyisa kakhulu.​—IMize. 27:11.

15, 16. Uza kusihlasela nini uGogi wakwaMagogi?

¹⁵ Kusenza sihlale sithe qwa ukwazi ukuba iintlanga seziza kudibana zize zihlasele abantu bakaThixo. Sifuna ukwazi ngakumbi  ngokuhlasela kwezi ntlanga, kuba ziza kube zihlasela thina bantu bakaYehova. Khawucinge ngale mbuzo mithathu.

¹⁶ Uza kusihlasela nini uGogi wakwaMagogi? Isiprofeto siphendula sithi: “Ekupheleni kweminyaka uza kuhlasela ilizwe.” (Hez. 38:8) Ngoko kubonakala ukuba le nto iza kwenzeka xa sekusondele ukupheliswa kweli hlabathi. Ukhumbule kaloku ukuba ixesha lentlungu engathethekiyo liza kuqala ngokutshatyalaliswa kweBhabhiloni Enkulu, ingqokelela yazo zonke iinkonzo zobuxoki. UGogi uza kuhlasela abakhonzi bakaThixo emva kokutshatyalaliswa kweenkonzo, kodwa ngaphambi kokuba kuqale iArmagedon.

17, 18. UYehova uza kwenza ntoni ngexesha lentlungu engathethekiyo?

¹⁷ Kutheni uGogi eza kuhlasela abakhonzi bakaYehova? Isiprofeto sikaHezekile sichaza izizathu ezibini. Esokuqala, kukuba ziza kube ziqhutywa nguYehova, size esesibini ibe ziinjongo ezikhohlakeleyo zikaGogi.

¹⁸ Ukuqhutywa nguYehova. (Funda uHezekile 38:4, 16.) Yiva ukuba uthini uYehova kuGogi: ‘Ndiza kukufaka iihaki emihlathini ibe ndiza kukwenza uhlasele ilizwe lam.’ Ngaba le nto ithetha  ukuba uYehova uza kuzinyanzela iintlanga ukuba zihlasele abakhonzi bakhe? Hayi. Soze abakhohlakalele abantu bakhe. (Yobhi 34:12) Kodwa uyayazi ukuba iintshaba zakhe ziza kubacaphukela, ibe soze zifune ukuliphosa eli thuba lokuzama ukubatshabalalisa. (1 Yoh. 3:13) Ngokungathi ufaka iihaki emihlathini kaGogi kwaye uyamqhuba, uYehova uza kwenza ukuba izinto zenzeke ngokuthanda kwakhe nangexesha lakhe. Emva kokuba iBhabhiloni Enkulu itshatyalalisiwe, ngandlel’ ithile uYehova usenokuqhubela iintlanga ekwenzeni into ebezihleli ziyicinga kakade. Ukuhlasela kwazo abantu bakaThixo kuza kukhokelela kwiArmagedon, eyona mfazwe yakha yankulu emhlabeni. Emva koko, uYehova uza kusindisa abantu bakhe, alenze likhulu igunya lakhe lokulawula, aze angcwalise negama lakhe.​—Hez. 38:23.

19. Yintoni eza kwenza uGogi afune ukusiyekisa ukukhonza uYehova?

¹⁹ Iinjongo ezikhohlakeleyo zikaGogi. Iintlanga ziza ‘kucinga iqhinga lenkohlakalo.’ Ziza kufuna ukukhuphela umsindo nenzondo ekudala zinayo kubakhonzi bakaYehova, abaza kube bebonakala ngathi “bahlala apho kungekho zindonga zikhuselayo  nazingcango namivalo.” Ziza kuyenza le nto ‘nangenjongo yokuthimba kwabo banobutyebi.’ (Hez. 38:10-12) Bobuphi obo ‘butyebi’? Abantu bakaYehova banobutyebi bezinto eziqinisa ukholo. Eyona nto yexabiso yabo yinyhweba abanayo yokukhonza uYehova yedwa ngendlela ayamkelayo. Iintlanga ziza kufuna ukusiyekisa ukukhonza uYehova, kuba ziyicaphukela indlela esimkhonza ngayo, kwaye zicaphukela nathi.

20. UGogi uza kulihlasela njani ilizwe lethu?

²⁰ Uza kulihlasela njani ilizwe lethu uGogi? Iintlanga zisenokuzama ukuphazamisa indlela esiphila ngayo njengamaKristu ngokusiyekisa ukukhonza. Mhlawumbi ziza kubangela ukuba zingafiki kuthi izinto ezithunyelwa yintlangano, zisenze singakwazi ukudibana, ziqhawule ukumanyana kwethu, zize zisiyekise ukushumayela. Zonke ezi, zizinto ezisenza sonwabe. USathana uza kubangela ukuba iintlanga zizame ukusitshabalalisa, kuba zifuna kungabikho mntu ukhonza uYehova.

21. Kutheni simbulela nje uYehova ngokusilumkisa ngezinto eziza kwenzeka?

²¹ UGogi wakwaMagogi uza kuhlasela bonke abakhonzi bakaThixo abonwabileyo. Siyambulela uYehova kuba esilumkisile ngezinto eziza kwenzeka. Kodwa ke, njengoko silinde ixesha lentlungu engathethekiyo, akwaba singazimisela ukuba ukukhonza uYehova kube yeyona nto ibalulekileyo kuthi. Loo nto iza kuncedisa kwindlela abonwabe ngayo abantu bakaThixo ngoku. Ibe siza kuba sethubeni lokubona eyona nto ibalulekileyo kungekudala: Indlela uYehova aza kubalwela ngayo abantu bakhe kunye negama lakhe ngeArmagedon. Isahluko esilandelayo siza kuyicacisa le nto.