NguLwesibili ntambama futhi sekuya ngasekupheleni kukaNisani 11. Okunye okuphelayo, umsebenzi onzima owenziwa uJesu emhlabeni. Emini ubefundisa ethempelini kanti ntambama ubehlala ngaphandle kwedolobha. Bekulokhu kunesasasa elikhulu kubantu ‘abebefika kuye kusesekuseni ethempelini ukuze bamlalele.’ (Luka 21:37, 38) Sekuphelile konke lokho futhi uJesu uhleli eNtabeni Yeminqumo nabaphostoli bakhe abane—uPetru, u-Andreya, uJakobe noJohane.

Laba baphostoli abane bacele ukukhuluma naye ngasese. Bakhathazekile ngethempeli ngoba uJesu usanda kubikezela ukuthi akukho tshe eliyoshiywa phezu kwetshe kulo. Kodwa kuningi okusezingqondweni zabo. UJesu uke wabanxusa wathi: “Hlalani nimi ngomumo, ngoba iNdodana yomuntu iza ngehora eningacabangi ukuthi kungaba yilo.” (Luka 12:40) Ukhulume ‘nangosuku lapho kwambulwa iNdodana yomuntu.’ (Luka 17:30) Ingabe lawo mazwi ahlobene ngandlela-thile nalokho asanda kukusho ngethempeli? Abaphostoli bafuna ukwazi. Bathi: “Sitshele, ziyokwenzeka nini lezi zinto, futhi luyoba yini uphawu lokuba khona kwakho nolwesiphelo sesimiso sezinto?”—Mathewu 24:3.

Kungenzeka bacabanga ngokuchithwa kwethempeli abalibhekile elingekude kakhulu. Babuza nangokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu. Mhlawumbe bakhumbula nomfanekiso uJesu ake akhuluma ngawo ‘womuntu wozalo lwasebukhosini’ ‘owaya ezweni elikude ukuze athole amandla obukhosi bese eyabuya.’ (Luka 19:11, 12) Cishe bakhathazeke nangokuthi siyoba njani ‘isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.’

Empendulweni yakhe enemininingwane eminingi, uJesu unikeza uphawu olubonisa ukuthi isimiso sezinto samaJuda siyophela nini, kuhlanganise nethempeli. Kodwa kukhona nokunye okuningi akushoyo. Lolu phawu luyosiza amaKristu amaningi esikhathini esizayo abone lapho esephila phakathi nesikhathi ‘sokuba khona kwakhe,’ nalapho sekusondele ukuphela kwaso sonke isimiso sezinto emhlabeni.

Njengoba iminyaka ihamba, abaphostoli bayakubona ukugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho sikaJesu. Yebo, izinto eziningi azibikezela ziqala ukwenzeka esikhathini sabo. Ngakho amaKristu aphapheme aphila eminyakeni engu-37 kamuva ngo-70 C.E., akulungele ukubhujiswa kwesimiso samaJuda nethempeli. Nokho, akukhona konke uJesu akubikezela okwenzeka enkathini eholela ku-70 C.E. nangawo u-70 C.E. Yini eyobonisa ukuthi usekhona emandleni oMbuso? UJesu ubatshela impendulo abaphostoli.

UJesu ubikezela ukuthi ‘kuyoba nezimpi nemibiko yezimpi’ nokuthi “isizwe siyovukela isizwe nombuso uvukele umbuso.” (Mathewu 24:6, 7) Uphinde athi “kuyoba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, ezindaweni ngezindawo kube khona ukusweleka kokudla nezifo eziwumshayabhuqe.” (Luka 21:11) UJesu uxwayisa abafundi bakhe, uthi: “Abantu bayomelana nani banishushise.” (Luka 21:12) Kuyovela abaprofethi bamanga badukise abaningi. Ukungabi namthetho kuyokwanda futhi uthando lwabaningi luyophola. Ngaphezu kwalokho uthi ‘izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso ziyoshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke ukuze  kube ubufakazi ezizweni zonke, ngemva kwalokho ukuphela kuyofika.’—Mathewu 24:14.

Nakuba ezinye izici zesiprofetho sikaJesu zagcwaliseka ngaphambi kokuba amaRoma abhubhise iJerusalema nalapho elibhubhisa, kungenzeka yini uJesu wayehlanganisa nokugcwaliseka okwakuyokwenzeka esikhathini esizayo, okukhulu nakakhulu? Uyabubona yini ubufakazi bokuthi isiprofetho sikaJesu esibalulekile besilokhu sigcwaliseka ngezinga elikhulu esikhathini sethu?

Okunye uJesu akuhlanganisayo esibonakalisweni sokuba khona kwakhe, ‘ukubonakala kwento enyanyekayo ebangela incithakalo.’ (Mathewu 24:15) Ngo-66 C.E., le nto enyanyekayo iyavela, ingamabutho akanisile amaRoma kanye nezithombe zawo noma izimpawu. AmaRoma azungeza iJerusalema futhi enza izindonga zalo zibe buthaka. (Luka 21:20) Ngakho “into enyanyekayo” imi endaweni okungafanele ime kuyo, amaJuda ayibheka ‘njengendawo engcwele.’

UJesu uyaqhubeka nokubikezela: “Kuyoba khona usizi olukhulu olungakaze lube khona kusukela ekuqaleni kwezwe kuze kube manje, cha, futhi olungeke luphinde lube khona.” Ngo-70 C.E., amaRoma achitha iJerusalema. Ukubhujiswa ngaleyo ndlela ‘kwedolobha elingcwele’ lamaJuda okuhlanganisa nethempeli lawo, kuba usizi olukhulu ngoba kubulawa izinkulungwane zabantu. (Mathewu 4:5; 24:21) AmaJuda ayengakaze akubone ukubhujiswa ngale ndlela kwedolobha lawo, yebo lalingakaze libhujiswe kanje futhi kuyasiqeda isimiso sokukhulekela amaJuda ayesesilandele amakhulu eminyaka. Uma iJerusalema labhujiswa ngale ndlela, ukugcwaliseka okukhulu kwamazwi kaJesu ayisiprofetho kuyoba kubi nakakhulu.

Ingxoxo kaJesu nabaphostoli bakhe emayelana nophawu lokuba khona kwakhe emandleni oMbuso nesiphelo sesimiso sezinto, isekude ukuphela. Manje ubaxwayisa mayelana nokulandela “oKristu bamanga” “nabaprofethi bamanga.” Uthi ‘bayozama ukudukisa ngisho nabakhethiwe uma kungenzeka.’ (Mathewu 24:24) Kodwa laba abakhethiwe ngeke badukiswe. OKristu bamanga bangabonakala. Kodwa ukuba khona kukaJesu, ngeke kubonakale.

Ebhekisela osizini olukhulu olusazoba khona ekupheleni kwalesi simiso, uJesu uthi: “Ilanga liyoba mnyama, nenyanga ngeke ikhanye, nezinkanyezi ziyowa ezulwini namandla amazulu ayonyakaziswa.” (Mathewu 24:29) Abaphostoli abezwa lawo mazwi ethusayo, abazi ukuthi kuyokwenzekani ngempela kodwa khona kuyoba yinto eshaqisayo.

Ziyobathinta kanjani abantu lezi zenzakalo ezethusayo? UJesu uthi: “Abantu bayoquleka ngenxa yokwesaba nokulindela izinto ezehlela umhlaba, ngoba amandla amazulu ayonyakaziswa.” (Luka 21:26) Ngempela, uJesu uchaza inkathi eyoba mnyama kunayo yonke emlandweni wesintu.

Kuyakhuthaza ukuthi uJesu ukwenza kucace kubaphostoli bakhe ukuthi akubona bonke abayobe belila lapho “iNdodana yomuntu iza iphezu kwamafu ezulu inamandla nenkazimulo enkulu.” (Mathewu 24:30) Usanda kusho ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzongenela “ngenxa yabakhethiwe.” (Mathewu 24:22) Pho kufanele benzenjani abafundi abathembekile njengoba uJesu eqhubeka echaza izenzakalo ezishaqisayo ezisazokwenzeka? UJesu ukhuthaza abalandeli bakhe, uthi: “Njengoba lezi zinto ziqala ukwenzeka, yimani niqonde niphakamise amakhanda enu, ngoba ukukhululwa kwenu kuyasondela.”—Luka 21:28.

Nokho, abafundi bakaJesu abaphila phakathi nale nkathi ayibikezela, bazokwazi kanjani ukubona uma ukuphela sekusondele? UJesu usho umfanekiso mayelana nesihlahla somkhiwane, uthi: “Lapho nje igatsha laso elisha lithamba futhi liveza amaqabunga, niyazi ukuthi ihlobo seliseduze. Ngokufanayo nani, lapho nibona zonke lezi zinto, yazini ukuthi iNdodana yomuntu iseduze, emnyango. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, lesi sizukulwane asisoze  sadlula zingakenzeki zonke lezi zinto.”—Mathewu 24:32-34.

Ngakho, lapho abafundi bebona izici ezahlukahlukene zalolu phawu zigcwaliseka, kumelwe babone ukuthi ukuphela sekuseduze. Eluleka abafundi abayobe bephila ngaleso sikhathi esethusayo, uJesu uthi:

“Ngokuphathelene nalolo suku nalelo hora akekho owaziyo, nazingelosi zasemazulwini naNdodana, kodwa nguBaba kuphela. Njengoba nje zazinjalo izinsuku zikaNowa, kuyoba njalo nokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu. Ngoba njengoba babenjalo ngalezo zinsuku zangaphambi kukaZamcolo, bedla, bephuza, amadoda eshada nabesifazane beshadiswa, kwaze kwaba usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini, futhi abanakanga kwaze kwafika uZamcolo, wabakhukhula bonke, kuyoba njalo nokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu.” (Mathewu 24:36-39) UJesu ukhumbuza izilaleli zakhe ngoZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa owenzeka emhlabeni wonke.

Kufanele ukuba abaphostoli abalalele uJesu eNtabeni Yeminqumo, bayasibona isidingo sokuhlala bephapheme. UJesu uthi: “Kodwa qaphelani ukuba izinhliziyo zenu zingalokothi zisindwe ukudla ngokweqile nokuphuza kakhulu nezinkathazo zokuphila, ngokungazelelwe lolo suku lunifice ngaso leso sikhathi njengogibe. Ngoba luyofikela bonke abahlala kuwo wonke umhlaba. Ngakho, hlalani niphapheme, ngaso sonke isikhathi ninxusa ukuba niphumelele ekuphunyukeni kuzo zonke lezi zinto okumelwe zenzeke, nasekumeni phambi kweNdodana yomuntu.”—Luka 21:34-36.

UJesu uyaphinda futhi ubonisa ukuthi akubikezelayo kuyothinta umhlaba wonke. Akaprofethi ngezenzakalo eziyokwenzeka eminyakeni engu-30 noma engu-40 futhi eziyothinta kuphela idolobha laseJerusalema noma isizwe sakwaJuda. Ukhuluma ngezenzakalo ‘eziyofikela bonke abahlala kuwo wonke umhlaba.’

Uthi abafundi bakhe kuyodingeka bahlale bephapheme, beqaphile futhi bekulungele. UJesu ugcizelela lesi sixwayiso ngokwenza omunye umfanekiso, uthi: “Kodwa yazini into eyodwa: Ukube umninindlu ubazi ukuthi isela lizokuza ngasiphi isikhathi sobusuku, ubeyohlala ephapheme angavumi ukuba indlu yakhe igqekezwe. Ngenxa yalokhu nani futhi hlalani nimi ngomumo, ngoba iNdodana yomuntu iza ngehora eningalicabangi.”—Mathewu 24:43, 44.

UJesu uyaqhubeka, utshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi akudingeki baphelelwe ithemba. Uyabaqinisekisa ukuthi lapho isiprofetho sakhe sesigcwaliseka, kuyoba ‘nenceku’ eyobe iphapheme futhi isebenza. UJesu ukhuluma ngento abaphostoli bakhe abangasheshe bayibone ngeso lengqondo, uthi: “Ubani ngempela oyinceku ethembekile neqondayo emiswe inkosi yayo phezu kwabendlu yayo, ukuze ibanike ukudla kwabo ngesikhathi esifanele? Iyajabula leyo nceku okuyothi lapho inkosi yayo ifika iyithole yenza kanjalo. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, iyoyimisa phezu kwakho konke okungokwayo.” Nokho, uma ‘inceku’ iba nesimo sengqondo esibi futhi iphatha kabi abanye, inkosi ‘iyoyijezisa kanzima kakhulu.’—Mathewu 24:45-51; qhathanisa noLuka 12:45, 46.

Nokho, uJesu akasho ukuthi iqembu labalandeli bakhe liyoba nesimo sengqondo esibi. Pho-ke, yisiphi isifundo uJesu afuna singabaphunyuki abalandeli bakhe? Ufuna bahlale bephapheme futhi besebenza njengoba ekwenza kucace komunye umfanekiso awenzayo.