Zonke Izinhlekelele Zizophela Maduzane

“Bantwana nani bazukulu. Lalelani! . . . Ngokushesha nje kuzoqubuka umlilo kule ntaba. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba lokhu kwenzeke, kuba nemisindo emikhulu yokundindizela neyokuduma futhi umhlaba uyazamazama. Kuqhuma intuthu kulanguke amalangabi, kubanike, futhi kuvunguza umoya osho ngomsindo omkhulu. Balekani ngangokusemandleni enu . . . Uma nisishaya indiva lesi sixwayiso, futhi impahla yenu nezinto ezibonakalayo kuyizona zinto ezibaluleke kakhulu kini kunokuphila, le ntaba izonijezisela leso simo senu sokuzithela ngabandayo nesobugovu. Ningakhathazeki ngokufudumala kwemizi yenu, kodwa balekani ningazindeli.”

LESO sixwayiso, esithathwe encwadini ethi Earth Shock, ka-Andrew Robinson, saqoshwa etsheni lesikhumbuzo lasePortici—idolobhana elingaphansi kweNtaba iVesuvius e-Italy—ngemva kokuqhuma kwentaba-mlilo ngo-1631. Leyo ntaba-mlilo eyaqhuma yabulala abantu abangaphezu kuka-4 000. URobinson uthi: “Yilokhu kuqhuma okwenzeka kungazelelwe ngo-1631 . . . okwenza iVesuvius yaba undabuzekwayo.” Kanjani? Ukwakhiwa kabusha kwePortici kwaholela ekutholakaleni kweHerculaneum nePompeii. Womabili la madolobha agqibeka  ngokuphelele lapho kuqhuma intaba iVesuvius ngo-79 C.E.

UPliny Omncane, umRoma owasinda kuleyo nhlekelele futhi kamuva owaba ngumbusi, wabhala ngokundindizela okungavamile okuyisixwayiso. Yena nonina kanye nabanye basilalela lesi sixwayiso ngakho basinda.

Isibonakaliso Esiyisixwayiso Esikhathini Sethu

Namuhla sisondela ngokushesha ekupheleni kwesimiso sezwe sezomnotho, sezenhlalo nesezombangazwe. Sazi ngani? Ngoba uJesu Kristu wabikezela uhide lwezenzakalo zezwe ezaziyoba isibonakaliso sokuthi usuku lukaNkulunkulu lokwahlulela seluseduze. Njengaleya ntaba-mlilo endindizelayo, ikhiphe intuthu futhi ikhafule umlilo, leso sibonakaliso esiyinhlanganisela sihilela izimpi ezinkulu, ukuzamazama komhlaba, indlala nezifo ezingumshayabhuqe—zonke eziye zonakalisa umhlaba ngezinga elingakaze libonwe ngaphambili kusukela ngonyaka ka-1914.—Mathewu 24:3-8; Luka 21:10, 11; IsAmbulo 6:1-8.

Kodwa isibonakaliso sikaJesu esiyisixwayiso sihlanganisa nesigijimi sethemba. Wathi: “Lezi zindaba ezinhle zombuso ziyoshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke owakhiwe ngenjongo yobufakazi ezizweni zonke; khona-ke ukuphela kuyofika.” (Mathewu 24:14) Phawula ukuthi uJesu wathi isigijimi soMbuso ‘siyizindaba ezinhle.’ Siyizindaba ezinhle ngempela ngoba uMbuso kaNkulunkulu, uhulumeni wasezulwini osezandleni zikaKristu Jesu, uyoqeda wonke umonakalo oye wabangelwa abantu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uyoziqeda nyá izinhlekelele ezingokwemvelo.—Luka 4:43; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

Empeleni, lapho ephila njengomuntu lapha emhlabeni, uJesu wabonisa amandla ayenawo okulawula isimo sezulu ngokuthulisa isiphepho esinamandla esasisongela ukuphila. Bemangele, abafundi bakhe ababegcwele ukwesaba bathi: “Ungubani ngempela lo, ngoba uyala ngisho nemimoya namanzi, kumlalele?” (Luka 8:22-25) Namuhla, uJesu akayena nje umuntu kodwa uwumoya onamandla. Ngakho-ke, ngeke kube yinkinga kuye ukulawula isimo sezulu ukuze singazilimazi izikhonzi zakhe!—IHubo 2:6-9; IsAmbulo 11:15.

Abanye bangase babheke lokhu njengephupho. Kodwa khumbula ukuthi iziprofetho zeBhayibheli—ngokungafani nezithembiso nezibikezelo zabantu—ziye zagcwaliseka ngokuphelele, kuhlanganise nalezo esiye sazibona zigcwaliseka kusukela ngo-1914. (Isaya 46:10; 55:10, 11) Yebo, ithemba lomhlaba ozayo onokuthula liyogcwaliseka nakanjani. Kuyoba njalo nangethemba lethu ngekusasa uma silalela iZwi likaNkulunkulu nesixwayiso salo sothando maqondana nezenzakalo ezishukumisa umhlaba ezizokwenzeka maduzane nje.—Mathewu 24:42, 44; Johane 17:3.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 27]

LIYINI ITHEMBA NGABANTU ESIBATHANDAYO ABASHONILE?

LAPHO sishonelwa abantu esibathandayo, singase sibe lusizi kakhulu. IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi uJesu walila lapho kushona umngane wakhe amthandayo uLazaru. Kodwa, emizuzwini embalwa kamuva, uJesu wenza isimangaliso esikhexisa umlomo—wavusa uLazaru wabuye waphila! (Johane 11:32-44) Ngokwenza lokho, wanikeza sonke isintu isisekelo esiqinile sokuba nokholo esithembisweni esimangalisayo ayesenze ngaphambili enkonzweni yakhe lapho ethi: “Ihora liyeza lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyokhunjulwa futhi bayolizwa izwi [likaJesu] baphume.” (Johane 5:28, 29) Kwangathi ithemba lokuvuswa kwabafileyo emhlabeni oyipharadesi lingabaduduza bonke abaye bashonelwa abantu ababathandayo.—IzEnzo 24:15.

[Izithombe ekhasini 26]

Ingabe uyasinaka isixwayiso sokuthi izwe lanamuhla lisezinsukwini zalo zokugcina?

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

USGS, David A. Johnston, Cascades Volcano Observatory