UMUNTU obikezela isimo sezulu uhlola ithuluzi elinesithombe esibonisa ukuthi sizobe sinjani isimo sezulu ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene. Ube esebona ukuthi kunesivunguvungu esinamandla esiyohlasela indawo enabantu abaningi. Ngenxa yokuthi unendaba nokuphepha kwabantu, wenza konke angakwenza ukuze abaxwayise kusenesikhathi.

Ngendlela efanayo, uJehova njengamanje uxwayisa bonke abantu emhlabeni “ngesivunguvungu” esiyingozi ukuzedlula zonke abangezwa ngazo emibikweni yesimo sezulu. Ukwenza kanjani lokho? Kungani singaqiniseka ngokuthi ubanika isikhathi esanele abantu ukuze benze okuthile ngesixwayiso asuke esikhiphile? Ukuze siphendule le mibuzo, ake siqale sixoxe ngezinye izixwayiso uJehova azikhipha esikhathini esidlule.

Ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli, uJehova waxwayisa “ngezivunguvungu,” noma izahlulelo, ayeyoziletha kubantu ababengafuni ukumlalela ngamabomu. (IzAga 10:25; Jer. 30:23) Esikhathini ngasinye, wayebaxwayisa kusenesikhathi labo bantu abangalaleli futhi abatshele ukuthi yini okwakumelwe bayishintshe ukuze benze ngokuvumelana nentando yakhe. (2 AmaKh. 17:12-15; Neh. 9:29, 30) Ukuze asize abantu ababezimisele ukushintsha, uJehova wayevame ukusebenzisa izinceku zakhe ezithembekile ukuze zimemezele izahlulelo zakhe futhi zisize abantu baqonde ukuthi kwakumelwe bathathe isinyathelo ngokushesha.—Amose 3:7.

UNowa uyisibonelo somuntu uNkulunkulu amsebenzisa. Kwaphela iminyaka exwayisa ngesibindi abantu abanodlame nabangenasimilo ababephila ngosuku lwakhe ngoZamcolo owawuza emhlabeni wonke. (Gen. 6:9-13, 17) Wabatshela nokuthi yini okwakudingeka bayenze ukuze basinde—lokhu wakwenza kangangokuba kamuva wabizwa ngokuthi “umshumayeli wokulunga.”—2 Pet. 2:5.

Naphezu kokuzikhandla kukaNowa, abantu bangaleso sikhathi sangaphambi kukaZamcolo abazange basinake isixwayiso esivela kuNkulunkulu. Babonisa ukuthi babengenalo nhlobo ukholo. Ngenxa yalokho, bafa lapho ‘kufika uzamcolo futhi ubakhukhula bonke.’ (Math. 24:39; Heb. 11:7) Babengeke bathi uNkulunkulu akazange abaxwayise.

Ngezinye izikhathi uJehova wayexwayisa abantu sekusele isikhathi esincane ngaphambi kokufika ‘kwesivunguvungu’ sesijeziso sakhe. Noma kunjalo, wayeqiniseka ukuthi labo abazothinteka ubanika isikhathi esanele sokuba benze okuthile. Ngokwesibonelo, wakhipha isixwayiso kusasele isikhathi lapho eletha iZinhlupho Eziyishumi eGibhithe lasendulo. Wathuma uMose no-Aroni ukuba bayoxwayisa uFaro nezinceku zakhe ngenhlupho yesikhombisa, isichotho esinzima kakhulu. Njengoba isichotho sasizoqala ngosuku olulandelayo, ingabe uJehova wabanika isikhathi esanele sokuba bathole indawo ephephile yokucashela isichotho? IBhayibheli lithi: “Noma ngubani owayelesaba izwi likaJehova phakathi kwezinceku zikaFaro wabalekisela izinceku zakhe nemfuyo yakhe ezindlini, kodwa noma ngubani ongazange azimisele enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba alinake izwi likaJehova waziyeka zisendle izinceku zakhe nemfuyo yakhe.” (Eks. 9:18-21) Kusobala ukuthi uJehova wasikhipha kusenesikhathi isixwayiso ukuze labo abathatha isinyathelo ngokushesha bangalinyazwa isichotho.

UFaro nezinceku zakhe baxwayiswa nangaphambi kokuba kwenzeke inhlupho yeshumi. Nokho, ngobuwula abazange basinake leso sixwayiso. (Eks. 4:22, 23) Ngenxa yalokho, amazibulo abo afa bebhekile. Kwaba isimo esidabukisayo ngempela! (Eks. 11:4-10; 12:29) Babengakwazi yini ukusilalela kusenesikhathi lesi sixwayiso? Yebo! UMose wawaxwayisa ngokushesha ama-Israyeli ngenhlupho yeshumi futhi wawatshela nendlela ayengasindisa ngayo imindeni yawo. (Eks. 12:21-28) Bangakanani  abantu abalalela? Kucatshangelwa ukuthi abantu abangu-3 000 000, okuhlanganisa ama-Israyeli “neqembu elikhulu eliyingxubevange” labangewona ama-Israyeli kanye nabaseGibhithe, basinda esahlulelweni sikaNkulunkulu futhi bashiya iGibhithe.—Eks. 12:38.

Njengoba lezi zibonelo zibonisa, uJehova wayehlale eqiniseka ngokuthi abantu baba nesikhathi esanele sokulalela izixwayiso zakhe. (Dut. 32:4) Yini eyabangela ukuba enze kanjalo? Umphostoli uPetru wachaza ukuthi uJehova “akafisi ukuba kubhubhe namunye kodwa ufisa ukuba bonke baphenduke.” (2 Pet. 3:9) UJehova wayenendaba ngempela ngabantu. Wayefuna baphenduke futhi bashintshe izindlela zabo ngaphambi kokuba isijeziso sifike.—Isaya 48:17, 18; Roma 2:4.

Nanamuhla, bonke abantu kumelwe basilalele isixwayiso esiphuthumayo esimenyezelwa emhlabeni wonke. Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni, uJesu waxwayisa ngokuthi leli zwe likaSathane lizogcina libhujisiwe phakathi ‘nosizi olukhulu.’ (Math. 24:21) Ngokuphathelene naleso sahlulelo, uJesu washo isiprofetho esichaza ngokucacile lokho abalandeli bakhe ababeyokubona futhi babhekane nakho njengoba leso sikhathi sisondela. Ngaleyo ndlela, wayechaza izenzakalo ezibalulekile ezenzeka emhlabeni wonke namuhla.—Math. 24:3-12; Luka 21:10-13.

Ngokuvumelana naleso siprofetho, uJehova manje unxusa wonke umuntu ukuba azithobe ekubuseni kwaKhe okunothando. Ufisa ukuba abantu abalalelayo baphile ukuphila okungcono manje futhi bajabulele izibusiso ezizoba khona ezweni lakhe elisha lokulunga. (2 Pet. 3:13) UJehova ufuna ukusiza abantu babe nokholo ezithembisweni zakhe, ngakho ubanika umyalezo ozobasindisa—“izindaba ezinhle zombuso,” uJesu abikezela ukuthi ‘ziyoshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke owakhiwe ngenjongo yobufakazi ezizweni zonke.’ (Math. 24:14) UNkulunkulu uye wahlela ukuba izinceku zakhe zinikeze lobu “bufakazi,” noma zishumayele lo myalezo ovela kuye, emazweni angaba ngu-240. UJehova ufuna abantu abaningi balalele isixwayiso sakhe uma kungenzeka futhi basinde ‘esivunguvungwini’ sesahlulelo sakhe sokulunga esizofika maduze.—Zef. 1:14, 15; 2:2, 3.

Umbuzo obalulekile-ke akuwona ukuthi ingabe uJehova ubanika isikhathi esanele yini abantu ukuze balalele izixwayiso zakhe. Ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi uhlale ekwenza lokho. Kunalokho, umbuzo obalulekile yilo: Ingabe abantu bazosilalela yini isixwayiso sikaNkulunkulu kungakephuzi? Kwangathi thina, njengabantu abathunywe uNkulunkulu singaqhubeka sisiza abantu abaningi ukuze basinde lapho leli zwe libhujiswa.