UJehova wabaqinisa labo bashumayeli abanomdlandla. Phakathi nalowo nyaka, amaphayona anda esuka ku-225 aya ku-350. Kwakuqala ngqa ukuthi abamemezeli abangaphezu kuka-8 000 bahambise umbiko wabo endlunkulu. UJehova wababusisa ngendlela ababengayilindele.

NgoMashi 21, 1920, uJoseph F. Rutherford, ngaleso sikhathi owayehola abaFundi BeBhayibheli, wakhuluma ngesihloko esithi “Izigidi Eziphila Manje Azisoze Zafa.” AbaFundi BeBhayibheli benza konke abangakwenza ukuze bameme wonke umuntu ongathanda ukuba khona kulo mhlangano. Baqasha enye yezinkundla zemibukiso enkulu kunazo zonke eNew York City, bakhipha nezimemo ezingaba ngu-320 000.

Kweza abantu abaningi kakhulu kunalokho ababekulindele. Abantu abangaphezu kuka-5 000 bayigcwalisa mfi inkundla, kwadingeka ukuthi kujikiswe abangaba ngu-7 000. INqabayokulinda yathi lowo mhlangano “ungomunye wemihlangano yabaFundi BeBhayibheli Bomhlaba Wonke owaba impumelelo kakhulu.”

AbaFundi BeBhayibheli baduma ngokumemezela ukuthi “izigidi eziphila manje azisoze zafa.” Ngaleso sikhathi, babengaqondi ukuthi umyalezo woMbuso kwakumelwe umenyezelwe kabanzi. Nakuba kunjalo, intshiseko yabo yayimangalisa. U-Ida Olmstead, owaqala ukuya emihlanganweni ngo-1902, uyakhumbula, “Sasazi ukuthi sonke isintu silindelwe izibusiso ezinkulu futhi lezo zindaba ezinhle sasizitshela bonke esihlangana nabo enkonzweni.”

Ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi zikhona izincwadi, abafowethu eBethel baqala ukuzinyathelisa bona ezinye izincwadi. Bathenga imishini yokunyathelisa, bayixhuma kahle esakhiweni esasiqashiwe esasisenamba 35 Myrtle Avenue, eBrooklyn, eNew York, esasiyibangana uma usuka eBethel.

ULeo Pelle noWalter Kessler bafika eBethel bezokhonza khona ngoJanuwari 1920. UWalter uyakhumbula: “Lapho sifika, umzalwane owayephethe umnyango wezokunyathelisa wasibuka wayesethi, ‘Nisalelwe ihora nohhafu ngaphambi kokuba kuqale isidlo sasemini.’ Wasifaka emsebenzini, salanda amabhokisi ezincwadi egunjini eliphansi sawaletha phezulu.”

ULeo ukhumbula okwenzeka ngosuku olulandelayo: “Kwakuwumsebenzi wethu ukugeza izindonga zesitezi sokuqala sesakhiwo. Ngangiqala  ukwenza umsebenzi ongcolisana ngaleya ndlela. Kodwa kwakuwumsebenzi weNkosi futhi kwakumnandi kakhulu ukuwenza.”

Ngamasonto ambalwa nje, amavolontiya akhuthele anyathelisa INqabayokulinda. Kwenziwa amakhophi e-Nqabayokulinda kaFebhuwari 1, 1920 angu-60 000 emshinini wokunyathelisa owawusesitezi sesibili. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, esitezi sokuqala, abazalwane babelungisa umshini obizwa ngokuthi i-Battleship. Kwanyatheliswa nomagazini obizwa ngokuthi i-Golden Age, kwaqalwa ngoka-Ephreli 14, 1920. Akungatshazwa ukuthi uJehova wayibusisa imizamo yalezo zisebenzi ezinenhliziyo evumayo.

Abantu bakaJehova abaqotho babejabulela ukuvuselelwa nokumkhonza nabantu bakhe. Nokho, abanye abaFundi BeBhayibheli babeyishiyile inhlangano phakathi nezikhathi ezinzima kusukela ngo-1917 kuya ku-1919. Yini eyayingenziwa ukuze basizwe?

INqabayokulinda yango-Ephreli 1, 1920, yayinesihloko esithi “Masihlale Ngokuthula.” Yasho la mazwi akhuthazayo: “Siyaqiniseka . . . ukuthi wonke umuntu onomoya weNkosi . . . uzimisele ukukhohlwa yizinto azishiye ngemuva, . . . ukuze ahlale ngobunye futhi abe mzimba munye nabantu bakaNkulunkulu.”

Abaningi abathinta lawo mazwi anomusa. Enye indoda nomkayo babhala: “Siyaqiniseka ukuthi ngonyaka odlule nangeminye bekuyiphutha ukuthi sihlale nje sibukele lapho abanye benza umsebenzi [wokushumayela]. . . . Sethemba ukuthi ngeke siphinde sichezuke.” Lezi zisebenzi ezase zivuselelekile zazinomsebenzi omningi ozihlalele.

NgoJuni 21, 1920, abaFundi BeBhayibheli baqala umkhankaso omkhulu wokusakaza i-“ZG,” incwajana esamagazini eyayithathelwe encwadini ethi The Finished Mystery. * Kwakugcinwe amakhophi amaningi alezo zincwadi ngesikhathi ivalwa ngo-1918.

Bonke abamemezeli, hhayi amaphayona kuphela, bamenywa ukuba babe nengxenye ekuyisakazeni. “Wonke umuntu obhapathiziwe kuwo wonke  amabandla, ongakwazi ukuba nengxenye, makazizwe ekhululekile ukwenza kanjalo. Ngamunye wethu makasebenzise lesi siqubulo: ‘Kunye engikwenzayo’—bese ukhipha i-ZG.” U-Edmund Hooper wathi abaningi babeqala ukwenza umkhankaso wokungena indlu ngendlu. Wanezela, “Saqala ukuzwa ukuthi unjani ngempela umsebenzi owawusazokwanda ngaphezu kwalokho esasikucabanga.”

Njengoba ukuxhumana nabaFundi BeBhayibheli bakwamanye amazwe kwakunzima phakathi neMpi Yezwe Yokuqala, uMfoweth’ uRutherford wayefuna ukukhuthaza labo bazalwane nokuhlela kabusha umsebenzi wokushumayela. Ngakho ngo-Agasti 12, 1920, yena nabazalwane abangu-4 bahamba baya eBrithani, eZwekazini LaseYurophu, naseMpumalanga Ephakathi.

Ngesikhathi uRutherford evakashele eBrithani, abaFundi BeBhayibheli baba nemihlangano emikhulu emithathu nemihlangano yomphakathi engu-12. Ababekhona kuleyo mihlangano balinganiselwa ku-50 000. Nakhu okwashiwo INqabayokulinda ngalokho okwenzeka ngesikhathi bevakashile: “Abafowethu bakhuthazeka, bazizwa benamandla. Bathandana kakhulu kunasekuqaleni futhi besebenza ngobunye enkonzweni, abaningi ababedumele baphinde bajabula.” EParis, uMfoweth’ uRutherford waphinde wakhuluma ngesihloko esithi “Izigidi Eziphila Manje Azisoze Zafa.” Lapho kuqala inkulumo, ihholo laligcwele mfi. Abantu abangu-300 bacela ukufundiswa okwengeziwe.

Emavikini alandela, abanye abafowethu bavakashela e-Athens, eCairo naseJerusalem. Ukuze bakwazi ukuphinde baxhumane nabantu ababebonise ukuthi bayathanda ukwazi okwengeziwe, uMfoweth’ uRutherford wahlela ukuba kube nendawo okuzogcinwa kuyo izincwadi edolobheni laseRamallah, eduze kwaseJerusalem. Wabe esebuyela eYurophu, wafike wamisa ihhovisi lase-Central European, wahlela nokuba kunyatheliswe khona izincwadi.

NgoSepthemba 1920, abaFundi BeBhayibheli bakhipha unamba 27 we-Golden Age, umagazini okhethekile owakuveza obala ukushushiswa kwabaFundi BeBhayibheli okwakwenzeka ngo-1918. I-Battleship, okukhulunywe ngayo ekuqaleni, yayisebenza ubusuku nemini ukuze ikhiqize amakhophi alo magazini angaphezu kwezigidi ezine.

Abafundi balowo magazini bafunda ngecala elingavamile lika-Emma Martin. UDade Martin wayeyiphayona  eSan Bernardino, eCalifornia. NgoMashi 17, 1918, yena nabazalwane abathathu, u-E. Hamm, u-E. J. Sonnenburg, no-E. A. Stevens, babesemhlanganweni omncane wabaFundi BeBhayibheli.

Enye indoda eyayikulowo mhlangano yayingezelanga ukuzofunda ngeBhayibheli. Kamuva yavuma: “Ngaya kulowo mhlangano . . . ngoba ngangiyalwe ihhovisi labameli bakahulumeni. Ngaya khona ukuze ngiqoqe ubufakazi.” Yabuthola “ubufakazi” eyayibufuna, incwadi ethi The Finished Mystery. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ezalandela, uDade Martin nabazalwane abathathu baboshwa. Bamangalelwa ngokuthi babephule umthetho ngokusakaza amakhophi encwadi evinjelwe.

U-Emma nabazalwane abathathu batholwa benecala, bagwetshwa iminyaka emithathu. NgoMeyi 17, 1920, babengasavunyelwe ukuphinde badlulise icala, ngakho baqala ukudonsa isigwebo sabo. Kodwa ngokushesha izinto zashintsha.

NgoJuni 20, 1920, uMfoweth’ uRutherford walandisa udaba lwabo emhlanganweni owawuseSan Francisco. Izilaleli zashaqeka ukuzwa indlela la maKristu aphathwa kabi ngayo, zabhalela umongameli wase-United States. Zabhala zathi: “Sicabanga ukuthi isigwebo . . . sikaNksz. Martin . . . ngaphansi komthetho i-Espionage asinabo ubulungisa . . . Ukusebenzisa kabi amandla kwamaphoyisa eFederal ukuze . . . acuphe . . . uNksz. Martin . . . bese emakhela uzungu ngecala elizomenza aboshwe, sikubheka njengento . . . eshaqisa ngempela.”

Ngalo kanye usuku olulandelayo, ngokukhulu ukushesha uMongameli uWoodrow Wilson washintsha isigwebo sikadade Martin, nesabafowethu uHamm, uSonnenburg, noStevens. Ukuboshwa kwabo ngokungenabulungisa kwaphela.

Njengoba unyaka ka-1920 wawusuya emaphethelweni, ziningi izinto ezazijabulisa kubaFundi BeBhayibheli. Umsebenzi wawuqhubeka wanda endlunkulu, futhi kunanini ngaphambili amaKristu eqiniso ayememezela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu njengoyikhambi lezinkinga zesintu. (Math. 24:14) Unyaka olandelayo ka-1921, wawuzohamba kahle nakakhulu ekumemezeleni iqiniso loMbuso.