1-2. (a) Kungani ukusondela kwe-Armagedoni kuyizindaba ezinhle kubantu? (b) Yimiphi imibuzo esizoxoxa ngayo kulesi sihloko?

UKE wabezwa abantu besebenzisa igama elithi “Armagedoni” lapho bekhuluma ngempi enezikhali ezilalisa uyaca noma inhlekelele yemvelo? Ngokuphambene nalokho, lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo nge-Armagedoni kuhlanganisa izindaba ezinhle, kusenza sijabule! (IsAm. 1:3) Impi ye-Armagedoni ngeke ibhubhise kodwa izosindisa abantu! Kanjani?

² IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi impi ye-Armagedoni izosindisa abantu ngokuqeda ohulumeni basemhlabeni. Le mpi iyosindisa abantu ngokubhubhisa ababi, ivikele abalungile. Iyosindisa abantu nangokuvikela umhlaba ungalinyazwa. (IsAm. 11:18) Ukuze siwaqonde ngokucacile la maphuzu, ake sixoxe ngale mibuzo emine: Iyini i-Armagedoni? Yiziphi izenzakalo eziyoholela kuyo? Yini esingayenza ukuze sibe phakathi kwabayosinda e-Armagedoni? Singahlala kanjani sithembekile njengoba i-Armagedoni isondela?

3. (a) Lisho ukuthini igama elithi “Armagedoni”? (b) NgokwesAmbulo 16:14, 16, kungani singathi i-Armagedoni akuyona indawo engokoqobo?

³ Funda isAmbulo 16:14, 16. Igama elithi “Armagedoni” livela kanye kuphela eBhayibhelini futhi lisuselwa egameni lesiHebheru elisho “iNtaba yaseMegido.” (IsAm. 16:16) IMegido yayiyidolobha lakwa-Israyeli endulo. (Josh. 17:11) Kodwa i-Armagedoni akuyona indawo engokoqobo esemhlabeni. Ibhekisela kulokho okuyokwenzeka lapho ‘amakhosi omhlaba wonke owakhiwe’ ehlangana ndawonye ukuze amelane noJehova. (IsAm. 16:14) Nokho, kulesi sihloko sizobuye sisebenzise igama elithi “Armagedoni” ukuze sibhekisele empini eyogqashuka ngokushesha ngemva kokuhlangana kwamakhosi omhlaba. Sazi kanjani ukuthi i-Armagedoni  ibhekisela endaweni engokomfanekiso? Okokuqala, ayikho intaba engokoqobo yaseMegido. Okwesibili, indawo ezungeze iMegido incane kakhulu ukuba kungahlanganiselwa kuyo ‘amakhosi omhlaba wonke owakhiwe’ namabutho awo nezikhali zawo. Okwesithathu, njengoba sizobona kamuva kulesi sihloko, impi ye-Armagedoni izoqala lapho “amakhosi” omhlaba ehlasela abantu bakaNkulunkulu abasemhlabeni wonke.

4. Kungani uNkulunkulu ehlobanisa impi yakhe enkulu neMegido?

⁴ Kungani uJehova ehlobanisa impi enkulu yokugcina neMegido? Ziningi izimpi ezalwelwa eMegido naseSigodini saseJizreyeli esiseduze nayo. Ngesinye isikhathi, uJehova wangenela ngokuqondile kulezo zimpi. Ngokwesibonelo, “ngasemanzini aseMegido,” uNkulunkulu wasiza uMahluleli wakwa-Israyeli uBharaki ukuba anqobe ibutho lamaKhanani elaliholwa uSisera. UBharaki nomprofethikazi uDebora babonga uJehova ngokunqoba okuyisimangaliso. Bacula bathi: “Izinkanyezi zalwa zisezulwini, zalwa noSisera . . . Isifufula saseKishoni sabakhukhula.”—AbaHl. 5:19-21.

5. Impi ye-Armagedoni iyohluka kanjani ngendlela ephawulekayo empini eyalwiwa uBharaki?

⁵ UBharaki noDebora baphetha ingoma yabo ngala mazwi: “Kanjalo mazishabalale zonke izitha zakho, Jehova, abakuthandayo mababe njengalapho ilanga liphuma ngamandla alo.” (AbaHl. 5:31) E-Armagedoni, izitha zikaNkulunkulu ziyobhujiswa, kodwa labo abathanda uNkulunkulu bayosindiswa. Kodwa kunomehluko ophawulekayo phakathi kwalezi mpi ezimbili. E-Armagedoni, abantu bakaNkulunkulu ngeke balwe. Bayobe bengaphethe ngisho nezikhali! ‘Amandla abo ayoba sekuhlaleni bengaphazamisekile futhi benethemba.’—Isaya 30:15; IsAm. 19:11-15.

6. UJehova angase azinqobe kanjani izitha zakhe e-Armagedoni?

⁶ UNkulunkulu uyozinqoba kanjani izitha zakhe e-Armagedoni? Angase asebenzise izindlela ezihlukahlukene. Ngokwesibonelo, angasebenzisa ukuzamazama komhlaba, isichotho nombani. (Jobe 38:22, 23; Hez. 38:19-22) Angase enze izitha zakhe zibulalane zodwa. (2 IziKr. 20:17, 22, 23) Angase futhi asebenzise izingelosi zakhe ukuba zibulale ababi. (Isaya 37:36) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyosebenzisani, uyonqoba ngokuphelele. Zonke izitha zakhe ziyobhujiswa. Kodwa bonke abalungile bayosindiswa.—IzAga 3:25, 26.

7-8. (a) Ngokweyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:1-6, yisiphi isimemezelo ababusi bomhlaba abayosikhipha? (b) Kungani lesi simemezelo siyobe singamanga ayingozi?

⁷ Isimemezelo esithi “ukuthula nokulondeka” siyokhishwa ngaphambi ‘kosuku lukaJehova.’ (Funda eyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:1-6.) Kweyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:2, amazwi athi “usuku lukaJehova” abhekisela “osizini olukhulu.” (IsAm. 7:14) Siyokwazi kanjani lapho lolo sizi seluzoqala? IBhayibheli lisitshela ngesimemezelo esingavamile esiyokhishwa. Siyoba uphawu lokuthi usizi olukhulu seluzoqala.

⁸ Lesi yisimemezelo esabikezelwa esithi “ukuthula nokulondeka.” Kungani ababusi bomhlaba bezosho kanjalo? Ingabe abaholi benkolo bazobasekela? Kungenzeka. Noma kunjalo, lesi simemezelo siyobe singamanga avela emademonini. Kodwa la manga ayobe eyingozi ikakhulukazi ngoba ayonikeza abantu umuzwa wokulondeka okuyize ngaphambi nje kokuba kuqale usizi olukhulu olungakaze lube khona emlandweni wesintu. “Imbubhiso engazelelwe iyobafikela ngaso leso sikhathi  njengomhelo wokucindezeleka ufikela owesifazane okhulelweyo.” Kuthiwani ngabantu bakaJehova abathembekile? Kungenzeka bethuswe ukuqala kosuku lukaJehova ngokuzumayo, kodwa ngeke lubafice bengalulindele.

9. UNkulunkulu uyolibhubhisa kanjani izwe likaSathane?

⁹ UJehova ngeke ashabalalise lonke izwe likaSathane ngesikhathi esisodwa, njengoba enza ngosuku lukaNowa. Kunalokho, uyolibhubhisa ngezigaba ezimbili. Kwesokuqala, uyobhubhisa iBhabhiloni Elikhulu, umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga. Kwesesibili, e-Armagedoni, uyobhubhisa izwe likaSathane, elihlanganisa ezombusazwe, ezempi nezentengiselwano. Ake sihlolisise lezi zenzakalo ezimbili.

10. NgokwesAmbulo 17:1, 6 nesahluko 18:24, kungani uJehova eyobhubhisa iBhabhiloni Elikhulu?

¹⁰ “Ukwahlulelwa kwesifebe esikhulu.” (Funda isAmbulo 17:1, 6; 18:24.) IBhabhiloni Elikhulu liye lahlambalaza igama likaNkulunkulu. Lifundisa amanga ngaye. Liye lafeba ngokomoya ngokwakha imifelandawonye nababusi bomhlaba. Liye lasebenzisa amandla nethonya lalo ukuze lixhaphaze amalungu alo. Lichithe igazi eliningi, kuhlanganise negazi labantu bakaNkulunkulu. (IsAm. 19:2) UJehova uyolibhubhisa kanjani iBhabhiloni Elikhulu?

11. Simelelani ‘isilo sasendle esinombala obomvu,’ futhi sizoyifeza kanjani intando kaNkulunkulu ngokuqondene neBhabhiloni Elikhulu?

¹¹ UJehova uyobhubhisa ‘isifebe esikhulu’ esebenzisa ‘izimpondo eziyishumi’ ‘zesilo sasendle esinombala obomvu.’ Leso silo esingokomfanekiso simelela inhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene. Izimpondo eziyishumi zimelela ohulumeni bezombusazwe abakhona manje abasekela le nhlangano. Ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu asimisile, lab’ ohulumeni bayohlasela iBhabhiloni Elikhulu. ‘Bayolenza incithakalo balihambise nqunu’ ngokuliphundla umcebo walo, badalule nobubi balo. (IsAm. 17:3, 16) Leyo mbubhiso esheshayo—eyofika njengokungathi  ifika ngosuku olulodwa—izobashiya beshaqekile labo ababelisekela. Phela sekuyisikhathi eside liqhosha lithi: “Ngihlezi njengendlovukazi, angiyena umfelokazi, futhi angisoze ngakubona ukulila.”—IsAm. 18:7, 8.

12. Yini uJehova angeke avumele izizwe ziyenze, futhi kungani?

¹² UNkulunkulu ngeke avumele izizwe ziqothule abantu bakhe. Babizwa ngegama lakhe futhi baye bawulalela umthetho wakhe wokuba baphume eBhabhiloni Elikhulu. (IzE. 15:16, 17; IsAm. 18:4) Baye bazikhandla ekusizeni abanye baphume kulo. Ngakho abantu bakaJehova ngeke ‘bamukele ingxenye yezinhlupho zalo.’ Noma kunjalo, ukholo lwabo luzovivinywa.

13. (a) Ungubani uGogi? (b) NgokukaHezekeli 38:2, 8, 9, yini eyoletha uGogi endaweni engokomfanekiso ebizwa ngokuthi i-Armagedoni?

¹³ Ukuhlasela kukaGogi. (Funda uHezekeli 38:2, 8, 9.) Ngemva kokubhujiswa kwazo zonke izinhlangano zenkolo yamanga, abantu bakaNkulunkulu bazosala bodwa kuhle kwesihlahla esimi sodwa ngemva kwesiphepho esinamandla. USathane uyobe ethukuthele egan’ unwabu. Intukuthelo yakhe uyoyikhipha ngokusebenzisa izimfundiso ezingamanga zamademoni—‘izinkulumo eziphefumulelwe ezingcolile’—ukuze abangele iqembu lezizwe ukuba lihlasele abantu bakaJehova. (IsAm. 16:13, 14) Lelo qembu libizwa ngokuthi “uGogi wezwe lakwaMagogi.” Lapho izizwe zihlasela, ziyobe sezifike endaweni engokomfanekiso ebizwa ngokuthi i-Armagedoni.—IsAm. 16:16.

14. UGogi uyocacelwa yini?

¹⁴ UGogi uyothembela ‘engalweni yenyama’—amabutho nezikhali zempi. (2 IziKr. 32:8) Thina siyothembela kuJehova uNkulunkulu wethu—isenzo esiyobonakala siwubuwula kulezo zizwe. Angithi onkulunkulu beBhabhiloni Elikhulu elalinamandla bayobe behlulekile ukulisindisa ‘esilweni sasendle nasezimpondweni eziyishumi’ zaso! (IsAm. 17:16) Ngakho uGogi uyolindela  ukunqoba kalula nakulokhu. “Njengamafu asibekela izwe,” uyohlasela abantu bakaNkulunkulu. (Hez. 38:16) Kodwa isikhuni siyobuya nomkhwezeli. NjengoFaro oLwandle Olubomvu, uGogi kuyomcacela ukuthi ulwa noJehova.—Eks. 14:1-4; Hez. 38:3, 4, 18, 21-23.

15. UKristu uyonqoba kanjani ngokuphelele?

¹⁵ UKristu namabutho akhe asezulwini bayovikela abantu bakaNkulunkulu, babhubhise amabutho kaGogi. (IsAm. 19:11, 14, 15) Kuyokwenzekani esitheni sikaJehova esikhulu, uSathane, leso esiye saholela izizwe e-Armagedoni ngezimfundiso zaso zamanga? UJesu uyomphonsa kwalasha namademoni akhe, bavalelwe khona iminyaka engu-1 000.—IsAm. 20:1-3.

16. (a) Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi ‘siyamazi uNkulunkulu’? (b) Kungani ukwazi uJehova kuyoba isibusiso e-Armagedoni?

¹⁶ Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sekuphele iminyaka eminingi singoFakazi noma cha, ukuze sisinde e-Armagedoni, kumelwe sibonise ukuthi ‘siyamazi uNkulunkulu’ nokuthi ‘siyazilalela izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana neNkosi yethu uJesu.’ (2 Thes. 1:7-9) Sisuke ‘simazi uNkulunkulu’ lapho sikwazi akuthandayo, akuzondayo nendlela afuna siphile ngayo. Sibonisa ukuthi siyamazi nangokumthanda nokumlalela, sikhonze yena kuphela. (1 Joh. 2:3-5; 5:3) Uma sibonisa ukuthi siyamazi uNkulunkulu, siba nelungelo ‘lokwaziwa nguye,’ ilungelo eliyosenza sisinde e-Armagedoni! (1 Kor. 8:3) Kungani sisho kanjalo? Yingoba ‘ukwaziwa nguye’ kusho ukuthi uyasamukela.

17. Kusho ukuthini ‘ukulalela izindaba ezinhle mayelana neNkosi yethu uJesu’?

¹⁷ “Izindaba ezinhle mayelana neNkosi yethu uJesu” zihlanganisa wonke amaqiniso uJesu awafundisa aseZwini likaNkulunkulu. Silalela izindaba ezinhle ngokuwasebenzisa la maqiniso ekuphileni kwethu. Ukulalela kuhlanganisa nokufuna uMbuso kuqala, ukuphila ngezimiso zikaNkulunkulu zokulunga nokushumayela  ngoMbuso wakhe. (Math. 6:33; 24:14) Kuhlanganisa nokusekela abafowabo bakaKristu abagcotshiwe ekufezeni umsebenzi omkhulu abawabelwe.—Math. 25:31-40.

18. Abafowabo abagcotshiwe bakaKristu bayowubonisa kanjani umusa abayobe bewubonisiwe?

¹⁸ Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezigcotshiwe maduze zizobonisa umusa eziye zawuboniswa ‘abezinye izimvu.’ (Joh. 10:16) Kanjani? Ngaphambi kokuba kuqale impi ye-Armagedoni, bonke abangu-144 000 bayobe sebevuselwe ezulwini njengezidalwa ezingenakufa. Khona-ke bayohlangana namabutho asezulwini azobhubhisa uGogi futhi avikele “isixuku esikhulu” sabanjengezimvu. (IsAm. 2:26, 27; 7:9, 10) Isixuku esikhulu siyojabula kakhulu ngokuthi sazisekela izinceku zikaJehova ezigcotshiwe ngesikhathi zisemhlabeni!

19-20. Naphezu kobunzima esibhekana nabo, singahlala kanjani sithembekile njengoba i-Armagedoni isondela?

¹⁹ Phakathi nalezi zinsuku zokugcina ezinzima, abantu bakaJehova abaningi babhekana nobunzima. Noma kunjalo, singakhuthazela ngenjabulo. (Jak. 1:2-4) Into ebalulekile eyosisiza ukuthandaza njalo ngokusuka enhliziyweni. (Luka 21:36) Kumelwe senze ngokuvumelana nemithandazo yethu ngokutadisha njalo iZwi likaNkulunkulu nangokuzindla ngalo, kuhlanganise neziprofetho zalo ezijabulisayo ezibikezela ngesikhathi sethu. (IHu. 77:12) Uma senza lokhu futhi sihlanganyela ngokugcwele enkonzweni, sizohlale sinokholo oluqinile nethemba elikhanya bha!

²⁰ Cabanga ngendlela oyobe ujabule ngayo lapho iBhabhiloni Elikhulu selingasekho nalapho impi ye-Armagedoni isiphelile! Okubaluleke nakakhulu, cabanga indlela oyojabula ngayo lapho igama likaNkulunkulu nobukhosi bakhe sebulwelwe ngokuphelele! (Hez. 38:23) Ngempela, i-Armagedoni iyizindaba ezinhle kulabo abamaziyo uNkulunkulu, abalalela iNdodana yakhe nabakhuthazela kuze kube sekupheleni.—Math. 24:13.