Yima Uphelele, Unokuqiniseka Okugcwele

‘Bheka! Isixuku Esikhulu!’

KWAKUWUMBUZO owawusunamashumi eminyaka uxaka izinceku zikaJehova. Kwase kunesikhathi eside kuzanywa ukuwuphendula ngokomBhalo. Le ndaba yayisibangele izingxoxo eziningi. Kodwa impendulo yeBhayibheli yagcina isitholakele, futhi yavusa amadlingozi kuzo zonke izethameli zomhlangano owawuseWashington, D.C., ngonyaka ka-1935.

Isisekelo sale ngxoxo kwakuyindaba eyayithinta wonke umuntu: Obani ‘abayisixuku esikhulu’ okukhulunywa ngaso kusAmbulo 7:9? Ingabe leli qembu lamakholwa laliyophila ezulwini?

Umbuzo Owawusunesikhathi Eside Ukhona

Kusukela esikhathini somphostoli uJohane kuze kube sosukwini lwethu, amaKristu ayedidekile ukuthi obani ‘abayisixuku esikhulu.’ AbaFundi BeBhayibheli babebheka isixuku esikhulu njengesigaba sesibili sasezulwini, iqembu elilaziyo iqiniso leBhayibheli kodwa elingenzi lutho olutheni ukuze lilisakaze.

Nokho, kwakunabathile ababezihlanganise namaKristu agcotshiwe ababeshiseka kakhulu emsebenzini wokushumayela. Babengenasifiso sokuya ezulwini. Empeleni, ithemba labo lalivumelana nenkulumo yeningi ethi “Izigidi Eziphila Manje Azisoze Zafa,” eyayikhangiswa abantu bakaJehova kusukela ngo-1918 kuya ku-1922. Abantu abanjalo babeyobusiswa ngokuphila phakade emhlabeni.

INqabayokulinda (yesiNgisi) ka-October 15, 1923, yaxoxa ngomzekeliso kaJesu wezimvu nezimbuzi, yayisithi: “Izimvu zimelela bonke abantu bezizwe, abangazelwe ngomoya kodwa abathambekele ekulungeni, abamvumayo engqondweni uJesu Kristu njengeNkosi futhi abafuna nabathemba ukuthi kuyoba nesikhathi esingcono ngaphansi kokubusa kwakhe.”—Mathewu 25:31-46.

Ukukhanya Okwengeziwe

Ngonyaka ka-1931, i-Vindication, iNcwadi Yokuqala, yaxoxa ngoHezekeli isahluko 9 yayisiveza ukuthi labo abaphawulwe emabunzini ukuze basindiswe ekupheleni kwezwe bayizimvu zomzekeliso kaJesu. I-Vindication, iNcwadi Yesithathu (eyanyatheliswa ngo-1932), yachaza isimo esilungile senhliziyo yendoda eyayingeyena umIsrayeli, uJehonadaba, eyagibela enqoleni yenkosi egcotshiwe yakwa-Israyeli, uJehu, yayobona intshiseko kaJehu ekubhubhiseni abakhulekeli bamanga. (2 AmaKhosi 10:15-28) Le ncwadi yathi: “UJehonadaba wayemelela noma efanekisela isigaba sabantu abasemhlabeni manje, abangahambisani nenhlangano kaSathane, abasohlangothini lokulunga, futhi yilabo iNkosi eyobasindisa ngesikhathi se-Armagedoni, ibadlulise kulolo sizi, ibanike ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni. Laba bakha isigaba ‘sezimvu.’”

Ngo-1934, INqabayokulinda yakwenza kwacaca ukuthi amaKristu anethemba lasemhlabeni kufanele azinikezele kuJehova futhi abhapathizwe. Ukukhanya okuphathelene nalesi sigaba sasemhlabeni kwakuya kwanda ngempela!—IzAga 4:18.

Ukubaneka Okukhulu Kokuqonda

Ukuqondwa kwesAmbulo 7:9-17 kwase kuzokhanya ngokugqamile. (IHubo 97:11) INqabayokulinda yayinikeze ithemba lokuthi umhlangano owawuhlelelwe u-May 30 kuya ku-June 3, 1935, eWashington, D.C., e-U.S.A., wawuyoba “yinduduzo nenzuzo yangempela” kulabo abafanekiselwa nguJehonadaba. Waba yiyo ngempela!

Enkulumweni eshukumisayo ethi “Isixuku Esikhulu,” eyabekelwa izethameli  ezazingaba ngu-20 000, uJ. F. Rutherford wanikeza ubufakazi obungokomBhalo bokuthi “ezinye izimvu” zanamuhla ziseyiso “isixuku esikhulu” sesAmbulo 7:9. (Johane 10:16) Emvuthwandaba wale nkulumo, isikhulumi sathi: “Ngicela bonke labo abanethemba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni basukume!” Lapho kuphakama ingxenye enkulu yezethameli, uRutherford wathi: “Bheka! Isixuku esikhulu!” Kwathula kwathi nyá, kwase kuduma ihlombe elikhulu. Ngakusasa, kwabhapathizwa oFakazi BakaJehova abasha abangu-840, iningi labo elalizibiza ngabesixuku esikhulu.

Inani Elikhulu Ngokumangalisayo

Ngaphambi kuka-1935, inani elandayo lalabo ababesabela esigijimini seBhayibheli bebonisa nentshiseko emsebenzini wokushumayela izindaba ezinhle labonisa isithakazelo ekuphileni phakade emhlabeni oyiPharadesi. Babengenasifiso sokuya ezulwini, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayengabanikanga ithemba lokuphila ezulwini. Ukuziveza kwabo njengabayingxenye yesixuku esikhulu sezinye izimvu kwabonisa ukuthi ngo-1935 ubizo lwamaKristu agcotshiwe angu-144 000 cishe lwase luphelile.—IsAmbulo 7:4.

Lapho kugqashuka iMpi Yezwe II, uSathane uDeveli wazama kanzima ukumisa ukuqoqwa kwalabo ababeyokwakha isixuku esikhulu. Umsebenzi wokushumayela ngoMbuso wabekelwa imingcele emazweni amaningi. Ngalezo zinsuku zosizi, ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe ngo-January 1942, uJ. F. Rutherford wathi: “Kubonakala sengathi ‘isixuku esikhulu’ asizukuba sikhulu kangako.’

Kodwa ngenxa yesibusiso saphezulu, izinto ziye zashintsha. Njengoba ‘bemi bephelele futhi benokuqiniseka okuqinile,’ abagcotshiwe nozakwabo, ezinye izimvu, bebelokhu befeza umsebenzi abathunywe ukuba bawenze wokwenza abafundi. (Kolose 4:12; Mathewu 24:14; 28:19, 20) Ngo-1946 inani loFakazi BakaJehova ababeshumayela emhlabeni wonke lalingu-176 456—iningi lalaba lingabesixuku esikhulu. Ngo-2000, oFakazi abangaphezu kuka-6 000 000 babekhonza uJehova ngokwethembeka emazweni angu-235—isixuku esikhulu ngempela! Futhi leli nani liyaqhubeka landa.