Kufanele Ube Kuphi Lapho Ukuphela Kufika?

LAPHO uJehova ebhubhisa lesi simiso sezinto esibi e-Armagedoni, kuyokwenzekani kubantu abalungile? IzAga 2:21, 22 ziyaphendula: “Ngabaqotho abayohlala emhlabeni, futhi ngabangasoleki abayosala kuwo. Kepha ababi bayonqunywa emhlabeni; abakhohlisayo bona, bayosishulwa kuwo.”

Nokho, abangasoleki bayosala kanjani emhlabeni? Ingabe bayoba nendawo abayophephela kuyo? Kufanele babe kuphi abaqotho lapho ukuphela kufika? Kunokulandisa okune okusemiBhalweni okuphathelene nokusinda okusikhanyiselayo kule ndaba.

Lapho Indawo Yayibaluleke Khona

Ngokuphathelene nokusinda kwezinzalamizi uNowa noLoti, sifunda lokhu kweyesi-2 Petru 2:5-7: ‘UNkulunkulu akayekanga ukujezisa izwe lasendulo, kodwa wagcina uNowa, umshumayeli wokulunga, ephephile nabanye abayisikhombisa lapho eletha uzamcolo phezu kwezwe labantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu; futhi walahla imizi yaseSodoma naseGomora ngokuyenza ibe umlotha, ebekela abantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu isibonelo sezinto ezizayo; futhi wakhulula uLoti olungileyo, owayecindezeleke kakhulu ngokuzitika kwabantu abadelela umthetho ekuziphatheni okubi.’

UNowa wasinda kanjani kuZamcolo? UNkulunkulu wathi kuye: “Ukuphela kwayo yonke inyama sekufikile phambi kwami, ngoba umhlaba ugcwele ubudlova ngenxa yayo; futhi bheka ngiyayichitha kanye nomhlaba. Zenzele umkhumbi ngokhuni lomuthi okhipha inhlaka.” (Gen. 6:13, 14) UNowa wakha umkhumbi njengoba nje uJehova ayemyalile. Sekusele izinsuku ezingu-7 uZamcolo uqale, uJehova wamyala ukuba aqoqe izilwane azifake emkhunjini abese naye engena nawo wonke umkhaya wakhe. Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, uNkulunkulu wavala umnyango emva kwakhe, “imvula yana emhlabeni izinsuku ezingamashumi amane nobusuku obungamashumi amane.” (Gen. 7:1-4, 11, 12, 16) UNowa nomkhaya wakhe “bathwalwa ngokuphepha emanzini.” (1 Pet. 3:20) Babeyosinda kuphela ngokuba semkhunjini. Ayikho enye indawo emhlabeni ababengaba kuyo basinde.—Gen. 7:19, 20.

ULoti wanikezwa iziyalezo ezazithe ukuhluka. Izingelosi ezimbili zamtshela indawo okwakungafanele abe kuyo. Zathi kuye: “Bonke abangabakho emzini [waseSodoma], bakhiphe kule ndawo! Ngoba siyayichitha le ndawo.” Kwakumelwe ‘babalekele esifundeni sezintaba.’—Gen. 19:12, 13, 17.

Okwenzeka kuNowa nakuLoti kubonisa ukuthi “uJehova uyayazi indlela yokukhulula ekulingweni abantu abanokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, kodwa agcinele abantu abangalungile usuku lokwahlulelwa ukuze banqunywe.” (2 Pet. 2:9) Kuzo zombili lezi zenzakalo zokusindisa, indawo yayibaluleke kakhulu. UNowa kwakudingeka angene emkhunjini; uLoti kwakudingeka aphume eSodoma. Kodwa ingabe indawo ihlale ibalulekile? Ingabe uJehova angabasindisa abalungileyo kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bakuphi, ngaphandle kokuba baye endaweni ethile? Ukuze siphendule lo mbuzo, phawula okunye ukulandisa okubili kwezenzakalo zokusindisa.

Ingabe Indawo Ibalulekile Ngaso Sonke Isikhathi?

Ngaphambi kokuba uJehova ashaye iGibhithe ngenhlupho yeshumi osukwini lukaMose, wayala ama-Israyeli ukuba abhece igazi lesilwane sePhasika emakhothamweni nasezinsikeni  zeminyango yezindlu zawo. Ngasiphi isizathu? Ukuze ‘lapho uJehova edlula ukuba ashaye abaseGibhithe ngenhlupho abese ebona igazi engxenyeni engenhla yomnyango nasezinsikeni zombili zomnyango, awudlule lowo mnyango, angayivumeli incithakalo ukuba ingene ezindlini zawo iwahluphe.’ Ngabo lobo busuku “uJehova washaya wonke amazibulo ezweni laseGibhithe, kusukela ezibulweni likaFaro ohlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi kuya ezibulweni lesithunjwa esasisemgodini wetilongo, nawo wonke amazibulo ezilwane.” Amazibulo ama-Israyeli asinda ngaphandle kokuba abalekele endaweni ethile.—Eks. 12:22, 23, 29.

Cabanga nangendaba kaRahabi, isifebe esasihlala emzini waseJeriko. Ama-Israyeli ayesezolidla iZwe Lesithembiso. Lapho uRahabi eqaphela ukuthi iJeriko lalizobhujiswa, watshela izinhloli ezimbili ezingama-Israyeli ukuthi abantu bomuzi babewesaba kakhulu ama-Israyeli ayesephungwa nezibi. Wafihla izinhloli futhi wazicela ukuba zifunge ukuthi zazizomsindisa yena nawo wonke umkhaya wakubo lapho iJeriko linqotshwa. Izinhloli zayala uRahabi ukuba abuthele umkhaya wakubo endlini yakhe, eyayisodongeni lomuzi. Ophumayo kuleyo ndlu wayezobhujiswa kanye nabantu bomuzi. (Josh. 2:8-13, 15, 18, 19) Nakho-ke uJehova esetshela uJoshuwa ukuthi “udonga lomuzi luyowa bhú phansi.” (Josh. 6:5) Indawo izinhloli ezazithe iyoba ephephile manje yase ibonakala iyingozi. URahabi nomkhaya wakubo babezosindiswa kanjani?

Lapho kufika isikhathi sokuba iJeriko linqotshwe, ama-Israyeli amemeza abe eseshaya izimpondo. UJoshuwa 6:20 uthi: “Kwathi lapho nje abantu [bakwa-Israyeli] bezwa ukukhala kophondo futhi abantu bekhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu kwempi, udonga lwawa bhú phansi.” Akekho umuntu owayesengalawula ukuwa kwalo. Nokho, ngokuyisimangaliso, ingxenye yodonga lomuzi indlu kaRahabi eyayikuyo ayizange iwe. UJoshuwa wayala izinhloli ezimbili: “Ngenani endlini yalowo wesifazane, isifebe, nimkhiphe lapho lowo wesifazane nabo bonke abangabakhe, njengoba nje nifungile kuye.” (Josh. 6:22) Bonke ababesendlini kaRahabi basinda.

Ikuphi Okwakubaluleke Kakhulu?

Yini esingayifunda ekusindisweni kukaNowa, uLoti, ama-Israyeli osuku lukaMose nokukaRahabi? Lezi zindaba zisisiza kanjani ukuba sibone indawo okufanele sibe kuyo lapho kufika ukuphela kwalesi simiso sezinto esibi?

Yiqiniso, uNowa wasinda ngokungena emkhunjini. Kodwa kungani ayelapho? Kwakungenxa yokuthi wabonisa ukholo futhi walalela, akunjalo? IBhayibheli lithi: “UNowa wenza njengakho konke uNkulunkulu ayemyale ngakho. Wenza kanjalo nje.” (Gen. 6:22; Heb. 11:7) Thina-ke, senzenjani? Ingabe  senza konke uJehova asiyale ngakho? UNowa wayebuye abe “umshumayeli wokulunga.” (2 Pet. 2:5) Ingabe nathi siyawushisekela umsebenzi wokushumayela njengaye, ngisho noma abantu ensimini yethu bengasabeli?

ULoti wasinda ekubhujisweni ngoba waphuma eSodoma. Wasindiswa ngoba wayelungile emehlweni kaNkulunkulu futhi ecindezeleke kakhulu ngenxa yamanyala ayenziwa abantu baseSodoma naseGomora ababedelela umthetho. Ingabe amanyala athe chithi saka namuhla ayasicindezela ngempela? Noma ingabe sesiwajwayele kangangokuthi awasasikhathazi? Ingabe senza konke okusemandleni ethu ukuze sitholakale ‘singenabala, singenasici futhi sisekuthuleni’?—2 Pet. 3:14.

Ukuze ama-Israyeli eGibhithe noRahabi eJeriko basinde kwakudingeka bahlale ezindlini zabo. Lokhu kwakudinga ukholo nokulalela. (Heb. 11:28, 30, 31) Ungacabanga nje ukuthi kumelwe ukuba umkhaya ngamunye wama-Israyeli wawuthe njo kulowo oyizibulo lapho ‘kuba khona ukukhala okukhulu’ endlini ngayinye yaseGibhithe. (Eks. 12:30) Cabanga ngendlela okumelwe ukuba uRahabi nomkhaya wakubo babuthana ngayo ndawonye njengoba bezwa umsindo wokuwa kwezindonga zaseJeriko ulokhu usondela ngasendlini yakhe. Kwakudingeka abe nokholo ukuze aqhubeke elalela futhi ahlale kuleyo ndlu.

Maduze kuzofika ukuphela kwezwe likaSathane elibi. Okwamanje, asazi ukuthi uJehova uzobavikela kanjani abantu bakhe ‘ngosuku lwentukuthelo yakhe’ olwesabekayo. (Zef. 2:3) Nokho, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siyobe sikuphi nokuthi siyobe siyini isimo sethu ngaleso sikhathi, singaqiniseka ngokuthi ukusinda kwethu kuyoxhomeka okholweni esinalo kuJehova nasekumlaleleni. Okwamanje kufanele sihlakulele isimo sengqondo esifanele ngalokho isiprofetho sika-Isaya esikuchaza ngokuthi ‘amakamelo ethu angaphakathi.’

“Ngenani Emakamelweni Enu Angaphakathi”

U-Isaya 26:20 uthi: “Hambani bantu bami, ngenani emakamelweni enu angaphakathi, nivale iminyango yenu ngemva kwenu. Zifihleni umzuzwana nje kuze kudlule isijeziso.” Kungenzeka ukuthi lesi siprofetho sagcwaliseka okokuqala ngo-539 B.C.E. lapho amaMede namaPheresiya enqoba iBhabhiloni. Kubonakala sengathi lapho uKoresi umPheresiya engena eBhabhiloni, wayala wonke umuntu ukuba ahlale ngaphakathi endlini ngoba amasosha akhe ayeyalwe ukuba abulale noma imuphi umuntu ayemthola ngaphandle.

Osukwini lwethu, ‘amakamelo angaphakathi’ okukhulunywa ngawo kulesi siprofetho angase ahlotshaniswe ngokufanele namabandla oFakazi BakaJehova angaphezu kuka-100- 000 emhlabeni wonke. Lawo mabandla anendima ebalulekile ekuphileni kwethu. Ayoqhubeka eyifeza naphakathi ‘nosizi olukhulu.’ (IsAm. 7:14) Abantu bakaNkulunkulu bayalwa ukuba bangene ‘emakamelweni abo angaphakathi’ futhi bazifihle “kuze kudlule isijeziso.” Kubalulekile ukuba sihlakulele futhi silondoloze isimo sengqondo esihle ngebandla futhi sizimisele ngokuqinile ukuhlala siseduze nalo. Kufanele sisebenzise lesi sikhuthazo sikaPawulu: “Masicabangelane ukuze sivuselelane uthando nemisebenzi emihle, singakuyeki ukuhlangana kwethu ndawonye, njengoba kungumkhuba wabanye, kodwa sikhuthazane, futhi ikakhulu njengoba [sibona] usuku lusondela.”—Heb. 10:24, 25.

[Izithombe ekhasini 7]

Yini esingayifunda ezenzweni zikaNkulunkulu zokusindisa zesikhathi esidlule?

[Isithombe ekhasini 8]

‘Amakamelo angaphakathi’ angase abhekiselephi ezikhathini zanamuhla?