“Phephela Egameni LikaJehova”

“Ngiyovumela ukuba kusale . . . abantu abathobekile nabaphansi, futhi empeleni bayophephela egameni likaJehova.”—ZEF. 3:12.

1, 2. Isiphi isivunguvungu esingokomfanekiso esesizogadla esintwini?

KWAKE kwadingeka yini ukuba ubalekele isivunguvungu noma isichotho ngokungena ngaphansi kompheme? Umpheme ungase ukuvikele esivunguvungwini nasesichothweni, kodwa ngeke ukuvikele kangako lapho kunenkanyamba noma isiphepho.

² Kunesiphepho esihlukile esisondelayo—esisongela khona kanye ukuphila kohlanga lwesintu. “Usuku lwesivunguvungu” olungokomfanekiso. Lolu “suku olukhulu lukaJehova” luyothinta sonke isintu. Nokho, singasithola isiphephelo esisidingayo. (Funda uZefaniya 1:14-18.) Singasithola kanjani isiphephelo ngalolo “suku lokufutheka kukaJehova” oseluzogadla maduze?

Izinsuku Zesivunguvungu Ngezikhathi ZeBhayibheli

3. Isiphi ‘isiphepho esinokuduma’ esafikela umbuso wakwa-Israyeli wezizwe eziyishumi?

³ Usuku lukaJehova luyoqala ngokubhujiswa kwazo zonke izinhlangano zenkolo yamanga emhlabeni. Ukuze sibone ukuthi singasithola kanjani isiphephelo, singafuna impendulo emlandweni wabantu bakaNkulunkulu basendulo. U-Isaya owaphila ekhulwini lesi-8 B.C.E., wafanisa isahlulelo uJehova asikhipha embusweni wakwa-Israyeli wezizwe eziyishumi wezihlubuki ‘nesiphepho esinokuduma’ abantu ababengeke bakwazi ukusinqanda. (Funda u-Isaya 28:1, 2.) Leso siprofetho sagcwaliseka ngo-740 B.C.E. lapho i-Asiriya ihlasela izwe lalezo zizwe, u-Efrayimi ayengesivelele kuzo.

4. “Usuku olukhulu lukaJehova” lwagadla kanjani eJerusalema ngo-607 B.C.E.?

⁴ Isahlulelo esatholwa u-Israyeli ongathembekile salandelwa “usuku olukhulu lukaJehova” olwafikela iJerusalema nombuso wakwaJuda ngo-607 B.C.E. Leso senzakalo senzeka ngoba abantu bakwaJuda nabo base behlubukile. AbaseBhabhiloni ababeholwa nguNebukhadinezari babesongela uJuda nenhloko-dolobha yakhe, iJerusalema. AbakwaJuda babefune usizo ‘esiphephelweni samanga,’ okuwukuthi, umfelandawonye wezombusazwe ababewenze neGibhithe. Noma kunjalo, abaseBhabhiloni basikhukhula leso “siphephelo” kuhle kwesiphepho esiqothulayo esinesichotho.—Isaya 28:14, 17.

5. Kuyokwenzekani kubantu bakaNkulunkulu njengeqembu ngesikhathi kubhujiswa yonke inkolo yamanga?

⁵ Usuku olukhulu lukaJehova olwagadla eJerusalema lwaluyinkomba yesahlulelo esizofikela eLobukholwa eliyisihlubuki osukwini  lwethu. Yonke enye ingxenye ‘yeBhabhiloni Elikhulu,’ umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga nayo izobhujiswa. Ngemva kwalokho, kuyoqothulwa izingxenye ezisele zesimiso sikaSathane esibi sezinto. Noma kunjalo, abantu bakaJehova njengeqembu bayosinda ngoba bephephela kuye.—IsAm. 7:14; 18:2, 8; 19:19-21.

Isiphephelo Esingokomoya Nesingokoqobo

6. Abantu bakaJehova bangasithola kanjani isiphephelo?

⁶ Abantu bakaNkulunkulu bangasithola kanjani isiphephelo ngisho namanje kulesi sikhathi sokuphela? Sithola isiphephelo esingokomoya ‘ngokucabanga ngegama likaNkulunkulu’ ngomthandazo nangokumkhonza ngentshiseko. (Funda uMalaki 3:16-18.) Nokho, siyaqaphela ukuthi kudingeka senze okungaphezu nje kokucabanga ngegama lakhe. KumaRoma 10:13 siyafunda: “Wonke umuntu obiza igama likaJehova uyosindiswa.” Kukhona ukuhlobana phakathi kokubiza igama likaJehova nokusindiswa nguye. Abantu abaningi abanhliziyo ziqotho bayawubona umehluko phakathi kwamaKristu eqiniso ‘acabanga ngegama likaNkulunkulu’ ngenhlonipho futhi amkhonza njengoFakazi bakhe nabantu abangamkhonzi.

7, 8. AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala asindiswa kanjani ngokoqobo, futhi lokhu kunamuphi umfuziselo namuhla?

⁷ Noma kunjalo, insindiso esizoyithola ayigcini ngokuba sesiphephelweni esingokomoya kuphela. Abantu bakaNkulunkulu bathenjiswa nensindiso engokoqobo. Inkomba yalokhu siyibona kulokho okwenzeka ngo-66 C.E. ngemva kokuba amabutho amaRoma ayeholwa uCestius Gallus ehlasele iJerusalema. UJesu wayebikezele ukuthi izinsuku zalolo sizi ‘zaziyofinyezwa.’ (Math. 24:15, 16, 21, 22) Lokho kwenzeka lapho amabutho amaRoma ehoxa kungalindelekile ekuvimbezeleni umuzi, okwenza ukuba ‘inyama’ ethile, okungukuthi amaKristu eqiniso, ‘isinde.’ Akwazi ukubaleka aphume kulowo muzi nasezindaweni eziwuzungezile. Amanye awela iJordani futhi athola isiphephelo ezintabeni ezingasempumalanga yalowo mfula.

⁸ Singabona umfuziselo phakathi kwalawo maKristu nabantu bakaNkulunkulu namuhla. Esikhathini esedlule, amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala kwadingeka athole isiphephelo, nanamuhla izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zizosidinga. Nokho, kulokhu ngeke kudingeke ukuba zibalekele endaweni eyodwa engokoqobo ngoba amaKristu eqiniso athé chithi saka kuwo wonke umhlaba. Noma kunjalo, lapho kubhujiswa eLobukholwa eliyisihlubuki, “abakhethiweyo” nabangane babo abathembekile bayosinda ngokoqobo njengeqembu ngokuphephela kuJehova nasenhlanganweni yakhe enjengentaba.

9. Obani abaye bazama ukwenza ukuba igama likaJehova lilitshalwe? Nikeza isibonelo.

⁹ Ngakolunye uhlangothi, eLobukholwa liyayifanelekela imbubhiso ezayo ngoba linesandla ekungabini nalwazi ngoNkulunkulu okuvamile phakathi kwabantu abasontayo nangenxa yenzondo yalo esobala ngegama likaNkulunkulu. NgeNkathi Ephakathi, igama likaNkulunkulu lalaziwa kabanzi eYurophu. Lelo gama elimelelwa izinhlamvu ezine zesiHebheru ezibizwa ngokuthi iTetragrammaton ngokuvamile ezibhalwa ngokuthi YHWH (noma JHVH), lalivela ezinhlamvini zemali, phambi kwezindlu, ezincwadini eziningi nasemaBhayibhelini ngisho nakwamanye amasonto obuKatolika nawobuProthestani. Nokho, umkhuba osukhona owokulisusa igama likaNkulunkulu emaBhayibhelini nakwezinye izinto. Okunye okubonisa lokhu iNcwadi Ebhalelwe Izingqungquthela Zababhishobhi Ngokuphathelene ‘neGama LikaNkulunkulu,’ ka-June 29, 2008, eyakhishwa iBandla Lokukhulekelwa KukaNkulunkulu Nophiko Lwamasakramente. Kuleyo ncwadi iSonto LamaRoma Katolika layala ukuba iTetragrammaton isuswe kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ibivela ikusiphi isimo futhi esikhundleni sayo kufakwe elithi “Nkosi.” IVatican yayala ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu akufanele lisetshenziswe noma liphinyiselwe emaculweni nasemithandazweni phakathi nezinkonzo zamaKatolika. Abaholi  bezinye izinkolo ngaphakathi nangaphandle kweLobukholwa nabo baye bafihlela izigidigidi zabakhulekeli ukuthi ungubani ngempela uNkulunkulu weqiniso.

Isivikelo Kulabo Abangcwelisa Igama LikaNkulunkulu

10. Igama likaNkulunkulu lidunyiswa kanjani namuhla?

¹⁰ Ngokuphambene kakhulu nalokho ezinye izinkolo ezikwenzayo, oFakazi BakaJehova bayalidumisa futhi balikhazimulise igama lakhe. Balingcwelisa ngokulisebenzisa ngendlela ehloniphekile. UJehova uyajabula ngabantu bakhe abathembela kuye, futhi uba yinoma yini okudingeka abe yiyo ukuze ababusise futhi abavikele. “Uyabazi labo abafuna isiphephelo kuye.”—Nah. 1:7; IzE. 15:14.

11, 12. Obani abaphakamisa igama likaJehova kwaJuda wasendulo, futhi obani abaye benza kanjalo namuhla?

¹¹ Nakuba abaningi kwaJuda wasendulo base beyizihlubuki, bakhona ‘abaphephela egameni likaJehova.’ (Funda uZefaniya 3:12, 13.) Yebo, lapho uNkulunkulu ejezisa uJuda ongenalukholo ngokuvumela abaseBhabhiloni ukuba banqobe izwe lakhe futhi bathumbe abantu balo, abantu abathile, njengoJeremiya, uBharuki no-Ebhedi-meleki basindiswa. Babehlala “phakathi” kwesizwe esiyisihlubuki. Abanye bahlala bethembekile ngenkathi besekuthunjweni. Ngo-539 B.C.E., amaMede namaPheresiya ayeholwa uKoresi alinqoba iBhabhiloni. UKoresi akapholisanga maseko wakhipha umyalo ovumela insali yamaJuda ukuba ibuyele ezweni lenkaba yayo.

¹² Ngokuphathelene nalabo ababeyobona lokho kubuyiselwa kokukhulekela kweqiniso, uZefaniya wabikezela ukuthi uJehova wayeyobasindisa futhi ajabule ngabo. (Funda uZefaniya 3:14-17.) Kuye kwaba njalo nasosukwini lwethu. Ngemva kokumiswa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu ezulwini, uJehova wakhulula insali ethembekile yabagcotshiwe ekuthunjweni ngokomoya yiBhabhiloni Elikhulu. Usajabula ngayo nanamuhla.

13. Yikuphi ukukhululwa abantu bazo zonke izizwe abakutholayo?

¹³ Labo abanethemba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni nabo baye baphuma eBhabhiloni Elikhulu futhi bathola ukukhululwa okungokomoya ezimfundisweni zenkolo yamanga. (IsAm. 18:4) Ngakho, ukugcwaliseka okukhulu kukaZefaniya 2:3 kwenzeka esikhathini sethu: “Funani uJehova, nonke nina abamnene bomhlaba.” Abamnene abavela kuzo zonke izizwe, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi banethemba lasezulwini noma lasemhlabeni, baphephela egameni likaJehova.

Igama LikaNkulunkulu Aliyona Intelezi

14, 15. (a) Iziphi izinto abanye abaye bazisebenzisa njengezintelezi? (b) Yini okungafanele isetshenziswe njengekhubalo?

¹⁴ Amanye ama-Israyeli ayebheka ithempeli njengentelezi eyayizowavikela ezitheni zawo. (Jer. 7:1-4) Phambilini, ama-Israyeli ayebheka umphongolo wesivumelwano njengekhubalo lempi. (1 Sam. 4:3, 10, 11) UConstantine OMkhulu wabhala izinhlamvu zesiGreki u-khi no-rho, okuyizinhlamvu zokuqala ezimbili zesiqu esithi “Kristu” ngesiGreki, ezihlangwini zamabutho akhe ngethemba lokuwavikela empini. Kucatshangwa ukuthi iNkosi uGustav Adolph II yaseSweden, eyalwa iMpi Yeminyaka Engu-30 yayigqoka isembatho sempi esisekhasini 7. Phawula ukuthi esiphikeni saso kubhalwe ngokugqamile igama elithi “Iehova.”

¹⁵ Abanye babantu bakaNkulunkulu abaye bahlaselwa amademoni baye bathola isiphephelo kuJehova ngokumemeza igama lakhe. Noma kunjalo, into enegama likaNkulunkulu akufanele ibhekwe njengentelezi noma isetshenziswe njengekhubalo ekuphileni kwansuku zonke njengokungathi inamandla awumlingo okuvikela. Akukhona lokho okushiwo ukuphephela egameni likaJehova.

Ukuthola Isiphephelo Namuhla

16. Singasithola kanjani isiphephelo esingokomoya namuhla?

¹⁶ Namuhla, sithola ukulondeka esiphephelweni esingokomoya esijatshulelwa yibo bonke  abantu bakaNkulunkulu. (IHu. 91:1) ‘Ngenceku ethembekile neqondayo’ nangabadala bebandla, siqasheliswa ngemikhuba yezwe engafaka lokho kulondeka engozini. (Math. 24:45-47; Isaya 32:1, 2) Cabanga nje ukuthi kukangaki sixwayiswa ngezinto ezibonakalayo, futhi cabanga ngendlela lezo zixwayiso eziye zasivikela ngayo engozini engokomoya. Kuthiwani futhi ngengozi yokuba nesimo sengqondo sokuzithela ngabandayo, esingase sisiholele ekubeni siphole enkonzweni kaJehova? IZwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “[Ukunganaki] kweziphukuphuku yikho okuyozibhubhisa. Kepha ongilalelayo, uyohlala ngokulondeka angaphazanyiswa yingebhe yenhlekelele.” (IzAga 1:32, 33) Ukulwela ukuhlale sihlanzekile ngokokuziphatha nakho kuyasisiza ukuba sihlale sisesiphephelweni esingokomoya.

17, 18. Yini esiza izigidi ukuba ziphephele egameni likaJehova namuhla?

¹⁷ Cabanga nangesikhuthazo esivela encekwini ethembekile sokufeza umyalo kaJesu wokushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kuwo wonke umhlaba owakhiwe. (Math. 24:14; 28:19, 20) UZefaniya wakhuluma ngoshintsho olwaluyosiza abantu ukuba baphephele egameni likaNkulunkulu. Siyafunda: “Ngiyokwenza izizwe ukuba zishintshele olimini oluhlanzekile, ukuze zonke zibize igama likaJehova, ukuze zimkhonze zilinganisene ihlombe nehlombe.”—Zef. 3:9.

¹⁸ Luyini lolu limi oluhlanzekile? Luyiqiniso ngoJehova uNkulunkulu nangezinjongo zakhe eliseZwini lakhe eliphefumulelwe. Ngomqondo othile, usuke ukhuluma lolo limi lapho usiza abanye ukuba bawuqonde ngokufanele uMbuso kaNkulunkulu nendlela oyolingcwelisa ngayo igama lakhe, lapho ugcizelela ukulwelwa kobukhosi bakhe nalapho ukhuluma ngenjabulo ngezibusiso zaphakade eziyojatshulelwa abantu abathembekile. Ngenxa yokuthi baningi abakhuluma lolu limi olungokomfanekiso, bayanda ‘ababiza igama likaJehova’ futhi ‘bamkhonze belinganisene ihlombe nehlombe.’ Yiqiniso, izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke manje ziphephela kuJehova.—IHu. 1:1, 3.

19, 20. Ukuthembela ‘esiphephelweni samanga’ kwabhuntsha kanjani ezikhathini zeBhayibheli?

¹⁹ Abantu ezweni babhekana nezinkinga ezibonakala zingangezintaba. Bekhathazekile ngokuthi bangazixazulula kanjani, abaningi baphendukela kubantu abangaphelele, noma emakhambini anikezwa izinhlangano zezombusazwe, njengoba nje no-Israyeli wasendulo ngezinye izikhathi aphendukela ezizweni ezingomakhelwane ukuba zimsekele, wenza umfelandawonye nazo. Nokho, uyazi ukuthi ukwenza lokho akuzange kumsize u-Israyeli. Nanamuhla awukho umbuso wezombusazwe, ngisho neZizwe Ezihlangene, oyokwazi ukuzixazulula ngokuphelele izinkinga zesintu. Yini-ke engasenza sibheke izinhlangano zezombusazwe nemifelandawonye njengesiphephelo? Ngokwesiprofetho, iBhayibheli libiza lezi zinhlangano ngokuthi “isiphephelo samanga.” Ungazibheka kufanele njengaso ngoba bonke abantu abathembela kuzo bayophoxeka kabuhlungu.—Funda u-Isaya 28:15, 17.

²⁰ Maduze isichotho sosuku lukaJehova esingokomfanekiso sizogadla emhlabeni. Izinhlangano  zabantu ngeke zikwazi ukuba isivikelo; ngokufanayo nengcebo kanye nezinto eziklanyelwe ukukhoselisa abantu emisebeni yenuzi nazo ngeke zibe yisivikelo. U-Isaya 28:17 uthi: “Isichotho siyosikhukhula isiphephelo samanga, namanzi akhukhule indawo yokucasha uqobo.”

21. Iyiphi inzuzo esingayithola ngokwenza okushiwo isihloko sonyaka ka-2011?

²¹ Kokubili manje nangesikhathi saleso senzakalo esizayo, abantu bakaNkulunkulu bayothola ukulondeka kuNkulunkulu wabo, uJehova. Igama likaZefaniya, elisho ukuthi “UJehova Uthukusile,” limbonisa njengomthombo weqiniso wokuthukuswa. Kuyafaneleka ukuthi isihloko sethu sonyaka ka-2011 sinalesi seluleko esihlakaniphile: “Phephela egameni likaJehova.” (Zef. 3:12) Ngisho kwamanje singaphephela futhi kufanele siphephele egameni likaJehova, simethembe ngokuphelele. (IHu. 9:10) Masisikhumbule nsuku zonke lesi siqinisekiso esiphefumulelwe: “Igama likaJehova lingumbhoshongo oqinile. Olungileyo ugijimela kuwo athole isivikelo.”—IzAga 18:10.

Ingabe Uyakhumbula?

• Singaphephela kanjani egameni likaJehova namuhla?

• Kungani kungafanele sithembele ‘esiphephelweni samanga’?

• Isiphi isiphephelo esiqinisekiswa ngaso esikhathini esizayo?

[Imibuzo Yesifundo]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

Isihloko sonyaka ka-2011 sithi: “Phephela egameni likaJehova.” —Zefaniya 3:12.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 7]

Thüringer Landesmuseum Heidecksburg Rudolstadt, Waffensammlung “Schwarzburger Zeughaus”