Ubani Ongachaza Isiprofetho?

Kuthiwa ifindo likaGordian laliyifindo elingaqhaqheki nhlobo ezinsukwini zika-Alexander Omkhulu. Abantu babekholelwa ukuthi umuntu oyokwazi ukuliqaqa wayeyobe ehlakaniphile futhi eyokwazi ukunqoba izinto ezinkulu. * U-Alexander waliqaqa leli findo eliyinkimbinkimbi ngokulisika kanye nje ngenkemba yakhe.

SEKUYIMINYAKA eminingi amadoda ahlakaniphile engagcini nje ngokufuna ukuqaqa amafindo ayinkimbinkimbi kodwa futhi efuna nokuxazulula izinto eziyindida, ukuchaza iziprofetho ngisho nokubikezela ikusasa.

Nokho, ngokuvamile kwakungaphezu kwamandla awo ukwenza lezi zinto. Ngokwesibonelo, amadoda ahlakaniphile aseBhabhiloni ahluleka ukuchaza umbhalo wesandla owavela ngokuyisimangaliso odongeni lwesigodlo seNkosi uBhelishazari ngesikhathi kunendumezulu yedili. UDaniyeli kuphela—umprofethi osekhulile kaJehova uNkulunkulu, oweyenedumela ‘lokuqaqa amafindo’—owakwazi ukuchaza leso sigijimi esiyisiprofetho. (Daniyeli 5:12) Lesi siprofetho, esasibikezela ukuwa koMbuso waseBhabhiloni, sagcwaliseka ngabo kanye lobo busuku!—Daniyeli 5:1, 4-8, 25-30.

Siyini Isiprofetho?

Isiprofetho siye sachazwa ngokuthi ukwembulwa kwekusasa, izenzakalo ezibhalwe phansi ngaphambi kokuba zenzeke. Isiprofetho seqiniso siyisigijimi esiphefumulelwe, esibhaliwe noma esikhishwa ngomlomo, isambulo sentando nenjongo kaNkulunkulu. IBhayibheli lineziprofetho eziphathelene nokuvela nokubonakala kukaMesiya ‘nokwesiphelo sesimiso sezinto,’ kanye nezigijimi zesahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu.—Mathewu 24:3; Daniyeli 9:25.

“Amadoda ahlakaniphile” anamuhla—ochwepheshe kwezesayensi, ezomnotho, ezempilo, ezombusazwe, ezemvelo kanye neminye imikhakha ehlukahlukene—azama ukubikezela ikusasa. Nakuba ukubikezelwa okuningi kwekusasa okunjalo kusakazwa kabanzi abezindaba futhi kulangazelelwa umphakathi, empeleni kumane kuwukuqagela okusekelwe olwazini lwesimo esithile nasemibonweni yomuntu siqu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunoma yikuphi okubikezelwayo, kunemibono eminingi engavumelani neholela kwezinye izimpikiswano. Kuyingozi ngempela ukuzama ukubikezela ikusasa.

Umthombo Wesiprofetho Seqiniso

Pho-ke, zivelaphi iziprofetho zeqiniso, futhi ubani ongakwazi ukuzichaza? Umphostoli uPetru wabhala: “Asikho isiprofetho semiBhalo esivela kunoma iyiphi incazelo yomuntu ngokwakhe.” (2 Petru 1:20) Igama lesiGreki elisho “incazelo” lisho “ukuxazulula, ukusombulula,” ngomqondo wokuthi “lokho okukhululiwe noma okuqaqiwe bekuboshiwe.” Ngakho-ke, i-Amplified New Testament ibeka amazwi kaPetru ngale ndlela: ‘Asikho isiprofetho somBhalo esingasonjululwa yinoma yimuphi umuntu.’

Cabanga ngetilosi elibopha intambo ngekhono liyenze ibe ifindo elingaqaqeki. Lapho seliqedile, umuntu ongenalwazi olutheni ngamafindo, angabona ukuthi liboshwe kanjani kodwa ahluleke ukuliqaqa. Ngokufanayo, abantu bangase bazibone izinto ezenzeka manje ezingaholela ezinkingeni esikhathini esizayo,  kodwa abazi ngokuqondile ukuthi ikusasa liphetheni.

Abaprofethi abaphefumulelwe basendulo abanjengoDaniyeli, abazange bazihlaziyele indlela yokuphila kwabantu bangesikhathi sabo base bezama ukuchaza ikusasa elingaqondakali ngesiprofetho. Ukube bazama ukuphoqelela ukwembula ikusasa ngale ndlela, ukuprofetha okunjalo kwakuyobe kuvela ekucabangeni kwabo. Ngakho, kwakuyoba isibikezelo esivela kumuntu, isibikezelo esinesisekelo esingaphelele. Kunalokho, uPetru waqhubeka echaza: “Isiprofetho asikaze silethwe ngentando yomuntu, kodwa abantu bakhuluma okuvela kuNkulunkulu ngoba babeqhutshwa umoya ongcwele.”—2 Petru 1:21.

“Izincazelo . . . EzikaNkulunkulu”

Eminyakeni engaba ngu-3 700 edlule, amadoda amabili ayevalelwe etilongweni eGibhithe. Womabili aphupha iphupho eliyindida. Ngenxa yokuthi ayengeke akwazi ukuxhumana namadoda ahlakaniphile alelo zwe, atshela indoda ayeboshwe nayo, uJosefa, ngokukhathazeka kwawo: “Siphuphé iphupho, kodwa asinaye ochazayo.” Leyo nceku kaNkulunkulu yathi awayilandise iphupho lawo, ithi: “Izincazelo akuzona yini ezikaNkulunkulu?” (Genesise 40:8) UJehova uNkulunkulu kuphela onekhono lokuchaza iziprofetho, njengoba nje netilosi elingumakad’ ebona lingaqaqa ifindo eliyinkimbinkimbi. Kakade, kwakunguNkulunkulu owenza noma owabopha lezo ziprofetho. Ngakho-ke, kunengqondo ukuba sifune kuye izincazelo. Yebo, uJosefa wenza kahle ngokunika uNkulunkulu udumo.

Ngakho, kungashiwo ngamuphi umqondo ukuthi ‘izincazelo ezikaNkulunkulu’? Kungashiwo ngezindlela eziningi. Ezinye iziprofetho ezilotshwe eBhayibhelini zinezincazelo zokugcwaliseka kwazo. Ngakho lezi kulula ukuziqaqa, njengoba netilosi lingakuchazela ngokukhululekile ukuthi amanye amafindo aqaqwa kanjani.—Genesise 18:14; 21:2.

Ezinye iziprofetho zingachazwa futhi zembulwe ngokuhlola umongo wazo. Umprofethi uDaniyeli wabona umbono oyisiprofetho ‘wenqama enezimpondo ezimbili’ ilahlwa phansi “impongo enoboya obude” ‘eyayinophondo olugqamile phakathi kwamehlo ayo.’ Umongo wendaba ubonisa ukuthi inqama enezimpondo ezimbili imelela “amakhosi aseMediya nasePheresiya” kanti impongo imelela “inkosi yaseGrisi.” (Daniyeli 8:3-8, 20-22) Ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kuka-200, “uphondo olukhulu”—u-Alexander Omkhulu—lwaqala ukunqoba kwalo iPheresiya. Isazi-mlando esingumJuda, uJosephus, sabika ukuthi ngesikhathi u-Alexander ephakathi nomkhankaso wempi ngaseJerusalema, waboniswa sona kanye lesi siprofetho futhi wakholwa ukuthi sasibhekisela kuye.

‘Izincazelo ezikaNkulunkulu’ nangomunye umqondo. Eqondiswa umoya ongcwele, uJosefa, inceku ethembekile kaJehova uNkulunkulu, wakwazi ukuqonda incazelo yala maphupho akhungathekisayo amadoda ayeboshwe nawo lapho emlandisa. (Genesise 41:38) Uma izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zanamuhla zingayiqondi incazelo yesiprofetho esithile, zithandazela umoya kaNkulunkulu, zitadishe ngenkuthalo futhi zicwaninge eZwini likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe umoya. Ziqondiswa uNkulunkulu zingabona imiBhalo echaza iziprofetho ezithile. Akukho muntu othola incazelo yesiprofetho ngokuyisimangaliso. Ivela kuNkulunkulu ngoba icaciswa umoya wakhe neZwi lakhe. Incazelo ayiveli kubabikezeli bezenzakalo abangabantu kodwa ivela eBhayibhelini.—IzEnzo 15:12-21.

‘Izincazelo ezikaNkulunkulu’ nangokuthi uyena onquma futhi aqondise ukuthi isiprofetho sizoqondwa nini izinceku zakhe zasemhlabeni ezithembekile. Incazelo yesiprofetho ingaqondakala ngaphambi kokuba senzeke, lapho sesenzeka noma ngemva kokuba sesigcwalisekile. Njengoba iziprofetho zingezikaNkulunkulu, nguyena oyozisombulula ngesikhathi esifanele—ngesikhathi sakhe.

Endabeni kaJosefa neziboshwa ezimbili, wachaza lawo maphupho sekusele izinsuku ezintathu ngaphambi kokuba agcwaliseke. (Genesise 40:13, 19) Kamuva, lapho uJosefa elethwa phambi kwenkosi uFaro ukuze achaze iphupho  layo, kwase kuzoqala iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala. Ngomoya kaNkulunkulu, uJosefa wembula incazelo yamaphupho kaFaro ukuze kwenziwe amalungiselelo okubutha ukudla ngesikhathi senala.—Genesise 41:29, 39, 40.

Ezinye iziprofetho ziqondwa izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ngokugcwele ngemva kokugcwaliseka. Izenzakalo eziningi zokuphila kukaJesu kwaprofethwa ngazo kusasele amakhulu eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba azalwe, kodwa abafundi bakhe abaziqondanga ngokugcwele kwaze kwaba ngemva kokuvuswa kwakhe. (IHubo 22:18; 34:20; Johane 19:24, 36) Okokugcina, uDaniyeli 12:4 uthi ezinye iziprofetho ‘zaziyovalwa’ “kuze kube isikhathi sokuphela,” okuyisikhathi uDaniyeli athi ngaso “ulwazi lweqiniso luyoba luningi.” Siphila kuso kanye leso sikhathi lapho lezo ziprofetho zigcwaliseka khona. *

Iziprofetho ZeBhayibheli Nawe

UJosefa noDaniyeli bama phambi kwamakhosi osuku lwabo futhi bamemezela izigijimi eziyisiprofetho ezazithinta izizwe nemibuso. AmaKristu ekhulwini lokuqala ama phambi kwabantu bangesikhathi sawo njengabakhulumeli bakaJehova, uNkulunkulu wesiprofetho, futhi abazuzisa kakhulu labo abazilalela izigijimi zawo.

Namuhla, oFakazi BakaJehova emhlabeni wonke bamemezela isigijimi esiyisiprofetho—izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu—futhi batshela abantu ukuthi isiprofetho sikaJesu ‘ngesiphelo sesimiso sezinto’ sesiyagcwaliseka. (Mathewu 24:3, 14) Uyazi ukuthi siyini lesi siprofetho nokuthi sizokuthinta kanjani? OFakazi BakaJehova bangakujabulela ukukusiza uqonde futhi uzuze esiprofethweni seBhayibheli esibaluleke kunazo zonke.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Izithombe emakhasini 12, 13]

UJosefa noDaniyeli badumisa uNkulunkulu lapho bechaza isiprofetho