1. Yini eyosisiza ukuba sihlale silindile futhi sibhekane ngokuphumelelayo nezilingo?

MADUZE kuzokwenzeka izenzakalo ezizoshukumisa umhlaba. Ukugcwaliseka kweziprofetho zeBhayibheli kuyasiqinisekisa ngalokhu, ngakho kudingeka sihlale silindile. Yini eyosisiza ukuba senze kanjalo? Umphostoli uPawulu usinxusa ukuba ‘sigcine amehlo ethu esezintweni ezingabonwayo.’ Yebo, kudingeka sihlale sicabanga ngomvuzo wethu wokuphila okuphakade, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi owasezulwini noma emhlabeni. Njengoba umongo ubonisa, uPawulu waloba la mazwi ukuze akhuthaze ayekholwa nabo ukuba bagxile emphumeleni ojabulisayo wenkambo yabo yokwethembeka. Ukwenza kanjalo kwakuyobasiza nokuba babhekane ngokuphumelelayo nezilingo noshushiso.—2 Kor. 4:8, 9, 16-18; 5:7.

2. (a) Ukuze sigcine ithemba lethu liqinile, yini okumelwe siyenze? (b) Yini esizoxoxa ngayo kulesi sihloko nakwesilandelayo?

² Iseluleko sikaPawulu siqukethe isimiso esibalulekile: Ukuze sigcine ithemba lethu liqinile, kumelwe sibheke ngalé kwezinto esibhekene nazo manje. Kudingeka sigxile ezenzakalweni ezibalulekile ezingakabonakali okwamanje. (Heb. 11:1; 12:1, 2) Ngakho-ke, ake sidingide izenzakalo eziyishumi zesikhathi esizayo ezihlobene eduze nethemba lethu lokuphila okuphakade. *

3. (a) Isiphi isenzakalo okukhulunywa ngaso kweyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:2, 3 esisazokwenzeka? (b) Yini abaholi bezombusazwe abazoyenza, futhi obani abangase bazihlanganise nabo?

³ UPawulu ukhuluma ngesinye salezo zenzakalo zesikhathi esizayo encwadini yakhe eya kwabaseThesalonika.  (Funda eyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:2, 3.) Ukhuluma ‘ngosuku lukaJehova.’ Inkulumo ethi “usuku lukaJehova” esetshenziswe lapha, ibhekisela enkathini eyoqala ngokubhujiswa kwenkolo yamanga futhi eyophela empini ye-Armagedoni. Nokho, ngaphambi nje kokuqala kwalolo suku lukaJehova, abaholi bezwe bayobe bethi “Ukuthula nokulondeka!” Kungenzeka ukuthi lokhu kubhekisela esenzakalweni esisodwa noma kweziwuchungechunge. Izizwe zingase zicabange ukuthi sekuseduze ukuba zixazulule ezinye zezinkinga zazo ezinkulu. Kuthiwani ngabaholi benkolo? Bayingxenye yezwe, ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi bayozihlanganisa nabaholi bezombusazwe. (IsAm. 17:1, 2) Ngaleyo ndlela, abefundisi bayobe belingisa abaprofethi bamanga bakwaJuda wasendulo. UJehova wathi ngabo: “[Bathi] ‘Kukhona ukuthula! Kukhona ukuthula!’ kube kungekho ukuthula.”—Jer. 6:14; 23:16, 17.

4. Ngokungefani neningi lesintu, yini esiyiqondayo?

⁴ Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi obani abayohlanganyela ekumemezeleni ukuthi “Ukuthula nokulondeka!” leso senzakalo siyobonisa ukuthi usuku lukaJehova seluzoqala. Yingakho uPawulu ayengathi: “Bazalwane, anikho ebumnyameni, ukuba lolo suku lunifice njengoba belungafica amasela, ngoba nonke ningamadodana okukhanya.” (1 Thes. 5:4, 5) Ngokungefani neningi lesintu, siyayiqonda incazelo engokomBhalo yezenzakalo zamanje. Lesi siprofetho sesimemezelo esithi “Ukuthula nokulondeka!” siyogcwaliseka kanjani ngempela? Kusazobonakala. Ngakho-ke, masizimisele ‘ukuhlale siphapheme futhi sihlale sisangulukile.’—1 Thes. 5:6; Zef. 3:8.

5. (a) Luyoqala kanjani “usizi olukhulu”? (b) Iyiphi ‘indlovukazi’ eyophaphalaza kabuhlungu?

⁵ Yisiphi isenzakalo esingakabonakali esizolandela? UPawulu wathi: “Noma nini lapho bethi: “Ukuthula nokulondeka!” khona-ke imbubhiso engazelelwe iyobafikela ngaso leso sikhathi.” Isigaba sokuqala sale “mbubhiso engazelelwe” kuyoba ukuhlaselwa ‘kweBhabhiloni Elikhulu,’ umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga, owaziwa nangokuthi “isifebe.” (IsAm. 17:5, 6, 15) Lokho kuhlaselwa kwazo zonke izinhlobo zenkolo yamanga, kuhlanganise neLobukholwa, kuyoba ukuqala ‘kosizi olukhulu.’ (Math. 24:21; 2 Thes. 2:8) Kwabaningi, lesi senzakalo siyofika bengalindele. Ngani? Ngoba kuze kube ngaleso sikhathi, ngeqholo isifebe siyobe sizibheka ‘njengendlovukazi engasoze yakubona ukulila.’ Kodwa siyobona ngokushesha ukuthi kanti asibuzanga elangeni. Siyobhujiswa  ngokushesha okukhulu, njengokungathi “ngalusuku lunye.”—IsAm. 18:7, 8.

6. Ubani oyobhubhisa inkolo yamanga?

⁶ IZwi likaNkulunkulu lichaza umhlaseli wesifebe ‘njengesilo sasendle’ ‘esinezimpondo eziyishumi.’ Ukutadisha incwadi yesAmbulo kubonisa ukuthi isilo sasendle sibhekisele eZizweni Ezihlangene (UN). “Izimpondo eziyishumi” zimelela yonke imibuso yezombusazwe yamanje esekela lesi “silo sasendle esibomvu.” * (IsAm. 17:3, 5, 11, 12) Lokho kuhlasela kuyoba kubi kangakanani? Izizwe ze-UN ziyophanga umcebo wesifebe, zidalule lokho esiyikho, zisishwabadele futhi “zisishise siphele.” Ukubhujiswa kwaso kuyoba okwaphakade.—Funda isAmbulo 17:16.

7. Yini eyokwenza ukuba “isilo sasendle” siqale ukuhlasela?

⁷ Isiprofetho seBhayibheli sibonisa nokuthi yini eyoqala lokhu kuhlasela. Ngandlela-thile, uJehova uyokufaka ezinhliziyweni zababusi bezombusazwe ‘ukuba bafeze umqondo wakhe,’ okungukuthi, wokubhubhisa isifebe. (IsAm. 17:17) Inkolo ekhuthaza impi iyaqhubeka iyisiphazamiso emhlabeni; yingakho izizwe zingase zibe nomuzwa wokuthi kuzozizuzisa ukubhubhisa isifebe. Eqinisweni, lapho ababusi beyihlasela, bayocabanga ukuthi bafeza ‘umqondo wabo owodwa.’ Nokho, empeleni, bayobe besebenza njengethuluzi likaNkulunkulu lokuqothula inkolo yamanga. Ngakho, izinto ziyojika ngokumangalisayo, enye ingxenye yesimiso sikaSathane iyohlasela enye futhi uSathane ngeke abe namandla okukuvimba lokho.—Math. 12:25, 26.

8. Kuyini ukuhlasela ‘kukaGogi wezwe lakwaMagogi’?

⁸ Ngemva kokuba inkolo yamanga ibhujisiwe, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ziyobe zisekhona ‘zihleli zilondekile’ futhi ‘zingenaludonga.’ (Hez. 38:11, 14) Kuyokwenzekani kuleli qembu labantu elibonakala lingavikelekile eliqhubeka likhulekela uJehova? Kubonakala sengathi liyoba izisulu zokuhlasela okuwukhukhulela-ngoqo ‘kwezizwe eziningi.’ IZwi likaNkulunkulu lichaza lokho kuhlasela njengokuvela ‘kuGogi wezwe lakwaMagogi.’ (Funda uHezekeli 38:2, 15, 16.) Kufanele sikubheke kanjani lokho kuhlasela?

9. (a) Ngokuyinhloko, yini umKristu akhathazeka ngayo? (b) Yiziphi izinyathelo okufanele sizithathe manje ukuze siqinise ukholo lwethu?

⁹ Ukwazi kusengaphambili ngalokhu kuhlaselwa kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu akusenzi sikhathazeke ngokweqile. Kunalokho, into eyinhloko esikhathazeka  ngayo, akuyona insindiso yethu, kodwa ukungcweliswa kwegama likaJehova nokulwelwa kobukhosi bakhe. Eqinisweni, uJehova washo izikhathi ezingaphezu kuka-60 ukuthi: “Niyokwazi ukuthi nginguJehova.” (Hez. 6:7) Yingakho sikulindele ngokukhulu ukulangazela ukugcwaliseka kwaleso sici esiphawulekayo sesiprofetho sikaHezekeli, sinethemba lokuthi “uJehova uyayazi indlela yokukhulula ekulingweni abantu abanokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu.” (2 Pet. 2:9) Ngesikhathi esifanayo, sifuna ukusebenzisa wonke amathuba okuqinisa ukholo lwethu ukuze sikwazi ukugcina ubuqotho bethu kuJehova kungakhathaliseki uvivinyo esingase sibhekane nalo. Yini okufanele siyenze? Kufanele sithandaze, sitadishe iZwi likaNkulunkulu, sizindle ngalo futhi sikhulume nabanye ngesigijimi soMbuso. Ngokwenza kanjalo, sigcina ithemba lethu lokuphila okuphakade liqinile, “njengehange.”—Heb. 6:19; IHu. 25:21.

10, 11. Yini eyobonisa ukuqala kwe-Armagedoni futhi yini eyokwenzeka ngaleso sikhathi?

¹⁰ Isiphi isenzakalo sezwe esishukumisa umhlaba esiyoqalwa ukuhlaselwa kwezinceku zikaJehova? Esebenzisa uJesu namabutho asezulwini, uJehova uyongenela alwele abantu baKhe. (IsAm. 19:11-16) Lokho kungenela kuyobe ‘sekuyimpi yosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke’—i-Armagedoni.—IsAm. 16:14, 16.

¹¹ Ngokuphathelene naleyo mpi, uJehova esebenzisa uHezekeli uthi: “‘[UGogi] ngiyombizela inkemba kuso sonke isifunda sami sezintaba,’ kusho iNkosi EnguMbusi uJehova. ‘Inkemba yomuntu ngamunye iyomelana nomfowabo.’” Benengebhe, abantu abasohlangothini lukaSathane bayophithana futhi bahlaselane bodwa—isosha limelane nelinye. Kodwa, kuyobe kusekuncane lokho! UJehova uthi: “Ngiyonisa phezu [kukaGogi] naphezu kwamaviyo akhe naphezu kwezizwe eziningi eziyobe zikanye naye . . . umlilo nesibabule.” (Hez. 38:21, 22) Lesi sinyathelo sikaNkulunkulu siyoba namuphi umphumela?

12. Yini izizwe eziyophoqeleka ukuba ziyenze?

¹² Izizwe kuyodingeka ziqaphele ukuthi lokho kunqotshwa kwazo kabuhlungu kwenzeka ngomyalo kaJehova ngokwakhe. Ngakho, njengoba kwenza abahlaseli baseGibhithe lasendulo ababejaha ama-Israyeli oLwandle Olubomvu, kungenzeka amabutho kaSathane ayohewula ngokuphelelwa yithemba: ‘Ngokuqinisekile uJehova uyabalwela’! (Eks. 14:25) Yebo, izizwe ziyophoqeleka ukuba zazi ukuthi ungubani uJehova. (Funda uHezekeli 38:23.) Sekuseduze kangakanani ukuba luqale lolu chungechunge lwezenzakalo?

13. Yini esiyaziyo ngengxenye yesihlanu yesithombe esichazwa uDaniyeli?

¹³ Isiprofetho esisencwadini kaDaniyeli sisisiza siqonde ukuthi sikuphi nesikhathi ngokohlelo lwezenzakalo ezilindelwe. UDaniyeli uchaza isithombe esinjengomuntu esenziwe ngezinto ezihlukahlukene. (Dan. 2:28, 31-33) Simelela imibuso yezwe ngokulandelana kwayo eye yaba nethonya elikhulu kubantu bakaNkulunkulu, esikhathini esidlule namanje. Ihlanganisa owaseBhabhiloni, owamaMede namaPheresiya, owaseGrisi, owamaRoma—futhi owokugcina, umbuso wezwe wesikhathi sethu. Ukutadisha isiprofetho sikaDaniyeli kubonisa ukuthi lo mbuso wezwe wokugcina, esithombeni ufanekiselwa izinyawo nezinzwani. NgeMpi Yezwe I, izwe laseBrithani nelase-United States akha ubuhlobo obukhethekile. Ngempela, ingxenye yesihlanu yesithombe sikaDaniyeli iwuMbuso WeZwe WamaNgisi NamaMelika. Izinyawo ziyingxenye yokugcina yesithombe, okubonisa ukuthi awusekho omunye umbuso wezwe wabantu oyovela emhlabeni. Ukuthi izinyawo nezinzwani ziyinsimbi  nobumba kubonisa isimo esibuthaka soMbuso Wezwe WamaNgisi NamaMelika.

14. Imuphi umbuso wezwe oyobe ukhonya lapho kugadla i-Armagedoni?

¹⁴ Isiprofetho esifanayo sibonisa ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu, ofanekiselwa yitshe elikhulu, waqheshulwa entabeni yobukhosi bukaJehova ngo-1914. Lelo tshe manje liphokophele ekushayeni izinyawo zesithombe. E-Armagedoni, izinyawo naso sonke isithombe kuyochotshozwa. (Funda uDaniyeli 2:44, 45.) Ngakho-ke, uMbuso Wezwe WamaNgisi NamaMelika uyobe usakhonya lapho kugadla i-Armagedoni. Yeka indlela okuyobe kuvusa amadlingozi ngayo ukubona ukugcwaliseka okuphelele kwalesi siprofetho! * Nokho, yini uJehova azoyenza ngoSathane?

15. Ngemva kwe-Armagedoni, yini eyokwenzeka kuSathane namademoni akhe?

¹⁵ Okokuqala, uSathane kuyodingeka abone ukusuka nokuhlala kokuqothulwa kwenhlangano yakhe emhlabeni. Ngemva kwalokho, kuyobe sekuphendukelwa kuye. Umphostoli uJohane usibikela okuzokwenzeka. (Funda isAmbulo 20:1-3.) UJesu Kristu—‘ingelosi enesihluthulelo sakwalasha’—uyobamba uSathane namademoni akhe, abajikijele kwalasha futhi abagcine khona iminyaka eyinkulungwane. (Luka 8:30, 31; 1 Joh. 3:8) Leso sinyathelo siyisigaba sokuqala sokuchotshozwa kwekhanda lenyoka. *—Gen. 3:15.

16. Kuyosho ukuthini ngoSathane ukuba “kwalasha”?

¹⁶ Uyini ‘ulasha’ uSathane namademoni akhe abayophonswa kuwo? Igama lesiGreki elithi a′bys·sos elisetshenziswe uJohane lisho indawo “ejule kakhulu noma ejule ngokwedlulele.” Liphinde lihunyushwe nangokuthi umgodi “ongenakulinganiswa, ongenamkhawulo” ‘nongapheleli ndawo.’ Ngakho, yindawo okungekho noyedwa umuntu ongayifinyelela ngaphandle kukaJehova nengelosi yakhe ayimisile ‘enesihluthulelo sakwalasha.’ Lapho, uSathane uyoba sesimweni sokungenzi lutho njengokungathi ufile ukuze “angabe esazidukisa izizwe.” Ngempela, leyo “ngonyama ebhongayo” iyothuliswa!—1 Pet. 5:8.

17, 18. (a) Iziphi izenzakalo ezingakabonakali esixoxe ngazo kuze kube manje? (b) Ngemva kwalezi zenzakalo, iyiphi inkathi esiyoyijabulela?

¹⁷ Izenzakalo zezwe eziphawulekayo neziyoshukumisa umhlaba ziseduze. Silindele ukubona ukuthi isimemezelo esithi “Ukuthula nokulondeka!” siyokwenzeka kanjani. Khona-ke, siyobona ukubhujiswa kweBhabhiloni Elikhulu, ukuhlasela kukaGogi wakwaMagogi, impi ye-Armagedoni nokuphonswa kukaSathane namademoni akhe kwalasha. Ngemva kwalezi zenzakalo, lapho bonke ububi bungasekho, siyoqala inkathi entsha ekuphileni—ukuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane, kuyo esiyojabulela ‘ukuchichima kokuthula.’—IHu. 37:10, 11.

¹⁸ Ngaphezu kwalezi zenzakalo ezinhlanu esisaxoxe ngazo kuze kube manje, kukhona nezinye ‘izinto ezingabonwayo’ esifuna ‘ukugcina amehlo ethu’ ekuzo. Lezi zenzakalo zizodingidwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.