SekungoLwesibili emini futhi uNisani 11 sesiyaphela. UJesu ubesebenza gadalala emalangeni amalutshwana asanda kwedlula njalo usezaqeda inkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni. Ubetshona efundisa ethempelini, kuthi sekusebusuku ayephumula ngaphandle kwedolobho. Abantu bebekukholisa kakhulu ukumlalela njalo ‘bebevukela kuye ekuseni kakhulu ukuze bamuzwe efundisa ethempelini.’ (ULukha 21:37, 38) Kodwa uJesu kasakwenzi lokhu futhi khathesi uhlezi eNtabeni Yama-Oliva labaphostoli bakhe abane, uPhetro, lo-Andreya, loJakhobe, loJohane.

Abaphostoli laba abane bamlande bebodwa. Bakhathazeke ngethempeli ngoba uJesu usanda kubatshela ukuthi ethempelini lelo akusoze kusale ilitshe phezu kwelinye. Kodwa kukhona okunye abakucabangayo. UJesu uke wabatshela wathi: “Hlalani lizilungiselele ngoba iNdodana yomuntu izakuza ngehola elingalicabangeliyo.” (ULukha 12:40) Uke wakhuluma “langelanga iNdodana yomuntu ezavezwa ngalo.” (ULukha 17:30) Amazwi kaJesu engabe ehambelana lalokho ake wakutsho mayelana lethempeli yini? Abaphostoli bayafuna ukwazi sibili. Bathi: “Sitshele, izinto lezi zizakwenzakala nini, njalo sizakuba yini isibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakho lesesiphetho somumo lo wezinto?”​—UMathewu 24:3.

Bangabe becabanga ngokubhujiswa kwethempeli abalibonayo khonapho eduze. Kanti njalo babuze langokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu. Mhlawumbe bayawukhumbula umzekeliso kaJesu ‘owomuntu wesikhosini owahamba elizweni elikhatshana ukuze ayephiwa ubukhosi abesephenduka.’ (ULukha 19:11, 12) Kanti njalo bayazibuza ukuthi kuzakwenzakalani ‘kulesosiphetho somumo wezinto.’

UJesu uyabacacisela ebatshela ngesibonakaliso esitshengisa ukuthi umumo wezinto wamaJuda okhona khathesi uzaphela nini kanye lokuthi ithempeli lawo lizabhujiswa nini. Kodwa kulokunye okunengi abachasisela khona. Isibonakaliso lesi sizanceda amaKhristu azabe ekhona esikhathini esizayo ukuthi ananzelele ukuthi aphila ngesikhathi “sokuba khona” kwakhe langesikhathi umumo lo wezinto wasemhlabeni usuzaphela.

Iminyaka ithi ihamba, abaphostoli basibone sigcwaliseka isiphrofetho sikaJesu. Ezinye izinto uJesu akhuluma ngazo zihle ziqale ukwenzakala besaphila. Yikho ngo-70 C.E., ngemva kweminyaka engu-37 uJesu ekhulume amazwi la, amaKhristu ayabe ekhona azabe elungiselele ngesikhathi umumo wezinto wamaJuda kanye lethempeli lawo kubhujiswa. Kodwa ayisikho konke uJesu akukhulumayo okugcwaliseka kungakabi ngu-70 C.E. langesikhathi umnyaka lo usufikile. Pho kuyini okuzatshengisa ukuba khona kwakhe emandleni oMbuso? UJesu uyabatshela abaphostoli bakhe.

Uthi kuzakuba ‘lezimpi lemibiko yezimpi’ njalo “isizwe sizavukela isizwe, lombuso uvukele umbuso.” (UMathewu 24:6, 7) Uphinda athi ‘kuzakuba lokuzamazama komhlaba okwesabekayo, ezindaweni ezehlukeneyo kube lokuswelakala kokudla lemikhuhlane emibi.’ (ULukha 21:11) UJesu ulimukisa abafundi bakhe esithi: “Abantu bazalibamba balihlukuluze.” (ULukha 21:12) Uqhubeka ebatshela ukuthi kuzakuba labaphrofethi bamanga abazadukisa abanengi lokuthi kuzakuba lokwanda kobubi, lothando lwabanengi luphole. Kanti njalo uthi ‘izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso zizatshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke ukuze kube lobufakazi ezizweni zonke, besekufika ukuphela.’​—UMathewu 24:14.

Okunye uJesu akukhulumileyo kuyagcwaliseka iJerusalema ingakabhujiswa ngamaRoma langesikhathi sokubhujiswa kwayo. Lanxa kunjalo, kulokho akukhulumileyo kungabe kukhona yini okunye okunengi okuzagcwaliseka esikhathini esizayo? Wena uyakubona yini ukuthi okunengi okwakhulunywa nguJesu esiphrofethweni sakhe esiqakathekileyo kuyagcwaliseka lamuhla?

 UJesu uthi okunye okuzakuba yisibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakhe ‘ngamanyala abangela incithakalo.’ (UMathewu 24:15) Amanyala la ‘libutho’ lamaRoma elibuya lezithombe zalo ngo-66 C.E. AmaRoma agombolozela iJerusalema futhi adiliza eminye imiduli yalo. (ULukha 21:20) Yikho-ke “amanyala” la, ami “endaweni engcwele” yamaJuda lapho okungamelanga ame khona.

UJesu uqhubeka esithi: “Kuzakuba lokuhlupheka okukhulu okungakaze kube khona kusukela ekuqaleni komhlaba kuze kube khathesi, njalo okungasoze kuphinde kube khona futhi.” AmaRoma abhubhisa iJerusalema ngo-70 C.E. Ukubhujiswa ‘kwedolobho elingcwele’ kanye lethempeli lalo yikho okuba yikuhlupheka okukhulu njalo kubulawa abantu abanengi. (UMathewu 4:5; 24:21) Lokhu kakukaze kwenzakale edolobheni leli njalo amaJuda kawakaze akubone okunje. Lithi selibhujisiwe ukukhonza kwamaJuda obekusenziwa okweminyaka eminengi kuhle kuphele. Yikho okunengi uJesu akukhulume esiphrofethweni sakhe okuzakwenzakala esikhathini esizayo kuzabe kusesabeka.

UJesu kakaqedi ukutshela abafundi bakhe mayelana lesibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakhe emandleni oMbuso kanye lesokuphela komumo lo wezinto. Khathesi ubalimukisa ngokuthi kuzakuba “laboKhristu bamanga labaphrofethi bamanga.” Uthi abantu laba bazazama ‘ukuyenga labakhethiweyo nxa kungenzeka.’ (UMathewu 24:24) Kodwa abakhethiweyo laba kabasoze bavume ukuyengwa. OKhristu bamanga bona bazabonwa ngabantu kodwa nxa uJesu eseqalisa ukubusa, akulamuntu ozambona.

Ngemva kwalokho uJesu ukhuluma ngokuhlupheka okukhulu okuzakuba khona ekupheleni komumo lo wezinto. Uthi: “Ilanga lizakuba mnyama lenyanga kayiyikukhanya, izinkanyezi zizakuwa zivela ezulwini njalo amandla amazulu azanyikinywa.” (UMathewu 24:29) Abaphostoli abalalele amazwi la ethusayo kabakwazi ukuthi kuzakwenzakalani sibisibili kodwa okuzakwenzakala kuzabe kutshwaqisa igazi.

Abantu bazakwenzani sebebona izinto lezi ezethusayo? UJesu uthi: “Abantu bazaphela amandla ngenxa yokwesaba lokulindela izinto ezizakwehlela umhlaba wonke ngoba amandla amazulu azanyikinywa.” (ULukha 21:26) Kuyacaca ukuthi uJesu ukhuluma ngesikhathi esinzima kulazo zonke ezake zaba khona.

Kodwa uJesu uyabaqinisa abaphostoli bakhe ebacacisela ukuthi kayisibo bonke abazalila nxa “iNdodana yomuntu isiza ngamayezi ezulu ilamandla kanye lenkazimulo enkulu.” (UMathewu 24:30) Ubeke wabatshela ukuthi kulokunye uNkulunkulu azakwenza “ngenxa yabakhethiweyo.” (UMathewu 24:22) Pho abafundi laba abathembekileyo kumele benzeni nxa besizwa izinto lezi ezesabekayo uJesu akhuluma ngazo? UJesu ukhuthaza abalandeli bakhe athi: “Nxa izinto lezi seziqalisa ukwenzakala, sukumani lime liphakamise amakhanda ngoba ukukhululwa kwenu kuyabe sekuseduze.”​—ULukha 21:28.

Manje abafundi bakaJesu abazabe bephila esikhathini sokuphela komumo wezinto bazabona njani ukuthi ukuphela sekuseduze? UJesu ubalandisela umzekeliso ophathelane lesihlahla somkhiwa. Uthi: “Nxa ugatsha lwaso oluncane seluqalisa nje ukuba buthakathaka lamahlamvu alo esehluma, liyakwazi ukuthi ihlobo seliseduze. Lani nxa libona izinto zonke lezi, yazini ukuthi iseduze, emnyango. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, loba sekutheni isizukulwane lesi kasisoze sidlule zingakenzakali zonke izinto lezi.”​—UMathewu 24:32-34.

Yikho-ke nxa abafundi bakaJesu bebona izinto ezinengi eziyisibonakaliso zisenzakala, kumele bananzelele ukuthi ukuphela sekuseduze.  Ngemva kwalokho uJesu uxwayisa abafundi abazabe bephila ngalesosikhathi.

Uthi: “Kakho olaziyo lelolanga lalelohola, kwala zona izingilosi zamazulu ngitsho leNdodana, kodwa nguBaba kuphela. Njengoba nje zazinjalo insuku zikaNowa, kuzakuba njalo ukuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu. Ngalezonsuku uZamcolo engakafiki kwakudliwa, kunathwa, amadoda ethatha labesifazana besendiswa, kwaze kwafika ilanga uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini, futhi kabazange babe lendaba kwaze kwafika uZamcolo wabakhukhula bonke. Kuzakuba njalo ukuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu.” (UMathewu 24:36-39) UJesu ukhumbuza abamlaleleyo ngoZamcolo wangesikhathi sikaNowa owaba khona emhlabeni wonke. Yikho ukuphela komumo lo wezinto lakho kuzabe kusemhlabeni wonke.

Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi abaphostoli abalalele uJesu eNtabeni Yama-Oliva bayabona ukuthi kumele bahlale bephapheme. UJesu uthi: “Nanzelelani izinhliziyo zenu zingakhulelwa yikudla kakhulu lokunatha ledlulise kanye lezinkathazo zokuphila, lolosuku beselulifica lilibele, lulijume njengomjibila. Phela luzafikela bonke abahlala emhlabeni. Ngakho hlalani liphapheme, lithandaze zikhathi zonke lincenga ukuze lenelise ukuphunyuka ezintweni zonke lezi okumele zenzakale njalo lenelise lokuma phambi kweNdodana yomuntu.”​—ULukha 21:34-36.

UJesu uphinda atshengise ukuthi akutshoyo kuzakwenzakala ezindaweni ezinengi. Kaphrofethi ngezinto ezizakwenzakala okweminyaka engaba ngu-30 kumbe engu-40 kuphela futhi kakhulumi ngokuzakwehlela idolobho leJerusalema kumbe isizwe samaJuda kuphela. Ukhuluma ngezinto ‘ezizafikela bonke abahlala emhlabeni.’

UJesu uthi abafundi bakhe kuzamele bahlale bephapheme, belindile futhi bezilungiselele. Ucacisa lokhu ngomunye umzekeliso, uthi: “Kodwa nanku okumele likwazi: Aluba umnikazi wendlu ubekwazi ukuthi isela lizakuza ngasiphi isikhathi ebusuku, ubeyahlala ephapheme futhi ubengasoze avume ukuthi indlu yakhe igqekezwe. Ngakho lani hlalani lizilungiselele, ngoba iNdodana yomuntu izakuza ngehola elingalicabangeliyo.”​—UMathewu 24:43, 44.

Ngemva kwalokho uJesu utshela abafundi bakhe okunye okuzabanceda ukuthi bangalahli ithemba. Ubatshela ukuthi ngesikhathi isiphrofetho sakhe sigcwaliseka kuzakuba ‘lenceku’ ezabe iphapheme futhi ikhuthele. UJesu ukhuluma ngokunye abaphostoli abakuzwisisa lula. Uthi: “Ngubani sibili oyinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo, ebekwe yinkosi yayo ukuthi ikhangele izisebenzi zalapha ekhaya ukuze izinike ukudla kwazo ngesikhathi esifaneleyo? Izathokoza kakhulu inceku leyo nxa inkosi yayo ingathi isiza, iyifice isenza njalo! Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, izayibeka ukuthi ikhangele konke okungokwayo.” Nxa kungenzakala ukuthi “inceku” le ibembi futhi ihlukuluze abanye, inkosi “izayijezisa ngendlela ebuhlungu kakhulu.”​—UMathewu 24:45-51; khangela loLukha 12:45, 46.

UJesu katsho ukuthi bakhona abalandeli bakhe abazakwenza izinto ezimbi. Pho yisiphi isifundo afuna abafundi bakhe bahlale besikhumbula? Ufuna bahlale bephapheme futhi bekhuthele njalo lokhu uzakucacisa komunye umzekeliso.