1. Kungaphasi kwabuphi ubujamo lapho abantu bakaZimu bebangathabela khona ukutjhatjhululwa eBhabheli eliKhulu begodu ngimiphi imibuzo esizokucoca ngayo?

ESIHLOKWENI esidlulileko sifunde ngokuthi yini eyenza amaKrestu athembekileko athunjelwa eBhabheli. Okuthabisako kukuthi batjhatjhululwa. Umyalo kaZimu othi “Phumani niphele kilo, bantu bami” bengekhe utjho litho nange bekungekho muntu ongaphuma ngaphasi kwethonya lamasondo wamala. (Funda IsAmbulo 18:4.) Siqale ngabovu ukubona bonyana abantu bakaZimu batjhatjhululwa nini ekuthunjweni yiBhabheli! Kodwana kokuthoma akhesiphendule imibuzo nasi: AbaFundi beBhayibheli basitjengisa njani isibindi malungana neBhabheli ngaphambi kuka-1914? Bebakhuthele kangangani abazalwane emsebenzini wokutjhumayela phakathi nePi yePhasi yokuThoma? Kukhona na ukufana okukhona phakathi kokulungiswa kwabo ngesikhatheso naphakathi kwesikhathi sokuthunjwa kwabo yiBhabheli?

2. AbaFundi beBhayibheli bekadeni batjengisa njani ukuthi bajamephi malungana namasondo wamala?

² Eminyakeni elitjhumi ngaphambi kwePi yePhasi yokuThoma umzalwana u-Charles Taze Russell nabalingani bakhe balemuka bona amasondo wobuKrestu awafundisi iqiniso leBhayibheli.  Yeke ngebanga lalokho, baqunta bona bangazihlanganisi nawo. Kwathi ngomnyaka ka-1879 ngoNovemba, i-Zion’s Watch Tower yakubeka epepeneneni lokho ngokuveza bona bajamephi, yathi: “Woke amasondo acabanga bona angumlobokazi kaKrestu, kodwana ekhabolakhona enza itjhebiswano nemibuso yephasi (okusibanda), kuhlekuhle amasondo lawo, ngokwelimi leBhayibheli, ziingwadla zamasondo,” okuliBhabheli eliKhulu.—Funda IsAmbulo 17:1,  2.

3. Ngiliphi igadango eliqakathekileko abaFundi beBhayibheli abalithathako elatjengisa ukuthi bayayilemuka itlhogeko yokuphuma emasondweni wamala? (Qala isithombe esisekuthomeni.)

³ Amadoda nabafazi abasaba uZimu bebazi kuhle ukuthi yini okufuze bayenze. Nakhibe bebazokuraga nokusekela amasondo wamala, bebangekhe balindele ukwamukela iimbusiso zakaZimu. Yeke, ngobunengi babo, abaFundi beBhayibheli, batlola iincwadi zokutjhiya phasi emasondweni. Ubujamo nabuvumako, bebathi nabasemasondweni, basikime bafunde iincwadezo tjhatjhalazi. Kodwana nakhibe abanikelwa ithuba lokufunda iincwadezo, bebazinikela ilungu ngalinye lesondo. Bebangasafuni nento encani engabahlanganisa namasondo wamala! Ngathana bekungesinye isikhathi, isibindi negadangwelo bekungabafaka komkhulu umraro. Kodwana eenarheni ezinengi ekupheleni kweminyaka yabo-1800, kancanikancani umBuso walisa ukusekela amasondo. Abantu besele bangasasabi ukucoca ngembonwabo ngamasondo.

4. Phakathi nePi yePhasi yokuThoma, belinjani itjhebiswano hlangana kwabantu bakaZimu neBhabheli eliKhulu?

⁴ AbaFundi beBhayibheli bebazi ukuthi bekungakaneli ukutjela iinhlobo, abangani kunye namalunga wamasondo ngobujamo babo malungana namasondo wamala. Iphasi loke bekufuze lizibonele ngokwalo ukuthi kuhlekuhle iBhabheli eliKhulu liyini—ingwadla yamasondo! Kwathi phakathi kukaDisemba 1917 nekuthomeni kuka-1918, iinkulungwana zabaFundi beBhayibheli ngokuzikhandla zanikela abantu amakhophi wamaphetjhana azii-10 000 000 anesihloko esithi “The Fall of Babylon”—lokho kwawalimaza khulu amasondo kanti nakubarholi bona, basilingeka badlhabhaza, kodwana abaFundi beBhayibheli baragela phambili nokutjhumayela. Phela abafundaba, bebazimisele ukulalela ‘uZimu, umrholabo kunabantu.’ (IzE. 5:29) Njeke singathini ngendaba le? Singathi ngitjho nangaphambi kokuthunjwa kwabo yiBhabheli eliKhulu phakathi nepi, amaKrestu la bekukade athomile ukuphuma kilo begodu bewasiza nabanye bona baphume.

5. Ngibuphi ubufakazi obutjengisa ukuthi abazalwana bebazikhandla emsebenzini wokutjhumayela phakathi nePi yePhasi yokuThoma?

⁵ Eminyakeni edlulileko, besikholelwa ukuthi abantu bamdanisa uJehova lokha nabangazikhandli emsebenzini wokutjhumayela phakathi nePi yePhasi yokuThoma. Sabe saphetha nangokuthi kungebangelo uJehova avumela bona bathunjwe yiBhabheli eliKhulu isikhathi esithileko. Nokho, abazalwana abathembekileko abalotjha uZimu phakathi kwaka-1914 ukuya ku-1918 bakwenza kwaba semtarini ukuthi abantu bakaZimu benza koke okusemandlenabo bona bahlanganyele emsebenzini wokutjhumayela. Bukhona ubufakazi obusekela lokhu. Ukuzwisisa kwethu kuhle umlando wekonzo kusirholele elwazini elikhanyako nelinqophileko lemilando etlolwe eBhayibhelini.

6, 7. (a) Ngiziphi iintjhijilo abaFundi beBhayibheli okwakufuze bazihlule phakathi nePi yePhasi yokuThoma? (b) Yitjho iimbonelo ezitjengisa ikuthalo yabaFundi beBhayibheli.

⁶ Ekhabolakhona, abaFundi beBhayibheli  ebebaphila phakathi nePi yePhasi yokuThoma (1914-1918) banikela ubufakazi obuqine tle ngeenkhathezo. Bekungasibulula ukwenza njalo, kuneenzathu ezimbili esizokucoca ngazo. Sokuthoma kukuthi umsebenzi oqakathekileko ebegade wenziwa ngeenkhathezo bekukunikela abantu iincwadi ezikhuluma ngeBhayibheli. Ngesikhathi bomthetho bavimba bona kunikelwe abantu incwadi ethi The Finished Mystery ekuthomeni kwaka-1918, umsebenzi wokutjhumayela wathoma ukuba budisi khulu kubafowethu. Ngesikhatheso bebangakakwazi ukutjhumayela basebenzisa iBhayibheli kwaphela, bebajayele ukusebenzisa incwadi ethi The Finished Mystery lokha nabatjhumayela. Isizathu sesibili sihlanganisa ukuqubuka komgomani omumbi we-Spanitjhi ngo-1918. Ukurhagala komgomani loyo kwenza kwaba budisi khulu ngabatjhumayeli bangesikhatheso bona barage nomsebenzi wokutjhumayela. Naphezu kweentjhijilwezi, abaFundi beBhayibheli balinga koke okusemandlenabo bona baragele phambili nomsebenzi wokutjhumayela.

⁷ Emnyakeni ka-1914 kwaphela, isibalo esincani sabaFundi beBhayibheli satjengisa abantu abangaphezu kwee-9 000 000 idrama ethi, “Photo-Drama of Creation.” Idrama le beyihlanganisa iinthombe ezikhamba eskrinini, zikhambisana nomdumo kunye nomlando wemvelaphi yomuntu ukusuka ekudalweni kwakhe bekube sekupheleni kweminyaka eziinkulungwana. Bekuyikarisomraro kwamambala yangesikhatheso. Akhusucabange ngalokhu, isibalo sabantu ababona idrama le ngo-1914 kwaphela besisikhulu kunesibalo sabatjhumayeli bomBuso abakhona ephasini mazombe namhlanjesi! Imibiko ibuye itjengise ukuthi ngo-1916, isibalo sabantu ababa khona emihlanganweni yatjhatjhalazi e-United States besizii-809 393, bese kwathi ngo-1918, isibalwesi sakhuphuka sayokufika ku-949 444. Kwamambala, abaFundi beBhayibhelabo, bebakhuthele!

8. Iindingo zabazalwana zokufunda iliZwi lakaZimu zatlhogonyelwa njani phakathi nepi yephasi yokuthoma?

⁸ Phakathi nepi yephasi yokuthoma, bekunganahlelo elinqophileko elenziwako bona kufundiswe bekukhuthazwe abaFundi beBhayibheli. Ngitjho nanyana kunjalo, amalungiselelo la nawenziwako, bewakhuthaza begodu aqinisa abafowethu bona baragele phambili nokutjhumayela. Umzalwana uRichard H. Barber obegade akhona eenkhathinezo, nakakhumbula okwenzekako, uthi: “Salinga besaphumelela  ukusiza ababonisi abajikelezako bona benze umsebenzabo, sakghona nokuthumela isiThala eCanada, lapho umsebenzi wokutjhumayela bewungakavunyelwa khona. Ngaba nelungelo lokuthumela amakhophi angangena ngesikhwanyeni we-The Finished Mystery kilabo abathathelwa amakhophi wabo. Umzalwana uRutherford wabawa bona sihlele imihlangano emadorobheni ambalwa wetlhagwini ye-United States, siwathumelele nabazalwana abazobakhuthaza ngendlela abangakghona ngayo.”

9. (a) Kubayini abantu bakaZimu bebatlhoga ukulungiswa emnyakeni yabo-1914 ukuya ku-1919? (b) Ukuthi kufanele balungiswe yini ebekungayitjho?

⁹ Phakathi neminyaka yabo-1914 ukuya ku-1919, akusiyo yoke into ebeyivumelana neBhayibheli ebegade yenziwa baFundi beBhayibheli. Nanyana bebathembekile, abafowethwaba bebangazi ukuthi kufuze basebenzisane njani neemphathimandla. (Rom. 13:1) Yeke, lokho kwenza bona bangazi ukuthi kuhlekuhle kufuze benzeni nakuziwa kwezepi. Ngokwesibonelo, ngesikhathi umongameli we-United States enza isimemezelo sokuthi ngomhlaka-30 Meyi 1918, kuzokuba lilanga lokuthandazela ukuthula, i-Watch Tower yakhuthaza abaFundi beBhayibheli bona nabo bahlanganyele esimemezelweneso. Abanye abafowethu banikela ngeemali zabo bona zisize epini, abanye baya ngitjho nemirhobeni baphethe iingidi nemikhwa. Nanyana kunjalo, bekungaba butjhapho obukhulu nabesingathi abaFundi beBhayibhelabo, bathunjwa yiBhabheli eliKhulu ngombana bekufuze balungiswe. Nokho, bona bebakuzwisisa kuhle okutjhiwo kuzihlukanisa namasondo wamala, begodu phakathi nePi yePhasi yokuThoma, bese kusele idlanzana labantu bonyana lizihlukanise ngokupheleleko.—Funda uLukasi 12:47, 48.

10. Ngisiphi isibindi abaFundi beBhayibheli ababa naso ebesitjengisa ukuthi bayayihlonipha ipilo?

¹⁰ Nanyana bebangakuzwisisi kuhle okutjhiwo kungazibandakanyi kwamaKrestu epini njengathi nje, kodwana abaFundi beBhayibhelabo bebazi kuhle ukuthi iBhayibheli liyakulahla ukubulala. Nedlanzana elincanelo labazalwana elakhamba layokuhlanganyela ePini yePhasi yokuThoma, akhenge livume ukubulala. Ebebangafuni ukubulala, bebajanyiswa phambili epini ngomqopho wokobana kufe bona qangi.

11. Bomthetho basabela njani lokha abaFundi beBhayibheli nababatjela lokho okusemTlolweni malungana nokungathathi kwabo ihlangothi kwezepi?

¹¹ USathana bekasiliingeke khulu ngokuthi abazalwana bajama baqinisela bangazibandakanyi kwezepi, nanyana bebangakuzwisisi kuhle lokho. Umphumela walokho waba kukuthi uSathana wenza ihlanganyelo nalabo “ababumba okumbi ngokujamelana nomthetho.” (Rhu. 94:20) Isikhulu esinguJenerali, uJames Franklin Bell seButho le U.S. satjela uMzalwana u-J. F. Rutherford noW. E. Van Amburgh ukuthi umNyango wezobulungiswa we-U.S., khewalinga ukuthula incwadi yomthetho ebeyizokuvumela isigwebo sentambo bona sifunyanwe ngilabo abangafuni ukuthatha iinkhali baye epini. Nakatjho njalo, bekanqophise kubaFundi beBhayibheli. Ngesikhathi asilingekile, uJenerali Bell lo wathi kuMzalwana uRutherford: “Incwadi yomthetho leyo khenge iphumelele ngombana uWilson [uMongameli we-U.S] khenge avume, kodwana siyazi bona sizonithola njani godu, begodu ngekhe naphunyurha!”

12, 13. (a) Kubayini abazalwana ababunane bagwetjwa iminyaka eminengi ejele? (b) Kghani ukufumana kwabo isigwebo eside kwabadanisa, kwabenza bangasamlalela uJehova? Hlathulula.

¹² Bomthetho babasabisa tle abazalwana. Njengabajameli be-Watch Tower  Society, uMzalwana uRutherford noVan Amburgh nabanye abasithandathu babotjhwa. Nalibagwebako, ijaji lathi: “Indlela amadoda wekolo la araga ngayo umsebenzawo iyingozi khulu ukudlula umonakalo ongenziwa mabutho weJarimani . . . Akhenge baqalele phasi umsebenzi wabadosi phambili bamabutho wepi nabezomthetho kwaphela, kodwana banyaze nabarholi bamasondo woke. Ngebanga lalokho, kufuze bafumane isigwebo esibudisi khulu.”(Faith on the March, etlolwe ngu-A. H. Macmillan, k. 99) Begodu kwaba njalo. AbaFundi beBhayibheli ababunane bafumana iingwebo ezide ejele le-Atlanta, eGeorgia. Kwathi lokha nakuphela ipi, batjhatjhululwa namacala ebebabekwe wona asulwa.

¹³ Ngitjho nalokha asejele, amadoda abunane la, akakarela emaqinisweni asemTlolweni ngendlela ebebawazwisisa ngayo. Esibaweni sawo ebewasinqophise kumongameli we-United States, amadoda la atlola athi: “Intando yeKosi njengombana isemTlolweni ithi, ‘Ungabulali umuntu,’ yeke, nange ilunga [labaFundi beBhayibheli lePhasi loke] elicwengileko malungana neKosini likhetha ukuhlanganyela epini, lizabe liphula isivumelwano elisenze noZimu begodu angeze lawufumana nomusakhe. Kungebangelo amalunga la angekhe azibandakanya epini, abulale abanye abantu.” La mamezwi anamandla tle! Kuyakhanya bona abazalwana bebazimisele ukungazibandakanyi epini!

14. Yitjho ngokwalokho okusemTlolweni ukuthi yini eyenzekako ekuthomeni kwaka-1914 ukuya ku-1919.

¹⁴ UMalaki 3:1-3 ukhuluma ngokuthi “amadodana kaLevi” azesiweko begade azokuba nesikhathi sokulungiswa begodu isikhatheso saba sekuthomeni kwaka-1914 ukuya ekupheleni kwaka-1919. (UFunde.) Phakathi nesikhatheso, uJehova uZimu, ‘iKosi yeqiniso,’ ikunye noJesu Krestu, “isithunywa sesivumelwano,” beza ethempelini bazokuhlola iinkhonzi zalapho. Ngemva kokulungiswa, abantu bakaJehova besele bakulungele ukufeza nezinye izabelo zekonzo ngombana besele bahlwengisiwe. Ngo-1919, “inceku ethembekileko nehlakaniphileko” yabekwa bona yeluse iinsebenzi ekhaya begodu iqinise nokukholwa kwabo. (Mat. 24:45) Abantu bakaZimu besele batjhatjhululiwe emmoyeni omumbi weBhabheli eliKhulu. Kusukela ngesikhatheso bekube nje, abantu bakaJehova bebalokhu bakhula elwazini labo malungana nentando kaZimu kunye nethandweni labo ngoBabethu osezulwini, lokhu kungebanga lomusa kaJehova. Bazithabela khulu kwamambala iimbusiso abazifumana kuye! ^[1]

15. Ukutjhatjhululwa kwethu eBhabheli eliKhulu kufuze kusitjhukumisele ukuthi senzeni?

¹⁵ Qala bona bekuthabisa kangangani ngamaKrestu ukutjhatjhululwa ekuthunjweni yiBhabheli eliKhulu! Imizamo kaSathana yokuqeda amaKrestu weqiniso ephasini ibhalelwe kabuhlungu tle! Nanyana kujalo, akukafuzi sikhohlwe umnqopho kaJehova wokusinikela ikululeko le. (2 Kor. 6:1) Inengi labantu abangakalizwa iqiniso leBhayibheli lisathunjwe masondo wamala. Kufuze batjengiswe indlela yokuphuma. Singabatjengisa yona. Akhe senze koke okusemandlenethu bona sibasize baphume, silingise abafowethu nabodade besikhathini sekadeni!