Kungemva kwamadina ngeLesibili, ngoNisan 11, begodu ilangeli liya ngekupheleni. Akusingilokho kwaphela okuphelako, nomsebenzi omkhulu kaJesu ephasini uya ngekupheleni. Emini ufundisa ethempelini begodu ebusuku uya eBhethaniya lapho alala khona. Abantu bebanekareko ekulu, “bebeza kuye ekuseni bona bazomlalela ethempelini.” (Lukasi 21:37, 38) Koke lokho kudlulile, nje uJesu uhlezi eNtabeni yama-Oliva nabapostoli bakhe abane—uPitrosi, u-Andrisi, uJakopo noJwanisi.

Abafundi abanaba beze kuye ngemsitheleni. Batshwenyekile ngethempeli ngombana uJesu uqeda ukubikezela ukuthi akunalitje lalo elizokutjhiywa phezu kwelinye. Nokho, kunengi okuseengqondweni zabo. Ngaphambilini uJesu bekathe kibo: “Hlalani nijame ngomumo, ngombana iNdodana yomuntu izokufika ngesikhathi eningasicabangiko.” (Lukasi 12:40) Bekakhulume ‘nangelanga iNdodana yomuntu ezokwambulwa ngalo.’ (Lukasi 17:30) Kghani amezwi lawo ayahlobana nalokho aqeda ukukutjho ngethempeli? Abapostoli barhuluphela ukwazi. Bathi kuye, “Sitjela bona izintwezi zizokwenzeka nini, nokuthi sizokuba yini isibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakho nesokuphela kwephasi?”—Matewu 24:3.

Kungenzeka bacabanga ngokupheliswa kwethempeli abaliqalilekweli, eliseduze. Babuza nangokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu. Nalapha, mhlamunye bakhumbula umfanekiso uJesu awenzako ‘ngomuntu othileko obelethwa ebukhosini owaya enarheni ekude ayozithathela ubukhosi bese wabuya.’ (Lukasi 19:11, 12) Kwamaswaphela, bayazibuza ukuthi ‘ukuphela kwephasi’ kuzokubandakanyani.

Ependulwenakhe emumethe imininingwana, uJesu ubanikela isibonakaliso sokuthi ukulotjha kwamaJuda kuhlanganise nethempeli kuzokuphela nini. Ubanikela nokhunye okungeziweko. Isibonakaliswesi sizokusiza amaKrestu esikhathini esizako bona azi nakaphila hlangana ‘nokuba khona’ kwakhe nokuthi iphasi selizokupheliswa.

Njengombana iminyaka ikhamba, abapostoli bakaJesu bayasibona isiphorofido sakhe sizaliseka. Izinto ezinengi azibikezelako zithoma ukwenzeka basadla amabele. Kungebangelo amaKrestu atjhejileko aphila emnyakeni ema-37 ngemva kwesiphorofidwesi, ngomnyaka ka-70, azilungiselele ukutjhatjalaliswa kwendlela yamaJuda yokulotjha nethempeli lawo. Nokho, akusingikho koke uJesu akubikezelako okwenzeka ngaphambi komnyaka ka-70 nahlangana nawo. Alo-ke, khuyini esazokutjengisa ukuba khona kwakhe emBusweni? UJesu wembula ipendulo ebapostolini.

Ubikezela ukuthi, kuzokuba ‘nezipi nemibiko yezipi’ nokuthi “isitjhaba sizokulwa nesitjhaba, umbuso ulwe nombuso.” (Matewu 24:6, 7) Uthi godu, “kuzokuba nokusikinyeka kwephasi okukhulu, nokutlhayela kokudla nezifo ezibulalako eendaweni ngeendawo.” (Lukasi 21:11) UJesu uyelelisa abafundi bakhe, uthi: “Abantu bazonibamba banihlunguphaze.” (Lukasi 21:12) Kuzokuvela abaphorofidi bamanga baphambukise abanengi. Ukungabi nomthetho kuzokwanda begodu ithando labanengi lizokuphola.  Nakangezelelako, uthi: “Iindaba ezimnandezi zomBuso zizokutjhunyayelwa kilo loke iphasi bona kube bufakazi kizo zoke iintjhaba, ngemva kwalokho isiphelo sizokufika.”—Matewu 24:14.

Nanyana isiphorofido sakaJesu sizaliseka ngokwengcenye ethileko ngaphambi nahlangana nokutjhatjalaliswa kweJerusalema maRoma, kghani kungenzeka bona uJesu ukhuluma ngokuzaliseka okukhulu kwesikhathi esizako? Uyabubona na ubufakazi bokuthi isiphorofido sakaJesu esiqakathekileko sizaliseka khulu esikhathini sethu?

Esibonakalisweni sokuba khona kwakhe, uJesu ukhuluma ngokuvela ‘kwento enyenyisako ebangela ukutjhabalala.’ (Matewu 24:15) Into enyenyisako le ivela ngomnyaka ka-66, ‘ilibutho’ leRoma, elilotjha iinthombe. AmaRoma abhoda iJerusalema begodu agiriza eminye imithangala yalo. (Lukasi 21:20) Ngalokho-ke, “into enyenyisako” le ijame lapho ingakafuzi ijame khona, “endaweni ecwengileko” kumaJuda.

Nakaragako uJesu, ubikezela uthi: “Kuzokuba nesizi elikhulu elingakhenge khelibe khona soloko kwathoma iphasi bekube gadesi, nelingekhe lisaba khona godu.” Ngomnyaka ka-70, amaRoma atjhabalalisa iJerusalema. Ukuhlulwa okubuhlungu ‘kwedorobho elicwengileko’ lamaJuda nethempeli lalo nokubulawa kweenkulungwana zabantu kuba lisizi elikhulu. (Matewu 4:5; 24:21) Ukutjhatjalaliswokhu kukhulu ukudlula nanyana ngikuphi idorobheli namaJuda akhe akubona begodu kuphelisa indlela amaJuda ebekalotjha ngayo amakhulu weminyaka. Nje-ke, okhunye ukuzaliseka okukhulu okusezako kwesiphorofido sakaJesu kuzokuhlahlathelisa umzimba.

Ikulumiswano kaJesu nabapostoli bakhe mayelana nesibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakhe emBusweni nesokuphela kwephasi ayikapheli. Nje ubayelelisa ngokugijima ngemva ‘kwaboKrestu bamala nabaphorofidi bamala.’ Uthi, bazokulinga ‘ukudurhisa ngitjho nabakhethiweko nakukghonekako.’ (Matewu 24:24) Kodwana abakhethiwekwaba ngeze badurhiswe. AboKrestu bamala bayabonakala, ngokuhlukileko, ukuba khona kwakaJesu ngeze kubonakale.

Nakakhuluma ngesizi elikhulu elizokuba khona nakuphela iphasi, uJesu uthi: “Ilanga lizokufiphazwa, inyezi ayizukukhanya, iinkwekwezi zizokuwa zivela ezulwini, namandla wezulwini azokusikinywa.” (Matewu 24:29) Abapostoli nabezwa ihlathululo ethusako leyo, abazi ukuthi kuzokwenzekani kuhlekuhle, kodwana bayaqiniseka ukuthi kuzokuba kumbi.

Izenzakalo ezithusakwezi zizobathinta njani abantu? UJesu uthi: “Abantu bazokuyatha ngokwesaba nokulindela lokho okuzokwehlakalela iphasi ngombana amandla wezulwini azokusikinywa.” (Lukasi 21:26) Nangambala, uJesu uhlathulula isikhathi esizokuba simbi khulu ebantwini.

Okukhuthazako kukuthi uJesu ukwenza kukhanye ebapostolini bakhe ukuthi akusingibo boke abazokulila lokha ‘iNdodana yomuntu iza inamandla nephazimulo ekulu.’ (Matewu 24:30) Besele atjhwile ukuthi uZimu uzokungenelela “ngebanga labakhethiweko.” (Matewu 24:22) Nje-ke, abafundi abathembekilekwaba kufuze benzeni ngemininingwana ethusako uJesu ayivezako? UJesu ukhuthaza abalandeli bakhe, uthi: “Izintwezi nazithoma ukwenzeka, jamani rwe niphakamise iinhloko zenu, ngombana ukutjhatjhululwa kwenu kutjhidele.”—Lukasi 21:28.

Alo, abafundi bakaJesu abaphila esikhathini esibikezelwekwesi bazokubona njani ukuthi ukuphela kwephasi kutjhidele? UJesu wenza umfanekiso ngomuthi wamafeyi, uthi: “Nawumila iimpande ezincani, utlhurha namakari, niyazi bona ihlobo selitjhidele. Yeke nani, nanibona zoke izintwezi, yazini bona iseduze, isemnyango. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, isizukulwanesi angekhe sidlule zingakenzeki zoke izintwezi.”—Matewu 24:32-34.

Nje-ke, abafundi bakhe nababona iingcenye  ezihlukeneko zesibonakaliswesi zisaliseka, kufuze babone ukuthi ukuphela kwephasi kuseduze. Nakakhuthaza abafundi abazobe basaphila ngesikhathi esiqakathekilekweso, uJesu uthi:

“Malungana nelangelo ne-irelo akakho owaziko, ngitjho neengilozi ezulwini namkha iNdodana, kodwana nguBaba kwaphela owaziko. Yeke njengombana beyinjalo imihla kaNowa, kuzokuba njalo nokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu. Njengombana bekunjalo ngemihla yangaphambi koMthwalela, abantu bebadla basela, amadoda athatha nabafazi bendiswa, bekwaba lilanga uNowa angena ngalo ngemkhunjini, akhenge batjheje bekwafika uMthwalela wabarhurhula boke, kuzokuba njalo nokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu.” (Matewu 24:36-39) UJesu ukhumbuza abamlaleleko ukuthi uMthwalela wangemihla kaNowa, wathinta iphasi loke. Nje-ke nokuphela kwephasi kuzokuba njalo.

Akunakuzaza ukuthi abapostoli abalalele uJesu eNtabeni yama-Oliva bayabona ukuthi kuqakatheke kangangani bona batjheje. UJesu uthi: “Tjhejani bona iinhliziyo zenu zingadisibezwa kukudla khulu, kusela khulu namatshwenyeko wokuphila, ilangelo linifikele ningakalindeli njengesifu. Ngombana lizokufikela boke abahlala ephasini loke. Nje-ke, hlalani niphapheme, ngaso soke isikhatheso nibawe bona niphumelele ekubalekeleni zoke izintwezi okufuze zenzeke nekujameni phambi kweNdodana yomuntu.”—Lukasi 21:34-36.

UJesu godu utjengisa ukuthi lokhu akubikezelako akupheleli lapho. Akaphorofidi ngezenzakalo ezizokwenzeka eminyakeni ema-30 namkha ema-40 ezako begodu ezokuthinta kwaphela idorobho leJerusalema namkha isitjhaba samaJuda. Kunalokho, ukhuluma ngezenzakalo ‘ezizokufikela boke abahlala ephasini loke.’

Uthi abafundi bakhe kuzokufanele bahlale batjhejile, bayelele begodu bahlale bajame ngomumo. UJesu ugandelela ukuqakatheka kwesiyeleliswesi ngokwenza omunye umfanekiso, uthi: “Kodwana yazini into yinye: Ngathana umninimuzi bekasazi isikhathi sobusuku isela elizokufika ngaso, bekazokuhlala aphapheme begodu bekangekhe avumela bona umuzakhe ugqekezwe. Ngebanga lalokho, nani kufuze nizibonakalise nikulungele, ngombana iNdodana yomuntu izokufika nge-iri eningalicabangiko.”—Matewu 24:43, 44.

Nakaragako uJesu, unikela abafundi bakhe ibanga lokuba nethemba. Ubaqinisekisa ngokuthi nakuzaliseka isiphorofido sakhe, kuzokuba ‘nenceku’ etjhejileko nekhutheleko. UJesu ukhuluma ngobujamo abapostoli ababuzwisisa lula, uthi: “Kuhlekuhle ngubani inceku ethembekileko nehlakaniphileko ikosayo eyibeke phezu kweensebenzi zayo, bona izinikele ukudla kwazo ngesikhathi esifaneleko? Iyathaba inceku leyo okuzokuthi ikosayo nayifikako iyifumane yenza njalo! Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, izoyibeka phezu kwakho koke okungokwayo.” Kodwana nakungenzeka “inceku” ibe nemicabango emimbi begodu iphathe abanye kumbi, ikosayo “izoyijezisa kabuhlungu khulu.”—Matewu 24:45-51; madanisa noLukasi 12:45, 46.

Nokho, uJesu akatjho ukuthi isiqhema sabalandeli bakhe sizokuba nemicabango emimbi. Alo, ngisiphi isifundo uJesu afuna ukusigandelela ebafundini bakhe? Ufuna bahlale batjhejile begodu bakhuthele. Lokhu ukwenza kukhanye ngomunye umfanekiso.