Ngelikhulu lekucala leminyaka C.E., umphostoli Pawula watjela bazalwane labadzala ebandleni lase-Efesu watsi: “Ticapheleni nine kanye nawo wonkhe umhlambi, loyo umoya longcwele lonibeke kutsi nibe babonisi bawo, futsi neluse libandla laNkulunkulu lalitsenga ngengati yeNdvodzana yakhe.” (Imis. 20:28) Umoya longcwele unayiphi indzima ekubekweni kwebazalwane labadzala netinceku letisebentako lamuhla?

Kwekucala, umoya longcwele wabangela kutsi babhali beliBhayibheli babhale loko lokufanele kwentiwe ngulabafisa kuba ngulabadzala netinceku letisebentako. Kunetintfo letilishumi nesitfupha letibhalwe encwadzini ya-1 Thimothi 3:1-7 lokufanele tentiwe ngulabo labafisa kuba ngulabadzala. Lokunye lokufanele bakwente kutfolakala emiBhalweni lefaka ekhatsi waThithusi 1:5-9 naJakobe 3:17, 18. Loko lokufanele kwentiwe bazalwane labafisa kuba tinceku letisebentako kuchazwe ku-1 Thimothi 3:8-10, 12, 13. Kwesibili, labo labancoma labazalwane nalabo labababekako, bathantazela umoya longcwele waJehova kutsi ubacondzise nabasabuketa kutsi lomzalwane uyakwenta yini loko lokushiwo yimiBhalo ngelizinga lelitsite. Kwesitsatfu, lona lonconywako kufanele akhombise titselo temoya longcwele waNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwakhe. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Ngako-ke, umoya waNkulunkulu uyasebenta kuto tonkhe tincenye tekubekwa kwalabazalwane.

Kodvwa ngubani vele lobeka labazalwane? Esikhatsini lesendlulile, tonkhe tincwadzi tekuncoma bazalwane kutsi babe ngulabadzala netinceku letisebentako betitfunyelwa ehhovisini leligatja lakuleyo ndzawo. Ehhovisini leligatja, bazalwane lababekwe Sigungu Lesibusako bebabelwe kutsi bahlolisise letincwadzi tekuncoma bese babeka labo labafanelekako. Ngemuva kwaloko, lihhovisi leligatja belibese lichazela sigungu salabadzala ngaloku. Labadzala bebabese bachazela labazalwane ngekubekwa kwabo, bababute kutsi bakulungele yini kwemukela lesabelo nekutsi bafaneleka mbamba yini. Ekugcineni, bekubese kwentiwa simemetelo ebandleni.

Kodvwa bazalwane bebabekwa njani ngelikhulu lekucala? Ngaletinye tikhatsi, baphostoli bebabeka bazalwane labatsite, njengalesikhatsi babeka emadvodza lasikhombisa kutsi anikete bafelokati kudla lobekwabiwa malanga onkhe. (Imis. 6:1-6) Nobe kunjalo, kungenteka kutsi lamadvodza besekavele akhonta njengalabadzala ngaphambi kwekutsi anikwe lomsebenti.

Nanobe imiBhalo ingachazi kabanti kutsi bazalwane bebabekwa njani esikhatsini lesendlulile, siyakhona  kubona kutsi loku bekwentiwa njani. Siyatjelwa kutsi ngesikhatsi Pawula naBhanabasi basendleleni lebuyela ekhaya besuka eluhambweni lwabo lwekucala lwetitfunywa telivangeli, “babeka labadzala kulelo nalelo bandla. Bathantaza futsi bazila kudla, ngaleyo ndlela babaletsa kuJehova, ngobe nguye lebebakholwe kuye.” (Imis. 14:23) Ngemuva kweminyaka letsite, Pawula wabhalela Thithusi labevame kuhamba naye watsi: “Ngakushiya eKhrethe kuze ulungise tintfo lebetidzinga kulungiswa futsi ubeke labadzala kuwo onkhe emadolobha, njengobe nje ngakuyala.” (Thit. 1:5) Ngendlela lefanako, kubonakala shengatsi Thimothi lowahamba kakhulu nemphostoli Pawula naye wanikwa ligunya lelifanako. (1 Thim. 5:22) Kuyacaca-ke kutsi lokubekwa kwalabazalwane kwakwentiwa babonisi labajikeletako, hhayi baphostoli nemadvodza lamadzala eJerusalema.

Sicabanga ngalesibonelo lesiseBhayibhelini, Sigungu Lesibusako saBoFakazi BaJehova silungise indlela bazalwane labadzala netinceku letisebentako lababekwa ngayo. Kusukela ngaSeptember 1, 2014, lokubekwa kwalabazalwane kutawentiwa ngalendlela: Umbonisi wesigodzi ngamunye utawubuketa ngekucophelela luhla lwebazalwane labanconyiwe esigodzini lasihambelako. Nakavakashele emabandla, utawetama kwati labo labanconyiwe, nakungenteka asebente nabo ensimini. Nasekacoce nesigungu salabadzala balelo bandla ngalabazalwane labanconyiwe, umbonisi wesigodzi unemtfwalo wekubeka labazalwane labadzala netinceku letisebentako emabandleni lasesigodzini lasihambelako. Nakwentiwa njalo, lenchubo itawucishe ifanane naleyo lebeyisetjentiswa ngelikhulu lekucala.

Bobani labanakekela letindzima letehlukahlukene kulenchubo? Njengenhlalayenta, ‘sisebenti lesetsembekile nalesihlakaniphile’ sinemtfwalo loyinhloko wekondla letinye tisebenti. (Mat. 24:45-47) Loku kufaka ekhatsi kutsi lesisebenti lesetsembekile sihlole imiBhalo sisitwa ngumoya longcwele, kute sinikete ticondziso endleleni letingasetjentiswa ngayo timiso teliBhayibheli letitsintsa indlela emabandla lasemhlabeni wonkhe lahlelwe ngayo. Sisebenti lesetsembekile siphindze sibeke bonkhe babonisi betigodzi nemalunga eKomidi Yeligatja. Lihhovisi leligatja ngalinye liniketa lusito endleleni yekusebentisa leticondziso leliniketwe tona. Sigungu salabadzala ngasinye sinendzima lebalulekile yekubuketa ngekucophelela tintfo letishiwo yimiBhalo lokufanele tentiwe bazalwane lababancome kutsi babekwe ebandleni laNkulunkulu. Umbonisi wesigodzi ngamunye unemtfwalo lobalulekile wekuhlolisisa labazalwane labanconywe ngulabadzala, futsi athantaze ngalendzaba ngemuva kwaloko abeke bazalwane labafanelekako.

Nasiyicondza indlela bazalwane lababekwa ngayo, sitayicondza kakhulu indzima yemoya longcwele kulenchubo. Loko kwenta kutsi sibetsembe siphindze sibahloniphe kakhulu labo lababekiwe ebandleni lebuKhristu.—Heb. 13:7, 17.

Sembulo 11:3 ukhuluma ngabofakazi lababili labebatawuphrofetha emalanga langu-1 260. Lendzaba ichubeka itsi silo sasendle ‘sitawubancoba siphindze sibabulale.’ Kodvwa ngemuva ‘kwemalanga lamatsatfu nehhafu,’ labofakazi lababili batawuphindze bavuswe, lokutawenta bantfu bamangale.—Semb. 11:7, 11.

Babobani labofakazi lababili? Imininingwane ngalendzaba isisita kutsi sibone kutsi babobani. Kwekucala, siyatjelwa kutsi “bamelelwa tihlahla temncuma letimbili, netintsi tetibane letimbili.” (Semb. 11:4) Loku kusikhumbuta ngelutsi lwesibane netihlahla letimbili temncuma letichazwa esiphrofethweni saZakhariya. Leto tihlahla temncuma kwakutsiwa timelela “lababili labagcotjiwe,” lokunguMbusi Zerubhabheli naJoshuwa umPhristi Lophakeme, ‘labebakhonta Simakadze wemhlaba wonkhe.’ (Zak. 4:1-3, 14) Kwesibili, labofakazi lababili bachazwa njengalabo labenta tento letifanana naleto letentiwa nguMosi na-Elija.—Catsanisa neSembulo 11:5, 6, Numeri 16:1-7, 28-35 kanye na-1 Emakhosi 17:1; 18:41-45.

Tifanana ngani letiphrofetho letimbili? Esiphrofethweni ngasinye, lokulandzisa kubhekisele kubantfu baNkulunkulu labagcotjiwe lebebahamba embili ngesikhatsi lesimatima sekuvivinywa. Ngako ekugcwalisekeni kweSembulo sehluko 11, bazalwane labagcotjiwe lebebahamba embili ngesikhatsi kubekwa uMbuso waNkulunkulu ezulwini nga-1914, bashumayela “bembetse tindvwangu temasaka” iminyaka lemitsatfu nehhafu.

Ngasekupheleni kwekushumayela kwabo bembetse tindvwangu temasaka, laba labagcotjiwe kwaba shengatsi babulewe ngesikhatsi baphonswa ejele sikhashana, lesafanekiselwa ngemalanga lamatsatfu nehhafu. Etitseni tebantfu baNkulunkulu, umsebenti walabagcotjiwe waba shengatsi ufile, lokwenta letitsa tajabula kakhulu.—Semb. 11:8-10.

Nobe kunjalo, lamavi alesiphrofetho abecinisile ngobe ekupheleni kwalamalanga lamatsatfu nehhafu, labofakazi lababili bavuswa. Akusiko nje kutsi laba labagcotjiwe bakhululwa ejele kuphela kodvwa labo labahlala betsembekile banikwa umsebenti lokhetsekile lovela kuNkulunkulu ngeNkhosi yabo, Jesu Khristu. Nga-1919 bebasemkhatsini walabo lababekwa kutsi babe ‘sisebenti lesetsembekile nalesihlakaniphile’ kute banakekele tidzingo tebantfu baNkulunkulu ngesikhatsi semalanga ekugcina.—Mat. 24:45-47; Semb. 11:11, 12.

Kuyajabulisa kutsi Sembulo 11:1, 2 uhlobanisa loko lokwenteka nesikhatsi lithempeli laNkulunkulu lelakalwa ngaso nobe lahlolwa ngaso. Malakhi sehluko 3 ukhuluma ngekuhlolwa lokufanako kwelithempeli laNkulunkulu, lokwalandzelwa sikhatsi sekuhlantwa kwalo. (Mal. 3:1-4) Watsatsa sikhatsi lesingakanani lomsebenti wekuhlola lelithempheli nekulihlanta? Wacala nga-1914 kwadzimate kwaba ngusekucaleni kwa-1919. Lesikhatsi sihlanganisa emalanga langu-1 260 (lokutinyanga letingu-42) nemalanga lamatsatfu nehhafu langumfanekiso lokukhulunywa ngawo kuSembulo sehluko 11.

Sijabula kakhulu ngekutsi Jehova wahlela lomsebenti wekuhlanta kuze atihlantele bantfu labakhetsekile, labatawenta imisebenti lemihle. (Thithusi 2:14) Ngetulu kwaloko, siyasijabulela sibonelo lesabekwa ngulabagcotjiwe labatsembekile labebahamba embili ngesikhatsi sekuvivinywa, ngaleyondlela bafanekiselwa bofakazi lababili. *