1-2. (a) Kungani sisithi i-Amagedoni izaletha okuhle emhlabeni? (b) Yiphi imibuzo esizaxoxa ngayo esihlokweni lesi?

ABANYE abantu bacabanga ukuthi umhlaba uzatshabalaliswa ngamabhomba e-nuclear kumbe ngumonakalo wemvelo. Kodwa lokhu ayisikho okufundiswa liBhayibhili, lona lithi kuzakuba lempi ezaletha okuhle emhlabeni. Impi le kuthiwa yi-Amagedoni njalo okutshiwo liBhayibhili ngayo kumele kusithokozise.​—Isam. 1:3.

² IBhayibhili liveza ukuthi impi ye-Amagedoni izakhulula abantu ngokukhipha imibuso ekhona lamuhla. Izaphinda ibakhulule ngokubhubhisa abantu ababi itshiye abalungileyo. Kanti njalo izabakhulula ngokuvikela umhlaba ukuthi ungatshabalaliswa. (Isam. 11:18) Sizaxoxa ngemibuzo elandelayo ukuze siyizwisise kuhle imicijo le: Kuyini i-Amagedoni? Kuyini okuzakwenzakala ingakaqalisi? Singenzani ukuze singabhujiswa e-Amagedoni? Singenzani ukuze sihlale sithembekile njengoba i-Amagedoni isiseduze?

3. (a) Kuyini i-Amagedoni? (b) Ngokwalokho okutshiwo kuSambulo 16:14, 16, kungani sisithi akulandawo okuthiwa yi-Amagedoni?

³ Bala iSambulo 16:14, 16. Ibala elithi “Amagedoni” litholakala kanye eBhayibhilini njalo livela ebaleni lesiHebheru elitsho ukuthi “iNtaba YaseMegido.” (Isam. 16:16; amabala angaphansi) IMegido yayilidolobho lako-Israyeli. (Josh. 17:11) Kodwa emhlabeni akulandawo okuthiwa yi-Amagedoni. I-Amagedoni yikuqoqwa ‘kwamakhosi omhlaba wonke’ ukuze alwe loJehova. (Isam. 16:14) Kodwa ibala elithi “Amagedoni” liphinda lisetshenziswe nxa kukhulunywa ngempi ezalandela masinyane ngemva kokuqoqwa kwamakhosi omhlaba. Sikwazi njani ukuthi i-Amagedoni akusiyondawo ekhona emhlabeni? Okokuqala, vele akulantaba okuthiwa yiMegido. Okwesibili, indawo okuthiwa yiMegido incane okokuthi  ‘amakhosi omhlaba wonke’ lamabutho awo kanye lezikhali zawo ngeke enele. Okwesithathu, njengoba sizabona esihlokweni lesi impi ye-Amagedoni izaqalisa ngesikhathi ‘amakhosi’ omhlaba esehlasela abantu bakaNkulunkulu abagcwele umhlaba wonke.

4. Kungani uJehova wanika impi yakhe yokucina ibizo lendawo okuthiwa yiMegido?

⁴ Kungani uJehova wanika impi yakhe yokucina ibizo lendawo okuthiwa yiMegido? EMegido laseSigodini seJezereli esasiseduze kwayo kwalwiwa izimpi ezinengi. Kwezinye zakhona uJehova wancedisa abantu bakhe ukuthi banqobe. Ngokwesibonelo, ‘emachibini aseMegido’ wancedisa umahluleli wako-Israyeli uBharakhi ukuthi anqobe ibutho laseKhenani elalikhokhelwa ngumlawuli okwakuthiwa nguSisera. UBharakhi lomphrofethikazi uDibhora babonga uJehova ngokunqoba lokhu okuyisimangaliso. Bahlabela besithi: ‘Izinkanyezi zalwa zisemazulwini, zalwa loSisera. Umfula uKhishoni wabakhukhula.’​—Abahlu. 5:19-21.

5. Yiwuphi umehluko omkhulu okhona phakathi kwempi ye-Amagedoni lempi eyaba khona ngesikhathi sikaBharakhi?

⁵ UBharakhi loDibhora baphetha ingoma yabo ngamazwi athi: “Ngakho sengathi zingabhubha zonke izitha zakho, O Jehova! Kodwa sengathi labo abakuthandayo bangaba njengelanga lapho liphuma ngamandla alo.” (Abahlu. 5:31) Empini ye-Amagedoni izitha zikaNkulunkulu lazo zizatshabalaliswa besekusithi labo abamthandayo basindiswe. Kodwa kulomehluko omkhulu phakathi kwezimpi lezi zombili. Empini ye-Amagedoni abantu bakaNkulunkulu kabasoze balwe lezitha zabo. Bayabe bengela ngitsho lezikhali. ‘Amandla abo azaba sekuthuleni lasekwethembeni’ uJehova lamabutho akhe asezulwini.​—Isaya. 30:15; Isam. 19:11-15.

6. UJehova angasebenzisani ukubhubhisa izitha zakhe empini ye-Amagedoni?

⁶ UNkulunkulu uzazibhubhisa ngani izitha zakhe empini ye-Amagedoni? Angasebenzisa indlela ezitshiyeneyo. Ngokwesibonelo, angasebenzisa ukuzamazama komhlaba lesiqhotho lombane. (Jobe. 38:22, 23; Hez. 38:19-22) Angenza ukuthi izitha zakhe zihlamukelane zibulalane zona zodwa. (2 ImiLan. 20:17, 22, 23) Kanti njalo angasebenzisa izingilosi zakhe ukuthi zibhubhise abantu ababi. (Isaya. 37:36) Kungelani lokuthi uNkulunkulu uzasebenzisani, esikwaziyo yikuthi uzanqoba. Zonke izitha zakhe zizatshabalaliswa futhi bonke abalungileyo bazasindiswa.​—Zaga. 3:25, 26.

7-8. (a) Ngokwalokho okutshiwo ku-1 Thesalonika 5:1-6, yisiphi isimemezelo esingajayelekanga esizakwenziwa ngababusi bomhlaba? (b) Kungani lawa kuzabe kungamanga ayingozi?

⁷ Isimemezelo ‘sokuthula lokuvikeleka’ sizakwenziwa “usuku lukaJehova” lungakaqalisi. (Bala u-1 Thesalonika 5:1-6.) “Usuku lukaJehova” okukhulunywa ngalo ku-1 Thesalonika 5:2 ‘yikuhlupheka okukhulu.’ (Isam. 7:14) Sizakwazi njani ukuthi ukuhlupheka lokhu sekuzaqalisa? IBhayibhili lisitshela ukuthi kuzakuba lesimemezelo esingajayelekanga. Yiso esizasitshengisa ukuthi ukuhlupheka okukhulu sekuzaqalisa.

⁸ Isimemezelo leso ‘ngesokuthula lokuvikeleka.’ Kuyini okuzakwenza ababusi bomhlaba bamemezele into enjalo? Asikwazi. Abafundisi bona bazancedisana lababusi ekwenzeni isimemezelo lesi yini? Engxenye. Kodwa isimemezelo leso siyabe singamanga aphefumulelwe ngamadimoni. La kuzabe kungamanga ayingozi sibili ngoba azayenga abantu bacabange ukuthi bavikelekile khona sekuzaqalisa ukuhlupheka okukhulu  okungakaze kube khona emhlabeni. “Ukubhujiswa kuzabajuma masinyane njengemihelo yowesifazana ozithweleyo.” Kodwa izinceku zikaJehova ezithembekileyo zona-ke, zizakwenzani? Kungenzakala ukuthi zimangale nxa ukuhlupheka okukhulu kuqalisa njengoba ziyabe zingalazi ilanga okuzaqala ngalo. Lanxa kunjalo azisoze zethuke ngoba ziyabe zikulungele.

9. UJehova uzahle awubhubhise wonke umhlaba kaSathane yini? Chasisa.

⁹ UJehova kasoze ahle awubhubhise wonke umhlaba kaSathane njengalokho akwenza ngesikhathi sikaNowa. Kodwa uzaqala abhubhise ingxenye eyodwa besekusithi eseleyo ayibhubhise ngesinye isikhathi. Uzaqala ngokubhubhisa iBhabhiloni Enkulu okutsho zonke inkolo zamanga, besekusithi ngempi ye-Amagedoni abhubhise ingxenye eseleyo yomhlaba kaSathane egoqela ezombusazwe, ezokulwa kanye lezokuthengiselana. Ake sixoxe ngokubhujiswa kwengxenye lezi ezimbili zomhlaba kaSathane.

10. Ngokwalokho okutshiwo kuSambulo 17:1, 6 lo–18:24, kungani uJehova ezayitshabalalisa iBhabhiloni Enkulu?

¹⁰ “Ukwahlulelwa kwesifebe esikhulu.” (Bala iSambulo 17:1, 6; 18:24.) IBhabhiloni Enkulu ilethe ihlazo ebizweni likaNkulunkulu. Ifundise amanga ngaye, yenza njengesifebe ngokusekela imibuso yabantu kulokuthi isekele okaNkulunkulu, yacindezela abalandeli bayo, yabaphundla imali futhi yabulala labantu abanengi, kuhlanganise lezinceku zikaNkulunkulu. (Isam. 19:2) UJehova uzasebenzisani ukuze atshabalalise iBhabhiloni Enkulu?

11. Kuyini ‘isilo esibomvu gebhu’ futhi uNkulunkulu uzabangela ukuthi siyenzeni iBhabhiloni Enkulu?

¹¹ UJehova uzasebenzisa ‘impondo ezilitshumi zesilo esibomvu gebhu’ ukuthi atshabalalise ‘isifebe esikhulu.’ Isilo lesi yinhlanganiso yomanyano wezizwe okuthiwa yi-United Nations. Impondo ezilitshumi zona ngohulumende abasekela inhlanganiso le. Ohulumende laba bazahlasela iBhabhiloni Enkulu ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu asibekileyo. ‘Bazaphundla konke elakho  futhi bayinqunule’ ngokuyithathela inotho yayo langokuchaya egcekeni ububi bayo obesabekayo. (Isam. 17:3, 16) Ukubhujiswa kweBhabhiloni Enkulu kuzakwenzakala ngokucwayiza kwelihlo angathi kwenzakale ngelanga elilodwa futhi kuzabethusa bonke akade beyisekela njengoba ibihlala izikhukhumeza isithi: “Ngihlezi sandlovukazi, kangisimfelokazi njalo kangisoze ngilile loba sekutheni.”​—Isam. 18:7, 8.

12. Kuyini uJehova angasoze avume ukuthi izizwe zikwenze njalo kungani engasoze avume?

¹² UNkulunkulu kasoze avumele izizwe ukuthi zitshabalalise abantu bakhe. Phela bayazigqaja ngokubizwa ngebizo lakhe futhi bawulalele umlayo wokuthi baphume eBhabhiloni Enkulu. (ImiSeb. 15:16, 17; Isam. 18:4) Kanti njalo basebenze nzima bencedisa abanye ukuthi baphume kuyo. Yikho izinceku zikaJehova kazisoze ‘zamukele ezinye zezinhlupho zayo.’ Lanxa kunjalo, kuzamele zibe lokholo oluqinileyo ukuze ziqinisele njengoba kuyabe kukukhulu okuseza.

13. (a) Ngubani uGogi? (b) Ngokwalokho okutshiwo kuHezekheli 38:2, 8, 9, impi ye-Amagedoni izaqala sekutheni?

¹³ Ukuhlasela kukaGogi. (Bala uHezekheli 38:2, 8, 9.) UJehova uzathi esetshabalalise zonke inhlanganiso zenkolo yamanga abantu bakhe basale benjengesihlahla esimi sodwa qekele ezinye seziwiswe yisiphepho esilamandla. Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi uSathane uzabe ezonde efile. Uzakhihliza ulaka lwakhe ngokusebenzisa ‘amazwi aphefumulelweyo angahlanzekanga’ okutsho amanga avela emadimonini azabangela ukuthi izizwe zimanyane ukuze zihlasele izinceku zikaJehova. (Isam. 16:13, 14) Izizwe lezi zibizwa ngokuthi ‘nguGogi waselizweni laseMagogi.’ Zizathi sezihlasela abantu bakaJehova impi ye-Amagedoni ihle iqale.​—Isam. 16:16.

14. UGogi uzananzelelani?

¹⁴ UGogi uzathemba ‘ingalo yakhe yenyama’ okutsho amabutho akhe. (2 ImiLan. 32:8) Kodwa thina sizathembela kuJehova uNkulunkulu wethu futhi izizwe zizabona  angani siyizithutha ngokwenza njalo. Phela zizazitshela ukuthi onkulunkulu beBhabhiloni Enkulu eyayilamandla behluleka ukuyisindisa ngesikhathi ihlaselwa ‘yisilo’ kanye ‘lempondo zaso ezilitshumi.’ (Isam. 17:16) Yikho uGogi uzacabanga ukuthi uzazithaphuzela nje. Uzahlasela abantu bakaJehova “njengeyezi elisibekele ilizwe.” (Hez. 38:16) Kodwa kungakayi ngaphi uzahle abone ukuthi usezithele emjibileni. Uzananzelela njengoFaro eLwandle Olubomvu ukuthi ulwa loJehova.​—Eks. 14:1-4; Hez. 38:3, 4, 18, 21-23.

15. UKhristu uzakwenzani empini ye-Amagedoni?

¹⁵ UKhristu lamabutho akhe asezulwini bazavikela abantu bakaNkulunkulu futhi bazawatshaya bawabhuqe amabutho kaGogi. (Isam. 19:11, 14, 15) Kodwa uSathane isitha sikaJehova esikhulu yena uzakwenziwani njengoba kunguye oyabe eyenge izizwe ukuthi zihlasele abantu bakaNkulunkulu empini ye-Amagedoni? UJesu uzamphosela emgodini ongelamkhawulo yena lamadimoni akhe futhi bazavalelwa khonapho okweminyaka eyinkulungwane.—Isam. 20:1-3.

16. (a) Sitshengisa njani ukuthi ‘siyamazi uNkulunkulu’? (b) Kuyini okuzakwenzakala kulabo abazi uJehova empini ye-Amagedoni?

¹⁶ Kungelani lokuthi silesikhathi esinganani sikhonza, kumele sitshengise ukuthi ‘siyamazi uNkulunkulu’ futhi ‘silalele izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana leNkosi yethu uJesu.’ (2 Thes. 1:7-9) Siyabe ‘simazi uNkulunkulu’ nxa sisazi akufunayo langakufuniyo kanye lemithetho yakhe. Sitshengisa ukuthi siyamazi langokumthanda lokumlalela lokukhonza yena yedwa. (1 Joh. 2:3-5; 5:3) Nxa singatshengisa ukuthi siyamazi uNkulunkulu ‘sizakwaziwa nguye,’ okutsho ukuthi uzasamukela. (1 Khor. 8:3) Lokhu yikho okuzakwenza sisinde empini ye-Amagedoni.

17. Sitshengisa njani ukuthi ‘siyazilalela izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana leNkosi yethu uJesu’?

¹⁷ “Izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana leNkosi yethu uJesu” zigoqela konke akufundisayo okutholakala eLizwini likaNkulunkulu. Sitshengisa ukuthi siyazilalela izindaba ezinhle nxa sisenza lokho akufundisayo. Kanti njalo siyabe sizilalela nxa sifuna kuqala  uMbuso, siphila ngendlela uNkulunkulu ayifunayo njalo sitshumayela ngoMbuso wakhe. (Mat. 6:33; 24:14) Okunye esingakwenza yikusekela abafowabo bakaKhristu abagcotshiweyo emsebenzini wabo oqakathekileyo wokutshumayela izindaba ezinhle lokwenza abafundi.​—Mat. 25:31-40.

18. Abagcotshiweyo bazatshengisa njani ukuthi bayazibonga ‘ezinye izimvu’?

¹⁸ Sekuseduze ukuthi abagcotshiweyo bakaNkulunkulu batshengise ukuthi bayazibonga ‘ezinye izimvu’ ngenxa yakho konke ezakwenzayo ukuthi zibasize. (Joh. 10:16) Bazakwenza njani lokho? Impi ye-Amagedoni ingakaqalisi bonke abangu-144 000 bazabe sebesezulwini njalo sebelemizimba yomoya engafiyo. Bazabe sebeyingxenye yamabutho asezulwini azabhubhisa uGogi futhi avikele “ixuku elikhulu” labantu bakaJehova. (Isam. 2:26, 27; 7:9, 10) Ixuku elikhulu lizathokoza sibili ukuthi lasekela abagcotshiweyo bakaJehova ngesikhathi besesemhlabeni.

19-20. Kungelani lenhlupho esilazo, singenzani ukuze sihlale sithembekile njengoba impi ye-Amagedoni isiseduze?

¹⁹ Banengi abantu bakaJehova abehlelwa zinhlupho kulezinsuku zokucina ezinzima. Lanxa kunjalo singaqinisela sithokoza. (Jak. 1:2-4) Ukuhlala sithandaza ngenhliziyo yonke kuzasinceda kakhulu. (Luk. 21:36) Okunye okumele sikwenze yikutaditsha iLizwi likaNkulunkulu nsuku zonke futhi sicabangisise ngelikutshoyo okugoqela leziphrofetho ezimayelana lalokho okuzakwenzakala esikhathini esiseduze. (Hubo. 77:12) Nxa singenza konke lokhu njalo sikhuthale ekutshumayeleni sizahlala silokholo oluqinileyo kanye lethemba.

²⁰ Akucabange ukuthi sizathokoza kangakanani iBhabhiloni Enkulu isibhujisiwe lempi ye-Amagedoni isiphelile. Cabanga lokuthi kuyabe sekunjani nxa abantu bonke sebelihlonipha ibizo likaNkulunkulu lobukhosi bakhe. (Hez. 38:23) Lokhu yikho okwenza abamaziyo uNkulunkulu labalalela iNdodana yakhe labaqinisela kuze kube sekucineni bayilindele ngabomvu i-Amagedoni.​—Mat. 24:13.