“Ngalokho hlalani nilindile, ngombana anilazi ilanga ne-iri.”—MATEWU 25:13.

“Hlalani niqalile, hlalani niphaphamile, ngombana anisazi isikhathi esibekiweko.”—MARKOSI 13:33.

Akekho namunye ephasini owaziko bona ukuphela kuzokufika nini. Nanyana kunjalo, uZimu ‘unesikhathi asibekileko’—‘ilanga ne-iri’ eliqinisekisiweko—lokuthi ukuphela kuzokufika nini. (Matewu 24:36) Kghani lokho kutjho ukuthi akunandlela yokwazi ukuthi ukuphela sekutjhidele? Awa akusinjalo. UJesu watjela abafundi bakhe bona baqale izenzakalo ebezizokwenzeka ezitjengisa bona ukuphela sekutjhidele.

Izenzakalwezi bezizokuba sibonakaliso ‘sokuphela kwephasi.’ UJesu wathi: “Isitjhaba sizokulwa nesitjhaba, umbuso ulwe nombuso, kuzokuba nokutlhayela kokudla nokusikinyeka kwephasi eendaweni ngeendawo.” (Matewu 24:3, 7) Wathi godu kuzokuba “nezifo ezibulalako” nezifo ezithelelanako. (Lukasi 21:11) Kghani uyazibona izenzakalo uJesu aphorofida ngazo?

Namhlanjesi abantu bayatlhaga ngebanga lezipi, indlala, nokusikinyeka kwephasi nangebanga lezifo ezandako. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-2004 ukusikinyeka kwephasi okumbi e-Indian Ocean kwabangela i-tsunami eyabulala abantu abazii-225 000. Ngaphezu komnyaka munye, isindabelaphi i-COVID-19 ibangele bona kufe abantu abangaba yi-2.6 miliyoni ephasini loke. UJesu wathi izenzakalo ezinjengalezi zizokutjengisa bona ukuphela kwephasi sekutjhidele.

IBhayibheli lihlathulula isikhathi sangaphambi kokuphela ngokuthi, ‘mimihla yokuphela.’ (2 Pitrosi 3:3, 4) Ngokuya ngokomtlolo wesibili kaThimothi 3:1-5 uthi, emihleni yokuphela abantu angekhe bamukele iinkambiso ezihle zokuziphatha. (Qala ibhoksi elithi, “ Ngaphambi Kokuthi Kufike Ukuphela Kwephasi.”) Kghani uyababona abantu abazicabangela bona, abamarhamaru, abathanda inturhu nabangathandi abanye abantu namhlanjesi? Lokhu kubufakazi bokuthi isikhathi esiphilakiswesi sekuseduze khulu bona siphele.

Imihla yokuphela izokuthatha isikhathi esingangani? Ngokuya ngokweBhayibheli ‘sikhathi esifitjhani’ kwaphela. Ngemva kwalokho uZimu uzokutjhabalalisa “labo abatjhabalalisa iphasi.”—IsAmbulo 11:15-18; 12:12.

UZimu sekalibekile ilanga ne-iri lapho azokuphelisa khona iphasi elimbeli. (Matewu 24:36) Nanyana kunjalo, kuneendaba ezimnandi—uZimu ‘akafisi ukuthi namunye atjhabalale.’ (2 Pitrosi 3:9) Unikela abantu ithuba lokuthi baphile ngokuvumelana neenkambiso zakhe. Kubayini? Ngombana ufuna sisinde nakuphela iphaseli begodu siphile ephasini lakhe elitjha, lokha naliba lipharadesi.

UZimu wenze ihlelo lokufundisa abantu ephasini loke bona abasize ukuthi bangaba njani yingcenye yephasi elitjha ngaphasi komBuswakhe. UJesu wathi iindaba ezimnandi zomBuso kaZimu zizokutjhunyayelwa “kilo loke iphasi.” (Matewu 24:14) Ephasini loke, aboFakazi bakaJehova basebenza ama-awara angaphezu kwama bhiliyoni amabili ngo-2019 batjhumayela begodu bafundisa abanye ngomlayezo weBhayibheli onikela abantu ithemba. UJesu wathi ijimeli lokutjhumayela lizokwenziwa ephasini loke ngaphambi kokuthi ukuphela kufike.

Sekuseduze bona isikhathi sokubusa kwabantu siphele. Kodwana iindaba ezimnandi kukuthi ungasinda ekupheleni kwephasi, ube khona ephasini eliliPharadesi uZimu alithembisileko. Isihloko esilandelako sizokukhuluma ngokuthi ungaphila njani ephasini elitjha.