1, 2. Ngiziphi iingcenye zemihlangano engokwezulwini okuqakathekileko bona sizazi?

IMIHLANGANO yeentjhabatjhaba neyesigodi beyisolo iyingcenye yomlando wanamhlanjesi waboFakazi bakaJehova kusukela ekadeni. Abanengi bethu bakhe baya emihlanganweni ethabisako le, mhlamunye kweminengi hlangana namatjhumi weminyaka egadungileko.

² Eminyakeni eziinkulungwana egadungileko, abantu bakaZimu nabo bebaba nayo imihlangano ecwengileko. Sizokubuyekeza eminye yemihlangano edlulileko engokomTlolo yesikhathi sanamhlanjesi, sibone ukufana okukhona hlangana kweengcenye zekadeni nezanamhlanjesi zemibuthano enjalo bese sidzimelela eenzuzweni ezifumaneka ngokuba khona kiyo.—Rha. 44:1; Rom. 15:4.

3. (a) Gade unjani umhlangano wokuthoma wabantu bakaJehova esitjelwa ngawo? (b) Ama-Israyeli bekabizwa njani bona abuthane ndawonye?

³ Umhlangano ogade uhlanu kweNtaba iSinayi, bekumbuthano wokuthoma omkhulu wabantu bakaZimu ebabuthanela khona ngomnqopho wokufumana ifundo engokomoya. Bekusisenzakalo esiqopha umlando emlandweni wokukhulekela okuhlwengileko. Esenzakalweni esithabisakweso, okungazazwako bona egade bakhona akhenge basikhohlwe, uJehova watjengisa ama-Israyeli amandlakhe nekawanikela umThethwakhe. (Eks. 19:2-9, 16-19; funda u-Eksodosi 19:2-9, 16-19; 20:18; Duteronomi 4:9, 10.) Umhlangano loyo waba sisekelo sokusebenzelana kwakaZimu no-Israyeli okwalandelako. Msinyana ngemva kwalokho, uJehova wathoma indlela abekazokubiza ngayo abantu bakhe. Wayala uMosisi bona enze iimpalapala zesilivere eembili ezizokusetjenziselwa ukubiza “yoke ihlangano” bonyana ihlangane “emnyango wetende lokuhlangana.” (Num. 10:1-4) Linga ukucabanga ngethabo  ebeliba khona emihlanganweni enjalo!

4, 5. Kubayini imihlangano eyaragwa nguMosisi noJoshuwa beyiqakatheke ngokukhethekileko?

⁴ Ngekupheleni kweminyaka ema-40 ama-Israyeli ayihlala emangweni, ngesikhathi esibudisi emlandweni wesitjhabeso egade sisitjha nesimadaniswa nezinye, uMosisi wabuthelela ndawonye ama-Israyeli wekhabo. Bekalungiselelwa ukungena eNarheni yesiThembiso. Lesi bekusikhathi esifaneleko ngoMosisi ukukhumbuza abanakwabo ngakho koke uJehova abenzele khona nangalokho asazobenzela khona.—Dut. 29:1-15; 30:15-20; 31:30.

⁵ Mhlamunye emhlanganweni loyo, uMosisi, wakhuluma ngelungiselelo lasikhathi soke lokobana abantu bakaZimu bahlangane begodu bafundiswe. Ngeminyaka yeSabatha hlangana noMnyanya wamaTende, amadoda, abafazi, abantwana, nabokosontjhaba abahlala kwa-Israyeli bebabuthanela endaweni uJehova ayikhethileko ‘bona balalele begodu bafunde ukusaba uJehova, batjheje ukuwenza woke amezwi womthetho.’ (Funda uDuteronomi 31:1, 10-12.) Ngekuthomeni komlando wabantu bakaZimu, bekukhanya bona kufuze bahlangane qobe bafunde ilizwi neminqopho kaJehova. Ama-Israyeli nesele aqede ukuthumba iNarha yesiThembiso kodwana asabhodwe ziinarha ezibarhedeni, uJoshuwa wabutha woke ama-Israyeli ngomnqopho wokuqinisa ukuzimisela kwawo ukuhlala athembekile kuJehova. Nebasabelako, abantu bafunga bona bazokukhonza uZimu.—Josh. 23:1, 2; 24:1, 15, 21-24.

6, 7. Kubayini kungatjhiwo bona imihlangano yanamhlanjesi yabantu bakaJehova yaba ngephawulekako?

⁶ Emlandweni wanamhlanjesi wabantu bakaJehova, kube neqopha mlando yemihlangano—izenzakalo eziphawule ukuthoma kwezenzakalo ezikulu emisebenzini engokwezulwini nofana ekuzwisiseni imiTlolo. (IzA. 4:18) Umhlangano wokuthoma omkhulu abaFundi beBhayibhili ebawubamba ngemva kwePi yePhasi I bewungo-1919 eCedar Point, e-Ohio, e-U.S.A. Emhlanganweni loyo kwaba nabantu aba-7 000, ukhunjulwa ngokuthonywa kwejima lokutjhumayela ephasini mazombe. Ngo-1922, hlangana nomhlangano wamalanga alithoba endaweni leyo, umfutho omkhulu emsebenzini lo wanikelwa nguJoseph F. Rutherford, owakhuthaza iinlaleli zakhe egade zilalelisisile wathi: “Yibani bofakazi beKosi abathembekileko nebeqiniso. Ragelani phambili nilwa bekube kulapho zoke iinsalela zeBhabhiloni sezitjhatjalalisiwe. Memezelani isigijimi yoke indawo. Iphasi kufuze lazi bona uJehova nguZimu nokobana uJesu Krestu uyiKosi yamakhosi nomBusi wababusi. Leli lilanga elikhulu kunawo woke. Qalani, iKosi iyabusa! Nina niziinsebenzi zayo zokuyimemezela. Ngalokho-ke, memezelani, memezelani, memezelani, iKosi nombuso wayo.” Egade bakhona, nabantu bakaZimu ephasini mazombe, ngethabo basabela esikhuthazweneso.

⁷ Ngo-1931 eColumbus, e-Ohio, abaFundi beBhayibhili bakuthabela ukwamukela ibizo elithi aboFakazi bakaJehova. Kwathi ngo-1935, eWashington, D.C., umZalwana  uRutherford wahlathulula bona sibobani “isiqubuthu esikhulu,” esihlathululwa kusAmbulo ‘njengesijame phambi kwesihlalo sobukhosi naphambi kweMvana.’ (IsAm. 7:9-17) Ngo-1942, hlangana nePi yePhasi II, uNathan H. Knorr wanikela ikulumo ekarisako egade inesihloko esithi, “Ukuthula—Kungahlala Ngokungapheliko?” Wahlathulula kiyo bona siyini ‘isibanda somango esinombala obomvu’ esikusAmbulo 17 begodu watjengisa bona bekuzokuba nomsebenzi omnengi wokutjhumayela ngemva kwepi.

8, 9. Kubayini imihlangano ethileko yabonakala ingethinta ngokukhethekileko?

⁸ Okwatjhejeka ngokukhethekileko emHlanganweni ongokweZulwini wango-1946 ‘weenTjhabatjhaba EziThabileko’ eCleveland, e-Ohio, yikulumo yoMnakweth’ uKnorr’ ethi, “ImiRaro YokuVuselela NokuKhulisa.” Akhuluma ngethabo elavuswa yikulumo leyo omunye ogade akhona  watlola: “Ngaba nelungelo lokuba ngemva kwakhe esiteji ntambama leyo, njengombana akhuluma ngomsebenzi begodu atjho namahlelo wokwandisa ikhaya leBethel eBrooklyn nendawo yokugadangisa, kwazwakala ihlombe lewoma leenlaleli elinomfutho. Nanyana umuntu bekangakghoni ukubona ubuso obuhlukileko nakasesiteji, bekubulula ukuzwa ithabo lazo.” Emhlanganweni weentjhabatjhaba eNew York City ngo-1950, iinlaleli zathatjiswa kukwamukela i-New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, iBhayibhili lokuthoma elethulwako lelimi lanamhlanjesi ebelibuyisela ibizo lakaZimu endaweni yalo efaneleko eliZwini lakhe.—Jer. 16:21.

⁹ Imihlangano uJehova abuthelela kiyo aboFakazi bakhe abathembekileko, ngemva kweenkhathi zetjhutjhiso namtjhana zokuvinjelwa nakho kwathinta ihliziyo khulu. U-Adolf Hitler wafunga ukutjhabalalisa aboFakazi bakaJehova eGermany, kodwana abazi-107 000 babo bazalisa iinkundla zakhe egade ajayele ukumatjha kizo eNuremberg hlangana nomhlangano wango-1955. Bekubudisi kwabanengi balabo egade bakhona ukukhandela iinyembezi zabo zethabo! Phakathi kweenkhambeli ezi-166 518 ebezikhona emihlanganweni emithathu emikhulu ebeyinesihloko esithi “UkuziNikela KokuSaba UZimu” eyaba sePoland ngo-1989, bekunenani elikhulu leenkhambeli ebelivela eenarheni ngaphambilini ebezaziwa ngokobana yiSoviet Union neCzechoslovakia, nakwezinye iinarha ezisePumalanga yeYurobhu. Abanye babo bebathoma ukuba semhlanganweni onabantu bakaZimu abangaphezu kwe-15 nofana aba-20. Cabanga nangethabo elaba khona emHlanganweni weenTjhabatjhaba wango-1993 ogade useKiev, e-Ukraine, ebewunesihloko esithi “Ukufundisa Kwaphezulu,” okwabhabhadiswa kiwo abantu abazi-7 402—inani elikhulu kunawo woke laboFakazi bakaJehova elakhe abhabhadiswa.—Isa. 60:22; Hag. 2:7.

10. Ngimiphi imihlangano oyikhumbula ngokukhethekileko, begodu kubayini?

¹⁰ Mhlamunye kunemihlangano yesigodi namtjhana yeentjhabatjhaba ohlala uyikhumbula. Uyawukhumbula umhlangano wokuthoma owaya kiwo namtjhana lowo owabhabhadiswa kiwo? Lezo bekuzizenzakalo ezingokomoya eziqopha umlando kuwe. Ziqale njengeziligugu iinkumbulwezo!—Rha. 42:4.

11. Ngiliphi ilungiselelo leminyanya yaqobe uZimu ayibekela ama-Israyeli wekadeni?

¹¹ UJehova bekafuna bona ama-Israyeli abuthane eJerusalema emnyanyeni emithathu eyenziwa qobe mnyaka—uMnyanya woBurotho obunganasiBiliso, uMnyanya weemVeke (kamva owabizwa ngokobana yiPentekosi), noMnyanya wamaTende. Malungana nalokhu, uZimu wayala: “Iinkhathi eentathu ngomnyaka woke umuntu omduna uzokuvela phambi kobuso beKosi yeqiniso, uJehova.” (Eks. 23:14-17) Zilemuka ukuqakatheka okukhulu okungokomoya kweemnyanya le, iinhloko zemindeni ezinengi bezibakhona kiyo yoke nemindenazo .—1 Sam. 1:1-7; Luka 2:41, 42.

12, 13. Ukuba khona eminyanyeni yaqobe mnyaka bekutjho ukuthini kuma-Israyeli amanengi?

¹² Cabanga bona lokho bekutjho ukuthini ngomndeni womIsrayeli ukulungiselela ikhambelo.  Ngokwesibonelo, uJesefa noMariya, bebakhamba amakhilomitha ali-100 ukusuka eNazareda ukuya eJerusalema. Ucabanga bona bekuzokuthatha isikhathi esingangani ukuqeda ikhambo elinjalo, ukhamba nabantwana? Ukulandisa kwakaJesu kokuvakatjhela eJerusalema asesemsana kutjengisa bona iinhlobo nabangani kungenzeka bebakhamba njengesiqhema. Kufuze bona bekungokuhlangabezanwe nakho kibo ukukhamba nokwenza ukudla ndawonye nokuhlela amalungiselelo weendawo zokulala ezifaneleko eendaweni abangazaziko. Nokho, ubujamo bebuphephe ngokwaneleko bona umntwana oneminyaka eli-12 njengoJesu anikelwe ikululeko ethileko. Cabanga bona lokhu bekungalibaleki kangangani, khulukhulu ebantwini abatjha!—Luka 2:44-46.

¹³ Ama-Israyeli nekarhatjheke ngaphandle kwemikhawulo yenarha yekhabo, labo egade beze eemnyanyeni bebavela eentjhabeni ezinengi. NgePentekosi lomnyaka ka-33 C.E., amaJuda namaphroselithe bekakwazisa ukuya eJerusalema asuka eendaweni ezinjenge-Italy, iLibhiya, iKerite, i-Asia Minor, neMesophothamiya.—IzE. 2:5-11; 20:16.

14. Ama-Israyeli azuza njani ngokuba khona eminyanyeni yaqobe umnyaka?

¹⁴ Kuma-Israyeli athembekileko, izinga eliphezulu nokudzimelela emakhambweni anjalo bekuyingcenye engokomoya—ukutjhisakalela kwawo ukukhulekela uJehova hlangana neenkulungwana ezithokozela umnyanya. Gade uzokuba yini umphumela kilabo ebebakhona? Ipendulo ingafumaneka esinqophisweni sakaJehova esiya ebantwini bakhe malungana noMnyanya wamaTende: “Kufuze uthabe hlangana nomnyanya wakho, wena namadodanakho namadodakazakho nesigqila sakho nesigqilakazi sakho nomLefi nomuntu wakosontjhaba nentandane nomfelokazi, abangaphakathi kwamasango wakho. Amalanga alikhomba uzokugidingela umnyanya uJehova uZimakho endaweni uJehova azoyikhetha, ngombana uJehova uZimakho uzokubusisa kiwo woke umkhiqizo wakho nakizo zoke izenzo zezandla zakho, begodu kufuze nithabe kwaphela.”—Dut. 16:14, 15; funda uMatewu. 5:3.

15, 16. Ngikuphi ukuzidela okwatlhogeka ukwenze bona ube khona emihlanganweni? Kubayini ungazisoli ngokwenza umzamo onjalo?

¹⁵ Qala bona iimbuthwano yekadeni le inikela abantu uZimu iimbonelo ezihle kangangani namhlanjesi! Nanyana izinto ezinengi zitjhugulukile ngemva kwamakhulu weminyaka, iingcenye eziqakathekileko zemihlangano azikatjhuguluki. Ngeenkhathi zeBhayibhili, abaya emihlanganweni bekufuze bazidele bona babe khona. Abanengi benza njalo namhlanjesi. Nokho, umuntu akazisoli ngokwenza umzamo. Imihlangano le izizenzakalo eziqakathekileko ngokomoya begodu isesengizo. Isinikela ukwaziswa nokuzwisisa okuqakathekile bona sibulunge ubuhlobo bethu obuseduze noZimu. Imihlangano isenza bona sisebenzise lokho esikufundileko, isisiza bona sibalekele imiraro begodu isikhuthaza bonyana sihlale sidzimelele emisebenzini nezintweni ezingasithabisa kunokobana zisiqede amandla.—Rha. 122:1-4.

¹⁶ Ithabo yinto efumaneka qobe ebantwini abeze emihlanganweni. Umbiko womhlangano omkhulu wango-1946 wathi: “Kwathabisa ukubona iinkulungwana ezinengi zabofakazi zihleli kamnandi, begodu zikuthabela ngokungeziweko ukulalela njengombana isiqhema se-orchestra sikhambisana namaphimbo wesiqubuthu sidumisa uJehova ngeengoma zomBuso.” Umbiko uyangezelela: “UmNyango weKonzo weenSebenzi zokuziThandela watlolisa iinsebenzi ezivela hlangana neenkhambeli kiyo yoke iminyango ehlukahlukeneko, zithabile ngokukhonza abofakazi abakunye nabo.” Nawe khewalizwa ithabo elinjalo emihlanganweni yesigodi namtjhana yeentjhabatjhaba?—Rha. 110:3; Isa. 42:10-12.

17. Kutjhugululwe njani ukuhlelwa kwemihlangano eenkhathini zamva nje?

 ¹⁷ Izinto ezithileko zitjhugulukile ngendlela imihlangano ehlelwe ngayo. Ngokwesibonelo, abanye abantu bakaZimu bakhumbula lokha imihlangano beyithatha amalanga abunane! Bekuba nehlelo lekuseni, lantambama nelebusuku. Ikonzo yesimini beyiyingcenye yaqobe yehlelo. Iingcenye ezimbalwa bezithoma nge-iri lethoba ekuseni, begodu kanengi bekuba namahlelo bekube li-iri lethoba ebusuku. Iinsebenzi zokuzithandela bezisebenza isikhathi eside begodu budisi ukulungiselela abakhona ukudla kwekuseni, kwedina nekwantambama. Okwanje ihlelo lomhlangano lithatha amalanga amancani, imindeni nabantu ngabanye bayazilungiselela ukudla kusesenesikhathi bona bakghone ukulalelisisa ngokungeziweko ihlelo lokondliwa ngokomoya.

18, 19. Ngiziphi iingcenye zemihlangano emikhulu oqala phambili kizo, begodu kubayini?

¹⁸ Iingcenye zemihlangano ebezisolo ziyingcenye yehlelo zilulukelwa khulu ngibo boke. “Ukudla”okungokomoya okulungiselelwa “ngesikhathi esifaneleko,” okusinikela ukuzwisisa okungcono ngeemporofido nangeemfundiso zeBhayibhili, akhenge kufumaneke kwaphela ngeenkulumo kodwana nangeencwadi ezitja ezitjhaphululwa emihlanganweni yesigodi. (Mat. 24:45) Iincwadi ezinjalo ezitjhatjhululwako ngokujayelekileko ziba mathulusi wokusiza abantu abathembekileko bona bazwisise amaqiniso angokomTlolo. Amadrama weBhayibhili atjhukumisako akhuthaza kokubili abatjha nabadala bona bahlole iimnqopho yabo begodu bazivikele ekugandelelweni okulethwa kucabanga kwephasi elingamsabiko uZimu. Ikulumo yebhabhadiso nayo ngokufanako isinikela soke ithuba lokubuyekeza izinto eziza qangi ekuphileni kwethu nokuzwa ithabo lokubona abanye batjengisa ukuzinikela kwabo kuJehova.

¹⁹ Kwamambala, imihlangano emikhulu esekusikhathi eside iyingcenye yokukhulekela okuhlwengileko, ihlomisa abantu bakaJehova abathabileko bona bamkhonze ngokufaneleko eenkhathini ezibudisi. Imibuthano enjalo isinikela ukuqabuleka okungokomoya, isinikela amathuba wokuhlangana nabangani abatjha, isisiza sithokozele ubudlelwana nabanakwethu bephasi mazombe, begodu iyindlela eyihloko uJehova abusisa begodu atlhogomela ngayo abantu bakhe. Ngokuqinisekileko, ngamunye wethu uzokufuna ukuhlela ubujamo bakhe ngendlela ezomenza akwazi ukuba khona nokuzuza ehlelweni ngalinye lomhlangano wesigodi.—IzA. 10:22.