Ngesikhathi samaKrestu wokuthoma, umpostoli uPowula watjela abadala bebandla le-Efesu wathi: “Zitjhejeni nina ngokwenu, nitjheje nawo woke umhlambi umoya ocwengileko onibeke bona nibe babonisi phezu kwawo, neluse ibandla lakaZimu azithengele lona ngeengazi zeNdodanakhe.” (IzE. 20:28, NW) Umoya ocwengileko udlala yiphi indima ekukhethweni kwabadala neenceku ezikhonzako?

Kokuthoma, umoya ocwengileko ngiwo owahlohlozela abatloli beBhayibheli bona batlole ngeemfuneko zokuba mdala namkha inceku ekhonzako. Kunezinto ezilitjhumi nesithandathu ezihlukahlukeneko umuntu okufuze abe nazo nekazakuba mdala eziku-1 Thimothi 3:1-7. Ezinye iimfuneko zikuTitosi 1:5-9 noJakopo 3:17, 18. Iimfuneko zeenceku ezikhonzako zisencwadini ka-1 Thimothi 3:8-10, 12, 13. Ngaphezu kweemfunekwezo, nekukhethwa umdala namkha inceku ekhonzako kuyathandazwa kuJehova, kukhonjelwe umoyakhe ukuthi uqinisekise bonyana umuntu loyo uyakhambisana na neemfuneko ezisemTlolwenezi ngokwezinga elithileko. Okwesithathu, kwamuntu okhethwako loyo kufuze abe neenthelo zomoya kaZimu ocwengileko. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Yeke, umoya kaZimu ubandakanyeke ngaleyo ndlela ekukhethweni nekubekweni kwabadala neenceku ezikhonzako.

Kuhlekuhle, bobani abenza iimphakamiso zokubekwa kwabadala neenceku ezikhonzako? Ekuthomeni iimphakamiso zokukhethwa kwabo bezithunyelwa e-ofisini legatja. Egatjeni kunabazalwana ababekwe siHlopha esiBusako bona babuyekeze iimphakamiso zokukhethwa kwabadala neenceku ezikhonzako, ngibo-ke ebebaqunta bona bobani abazokuba badala neenceku ezikhonzako. Ngemva kwalokho igatja lazise isihlopha sabadala bebandlelo. Abadala-ke bese bathintane naloyo okhethiweko, bambuze bona uyavumelana na nokubekwa kwakhe njengomdala namkha inceku ekhonzako. Ekugcineni, kwenziwe isaziso ebandleni sokuthi uSpereketjana umdala namkha inceku ekhonzako ebandleni.

Kanti abazalwana bebakhethwa bebabekwe njani ngesikhathi samaKrestu wokuthoma? Ngasikhathi, abapostoli bekungibo abakhetha bebabeke abazalwana esikhundleni esithileko, njengombana bakhetha amadoda alikhomba ebebazokutlhogomela indaba yokwabela abafelokazi ukudla. (IzE. 6:1-6) Nanyana kunjalo, amadoda la akhethwa nje ngombana besele abadala ebandleni.

Nanyana imiTlolo ingahlathululi imininingwana eminengi ngeemphakamiso zabadala neenceku ezikhonzako ngesikhatheso, kodwana inamaphuzu angaveza bona bekwenziwa njani. IBhayibheli lithi ngesikhathi uPowula noBharinabhasi basendleleni  ebuyela emakhabo ngemva kwekhambo labo lokuthoma lokuba ziinthunywa zevangeli, “Kelinye nelinye ibandla bebazikhethela abaphathi [“abadala” NW]; ngomthandazo nokuzila babanikela kuZimu, ogade babeke ithemba labo kuye.” (IzE. 14:23) Eminyakeni eyalandela leyo, uPowula watlolela umbonisi okhambako njengaye, uTitosi wathi: “Ngakutjhiya eKrete ngehloso yokobana uhlele okuseleko ngokufaneleko, ukhethe abaphathi [“abadala” NW] bebandla kiyo yoke imizi, njengombana ngakuyala.” (Tit. 1:5) NoThimothi naye obekakhamba nompostoli uPowula, kubonakala kwanga bekanelungelo lokukhetha iinceku ezikhonzako nabadala. (1 Thim. 5:22) Liyakhanya-ke iphuzu lokuthi ababonisi abakhambako ngibo ebebakhetha abazalwana abazokuba badala neenceku ezikhonzako, ingasi abapostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema.

Ngemva kokuthi sidembe ngamaphuzu weBhayibheli la, isiHlopha esiBusako saboFakazi bakaJehova siqunte ukulungisa indlela yokubekwa kwabadala neenceku ezikhonzako. Ngebangelo-ke, kusukela ngoSeptemba 1, 2014, ukukhethwa nokubekwa kwabadala neenceku ezikhonzako kuzokwenzeka ngalendlela: Boke ababonisi besigodi bazokubuyekeza iimphakamiso zalabo okucatjangelwa bona bangaba badala namkha iinceku ezikhonzako esigodini asikhambelako. Uzathi nekavakatjhele amabandla, alinge ukubazi ngcono abazalwanabo, asebenze nabo esimini nengabe kuyakghonakala. Bese ngemva kokucoca ngeemphakamiswezi nabadala bebandlelo, umjikelezi nguye ozokukhetha bona bobani abazokuba badala neenceku ezikhonzako esigodini asikhambelako. Indlela le pheze ikhambisana nekambiso yokubekwa kwabadala neenceku ezikhonzako yamaKrestu wokuthoma.

Bobani abadlala indima ekulu ekambisweni le? Njengombana bekuhlala kwenzeka, “inceku ethembekile nehlakaniphileko” inomsebenzi wokondla iinsebenzi. (Mat. 24:45-47) Umsebenzabo ubandakanya ukwenza irhubhululo emiTlolweni basizwa mumoya ocwengileko. Lokho kwenzelwa ukuthi kutholakale isinqophiso sokuthi ikambiso yeBhayibheli ingasetjenziswa njani emabandleni waboFakazi ephasini loke. Inceku ethembekileko ngiyo ekhetha abazalwana abazokuba babonisi abakhambako nabazokuba malunga weKomidi yeGatja. Bese kuthi elinye nelinye igatja lisize abantu bakaZimu endleleni abangasebenzisa ngayo isinqophisweso. Yeke, kumsebenzi weenhlopha zabadala ukuhlolisisa bona loyo okhethwako uyahlangabezana na neemfuneko ezingokomtlolo zokudosa phambili ibandla lakaZimu. Bese umthwalo womunye nomunye umbonisi okhambako kucoca ngeemfuneko zalabo abakhethiweko nokuthandaza ngendaba le, ngemva kwalokho angababeka njengabadala neenceku ezikhonzako.

Nesizwisisa indlela abadala neenceku ezikhonzako abakhethwa bebabekwe ngayo, sizoyizwisisa kuhle khulu indima edlalwa mumoya ocwengileko endabeni le. Lokho-ke kusenza sibathembe besibahloniphe amadoda abadala neenceku ezikhonzako emabandleni.—Heb. 13:7, 17.

Umtlolo wesAmbulo 11:3 ukhuluma ngabofakazi ababili abazokuphorofida namkha batjhumayele amalanga ayi-1 260. IsAmbulo sithi isibandana sizokuphuma “sibahlule besibabulale.” “Kodwana ngemva kwamalanga amathathu nesiquntu,” abofakazi ababilaba bazokuvuswa, begodu lokho kuzokurara abantu abanengi abazabe baqalile.—IsAm. 11:7, 11.

Bobani abofakazi ababilaba? Indlela iBhayibheli elilandisa ngayo izositjela bona kuhlekuhle bobani abantwaba. Kokuthoma, sitjelwa bona bafanekiselwa ‘mimithi ye-oliva nezinti ezimbili zesibani.’ (IsAm. 11:4) Lokhu kusikhumbuza amabhlagere wesibani nemithi emibili ye-oliva ehlathululwe esiphorofidweni esatlolwa nguZakariya. Imithi ye-oliva leyo ifanekisela abantu ‘ababili’ abazeswe ngamafutha wobukhosi okuMbusi uZerubhabeli noMphristi oMkhulu uJotjhuwa. Kuthiwa ‘bajame phambi [kwakaJehova], umniniphasi loke.’ (Zak. 4:1-3, 14) Kwesibili, abofakazi ababilaba kuthiwa benza imikarisomraro efana naleyo ebeyenziwa nguMosi no-Elitjha.—Madanisa IsAmbulo 11:5, 6 noNumeri 16:1-7, 28-35; 1 AmaKhosi 17:1; 18:41-45.

Imitlolo le ifana ngani? Ekulandiseni ngakunye ikhuluma ngabantu bakaZimu abakhethiweko ebebadosa phambili ngeenkhathi zeenlingo ezibudisi. Yeke, isAmbulo isahluko 11, sazaliseka ngesikhathi abanakwethu abakhethiweko ebebadosa phambili nekuhlonywa umBuso kaZimu ezulwini ngo-1914, batjhumayela bambethe ‘imigodla’ iminyaka emithathu nesiquntu.

Abakhethiwekwaba babulawa nebaqeda ukutjhumayela bembethe izambatho zomgodla. Ukubulawokhu kufanekisela ukuvalelwa ejele kwabazalwanaba, isikhathi esimalanga amathathu nesiquntu angokomfanekiso. Amanaba kaZimu bekacabanga bona umsebenzi ebewenziwa bofakazaba uphelile, yeke athaba ajekezela.—IsAm. 11:8-10.

Nanyana kunjalo, kwathi ekupheleni kwamalanga amathathu nesiquntu angokomfanekiso, abofakazi ababilaba bavuka. Abakhethiweko abathembekilekwaba khenge batjhatjululwe ejele kwaphela, kodwana babekwa nguZimu asebenzisa indodanakhe uJesu Krestu. Ngo-1919 baba phakathi kwalabo ababekwa esikhundleni sokuba ‘yinceku ethembekileko nehlakaniphileko’ ezokuphakela abantu bakaZimu ukudla okungokomfanekiso emihleni yokuphela.—Mat. 24:45-47; IsAm. 11:11, 12.

Kuyakara-ke ukuthi isAmbulo 11:1, 2 sihlobanisa izenzakalwezi nokulinganiswa namkha ukuhlolwa kwethempeli elingokomfanekiso. Incwadi kaMalaki isahluko 3 ikhuluma ngakho ukuhlolisisokho okulandelwa kuhlanzwa kwethempelelo. (Mal. 3:1-4) Ukuhlolisiswa nokuhlanzwa kwethempeleli kwathatha isikhathi esingangani? Kwathoma kusukela ngo-1914 bekwaba ngo-1919. Isikhathesi sihlanganisa kokubili amalanga ayi-1 260 (okuziinyanga ezima-42) namalanga amathathu nesiquntu angokomfanekiso akusAmbulo isahluko 11.

Sikuthabela khulu ukuthi uJehova uzihlambululele abantu bakhe abatjhisekela imisebenzi emihle! (Tit. 2:14) Ngaphezu kwalokho, sibathokoza khulu abazalwana abakhethiweko abathembeka, badosa phambili ekubeni bofakazi ababili emihleni ebudisi leyo. *