“SIKHOLELWA ukuthi uNyaka ka-1914 usinikeza ubufakazi bokuthi kunamathuba amaningi enkonzo yeQiniso kunanoma imuphi omunye unyaka weSivuno,” kusho INqabayokulinda yesiNgisi ka-January 1, 1914. Unyaka okwase kungamashumi eminyaka abaFundi BeBhayibheli bewulindele wawusufikile, futhi babesebenza kanzima enkonzweni. Ngenxa yemizamo yabaFundi BeBhayibheli ngalowo nyaka, izigidi zabantu zezwa ngezithembiso zeBhayibheli. Kepha izwe ababehlala kulo lalikhandlekela okunye.

Ekuqaleni kuka-1914, kwesinye sezigigaba ezinodlame kunazo zonke emlandweni weziteleka zezisebenzi e-United States kwashona amadoda, abesifazane nezingane. Izisebenzi zasemayini ezazitelekile nemindeni yazo zazixoshiwe ezindlini zenkampani, zaphoqeleka ukuba zihlale ematendeni. Ngo-April 20, abantu baqala ukudubulana ematendeni aseduze kwaseLudlow, eColorado. Amatende ezisebenzi zasemayini ashiswa. Kuyo yonke leyo ndawo, izisebenzi zasemayini ezaziwotha ubomvu zaziphindiselela ngokubulala omatshingelana benkampani. Kwabizwa amasosha ukuba azodambisa isimo.

EYurophu khona isimo sasisibi nakakhulu. Ngo-June 28, lapho uGavrilo Princip, umSerb waseBosnia oneminyaka engu-19, edubula ebulala iNkosana uFrancis Ferdinand wase-Austria, wathungela iMpi Yezwe I. Lapho unyaka uphela, iMpi Yezwe I, eyayaziwa ngokuthi iMpi Enkulu, yayisigubuzele lonke elaseYurophu.

Njengoba kwakwanda uthuthuva ezweni, abaFundi BeBhayibheli babekhuthazana ukuba bazikhandle emsebenzini wokushumayela. Umhlangano omkhulu wokuqala wabantu bakaNkulunkulu eNingizimu Afrika waba ngo-April 10. Kwakukhona abangu-34. UWilliam W. Johnston wabhala: “ ‘Sasingumhlambi omncane’ wangempela. Sabhapathiza cishe abantu abayisigamu balabo ababekhona eMhlanganweni. Odade abangu-8 nabazalwane abangu-8 babonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwabo ngendlela iNkosi eyayala ngayo.” Ngosuku lokugcina lomhlangano, ababekhona baxoxa ngendlela engcono kakhulu yokwandisa umsebenzi wokushumayela eNingizimu Afrika. Namuhla, bangaphezu kuka-90 000 abamemezeli abathembekile eNingizimu Afrika abawubufakazi bokuphumelela kwalowo “mhlambi omncane.”

Ngo-June 28, 1914, ngalo kanye usuku okwadutshulwa ngalo iNkosana uFerdinand, abaFundi BeBhayibheli  bahlangana eClinton, e-Iowa, e-U.S.A. Kulowo mhlangano owawungo-June 30, u-A. H. MacMillan wathi: “Ukuze sithole umvuzo wethu kufanele sizigcine simatasa ekwenzeni intando kaNkulunkulu, siphume siye enkonzweni noma nini uma kungenzeka, sihambise umyalezo wesivuno ezweni.”

I-“Photo-Drama of Creation,” ifilimu eyayihlanganisa izinkulumo zeBhayibheli eziqoshiwe nomculo okwakuhambisana nama-slide nezithombe ezinyakazayo, yaboniswa okokuqala ngqa eNew York City ngo-January 11, 1914. Babeyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu abayibukela okokuqala, abaningi baphindiselwa emuva ngoba indawo ingasekho.

Ukulungiselela i-“Photo-Drama of Creation” kwakuthathe iminyaka emibili, noma kunjalo “yayingakakulungeli ukuba ibukiswe okokuqala ngo-January,” kuchaza INqabayokulinda. Phakathi nengxenye yokuqala ka-1914, abafowethu bayithuthukisa kaningana i-“Photo-Drama.” Ngokwesibonelo, banezela isethulo esasihambisana nezwi likaCharles Taze Russell, okwakwenza kucace ukuthi ubani owayexhase le filimu.

I-“Photo-Drama” yadlalwa ngasikhathi sinye emazweni angu-80. Ngo-July 1914, yayisifinyelele naseGreat Britain, ibukelwa abantu ababegcwele amahholo eGlasgow naseLondon. Ngo-September yayisifinyelele eDenmark, eFinland, eJalimane, eSweden naseSwitzerland. Ngo-October, yayisifinyelele e-Australia naseNew Zealand. Ngonyaka wayo wokuqala yabukelwa abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-9.

Ikhophi ngayinye ye-“Photo-Drama” yayinama-slide amaningi, inama-reel amaningi ezithombe ezinyakazayo kanye nezinqwabanqwaba zamarekhodi. Kwakubiza ukwenza le filimu, futhi njalo lapho ibukiswa kwakudingeka abazalwane nodade abaningi abanokuhlangenwe nakho abazoyibukisa. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, yayidlalwa ikakhulu emadolobheni amakhulu. Ukuze ifinyelele emaphandleni, abaFundi BeBhayibheli benza namafilimu afushanisiwe e-“Photo-Drama.” Enye yawo, eyayaziwa ngokuthi i-“Eureka Drama Y,” yayinama-slide ayehambisana  nezinkulumo zeBhayibheli nomculo oqoshiwe. Enye ifilimu, eyayaziwa ngokuthi i-“Eureka Drama X”, nenye eyayimfushane ebizwa ngokuthi i-“Eureka Family Drama,” ayelalelwa kuphela, engenawo ama-slide nezithombe ezinyakazayo. E-United States, abantu abangaphezu kuka-70 000 babeye bayibukela enye yala mafilimu abizwa ngokuthi i-“Eureka Drama” ekupheleni kuka-1914, zingakapheli izinyanga ezine iqalile ukubukiswa.

Nakuba umsebenzi we-“Photo-Drama” wawumusha futhi uthokozisa, abaFundi BeBhayibheli baqaphela ukuthi eminye imikhakha yomsebenzi wokushumayela iyona eyayiza kuqala. Incwadi eyayivela kuCharles Taze Russell iya kuwo wonke ama-colporteur, manje abizwa ngokuthi amaphayona, yayithi: “Awukho umkhakha wenkonzo esiwaziyo othela izithelo ezinkulu ngaphezu kowama-colporteur kulesi sikhathi Sokuvuna. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, asiwakhuthazi ama-Colporteur ukuba  angenele umsebenzi wePhoto-Drama . . . Abanye abafowethu nodadewethu, nabo abathembekile eNkosini . . . bangawenza lo msebenzi.”

Ngo-January 1914, inani lama-colporteur lalingu-850. Njengoba unyaka uqhubeka, labo bashumayeli abashisekayo basakaza amakhophi angaphezu kuka-700 000 encwadi ethi Studies in the Scriptures. INqabayokulinda yathi “inesithakazelo” kuma-colporteur futhi yakhuthaza abafundi bayo ukuba “bawakhuthaze; ngoba inkonzo yawo ayilula ngaso sonke isikhathi.”

Abanye abaFundi BeBhayibheli basakaza amapheshana ngezilimi eziningi. Phakathi no-1914, bahambisa amakhophi angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-47 epheshana elithi The Bible Students Monthly namanye amapheshana!

Abantu bawuphawula umsebenzi wabaFundi BeBhayibheli. Babeshumayela obala, kungaqoqwa minikelo emihlanganweni yabo. Omunye umfundisi weLobukholwa wazikhalela: “Ngokushesha nje abantu bazocabanga ukuthi kuyicala ukuqoqa iminikelo, bese siba yini? UPastor Russell usithela ngehlazo sonke.”

AbaFundi BeBhayibheli babekholwa ukuthi “izikhathi zabeZizwe,” okukhulunywe ngazo kuLuka 21:24 (IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile), zaziyophela cishe ngo-October 1, 1914. Njengoba u-October ayesondela, ilukuluku landa. Abanye abaFundi BeBhayibheli babeze baphathe ngisho nekhadi ababebala ngalo izinsuku, njalo uma kuphela usuku, balucishe kulelo khadi. Abaningi babenomuzwa wokuthi bazobizwa badlulele ngale kwesihenqo, noma baye ezulwini ngalolo suku.

Ekuseni ngo-October 2, 1914, uMfoweth’ uRussell wangena endlini yokudlela eBethel, wamemezela: “Izikhathi ZabeZizwe ziphelile; amakhosi azo abusile.” Abanye kwababelapho bawakhumbula lawo mazwi ngoba ayesekelwe engomeni 171 eculweni labo elalithi Hymns of the Millennial Dawn. Kusukela ngo-1879 abaFundi BeBhayibheli babehlabelela bethi “Izikhathi  zabeZizwe sezizophela,” kepha lawo mazwi ayengaselona iqiniso ngoba iZikhathi ZabeZizwe, noma “izikhathi ezimisiwe zezizwe,” zase ziphelile. (Luka 21:24) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi amaculo ethu aliveza lolo shintsho olusemqoka.

Ekupheleni konyaka uMbuso kaMesiya wawusumisiwe emazulwini, futhi abanye abaFundi BeBhayibheli babecabanga ukuthi umsebenzi wabo usuphelile. Babengazi ukuthi base bezongena enkathini yokuvivinywa nokuhlungwa. Umbhalo wonyaka ka-1915 wawuthi “Ningasiphuza yini isitsha engizakusiphuza?,” usekelwe kuMathewu 20:22 eBhayibhelini lesiZulu elivamile. “Isitsha” uJesu ayekhuluma ngaso sasihlanganisa uvivinyo ayezobhekana nalo kuze kube sekufeni kwakhe. AbaFundi BeBhayibheli base bezobhekana novivinyo, luvela phakathi kwabo nangaphandle. Indlela ababezosabela ngayo kulolo vivinyo yayizofakazela ubuqotho babo kuJehova.