1-3. (a) Yini okufanele singayikhohlwa lapho sibuzwa ngezinkolelo zethu eziyinhloko? (b) Kungani uvuko lubalulekile? (Bheka isithombe esisekuqaleni.)

UBUNGATHINI, uma ubungabuzwa ukuthi, ‘Yiziphi izimfundiso eziyinhloko zokholo lwakho?’ Ngokuqinisekile ubungaqokomisa ukuthi uJehova unguMdali noMiniki-kuphila. Cishe ubungasho nokuthi unokholo kuJesu Kristu, owafa ukuze asihlenge. Ubungaveza nokuthi esikhathini esizayo, umhlaba uzoba yipharadesi lapho kuyohlala khona abantu bakaNkulunkulu phakade. Kodwa ubungakhuluma yini ngethemba lovuko njengenye yezinkolelo ozithanda kakhulu?

² Sinesizathu esihle sokubheka ithemba lovuko njengenye yezimfundiso eziyinhloko ngisho noma sinethemba lokusinda osizini olukhulu, siphile phakade emhlabeni singazange sife. Umphostoli uPawulu wabonisa ukuthi kungani uvuko lubaluleke kakhulu okholweni lwethu: “Uma ngempela lungekho uvuko lwabafileyo, noKristu akavuswanga.” Ukube uKristu akavuswanga, ubengeke abe yiNkosi yethu ebusayo futhi imfundiso yethu yokubusa kukaKristu ngabe iyize. (Funda eyoku-1 Korinte 15:12-19.) Nokho, siyazi ukuthi uJesu wavuswa. Ngenxa yokuthi sinalolo kholo, sihlukile kubaSadusi abangamaJuda, ababekuphikisa ngokuqinile ukuthi abafile bazovuswa. Ngisho nalapho senziwa inhlekisa, sinamathela ngokuqinile  ethembeni lethu lovuko.​—Marku 12:18; IzE. 4:2, 3; 17:32; 23:6-8.

³ Lapho uPawulu ebhala ‘ngemfundiso yokuqala ephathelene noKristu,’ wakhuluma ‘nangemfundiso . . . yovuko lwabafileyo.’ (Heb. 6:1, 2) Lapho uPawulu ekhuluma ngethemba lovuko, wabonisa kuthi kwakuyinto ayeyikholelwa ngempela. (IzE. 24:10, 15, 24, 25) Kodwa ukuthi uvuko luyingxenye yemfundiso yokuqala, enye ‘yezinto zokucathula zamazwi angcwele kaNkulunkulu,’ akusho ukuthi luyimfundiso okumelwe siyithathe kalula. (Heb. 5:12) Kungani?

4. Yimiphi imibuzo esingase sizibuze yona ngovuko?

⁴ Njengoba abantu beqala ukufunda iBhayibheli, abaningi bafunda ngabantu basendulo abavuswa ekufeni, njengoLazaru. Bafunda nokuthi u-Abrahama, uJobe noDaniyeli babeqiniseka ngokuthi esikhathini esizayo abafile bayovuka. Noma kunjalo, ubungathini uma othile ecela ubufakazi obubonisa ukuthi singazethemba izithembiso zovuko ezenziwa emakhulwini eminyaka edlule? Nokuthi iBhayibheli liyasho ngempela yini ukuthi abantu abafile bayovuswa nini? Lokho kuyaluthinta ukholo lwethu, ngakho ake sihlole imiBhalo sibone ukuthi yini esingayithola kuyo.

5. Yini esizoxoxa ngayo kuqala?

⁵ Kungase kube lula ukukholelwa ukuthi umuntu osanda kufa angavuswa. (Joh. 11:11; IzE. 20:9, 10) Kodwa kuthiwani ngesithembiso sokuthi kuyoba novuko esikhathini esizayo, mhlawumbe ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka? Ungasethemba yini leso sithembiso sokuvuswa kwabantu esikhathini esizayo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kuvuswa umuntu osanda kufa noma osenesikhathi eside efile? Empeleni uvuko olwathenjiswa emakhulwini eminyaka edlule luye lwenzeka futhi uye wabonisa ukholo kulo. Kanjani? Lokho kuhlobana kanjani novuko esilulindele esikhathini esizayo?

6. UJesu wayehileleke kanjani ekugcwalisekeni kweHubo 118?

⁶ Ngokuphathelene novuko olwabikezelwa eminyakeni eminingi ngaphambili, cabanga ngalokho okushiwo yiHubo 118, okungenzeka lalotshwa uDavide. Linalesi sicelo: “Awu, Jehova, siza usindise! . . . Ubusisiwe ozayo egameni likaJehova.” Cishe uyakhumbula ukuthi abantu bacaphuna lo mBhalo okhuluma ngoMesiya lapho uJesu engena eJerusalema egibele imbongolo ngoNisani 9 ngaphambi nje kokuba afe. (IHu. 118:25, 26; Math. 21:7-9) IHubo 118 lalibhekisela kanjani ovukweni olwaluzokwenzeka esikhathini esizayo? Phawula nokunye okwashiwo yileli hubo eliyisiprofetho: “Itshe elaliwa abakhi seliyé laba yinhloko yegumbi.”​—IHu. 118:22.

7. AmaJuda amala ngayiphi indlela uJesu?

⁷ “Abakhi,” okungabaholi abangamaJuda, bamala uMesiya. Benza okungaphezu nje kokungamnaki uJesu noma ukwenqaba ukumamukela njengoKristu. AmaJuda amaningi amala aze anxusa ukuba abulawe. (Luka 23:18-23) Aba nesandla ekubulaweni kukaJesu.

8. UJesu waba kanjani ‘itshe eliyinhloko yegumbi’?

⁸ Uma uJesu aliwa futhi wabulawa, waba kanjani ‘yitshe eliyinhloko yegumbi’? Lokho kwakungenzeka kuphela uma evuswa ekufeni. UJesu ngokwakhe wakuveza lokho. Wenza umzekeliso wabalimi abaphatha kabi izinceku ezithunywe umnikazi wesivini, ngendlela ama-Israyeli ayebaphatha kabi ngayo abaprofethi  abathunywe uNkulunkulu. Ekugcineni, kulo mzekeliso, umnikazi wesivini uthumela indodana yakhe ayithandayo eyindlalifa. Ingabe bayamukela indodana? Cha. Kunalokho, abalimi bayibulala. Ngemva kokusho lo mzekeliso uJesu wacaphuna iHubo 118:22 eliyisiprofetho. (Luka 20:9-17) Umphostoli uPetru wasebenzisa ivesi elifanayo lapho ekhuluma ‘nababusi namadoda amadala nababhali’ ababebuthene eJerusalema. Wakhuluma ‘ngoJesu Kristu umNazaretha, enambethela kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo.’ UPetru wabe esethi: “Lo ‘uyitshe nina bakhi enaliphatha njengelingento yalutho eseliyinhloko yegumbi.’”​—IzE. 3:15; 4:5-11; 1 Pet. 2:5-7.

9. Yini eyabikezelwa yiHubo 118:22?

⁹ IHubo 118:22 labikezela uvuko olwaluyokwenzeka ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka. Labikezela ukuthi uMesiya wayeyokwaliwa futhi afe, kodwa wayeyovuswa abe itshe eliyinhloko yegumbi. Ngakho le Ndodana evusiwe yaba ukuphela komuntu ogama lakhe liphakathi “kwabantu okumelwe sisindiswe ngalo.”​—IzE. 4:12; Efe. 1:20.

10. (a) Yini eyabikezelwa yiHubo 16:10? (b) Kungani singaqiniseka ngokuthi iHubo 16:10 aligcwalisekanga kuDavide?

¹⁰ Cabanga ngelinye ivesi elikhuluma ngovuko oluyokwenzeka esikhathini esizayo. Leli vesi lalotshwa kusasele izinkulungwane zeminyaka, lokho kufanele kuluqinise ukholo lwakho lokuthi umuntu angavuswa ngemva kweminyaka ashona. Encwadini yeHubo 16, okungenzeka yalotshwa uDavide sifunda lokhu: “Ngeke uwushiye umphefumulo wami eShiyoli. Ngeke umvumele oqotho wakho abone igodi.” (IHu. 16:10) UDavide wayengasho ukuthi ngeke afe noma angcwatshwe eShiyoli noma ethuneni. IZwi likaNkulunkulu liyachaza ukuthi uDavide waguga. Ngemva kokufa “walala kanye nokhokho bakhe wangcwatshwa eMzini KaDavide.” (1 AmaKh. 2:1, 10) Pho, lisho ukuthi iHubo 16:10?

11. UPetru wakhuluma nini ngeHubo 16:10?

¹¹ Asishiyiwe ebumnyameni. Ngemva kweminyaka eyinkulungwane lelo hubo lalotshwa nangemva kokuba uJesu efile wavuswa, uPetru wakhuluma nezinkulungwane zamaJuda namaproselithe ngeHubo 16:10. (Funda izEnzo 2:29-32.) Wachaza ukuthi uDavide washona futhi wangcwatshwa. Labo ababemlalele babekwazi lokho. Ukulandisa akubonisi ukuthi ukhona kubo owamphikisa uPetru lapho ethi “uDavide wakhuluma ngokuphathelene nokuvuka” kukaMesiya owayebikezelwe.

12. IHubo 16:10 lagcwaliseka kanjani futhi lokho kuqinisekisani ngethemba lovuko?

¹² UPetru wagcizelela iphuzu lakhe ngokucaphuna lokho okwashiwo uDavide encwadini yeHubo 110:1. (Funda izEnzo 2:33-36.) Lokho uPetru akusho okwakuvumelana nemiBhalo kwasiza isixuku esasilalele saqiniseka ngokuthi uJesu ‘wayeyiNkosi noKristu.’ Abantu baqaphela ukuthi iHubo 16:10 lagcwaliseka lapho uJesu evuswa kwabafileyo. Kamuva, umphostoli uPawulu wasebenzisa ubufakazi obufanayo lapho ekhuluma namaJuda edolobheni lase-Antiyokiya ePhisidiya. Bakuthanda lokho abakuzwa futhi bafuna ukuzwa okwengeziwe. (Funda izEnzo 13:32-37,42.) Kufanele kusihlabe umxhwele ngempela ukuqaphela ukuthi lezo ziprofetho zeBhayibheli zovuko zazithembekile, ngisho noma zabikezelwa kusasele amakhulu eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba zigcwaliseke.

13. Yimuphi umbuzo ngovuko esingase sizibuze wona?

¹³ Kumelwe kusikhuthaze ukwazi ukuthi  isithembiso sovuko singagcwaliseka ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka sabikezelwa. Noma kunjalo, singazibuza: ‘Ingabe lokho kusho ukuthi kungase kudingeke ngilinde isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba ngibone izihlobo zami engizithandayo? Luyokwenzeka nini uvuko engilulindele? UJesu watshela abaphostoli bakhe ukuthi kunezinto ababezozazi nezinto ababengeke bazazi. Ikhona imininingwane ephathelene ‘nezikhathi noma izinkathi uBaba azishiyele kuye ngokwakhe.’ (IzE. 1:6, 7; Joh. 16:12) Nokho, sinalo ulwazi oluthile lokuthi uvuko luyokwenzeka nini.

14. Uvuko lukaJesu luhluke kanjani kolwalabo abavuswa ngaphambi kwakhe?

¹⁴ Ukuze uqonde lokhu, cabanga ngezithembiso zovuko ezibikezelwa yiBhayibheli. Esibaluleke kunazo zonke yileso esimayelana noJesu. Ukube akavuswanga, akekho kithi obeyoba nethemba lokubona kuvuswa abantu esibathandayo. Labo abavuswa ngaphambi kukaJesu, njengalabo abavuswa u-Eliya no-Elisha, abazange baphile phakade. Baphinde bafa futhi baphelela ethuneni. Ngokungafani nabo, uJesu ‘wavuswa kwabafileyo futhi akasafi, ukufa akuseyona inkosi phezu kwakhe.’ Manje uphila “phakade naphakade” ezulwini.​—Roma 6:9; IsAm. 1:5, 18; Kol. 1:18; 1 Pet. 3:18.

15. Kungani uKristu ebizwa ngokuthi “ulibo”?

¹⁵ UJesu ungumuntu wokuqala owavuselwa ezulwini futhi uvuko lwakhe yilo olubaluleke kakhulu. (IzE. 26:23) Nokho, bakhona nabanye abathenjiswe ukuvuselwa ezulwini babe yizidalwa zomoya. UJesu waqinisekisa abaphostoli bakhe abathembekile ngokuthi babeyobusa naye ezulwini. (Luka 22:28-30) Ukuze bathole lowo mvuzo, kwakuyodingeka bafe kuqala. Ngemva kwalokho, njengoKristu babeyovuswa banikwe umzimba womoya. UPawulu wabhala ukuthi “uKristu uvusiwe kwabafileyo, ulibo lwalabo asebalala.” UPawulu wabe eseveza ukuthi bakhona nabanye ababeyovuselwa ezulwini, wathi: “Yilowo nalowo esigabeni sakhe siqu: UKristu ulibo, kamuva kube yilabo abangabakaKristu phakathi nokuba khona kwakhe.”​—1 Kor. 15:20, 23.

16. Yini esenza sibone ukuthi ukuvuselwa ezulwini kwaqala nini?

¹⁶ Lokho kusenza sibone ukuthi ukuvuselwa ezulwini kwenzeka nini. Kwakuyokwenzeka “phakathi nokuba khona kwakhe.” Sekuyiminyaka oFakazi BakaJehova besebenzisa iBhayibheli ukuze babonise ukuthi “ukuba khona” kukaKristu kwaqala ngo-1914 nokuthi ukuphela kwalesi simiso sezinto sekuseduze kunanini ngaphambili.

17, 18. Yini eyokwenzeka kwabanye babagcotshiwe phakathi nokuba khona kukaKristu?

 ¹⁷ IBhayibheli lenezela eminye imininingwane ngokuvuselwa ezulwini: “Asifuni ukuba nibe abangenalwazi ngalabo abalele . . . Ngoba uma ukholo lwethu luwukuthi uJesu wafa wabuye wavuka, kanjalo futhi uNkulunkulu uyobaletha kanye naye labo asebalala . . . Thina esiphilayo esiphila kuze kube sekubeni khona kweNkosi ngeke nangayiphi indlela sibandulele labo asebalala; ngoba iNkosi ngokwayo iyokwehla ezulwini ngezwi elinegunya, . . . futhi labo abafileyo bamunye noKristu bayovuka kuqala. Ngemva kwalokho thina esiphilayo esisekhona siyothathwa kanye nabo ngamafu ukuze sihlangabeze iNkosi emoyeni; kanjalo siyoba neNkosi ngaso sonke isikhathi.”​—1 Thes. 4:13-17.

¹⁸ Uvuko lokuqala luyokwenzeka ngemva kwesikhathi esithile “ukuba khona” kukaKristu sekuqalile. Abagcotshiwe abazobe besaphila phakathi nosizi olukhulu ‘bayothathwa ngamafu.’ (Math. 24:31) Labo ‘abayothathwa ngamafu’ ngeke ‘balale’ ekufeni ngomqondo wokuthi ngeke bafe isikhathi eside. ‘Bayoshintshwa, ngomzuzwana, ngokuphazima kweso, phakathi necilongo lokugcina.’​—1 Kor. 15:51, 52.

19. Yiluphi “uvuko olungcono” esilulindele?

¹⁹ Namuhla, amaKristu amaningi athembekile awagcotshiwe futhi awakhethiwe ukuba ayobusa noKristu ezulwini. Kunalokho, alindele ukuqedwa kwalesi simiso sezinto esibi ‘ngosuku lukaJehova.’ Akekho owazi ngokuqondile ukuthi leso sikhathi siyofika nini, kodwa ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi sekuseduze. (1 Thes. 5:1-3) Ngemva kwalokho, kuyoba nolunye uhlobo lovuko, uvuko lwasemhlabeni oyipharadesi. Abayovuswa bayokwenziwa baphelele futhi ngeke besafa. Ngokuqinisekile lolo kuyoba “uvuko olungcono” kunalolo olwenzeka endulo lapho “abesifazane bamukela abafileyo babo ngovuko” kodwa kamuva baphinde bafa.​—Heb. 11:35.

20. Kungani siqiniseka ngokuthi uvuko luyokwenzeka ngendlela ehlelekile?

²⁰ Lapho likhuluma ngalabo abayovuselwa ezulwini iBhayibheli lithi, bayovuswa “yilowo nalowo esigabeni sakhe siqu.” (1 Kor. 15:23) Siyaqiniseka ukuthi uvuko lwasemhlabeni nalo luyokwenzeka ngendlela ehlelekile. Lokho kusenza sizibuze: Ingabe labo abasanda kufa, bayovuswa ngasekuqaleni Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane Yokubusa KukaKristu futhi bamukelwe yizihlobo zabo ezibathandayo? Ingabe amadoda asendulo athembekile ayengabaholi ayovuswa kuqala ukuze ahlele abantu bakaNkulunkulu ezweni elisha? Kuthiwani ngabantu abangazange bamazi uJehova? Bayovuswa nini futhi kuphi? Miningi imibuzo esingazibuza yona. Kodwa-ke uma sikhuluma iqiniso, sikhona yini isidingo sokuzibuza le mibuzo manje? Akungcono yini ukuthi sivele silinde sibone? Siyaqiniseka ukuthi kuyosishiya sikhexile ukubona indlela uJehova ayobe enza ngayo izinto.

21. Liyini ithemba lakho ngovuko?

²¹ Okwamanje, kufanele siqinise ukholo lwethu kuJehova owasiqinisekisa ngoJesu ukuthi uyobavusa abafile abasenkumbulweni yaKhe. (Joh. 5:28, 29; 11:23) Ukuze afakazele ukuthi uJehova unamandla okuvusa abafile, uJesu wake wathi ngo-Abrahama, u-Isaka, noJakobe: “Bonke bayaphila kuye.” (Luka 20:37, 38) Sinesizathu esiqinile sokuvumelana namazwi kaPawulu, owathi: “Nginethemba kuNkulunkulu . . . lokuthi kuyoba khona uvuko.”​—IzE. 24:15.