Isahluko 7 — Ukuqhubela Phambili Okukhawulezayo KoMyalezo

GSAM 126.1“NDAKUBONA esinye isithunywa esinamandla esithile sisihla sisuka ezulwini, sinxibe ifu: yaye umbala womnyama wawusentloko yaso, nobuso baso babunjengelanga, nezinyawo zaso zinjengeentsika zomlilo; yaye sasiphethe incwadi encinci evuliweyo ngesandla saso: saza sabeka unyawo lwaso lwasekunene elwandle, nolwasekhohlo emhlabeni, sakhwaza ngelizwi elikhulu, njengokukhwaza kwengonyama: kwaye sakuba sikhwazile, iindudumo ezisixhenxe zavakalisa amazwi azo.... Kwaye isithunywa endasibonayo simi elwandle nasemhlabeni saphakamisa isandla saso ezulwini, safunga ngaye ophila ngonaphakade, owadala izulu nezinto ezikulo, nomhlaba nezinto ezikulo, nolwandle nezinto ezikulo, ukuba akusayi kubakho xesha ngoku: kodwa kwiintsuku zelizwi lesithunywa sesixhenxe, xa siza kuqalisa ukuvuthela ixilongo, imfihlelo kaThixo iya kugqitywa, njengoko wayibhengeze kubakhonzi bakhe abaprofeti.”¹

GSAM 126Isithunywa Singumfuziselo Wabathunywa Abangabantu

GSAM 126.2Njengoko sele kubonisiwe, umsebenzi wokushumayela iNdaba eziLungileyo unikezelwe kumntu, kwaye iNkosi ithembise intsikelelo yayo kulo msebenzi de kube “sekupheleni kwehlabathi.”² Ngoko ke isithunywa esithwele lo myalezo kufuneka sibe ngumfuziselo womyalezo omalunga nexesha oza kushumayelwa kubahlali behlabathi. Lo myalezo ubhengezwa encwadini “evuliweyo,” nto leyo ebonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba yayikhe yavalwa. Aba bathunywa bayahlonitshwa nguThixo; kuba “umnyama,” uphawu lwesivumelwano sikaThixo, luphezu kwabo, kwaye bemi benxibe kukukhanya kobungangamsha bukaThixo, kwaye babhengeza umyalezo ngokugunyaziswa nguMdali wazo zonke izinto. Oko kubhengezwayo apha ngumyalezo wexesha, owakha “watywinywa,” kodwa ngoku ubhengezwa encwadini “evulelekileyo”.

GSAM 127.1Kwizahluko ezidlulileyo kungqineke ukuba iNkosi yaphawula ixesha lokuba kukhutshwe ukukhanya ngokunxulumene nokuvalwa kwexesha elikhulu lobuprofeti—iintsuku ezingamawaka amabini anamakhulu amathathu—elikhokelela kumgwebo wovavanyo; ukuba isiprofeto sokuba ulwazi luya kwanda sazaliseka ngokuchanekileyo ngokuphakanyiswa kwabaninzi abathi babonakaliselwa oko kukhanya; kwaye ukuba waphawula kwakhona ixesha apho “umfuziselo womthi wefigi” ufanele ukufundwa khona, ngokuphakamisa ootitshala bakhe ngelo xesha nalapho ukuze baphume baye kubhengeza loo mfuziselo kwihlabathi. Ngokuchaneka okufanayo waphawula indawo apho umyalezo wexesha ufanele ukuduma uye kwisikhalo sawo esikhulu, kwaye ngokuchaneka okufanayo kwagcwaliseka oko.

GSAM 127Isikhalo Esikhulu Somyalezo Wokuqala

GSAM 127.2Ixesha elaliza kwenziwa ngalo isikhalo esikhulu solu bhengezo ngumbuzo onomdla. Bekiwe apha phakathi kokuvakala kwexilongo lesithandathu nelesixhenxe, nto leyo enokubonwa kungekuphela ngendawo yaso kwingxelo yeziBhalo, kodwa nangeyona myalezo, ethi: “Kwiintsuku zelizwi lesithunywa sesixhenxe, xa siza kuqalisa ukuvuthela ixilongo, imfihlelo kaThixo iya kugqitywa, njengoko etshilo kubakhonzi bakhe abaprofeti.” Obu bubungqina obungathandabuzekiyo bokuba ixesha elibhengezwayo kule ngxelo liyafikelela ekukhaleni kwexilongo lesixhenxe.

GSAM 127Ixesha Lesikhalo Esikhulu

GSAM 127.3Xa isithunywa sesixhenxe sikhala, sifunda ukuba “itempile kaThixo yavulwa ezulwini, kwabonakala kwitempile yakhe iArki yesivumelwano sakhe.”³ Kwenkonzo yendawo engcwele yasemhlabeni, igumbi elinetyeya—eyona ndawo ingcwele—lalivulwa kanye ngonyaka; oko kwakusuku locamagushelo, kwaye ngeenjongo zokucima izono—ukucocwa kwendawo engcwele. Ixesha ekwathethwa ngalo ngabaprofeti, apho lo msebenzi wokucoca, njengoko ugqitywe nguKristu, uza kwenzeka, likwisiphelo seentsuku ezingamawaka amabini anamakhulu amathathu.⁴ Kukwatshiwo nokuba xa isithunywa sesixhenxe sikhala, amazwi ezulwini athi lifikile ixesha lokugwetywa kwabafileyo.⁵

GSAM 128.1Lo mqondiso wesiprofeto weSityhilelo 10 ubonisa ixesha apho lo myalezo uza kuphuma “ngelizwi elikhulu,” kwaye ekugqibeleni, “njengokugquma kwengonyama.” Ixesha lokuba, ngokwesi siprofeto, umyalezo wawuza kwanda uye “kwisikhalo esikhulu” lisusela ekupheleni kwexilongo lesithandathu kuye ekupheleni kwelo xesha liprofethiweke elikhokelela ekucocweni kwendawo engcwele, ngamanye amazwi, kuye ekupheleni kweentsuku ezingamawaka amabini anamakhulu amathathu. Amaxilongo okuqala amane agcwaliseka kwiimfazwe zamaGoths, amaVandals, amaHuns, njl., ezahlula iRoma yaseNtshona yaba ngamaqela okanye ubukumkani obulishumi.

GSAM 128Ixilongo Lesihlanu

GSAM 128.2Ixilongo lesihlanu libonisa ukunyuka kobuMohammedan kunye nefu yayo yeempazamo, kodwa ngakumbi ixesha “leenyanga ezintlanu,” okanye iminyaka elikhulu namashumi amahlanu yokwenene ukusukela ngexesha “babenokumkani phezu kwabo.” Nge-27 kaJulayi, 1299, u-Othman, umseki wobukhosi base-Ottoman, wahlasela umhlaba waseNicomedia. Ukususela ngelo xesha ama-Ottoman aphazamisa kwaye “abahlupha” ubukhosi baseMpuma baseRoma de kwaba nge-27 kaJulayi, 1449, iminyaka elikhulu namashumi amahlanu yokuvakala kwexilongo lesihlanu. Ngelo xesha amaTurkey eza ngemikhosi yawo ngokuchasene nesixeko saseConstantinople ngokwaso, esebenzisa umgubo wokudubula kwimfazwe yawo; yaye besuka kwibhamu enkulu nenzima, ethi umbhali-mbali uGibbon athi yayifuna iinkomo ezingamashumi amathandathu ukuyitsala, badubula amatye amakhulu kwiindonga zaseConstantinople.

GSAM 128Ukuvalwa KweTrompethi Yesithandathu

GSAM 128.3Malunga nexesha eli uJohn Palleologus, obhalwe ngababhali-mbali njengokumkani waseGrisi wokugqibela, wasweleka. UConstantine Decozes wayeyindlalifa efanelekileyo yetrone, kodwa kuthiwa uloyiko lwakhe ngo-Amurath, isultan yaseTurkey, owayelwa naye kweli dabi, lwamenza wacela imvume ku-Amurath ukuze akwazi ukukhwela itrone. Isenzo esinje sasinokubonakala phantse ngathi ukuncama itrone ukuze iye kumaTurkey. Enyanisweni, kungekudala ama-Ottoman athatha ulawulo lwesixeko saseConstantinople nobukhosi baseMpuma baseRoma. Ngoko ke bona (kwezopolitiko) “babulala” obo bukhosi ababekhe “bahlukumeza” ngaphambili. Babekufuneka “babulale” obo bukhosi ixesha “iyure, nosuku, nenyanga, nonyaka.”

GSAM 129.1Ukuthatha oku njengexesha lobuprofeti, usuku olumele unyaka omnye, ibiya kuba lixesha elingakanani na? Ingxaki ilula: unyaka, iintsuku ezingama-360, okanye iminyaka; inyanga, iintsuku ezingama-30, okanye iminyaka; kwaye usuku olunye, unyaka omnye,—zizonke, ziintsuku ezingama-391, okanye, ngokwenyani, iminyaka engama-391. Iyure enye, njengoko ilinxalenye yamashumi amabini anesine yosuku, njengesimboli, ingangesiqingatha senyanga, okanye iintsuku ezilishumi elinesihlanu. Ixesha lonke lolawulo oluzimeleyo lwamaMohammedan kwimimandla yaseMpuma Roma ngoko ke liya kuba yiminyaka engama-391 neentsuku ezili-15. Oku, xa kongezwe kumhla wama-27 kaJulayi, 1449, kusizisa kumhla we-11 ka-Agasti, 1840, wokuphela kwexesha lenkululeko yaseTurkey, njengoko kuchaziwe phantsi kwexilongo lesithandathu.

GSAM 129UGqr. Josiah Litch Uqikelela Ukuwa Kobukhosi base-Ottoman

GSAM 129.2Ngo-1838 uGqr. Josiah Litch, wasePhiladelphia, ePa., emva kokwamkela inyaniso eyachazwa nguWilliam Miller, wamanyana kumsebenzi wokwazisa ngakumbi lo myalezo. Walungiselela amanqaku okushicilelwa eluntwini ngesihloko samaxilongo asixhenxe eSityhilelo. Wathatha isimo esiqatha sokuba ixilongo lesithandathu liza kuphelelwa kukukhala kwaye ulawulo lwama-Ottoman luwe ngomhla we-11 ku-Agasti, 1840, nokuba oko kuza kubonisa ihlabathi ukuba usuku kwisiprofeto esifanekisayo lumela unyaka wexesha lokwenyani.

GSAM 129.3Abanye abazalwana, kwanabo babekholelwa naye kulo mba, bathi qhwa ngenxa yokoyika isiphumo “ukuba oko akuzukwenzeka” njengoko wayesitsho. Noko ke, oku akuzange kumtyhafise, kodwa waqhubela phambili wenza konke okusemandleni akhe ukwazisa uluntu ngeembono zakhe ngomba waseTurkey. Iijenali zikawonke-wonke zasasaza kwihlabathi jikelele ibango awayelenzileyo ngalo mbandela. Iiklabhu zabangakholwayo zaxoxa ngalo mbuzo kwiintlanganiso zazo, zaza zathi, “Nanku umntu ozama ithamsanqa, kwaye ukuba le nto iyaphuma njengoko esitsho, oko kuza kuqinisekisa ibango lakhe ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo lokuba usuku esinye esiprofetweni simele unyaka, nokuba iintsuku ezingamawaka amabini anamakhulu amathathu ziyiminyaka engako, nokuba ziya kuphela ngo-1844.”

GSAM 130.1Ukupapashwa kwentetho kaGqr. Litch kwabangela ingxokozelo enkulu, yaye amawaka amaninzi abizwa ngaloo ndlela ukuba alindele isiphelo seengxaki ezazivele phakathi kukaMehemet Ali, ipasha yaseJiputa, kunye nesultan waseTurkey. Amakhulu abantu bathi, “Ukuba le meko iphela njengoko ugqirha etshilo, oko kuza kuqinisekisa umgaqo ‘wonyaka-usuku’ wokutolika ixesha elingumfuziselo, yaye siya kuba ngama-Adventist.”

GSAM 130USultan waseTurkey eMfazweni nePasha yaseJiputa

GSAM 130.2Kwiminyaka eliqela phambi kowe-1840, usultan wayesele engqubana emfazweni noMehemet Ali, ipasha yaseJiputa. Ngo-1838 ingxaki phakathi kosultan nomhlanka wakhe waseJiputa yayithintelwe okwethutyana ngempembelelo yee-ambasade ezivela phesheya. Nangona kunjalo, ngo-1839, ukulwa kwaqala kwakhona, kwaza kwaqhubeka de, kwidabi elikhulu phakathi kwemikhosi kaSultan noMehemet, umkhosi kaSultan watshatyalaliswa ngokupheleleyo waza watshatyalaliswa, kwaye umkhosi wakhe waselwandle wathathwa nguMehemet waza wathuthwa wasiwa eJiputa. Wayehle waba sesichengeni kangako usultani, kangangokuba, xa imfazwe yaqala kwakhona ngo-Agasti, wayeneenqanawa ezimbini kuphela ezinkulu nezinamandla kunye neenqanawa ezintathu ezikhawulezayo njengamasalela abuhlungu oluhlu lweenqanawa zaseTurkey olwalukhe lwaba namandla. Olu luhlu lweenqanawa uMehemet wala ngqongqo ukulunikezela aze alubuyisele kusultani, waza wabhengeza ukuba ukuba imibuso yazama ukuluthatha kuye, uza kulutshisa. Kwimeko leyo izinto zazimi, xa ngo-1840, iNgilani, iRashiya, iOstreya, nePrashiya zangenelela, zaza zagqiba ekubeni kulungiswe le ngxaki; kuba kwakucacile ukuba, ukuba wayeshiywa, uMehemet wayeza kuba nguye owawulawula itrone yesultan kungekudala.

GSAM 131Ungenelelo lwamaZwe aManyeneyo

GSAM 131.1USultan wayamkela olu ngenelelo lwamaZwe aManyeneyo, waza ngaloo ndlela wanikezela ngalo mba ngokuzithandela ezandleni zawo. Kwabanjwa inkomfa yala mazwe eLondon, apho umsheikh, u-Effendi Bey Likgis, wayekhona njengommeli opheleleyo wama-Ottoman. Kwenziwa isilumkiso sokugqibela, esasiza kunikezelwa kuPasha waseJiputa, apho uSultan wayeza kumnika ulawulo lweJiputa olulifa, nalo lonke elo candelo laseSiriya elisusela kwiGulf yaseSuez ukuya kwiChibi laseTiberias, kunye nephondo laseAcre, ubomi bakhe bonke; yena, kwicala lakhe, wayeza kurhoxa kuzo zonke ezinye iindawo zolawulo lukaSultan awayezithabathe ngelo xesha, aze abuyise iinqanawa zemfazwe zama-Ottoman. Ukuba ebenokuyala esi sinikelo sisuka kusultan, la mazwe mane ayeza kuthatha umcimbi ngesandla, aze asebenzise ezinye iindlela zokumenza amkele imiqathango njengoko ebona kufanelekile.

GSAM 131.2Kwakucacile ukuba kamsinya nje esi saziso sokugqibela sakuba sifakwe ezandleni zikaMehemet Ali, lo mcimbi ubuya kuba ngaphaya kolawulo losultan ngonaphakade, kwaye ukulungiswa kwemicimbi yakhe, ukusukela ngelo xesha, kwakuya kuba ezandleni zamagunya angaphandle.

GSAM 131Isiprofeto Esizalisekileyo—Isiphelo Senkululeko YaseTurkey

GSAM 131.3“USultan wathuma uRifat Bey ngenqanawa karhulumente eqhutywa ngumphunga eAlexandria, ukuba aye kuxelela uPasha esi saziso sokugqibela. Safakwa ezandleni zakhe, waza wasamkela, ngomhla we-11 ku-Agasti, 1840! Ngaloo mini kanye, isultani wathumela inowuthi koonozakuzaku bamagunya amane, ebabuza ukuba luluphi uqhinga oluza kusetyenziswa xa ipasha ingavumi ukuthobela imiqathango yesilumkiso sokugqibela; apho baphendula bathi kwakusele kulungiselelwe yonke into, kwaye akukho mfuneko yokuba azikhathaze ngayo nayiphi na ingozi enokwenzeka. Ngalo mhla, ixesha leminyaka engamakhulu amathathu namashumi alithoba ananye neentsuku ezilishumi elinesihlanu elalibekelwe ukuqhubeka kolawulo lwama-Ottoman liphelile; yaye yayiphi inkululeko kaSultan?—Yaphela!”⁶

GSAM 132.1Ukususela ngaloo mini kude kube namhlanje, usultan kuye kwafuneka enze ngokomyalelo wamazwe anamandla, aze abukele ukwahlulwa kobukumkani bakhe, njengoko isiqwenga ngesiqwenga besithathwa njengento yabo.

GSAM 132Umdla Woluntu Kwiziprofeto Uvusiwe

GSAM 132.2Oku kuzaliseka kwesiprofeto okumangalisayo kwaba nefuthe elikhulu kakhulu kwingqondo yoluntu. Kwandisa umdla wabantu wokuva ngesihloko sesiprofeto esizalisekileyo nesisazalisekayo. UGqr. Litch wathi kwiinyanga ezimbalwa emva kuka-Agasti 11, 1840, wayefumene iileta ezivela kubantu abangaphezu kwewaka abaziwayo abangakholwayo, abanye babo beyingqonyela yamaklabhu abangakholwayo, apho babhale khona ukuba bayiyekile imfazwe yokulwa neBhayibhile, kwaye bayamkele njengotyhileko lukaThixo oluya ebantwini. Abanye babo baguquka ngokupheleleyo kuThixo, kwaye inani labo laba ngabavakalisi abakwaziyo kwintshukumo enkulu yokuza kwesibini. Abanye baziveze kuGqr. Litch ngale ndlela: “Besithi abachazi besiprofeto bacaphula kumaphepha omlando amadala kakhulu ukuze baqinisekise amabango abo okupheleliseka kweprofeto; kodwa kweli cala sinokwenyani okubonakalayo kanye phambi kwamehlo ethu.”

GSAM 132.3Ukuze ndibonise indlela, kanye ekupheleni kwexilongo lesithandathu, umyalezo wokubuya waqala ukuhamba “ngelizwi elikhulu,” ndiza kuchaza isibonelo njengoko sandixelelwa ngomnye wabantu ababeyinxalenye yalo myalezo.

GSAM 132.4Kunyaka ka-1840, u-E. C. Williams, umenzi omkhulu weentente neeseyile, waseRochester, eN.Y., wayamkela lo myalezo, waza wamema ooMfundisi uMiller noHimes ukuba beze eRochester baze bathethe kumawaka oloo dolophu. Baphendula bathi abanawo imali efunekayo ukuqinisekisa iholo enkulu ngokwaneleyo yokwamkela abantu. Waphendula wathi, “Ndinetente engqukuva enobubanzi obuziifithi ezili-120. Ndiza kuyimisa, ndifake izihlalo kuyo, ndiyikhathalele, simahla. Yizani nikhwaze umyalezo.” “Baza,” watsho kum, “kwaye intente ayanelanga nesiqingatha sabo babezile ukuze baphulaphule, ngoko ndafaka isiqwenga esongezelelweyo esingamafuti angamashumi amane, ndenza intente enobukhulu obuyi-160 x 120 yeefuti. Le ntente yayizaliswe ngabantu mihla le, kwaye amakhulu ayexinene ngaphandle, bonke benomdla wokuliva ilizwi.”

GSAM 133Amakhulu Abhengeza Umyalezo

GSAM 133.1Ukuhlangabezana nomdla okhulayo, kwakusetyenziswa iintente ezinkulu, kwaye iintlanganiso phakathi kwemithi zazibanjwa ehlotyeni. Ezinye zezona zakhiwo zinkulu zeecawa neeholo zikawonke-wonke zazisetyenziswa ebusika, kwaye zonke zazizele kwaphela ngabaphulaphuli abanomdla. Endaweni kaMfundisi uMiller ngoku emi “phantse eyedwa” ekubhengezeni umyalezo, njengoko wayenjenjalo phambi konyaka we-1840, malunga namakhulu amathathu ahlanganyela naye ekubhengezeni esidlangalaleni ukuphela kwexesha leentsuku ezingamawaka amabini anamakhulu amathathu, nasekukhwazeni bathi, “Akusayi kubakho ixesha elingaphezulu,” kwaye, “Lifikile ixesha lokugweba kwakhe.” Ngoko ke sibona ukuba, xa kwafika ixesha leNkosi lokuba lo myalezo unyuswe kwihlabathi jikelele, ilizwi layo lazaliseka, yaye izigidi zabantu zavuselelwa ngumnqweno wokuphulaphula olo bizo.

GSAM 133.2Into eyayiyinyani ngentshukumo yaseMelika yayiyinyani nakwamanye amazwe. Ukususela kunyaka ka-1840, endaweni yokuba kubekho abantu abambalwa abasasaza iimpapasho zabo, amashumi abantu avela, ngathi, phambili ukuza kubhengeza esi sibhengezo. E-England, kwakukho abafundisi abangamakhulu asixhenxe beBandla laseNgilani bodwa ababhengeza lo myalezo, singasathethi ke ngamashumi abanye ababebandakanyekile kuloo msebenzi mnye. Kumazwe angaphezu kwamashumi amabini aphambili emhlabeni, umyalezo wawuhamba ngaloo ntshiseko eyabangela ukuba umbukeli athi, “Abantu aba bazimisele ngokoyikekayo.”