Ukhwezi ezulwini, ngaphambhi kovukelo lwakhe, waye sisithunywa esiphakamileyo nesibekekileyo, elandela ngokubekwa uNyana othandiweyo kaThixo. Inkangeleko yakhe, kwa njengaleyo yezinye izithunywa, yayizolile ibonakalalisa ukonwaba. Ibunzi lakhe lalilide libanzi lisalatha ingqondo enkulu. Indalo yakhe yayigqibelele ; isimo sakhe sibukeka sinobungangamsha. Kwakukho ukukhanya okukodwa ebusweni bakhe buthe tha macala onke kuye bubengezela bubuhle ngaphezu kobo baburaqe ezinye izithunywa; kanti noko uKristu, uNyana othandiweyo kaThixo, waye yincamisa kuwo wonke umkhosi wezithunywa zezulu. Waye mnye noYise ngaphambhi kokuba izithunywa zezulu zidalwe. UKhwezi wammonela uKristu, waza ngokucondobezayo waya ethabatha ilungelo elalilunge kuKristu kuphela.IL 11.1

UmDali omkhulu wawuhlanganisela ndawonye umkhosi wezulu, ukuze athi ebusweni bazo zonke izi-thunywa zezulu anikele imbheko eyodwa kuNyana wakhe. UNyana wayehleli etroneni kunye noYise, saye isihlwele sasezulwini sezithunywa ezingcwele sihlanganisene sibangqongile. UYise wazisa ke ukuba kwakumiselwe nguye ukuba uKristu, uNyana wakhe, alingane naye; ngangokuba naphina apho uNyana akhoyo, kube ngathi kukho yena ngenkqu. Ilizwi loNyana ma lithotyelwe njengelizwi likaYise. Wayemnike uNyana wakhe igunya lokulaula umkhosi wezulu. UNyana wakhe wayeza kusebenzisana naye ngokukodwa kumsebenzi owawulindelekile wokudalwa komhlaba nazo zonke izinto eziphilileyo ezaziza kubakho phezu komhlaba. UNyana wakhe wayeza kuphumeza intando yakhe neenjongo zakhe kodwa angenzi nanye into yedwa. Intando kaYise yayiza kuzalisekiswa kuye.IL 11.2

Ukhwezi wayemmonela emkhwelezela uYesu Kristu. Kodwa ke xa zonke izithunywa ziqubuda kuYesu zivuma ngako oko ubongameli negunya lakhe eliphakamileyo nelungelo lokulaula, waqubuda kunye nazo; noko intliziyo yakhe yayizele ngumona nentiyo. UKristu wayengeniswe ebhungeni elilodwa likaThixo elingamacebo akhe, ekubeni uKhwezi waye ngawazi. Wayengaziqondi, engavunyelwanga kananjalo ukuba azazi iinjongo zikaThixo. U-Kristu ke kodwa wayevunyiwe ukuba uyikumkani yezulu, amandla negunya lakhe lifana nelikaThixo ngenkqu. UKhwezi wacinga ukuba yena usisithandwa ezulwini phakathi kwezithunywa. Wayebekwe kwindawo ephakamileyo kakhulu, kanti ke oku akuzange kudale kuye umbulelo nokunika udumo kumDali wakhe. Wazixhumisela ekuphakameni okungangokukaThixo ngokwakhe. Waziqhayisa ngokuphakama kwakhe. Wayesazi ukuba ubekiwe zizithunywa. Waye nomsebenzi owodwa awenzayo. Wayesondele kumDali omkhulu, yaza imitha engapheliyo yobuqaqauli bokukhanya obugubungele uThixo ongunaphakade bathi tyaba ngokukodwa phezu kwakhe. Wacinga ngoko izithunywa ziyithobela ngako imiyalelo yakhe ngokukhauleza zonwabile. Izambhato zakhe zazingakhanyi na zizihle? Ngani na ke ngoko ukuba uKristu ahlonelwe ngaphezu kwakhe?IL 12.1

Wesuka endaweni yakhe phambhi kobuso boYise, enganelisekanga ezaliswe kukumonela uYesu Kristu. Eyifihlile eyona njongo yakhe, wawuhlanganisa umkhosi wezithunywa zezulu. Wawandlala umcimbhi wakhe, owawunguye. Njengalowo uhlungisiweyo, wabonisa ikhethe likaThixo ngokunyula uYesu amshiye yena. Wazixelela ukuba ukususela ngoku yonke leya nkululeko imnandi ibixhanyulwa zizithunywa zezulu iphelile. Kuba akumiswanga mlauli na phezu kwazo, ekuza kuthi ukususela ngoku zinyanzeleke ukuba zinikele kuye imbheko yobukhonzi? Wabonisa kuzo ukuba uzihlanganisele ndawonye ukuba aziqinisekise ukuba akasayi kuphinda aluthobele olungenelo lwamalungelo akhe nawazo; nokuba akasayi kuphinda mpela aqubude kuKristu; nokuba uya kuzithabathela imbheko eyayimelwe kukuba inikelwe kuye, kananjalo eya kuba ngumphathi wabo bonke abaya kuzinikela ekumlandeleni nasekuphulaphuleni izwi lakhe.IL 12.2

Kwabakho ingxabano phakathi kwezithunywa zezulu. UKhwezi namavelana akhe babezamela ukuluhlaziya ulaulo lukaThixo. Babe nganelisekanga bengonwabanga ngenxa yokuba babe ngenako ukukhangela ebulumkweni bakhe obungenakuphengululwa baziqonde iinjongo zakhe ekumphakamiseni uNyana wakhe, amsoke ngamandla angenamlinganiselo negunya elingaka. Balivukela igunya loNyana.IL 13.1

Izithunywa ezazithobele zinyanisekile zazama ukusixolisela entandweni yomDali esisithunywa sinamandla sinovukelo. Zasigwebela isenzo sikaThixo sokunika imbheko kuKristu, zaza ngokumbonisa okunamandla zazamela ukumoyisela uKhwezi ekubeni alincitshiswanga iwonga lakhe abenalo ngaphambhi kokuba uThixo avakalise lembheko ayinikele kuNyana wakhe. Zacacisa phandle ukuba uKristu unguNyana kaThixo, owaye kunye naye ngaphambhi kokuba izithunywa zidalwe; kwaye waye soloko emi ngasekunene kukaYise, negunya lakhe lothando olunobulali ukuza kufikelela ngoko lwalungabuzeki ; kananjalo engakhange anikele mithetho engathanga ibe luvuyo lomkhosi wezulu ukuyenza. Zaqinisekisa ukuba ukunikwa kukaKristu imbheko eyodwa evela kuYise, phambhi kwezithunywa, akuzange kuphungule embhekweni eyayisamkelwa nguKhwezi ngaphambhili. Izithunywa zalila. Zazama ngenkathalelo ukumchukumisa ukuba ayilahle lengcamango ikhohlakeleyo anikele intobelo kumDali wazo; kuba ngaphambhili konke kwa kuluxolo nolungelelwano, iyintoni na ke engabangela ukuba kubekho elizwi lokuphongoma nelovukelo?IL 13.2

Waala uKhwezi ukuphulaphula. Wazishiya izithunywa ezithobeleyo nezinenyaniso, ezinyelisa esithi zingamakhoboka. Ezizithunywa, zinyanisekile kuThixo, zema zikhwankqisiwe zakubona ukuba uKhwezi uya phumelela emzameni wakhe wokuxhaya imvukelo. Wazithembhisa ngolaulo olutsha nolulunge ngaphezulu kunolo zinalo, ekuya kuba yinkululeko konke kulo. Inaani elikhulu labonisa injongo yokumamkela abe yinkokeli nomphathi walo omkhulu. Akuba ebo- na ukuba imizamo yakhe iya phumelela, wazithomalalisa ngokucinga ukuba angazizuzela kwicala lakhe zonke izithunywa, aze ke alingane noThixo ngokwakhe, nezwi lakhe legunya livakale lilaula umkhosi wezulu wonke uphela. Kwakhona izithunywa ezithobeleyo zamyala, zamqinisekisa ukuba siya kuba yintonina isiphumo sako oku ukuba uzingile; nokuba lowo unako ukuzidala izithunywa unako ngamandla akhe ukulibhukuqa lonke igunya lazo aze ngandlela ithile encamisayo ayohlwaye imvukelo yazo yobugagu neyoyikekayo. Ukucinga ukuba isithunywa sezulu singachasa umthetho kaThixo ongcwele njengesiqu sakhe! Zaziyala ezo zinovukelo ukuba zizivingce iindlebe zazo kwiintetho zenkohliso zikaKhwezi, zamcebisa yena nazo zonke ezazichukunyisiwe nguye ukuba ziye kuThixo zikuvume ukoona kwazo ngokuvumela nje ingcamango yokulibuza igunya lakhe.IL 13.3

Zaba zininzi kwezo zathelela kuKhwezi ezafuna ukuliphulaphula icebiso lezithunywa ezithobeleyo ziguquke ekunganelisweni kwazo zamkelelwe kwakhona ekuthenjweni nguYise noNyana wakhe othandiweyo. Umvukeli onamandla wathi uya wazi umthetho kaThixo, ukuba ke angalulamela intobelo yobukhonzi, imbheko yakhe ingasuswa kuye. Akangebuye aphathiswe lomsebenzi wakhe uphakamileyo. Wazixelela ukuba yena kwa kunye nazo sebehambhe kakhulu ukuba bangabuya umva, ngoko ke uya kuyimela into eya kuhla, kuba ukuzithoba elunqulweni lobukhonzi kuNyana kaThixo akayi kuze akwenze oko; waye uThixo engayi kuze axolele, ngoku ke maziyiqinisekise inkululeko yazo zilizuze ngezigalo iwonga negunya ezingalinikwanga ngemfanelo. Kwaba ngalendlela ke awathi uKhwezi, “umthwali-kukhanya,” umabelana nobuqaqauli bukaThixo, umlungiseleli phambhi kwetrone yakhe, ngokukreqa waba ngu-Satana, “umtyholi.”— Patriarchs and Prophets, page 40.IL 14.1

Izithunywa ezithobeleyo zanduluka ngokukhauleza zaya kuNyana kaThixo zamxelela ngoko kuqhubekayo phakathi kwezithunywa zezulu. Zafika uYise ecebisana noNyana wakhe oyintanda, ngendlela eyeyona iya kuzilungela izithunywa ezithobeleyo, elingachithwa ngayo ngonaphakade igunya azithabatheleyo uKhwezi. UThixo ornkhulu waye nako ukumkhahlela phantsi kwa oko amkhuphe ezulwini lomkhohlisi mkhulu; kodwa le yayi ngeyiyo injongo yakhe. Wayeza kubanikela abagwiliki ithuba elilinganayo ukuba bathelekise amandla nobungangamela babo noboNyana wakhe nezithunywa zakhe ezithobeleyo. Kwelidabi isithunywa ngasinye sasiza kuzinyulela icala sibonakale kubo bonke. Kwa kungayi kuhlala kukuhle ukuvumela namnye uzimanye noSatana koluvukelo lwakhe ukuba abuye abe nendawo ezulwini. Zazifunde isifundo sovukelo lwenene ngakumthetho ongaguqukiyo kaThixo, oku ke akunyangeki. Ukuba uThixo wayesebenzise igunya lakhe ukumohlwaya lomvukeli uphambhili, izithunywa ezinganelisekanga zazingayi kubonakalaliswa ; kungoko ke, uThixo wathabatha enye indlela, kuba wafuna ukubonisa kuwo wonke umkhosi wezulu ukwenza kwakhe ngokusesikweni nokugweba kwakhe.IL 14.2

Isikhokelo

Imfazwe Ezulwini