NgokukaMathewu 24:1-51

Kuthe uJesu esephumile ethempelini, wahamba, kwasondela abafundi bakhe, bamkhombisa izakhiwo zethempeli. Waphendula wathi kubo: “Anikuboni yini konke lokhu na? Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: akuyukushiywa lapha itshe phezu kwelinye elingayikudilizelwa phansi.” Esahleli eNtabeni Yeminqumo, abafundi beza kuye ngasese, bathi: “Sitshele ukuthi lokhu kuyakwenzeka nini, futhi siyakuba yini isibonakaliso sokufika kwakho, nomhla wokuphela na?” UJesu waphendula, wathi kubo: “Qaphelani ningadukiswa muntu. Ngokuba kuyakufika abaningi ngegama lami, bathi: ‘Mina nginguKhristu,’ badukise abaningi. Niyakuzwa ngezimpi, namahemuhemu ezimpi. Nina ningethuki, ngokuba kumele ukuba lokhu kwenzeke, kodwa ukuphela kuyakube kungakafiki. Isizwe siyakuvukela esinye, nombuso uvukele omunye; kuyakuba khona indlala, nokuzamazama komhlaba izindawo ngezindawo. Kepha konke lokho kungukuqala nje kwemihelo. “Ngaleso sikhathi bayakunikhaphela osizini, banibulale, nizondwe yizizwe zonke ngenxa yegama lami. Abaningi bayakukhubeka, bakhaphelane, futhi bazondane. Kuyakuvela abaphrofethi mbumbulu abaningi, badukise izindimbane zabantu. Luyakuphola uthando ngenxa yokwanda kobubi. Kepha okhuthazelayo kuze kube sekupheleni, nguyena oyakusindiswa. Leli vangeli lombuso liyakushunyayelwa ezweni lonke, kube ngubufakazi ezizweni zonke, andukuba kufike umhla wokuphela. “Ngakho-ke uma nibona amanyala anyantisayo, akhuluma ngawo uDaniyeli umphrofethi emi endaweni engcwele – ofundayo makaqaphele ukuthi kusho ukuthini. AbaseJudiya mababalekele ezintabeni; ophezu kophahla lwendlu, makangehli ukuyothatha okusendlini yakhe; osensimini, makangabuyeli emuva ukuyothatha ingubo yakhe. Maye, kwabakhulelweyo nabancelisayo ngalezo zinsuku! Khulekelani ukuba ukubaleka kwenu kungabi sebusika noma ngesabatha. Ngokuba kuyakuba khona usizi olukhulu olungakaze lube khona kwasekuqaleni kwezwe, kuze kube manje, futhi olungasoze lwaba khona. Ukuba lezo zinsuku bezingafinyezwanga, bekungesindiswe muntu, kodwa ngenxa yabakhethiweyo ziyakufinyezwa.” “Uma umuntu ethi kini: ‘Bhekani, nangu uKhristu,’ noma ethi: ‘Nanguya,’ ningakholwa. Ngokuba kuyakuvela okhristu mbumbulu nabaphrofethi bamanga. Bayakuveza izibonakaliso ezinkulu nezimangaliso, ukuze badukise, uma kungenzeka, abakhethiweyo. Niyabona-ke, nginitshele kungakenzeki lokho. “Ngakho-ke uma bethi kini: ‘Nango usehlane,’ ningayi lapho; noma bethi: ‘Nangu, usendlini,’ ningabakholwa. Njengonyazi luphuma empumalanga, lubonakale ngisho entshonalanga, kuyakuba njalo-ke ukufika kweNdodana yomuntu. “Noma kuphi lapho kunesidumbu khona, kulapho amanqe ebuthana khona. “Masinyane nje emva kosizi lwalezo zinsuku, “ ‘ilanga liyakufiphazwa, inyanga ayiyukukhanya, izinkanyezi ziyakuwa emkhathini, namandla ezulu ayakuzanyazanyiswa.’ “Khona kuyakubonakala isibonakaliso seNdodana yomuntu ezulwini, bese zikhala zonke izizwe zomhlaba. Zonke ziyakuyibona iNdodana yomuntu iza emafini ezulu, inamandla nenkazimulo enkulu. Iyakuthuma izingelosi zayo ngokukhala kwecilongo okukhulu, ziqoqe abakhethiweyo bayo emagumbini omane omhlaba, kusukela emkhawulweni wezulu kuze kube komunye. “Fundani emzekelisweni womkhiwane; uma igatsha lawo selithamba, kuhlume amacembe, nisuke senazi-ke ukuthi seliyathwasa ihlobo. Kanjalo nani, lapho nibona kwenzeka konke lokhu, yazini ukuthi iNkosi iseduze ngasemnyango. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: lesi sizukulwane asiyukwedlula kungakenzeki konke lokhu. Izulu nomhlaba kuyakudlula, kodwa amazwi ami awasoze adlula. “Kepha mayelana nalolo lusuku nalelo hora, akekho owazi utho ngalo, ngisho izingelosi zasezulweni, neNdodana uqobo; nguBaba kuphela. Ngokuba njengasemihleni kaNowa, kuyakuba njalo ukufika kweNdodana yomuntu. Njengasezinsukwini lezo ezandulela uzamcolo babedla, bephuza, beganwa, bendiswa; kwaze kwafika usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini. Abazanga; kwaze kwafika uzamcolo wabakhukhula bonke; kuyakuba njalo nokufika kweNdodana yomuntu. Kuyakuba khona ababili ensimini; omunye athathwe, omunye ashiywe. Ababili bayakube begaya etsheni lokusila; omunye uyakuthathwa, omunye ashiywe. “Ngakho-ke lindani, ngokuba anazi ukuthi iNkosi yenu iyakufika ngaluphi usuku. Kepha yazini lokhu ukuthi, ukuba umninindlu ubazi ukuthi isela liyakugasela nini ebusuku, ubeyakulinda, angavumi ukuba indlu yakhe igqekezwe. Ngakho-ke nani hlalani nimi ngomumo, ngokuba iNdodana yomuntu iyakufika ningazelele. “Pho ngubani oyinceku ethembekileyo nehlakaniphileyo, inkosi yayo eyibeke ukuba yengamele abendlu yayo, ibanike ukudla ngesikhathi esifaneleyo na? Ibusisiwe leyo nceku okuyakuthi lapho inkosi yayo ifika, iyifumane isebenza. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, iyakuyibeka yengamele konke enakho. Kepha uma leyo nceku embi ithi enhliziyweni yayo: ‘Inkosi yami isalibele,’ bese iqala ukushaya izinceku ezikanye nayo, idle, iphuze nezidakwa, inkosi yaleyo nceku iyakufika ngosuku engalulindele nangehora engalaziyo, iyinqamule kabili, iyabele isabelo sayo nabazenzisi; kuyakuba khona lapho ukukhala nokugedla amazinyo.”