Wona impela amazwi okugcina alotshwe eTestamenteni eliDala anikeza lesisithembiso: “Bhekani, Ngiyakuthuma kini uElija umprofethi lungakafiki usuku lweNKOSI olukhulu nolwesabekayo: Futhi uyakuphendulela inhliziyo yawoyise kubantwana, nenhliziyo yabantwana koyise, funa ngifike futhi ngishaye izwe ngesiqalekiso.” (Mal 4:5-6)
Usuku lweNkosi olukhulu nolwesabekayo lusazofika nokho, ngakho sifanele ngobuqotho sibheke umprofethi uElija. EBhayibhelini, abaprofethi abezanga ezinhlanganweni zezenkolo zenkambiso. Beza kwabaqokiwe abayingcosana. Ungathini nje uma umprofethi kaMalaki 4 eza, futhi wagejwa. Uma-ke efana nabaprofethi basendulo, futhi kube yidlanzana kuphela labantu abamqondayo na? Uma lomprofethi ezobuya ngosuku lokugcina, siyomazi kanjani na? Impendulo ibonakala ngokusobala emiBhalweni. Uyoba nemvelo yomprofethi. Uyokwazi izimfihlo zenhliziyo. Uyokwenza izimangaliso. Izinhlangano zezenkolo ziyolinga ukumdumaza. Kodwa kuyoba nabayingcosana abakhethiweyo abamqondayo njengesithunywa esithenjisiwe sosuku.
Siyokwazi kanjani uma uElija esebuya na? Zimilo zini ayoziveza obala ukuze simqonde na?
UElija wayeyindoda yasehlane. Izibonakaliso ezinkulu nezimanga zalandela inkonzo yakhe. Washumayela ngokumelana nobubi bosuku lwakhe. Washumayela ikakhulukazi ngokumelana nesimilo esibi seNdlovukazi uJezebeli. Ngenkathi uElija enyuselwa eZulwini ngenqola yomlilo, umoya wakhe wehlela phezu kukaElisha. Izibonakaliso ezinkulu nezimanga khona kwaphawula inkonzo kaElisha, kanti futhi washumayela wamelana nezono zezwe. Bobabili abaprofethi bama bodwa bemelene nezinhlangano zezenkolo zangalolosuku. Amakhulu eminyaka kamuva, umoya ofanayo wabuyela emhlabeni kuJohane umBhaphathizi. Umprofethi uMalaki wabikezela ukuthi uElija uyobuya ukuba ethule iNkosi: “Bhekani, Ngiyakuthuma isithunywa sami, futhi siyakulungisa indlela phambi kwami…” (Malaki 3:1). UJohane umBhaphathizi weyeqinisile esimweni lapho ebiza ukuphenduka phakathi kwabantwana bakaNkulunkulu. NjengoElija, washumayela wamelana nenkosi nezinhlangano zezenkolo zamanje. INkosi uJesu waqinisa ukuthi uJohane umBhaphathizi wayengumprofethi kaMalaki 3 eNwadini kaMathewu (11:10): “Lo unguye, okulotshiwe ngaye ukuthi, Bheka, Ngiyathuma isithunywa sami phambi kobuso bakho, esiyakulungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.” Luka 1:17 uthi umoya kaElija (uEliyase) wawuzoba kuJohane umBhaphathizi, “Futhi uyakuhamba ngaphambi kwayo emoyeni nasemandleni kaEliyase, ukuphendulela izinhliziyo zawoyise kubantwana.” Kodwa qaphelani ukuthi ingxenye yesibili kaMalaki 4 yayisazogcwaliseka nokho: “…nenhliziyo yabantwana koyise, funa ngifike futhi ngishaye izwe ngesiqalekiso.” Leyongxenye yomBhalo iyofezeka ngaphambi kokuFika kwesiBili kukaKristu.
Iminyaka eyizinkulungwane ezimbili emva kukaJohane umBhaphathizi, sekuyisikhathi futhi somoya kaElija ukuba ubuyele emhlabeni.
Lolosuku selufikile! Ngalonyaka, siwubonile umoya kaElija ubuya. Ushaye indiva inqubo yobuhlelo yamanje. Wamelana nezono zezwe. Wakhombisa izibonakaliso nezimanga ezingenakubalwa. Washumayela izwi-ngezwi leBhayibheli kusukela kuGenesisi kuya eSambulweni. Umprofethi kaMalaki 4 wafika njengoba ethenjisiwe, futhi waletha Mlayezo ovela esiHlalweni sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu uSomandla. Igama lalowomprofethi nguWilliam Marrion Branham. Simbiza ngo “Mfowethu Branham.”
“UWilliam Branham, engangimthanda futhi ngamkholwa ukuthi ungumprofethi kaNkulunkulu.”
UOral Roberts, umvangeli odume umhlaba-jikelele nomsunguli weOral Roberts Univesiti.
“UWilliam Branham wafika ngendlela yethu njengomprofethi kaNkulunkulu futhi wasikhombisa ekhulwini-minyaka lamashumi amabili ngokuyikho du izinto ezifanayo esakhonjiswa zona emaVangelini....UNkulunkulu ubahambele abantu baKhe, ngokuba umprofethi omkhulu uvukile phakathi kwethu.”
UDkt. T.L. Osborn, umvangeli wamaPentecostal nombhali oyingcweti.
“Ngaphambi kokukhulekela umuntu, wayenikeza imininingwane engenaphutha emayelana nezifo zomuntu, kanti futhi nemininingwane ngezimpilo zabo idolobhana lasekhaya kubo, imisebenzi, iminyakazo-ngisho nasemuva le ebuntwaneni babo. UBranham akazange nakanye enze iphutha ngezwi lokwazi kuyo yonke iminyaka nginaye. Lokho kuqukatha, odabeni lwami, izinkulungwane zezenzeko.”
UErn Baxter, umvangeli, imenenja yemiKhankaso kaBranham iminyaka eyisikhombisa, nongomunye wabaholi basekuqaleni beBritish New Church Movement.
Akukaze selokhu iNkosi uJesu Kristu yahamba umhlaba kube nomuntu othinte izwe ngendlela enkulu kakhulu kangaka. Kusukela ekuqaleni kokuzithoba endlwaneni yezingodo ekamelo-linye emagqumeni aseKentucky, kuya eAmarillo eTexas lapho iNkosi yamyisa khona eKhaya, impilo yakhe ngokuqhubekayo yaphawulwa yizehlakalo ezingaphezu kwemvelo. Ekuqondisweni yiNgelosi yeNkosi ngo 1946, inkonzo kaMfowethu Branham yaveza inhlansi eyokhela isikhathi sezimvuselelo ezinkulu zokuphilisa ezashanela iMelika yonke nasemhlabeni jikelele. Kuze kube yilolusuku, uvunywa ngosomlando abangamaKristu njengo “baba” no “mholi oyisibonelo” wemvuselelo yokuphilisa yawo 1950 eyaguqula isimo iBandla lamaPentecostal futhi ngokokugcina ngci yanikeza ukudlondlobala enhlanganweni yamaPhentekoste, namuhla yona ithonya cishe onke amahlelo amaProtestane. Nokho, eqinisile esimweni, amahlelo anciphisa ukufundisa kwakhe futhi aphika ukuthunywa kwakhe.
Nomaphi lapho ayeya khona, uNkulunkulu wafakazisa ukuthi uMfowethu Branham ungumprofethi kulesisizukulwane. NjengoJobe, iNkosi yakhuluma kuye isesivunguvungwini. NjengoMose, iNsika yoMlilo yabonakala imhola. NjengoMikaya, wathukwa ngabefundisi basesontweni. NjengoElija, wayeyindoda yasehlane. NjengoJeremiya, wathunywa yiNgelosi. NjengoDanyeli, wabona imibono yesikhathi esizayo. NjengeNkosi uJesu, yayazi izimfihlo zenhliziyo. NanjengoPawulu, waphilisa abagulayo.
INkosi futhi ihambele abantu baYo ngomprofethi. Ngesikhathi esimnyama kunazo zonke emlandwini, lapho isimilo sokuziphatha sesicwile ezinjulwini ezingakaze ngaphambili zibonwe nezikhali zembubhiso zihlaluka kumkhathi-zwe, indoda ezithobile yathunywa ivela ebukhoneni bukaNkulukulu ukubizela isintu esifayo ekuphendukeni.
Umfundi othandekayo uJohane waloba ngeNkosi uJesu: Kukhona nezinye izinto eziningi azenza uJesu, ezingathi, uma zilotshiwe zona ngazinye, ngithi nezwe lonke lingezanele izincwadi ezingalotshwa. Amen. (Johane 21:25) Okufanayo kungashiwo ngempilo kaMfowethu Branham. Kunezintshumayelo eziteyishiwe ezingaphezu kweziyi 1,200 nezinkulungwane zezindaba ngempilo yalendoda eyiqhawe. Nokho ngokuqhubekayo sizwa izimfakazo ezintsha zokuthonya kwakhe ezimpilweni zezigidi zabantu. Lencwajana ibingeke ilithinte neze ingaphezulu lomfutho lendoda kaNkulunkulu ebenawo ezweni.