IMEGIDO Ithafa Ledabi Lamandulo Elinentsingiselo Ebuprofeti

“MAKUBE njalo ukubhubha kweentshaba zakho zonke, Yehova.” Yaqukunjelwa ngolo hlobo ingoma yoloyiso eyaqanjwa ngaphezu kweenkulungwane ezingama-32 ezadlulayo. Yayikhumbuza ukoyisa komkhosi kufuphi nesixeko samandulo seMegido.

Ngokutsho kwengxelo yeBhayibhile, uMgwebi uBharaki wakwaSirayeli wayalelwa nguThixo ukuba ahlanganise amadoda axhobileyo ali-10 000 eNtabeni yeTabhore. Ngaba linani elichukumisayo na eli? Mhlawumbi kunjalo. Kodwa la matsha-ntliziyo ali-10 000 ngokulusizi ayengenazixhobo zaneleyo. ‘Ingweletshetshe okanye umkhonto wawungenakubonwa.’ (ABagwebi 5:8) Noko ke, kwakungenjalo ngotshaba. Umkhosi wamaKanan, owawukhokelwa yiNjengele uSisera, wawuxhotyiswe ngabo bonke ubugcisa bomkhosi obabusexesheni: ‘iinqwelo zokulwa zesinyithi ezingamakhulu asithoba.’ (ABagwebi 4:3) Oku kwawenza amaKanan athi kratya ngamendu nangobuchule bokuhlasela nangengenelo enkulu ngokwengqondo.

Phofu ke, uloyiso lwalungazi kuba ngumphumo wokukhalipha nobuchule bomkhosi nokuxhotyiswa kwawo. Amajoni angabaphathi abakhulu kaSisera aya kwisihlanjana esasomile ngoko saseKishon. UYehova wanika uBharaki umqondiso wokuba ehle. Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wamadoda ali-10 000 engumsinga ukuhlisa intaba esiya entlanjeni elithafa! Kodwa ngoko, ngokungalindelekanga, uYehova ubangela isichotho. Ngoku umoya nemvula zazibetha ebusweni botshaba. Intlambo yoMlambo waseKishon yajika yaba ngumfula wogonyamelo, ubangela kube nzima ukubaleka kweenqwelo zokulwa zikaSisera kulwandle lodaka. Idubadubekile, imikhosi kaSisera iyasaba isoyika, ize isukelwe ixatyelwe. “Akwasala noko amnye.”—ABagwebi, isahluko 4 nesesi 5.

Akumangalisi ukuba olu loyiso lubangel’ umdla lwabangela la mazwi: “Makube njalo ukubhubha kweentshaba zakho zonke, Yehova; ke abamthandayo mababe njengokuphuma kwelanga linamandla.” (ABagwebi 5:31) Noko ke, phawula elo binzana lithi “makube njalo.” Likhanyisa ukuba elo dabi lalisisiprofeto, lisalatha phambili kwimfazwe enkulu ngakumbi ekuya kuthi kuyo zonke iintshaba zikaThixo zibhangiswe.

Phofu ke, izizwe ezinobutshaba ezazingqonge uSirayeli zalulibala kamsinya olu ngquzuIwano lutshabalalisayo. Kuma-47 eminyaka kuphela kamva, umanyano lweentlanga ezazikhokelwa ngamaMidiyan ‘lwahlanganisana, lwemisa emathafeni aseYizereli,’ intlambo ephuma kweyaseMegido. (ABagwebi 6:33) Ezi ntshaba zakhe uluhlu ‘zazinjengeenkumbi ukuba zininzi.’ Noko ke, ngesi sihlandlo, umkhosi wakwaSirayeli wawumncinane kodwa ukhaliphile ungamadoda angama-300, ume ‘ujikeleze uluhlu’ ukhokelwa nguGidiyon. Ekuveni umqondiso, ama-300 avuthela izigodlo, ngesandi esikhulu aqhekeza imiphanda, ephakamisa izibane ezivuthayo, adanduluka ngesikhalo esoyikekayo semfazwe: “Ikrele likaYehova, likaGidiyon!” AmaMidiyan atyhwatyhwa! “UYehova walibhekisa ikrele lendoda kummelwane wayo,” yaye iqela elincinane likaGidiyon lalugqibezela uloyiso olubhubhisayo!—ABagwebi, isahluko 7.

Namhlanje thina asimele senze impazamo yamaMidiyan okanye sikwenze into encinane ukubaluleka kweMegido. Kangangezihlandlo ezili-12 iBhayibhile ithetha ngeli thafa ledabi lamandulo. Ngokubhekele phaya, isiprofeto seBhayibhile sibonisa ukuba oko kwenzeka eMegido kunentsingiselo enzulu kumhla wethu. Ngoko ke masikhangele koko iBhayibhile nokumbiwa kwezinto zakudala kukuthethayo ngale ndawo yembali.

Indawo Yokuhlangana Yehlabathi Lamandulo

IMegido nesixeko saseGezere nesaseHatsore, zongamela indlela eyintloko yomkhosi neyorhwebo enxibelelanisa iAsiya neAfrika. IMegido yayiphakathi kwezixeko ezibini yaye ngenxa yoko yayiyeyona ikwindawo ebalulekileyo. Kuwo onke amacala amasango emvelo, amathambeka eentaba, neendlela zazihlangana kwisihlanjana saseMegido. IThe Geography of the Bible ithi: “IMegido yayimi kwindawo yokuhlangana, enyanisweni kwenye yezona ndawo zokuhlangana zehlabathi lakudala.”

IMegido yayigubungela ithafa elikhulu elimalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-32 kwicala elisemntla-mpuma lentaba yeKarmele. Ebudeni bobusika obuneemvula, amanzi ehla ephuma kwiintaba eziyingqongileyo abangela ukuba uMlambo okufuphi waseKishon uphuphume. Ngaloo ndlela ummandla ukwabizwa ngokuthi ‘sisihlanjana saseKishon.’ (ABagwebi 4:13) Incwadi ethi Geography of Israel ithi: “Ngeemvula zasebusika” umhlaba wale ntlambo “uguquka lula ube ludaka olunzulu. . . . Ithambeka lase[K]ishon lincinane gqitha, yaye umsinga . . . uvaleka ngokulula; ngaloo ndlela imigxobhozo mininzi apha.” USisera nemikhosi yakhe bazibonela indlela elalinokuba nodaka ngayo eli thafa. Sekunjalo, kwihlobo elingenamvula, eli thafa likhulu laliyindawo efanelekileyo yokuba iinqwelo zokulwa ziqeqeshelwe imfazwe kuyo. (Thelekisa INgoma Yazo Iingoma 6:11, 12.) Namajoni omkhosi ayenokuhlangana apho njengendawo efanelekileyo.

Ngoko, akumangalisi ukuba uKumkani uSolomon wathabatha amanyathelo okunqabisa iMegido: “Siso esi isizathu sokufakwa uviko awasimisayo uKumkani uSolomon, ukuba akhe . . . nodonga lwaseYerusalem, neHatsore, neMegido, neGezere.” (1 Kumkani 9:15) Induli ephakame kangangeemitha ezingama-21, evelele ithafa elikhulu, elibanzi, ngoku iphawula indawo apha iMegido yakhe yakuyo. Kumaxesha amandulo, izakhiwo ezitsha zazidla ngokwakhiwa ngaphezu kweendonga ezidilikileyo zezakhiwo ezidala. Ngoko ke umphakamo ngamnye wesakhiwo unokuphawula ixesha elithile embalini. Umombi wezinto zakudala, eqalisa ngaphezulu, umba ehlele phantsi, etyhubela isaleko emva kwesinye sembali. Ubuncinane ezingama-20 izaleko ezinjalo ziye zafunyanwa eMegido, ukubonisa ukuba esi sixeko sasisakhiwa ngokutsha kangangezihlandlo ezininzi. Yaye iBhayibhile ibancede njani aba bembi banomonde?

Ngokungathandabuzekiyo ukwakha amasango esixeko kwakuyinxalenye ebalulekileyo yomsebenzi kaSolomon wokunqabisa iMegido, iHatsore neGezere. Kangangexesha elithile kudala amasango anjalo afunyanwa eMegido. Kwakamsinya emva koko kwafunyanwa amasango enziwe ngokufana nalawo eHatsore. Ngoko, befumana ukhokelo eBhayibhileni, abembi bezinto zakudala bakwaqalisa ukuphanda eGezere. Akumangalisi ukuba, nalapho afumaneka amasango ohlobo olufanayo. Kubaluleke ngantoni kubafundi beBhayibhile? Umombi wezinto zakudala owaziwa kakhulu, uNjingalwazi Yohanan Aharoni, uthi:

“Kuphengululo lokumba olwenziwa kwiindawo ezintathu, amasango afanayo kwiplani afunyanwa kwizaleko ukususela kwinkulungwane yeshumi Ngaphambi Kwexesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. . . . Amasango afana nala, namagumbi amathathu ahlala amajoni kunye neengqokelela ezine zeentsika kwicala ngalinye lendlela yokuhamba, ngaloo ndlela zifunyenwe kude kwezinye iindawo ezimbini kuphela. . . . Ngoko ke, phantse kukho imvisiswano epheleleyo phakathi kwabaphengululi yokuba amasango aseHatsore, eMegido naseGezere nezindlu zawo ezintathu zezolawulo lukaSolomon.”

Ngokufanayo uGqr. Yigael Yadin ufikelela kwesi sigqibo: “Ukufunyanwa kwezinto zokunqabisa kukaSolomon eHatsore, eMegido naseGezere ngumzekelo ofundisayo wendlela olubaluleke nolusebenziseka ngayo ulwalathiso iBhayibhile elulo kubembi bezinto zakudala.”

Ithafa Ledabi Loloyiso

Ngenxa yendawo ebalulekileyo yaseMegido, ngokuqondakalayo yanxityelelaniswa nengcamango yethafa ledabi kwasekuqaleni embalini. Eneneni, igama lakudala lesiHebhere elithi “Megido” kuthiwa lithetha “indawo yokuhlanganisela, okanye, indibano yemikhosi.” UNjingalwazi uAharoni wabhala ngolu hlobo:

“IMegido yayisisixeko esinqatyisiweyo esasibaluleke kakhulu phezu kwaso nje isibakala sokuba asikhankanywa kwimithombo yembali de kwayinkulungwane yeshumi elinesihlanu Ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo. Ngelo xesha ivela kwimibhalo kaThutmose III. Iingxelo zembali zalo mlawuli zichaza ukuba iMegido yakhokela umanyano lwezixeko zamaKanan anemvukelo. . . . Umkhosi wamaYiputa neenqwelo zokulwa zamaKanan zalwa idabi apho koyiswa elinye icala ngenxa yale mvukelo . . . kufuphi neMegido. Lo ngumlo wokuqala womkhosi oonkcukacha zawo zigciniweyo. Emva kokuwoyisa ngokupheleleyo umkhosi wamaKanan kwelo thafa, uFaro wathimba ubutyebi obuninzi, kuquka iinqwelo zokulwa ezingama-924!”

UGqr. Zev Vilnay, umbhali weThe New Israel Atlas, wayichaza ngokubhekele phaya le ntlambo ‘njengendawo yeemfazwe ezaziwayo ukususela ekuqalekeni kwembali kude kuse kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi I.’

IMegido—Ngaba Lithafa Lemfazwe Yokugqibela?

Incwadi yokugqibela yeBhayibhile, ISityhilelo, ichaza umbono ‘wookumkani belimiweyo liphela’ bengabahlanganiselwa “emfazweni yaloo mini inkulu kaThixo, uSomandla” ‘eArmagedon.’ [“iNtaba yaseMegido”]. (ISityhilelo 16:14, 16) Ngenxa yokufana kwamagama, bambi baye bagqiba kwelokuba le mfazwe iya kulwelwa kwisiza sokoqobo saseMegido. Noko ke, induli yaseMegido kunzima ukuba ifaneleke “njengentaba.” Kwakhona qwalasela: Ngaba intlambo yaseMegido inkulu ngokwaneleyo ukuba ihlalise bonke abalawuli bomhlaba nemikhosi yabo emikhulu noluhlu olukhulu lwezixhobo zomkhosi? “Le yintetho yesiprofeto yaye kunokwenzeka ukuba igama elithi Armagedon alisetyenziswanga njengegama lendawo ethile kodwa njengegama lokomfuziselo longquzulwano lokugqibela apho koyiswa icala elithile,” i-International Standard Bible Encyclopedia isixelela isitsho.

Ngoko, iyintoni ‘iArmagedon’? Ngokucacileyo ingumfuziselo. Ngokuphuma kwimbali yeMegido njengethafa lamadabi apho kuya kubakho icala eloyisayo, iSityhilelo sisebenzisa yona ukufanekisela imeko esondelayo xa ukuthiywa kwabantu bakaThixo “ziintlanga zonke” kuya kufikelela incopho. (Mateyu 24:9, 14) Ngenxa yokuba amaKristu okwenyaniso aqhubeka exhasa uBukumkani bukaThixo, abalawuli bomhlaba baya kumanyana baze, ngokungathi kunjalo, ‘bahlanganisane’ ukuba bawatshabalalise. Noko ke, amaNgqina kaYehova awayi kuziphindezelela. (Isaya 2:1-4) UThixo ummisele uKumkani wawo, iNkosi uYesu Kristu, ukuba awalwele. Ngexesha elifanelekileyo, lo Kumkani wasezulwini kunye ‘nemikhosi esezulwini’ uya kuza aze ahlasele ‘ookumkani bomhlaba nemikhosi yabo.’ Kuloo mfazwe yengqukuva kuya kubakho icala eloyisayo, kanye njengezo zazisilwelwa eMegido. Zonke iintshaba zasemhlabeni ziya ‘kubhubha,’ kwananjengoko ingoma yoloyiso kaDebhora noBharaki yaprofetayo!—ISityhilelo 19:11-21; ABagwebi 5:31.

Ngaba uya kufunyanwa uphakathi kwabathandi bakaYehova—okanye phakathi kweentshaba zakhe? IBhayibhile ikwenza kucace okokuba abo bangazimisi ngakuYehova nabantu bakhe bakwingozi yokwenene yokuphulukana nobomi. (Zefaniya 2:3; 2 Tesalonika 1:7-9) Ngenxa yoko, akukho xesha lokulibazisa! “Yabona, ndiza njengesela,” ulumkisa ngolo hlobo uYesu Kristu ozukisiweyo ebhekisela ngokukhethekileyo kwincopho ‘yembandezelo enkulu, eArmagedon.—ISityhilelo 16:15; Mateyu 24:21.

‘Imfazwe yaloo mini inkulu kaThixo uSomandla’ iya kuba nomphumo ozukileyo. Iya kuvulel’ indlela uBukumkani bukaThixo ukuba buguqule lo mhlaba ube yiparadisi. (Mateyu 6:9, 10; ISityhilelo 21:3-5) Kodwa okona kulungileyo kukuba, iya kuthethelela elona gama likhulu kwindalo yonke kwinzaliseko ephawulekayo yomthandazo wakudala osisiprofeto othi:

“Yenza kubo njengoko wenza ngako kumaMidiyan, nakuSisera, nakuYabhin esihlanjeni seKishon. Yenjenjalo ukubasukela ngoqhwithela lwakho, ubakhwankqise ngomoya wakho ovuthuzayo. Buzalise ubuso babo ngehlazo, balifune igama lakho, Yehova. Mabadane bakhwankqiswe ngonaphakade, babe neentloni badake; bazi ukuba wena, ugama linguYehova, unguwe wedwa Osenyangweni phezu kwehlabathi lonke.”—INdumiso 83:9, 15-18.

[Iimaphu ezikwiphepha 22]

(Ukuze ufumane inkcazelo epheleleyo, jonga encwadini)

IMegido yongamela enye yezona ndlela zinkulu zomkhosi neyorhwebo enxibelelanisa ilizwekazi laseAsiya nelaseAfrika

-------Iindlela Zorhwebo

Hazor

Megiddo

Gezer

Jerusalem

[Imaphu]

ASIA

AFRICA

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Imfazwe yengqukuva yaseArmagedon iya kuba yeyoyisayo, kanye njengeemfazwe ezazisiliwa eMegido. Zonke iintshaba zikaThixo zasemhlabeni ziya kubhangiswa