Isiganeko SaseMasada—Ngaba Sibubungqina Bokuba Kwakufike UMesiya?

UKUPHALAZWA kwegazi egameni lonqulo bekungubhubhani owenzeka ngokuphindaphindiweyo embalini. Isiganeko saseMasada sasingeyonto intsha, kuba abo babeyikhusela babeneentshukumisa ezinzulu ezingokonqulo. Ukuba utyelela iindawo ezembiweyo eMasada, unokuwabona amabhodlo endlu yesikhungu apho amadoda azizigebenga ayehlanganisana khona ngenjongo yonqulo nezitya zokuhlambela ezazisetyenziselwa isithethe sokuhlanjululwa okungokonqulo.

EMasada kwafunyanwa kwaneziqwenga zeBhayibhile. Usenokuzibuza, sasahluke njani isigidimi seBhayibhile awayenaso amadoda azizigebenga koko sikufundayo eBhayibhileni namhlanje? UGqr. Yigael Yadin, kwincwadi yakhe ethi Masada, wabhala ngokufunyanwa kweziqwenga zokuqala ezinjalo esithi:

“Uhlolisiso olukhawulezileyo kwakuloo ndawo lwasibonisa ngokukhawuleza ukuba esi yayisisiqwenga seNcwadi yeeNdumiso, yaye sasinokuzibona kwanezahluko: eli candelo lalisuka kwiNdumiso 81 ukusa kwiNdumiso 85. . . . Sakwazi ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo ukufumanisa ixesha eyabhalwa ngalo. Kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba kube kwakungemva kowama-73 AD, unyaka eyadilika ngawo iMasada. . . . Eli candelo leNcwadi yeeNdumiso, ngokufanayo neminye imisongo yebhayibhile esayifumana kamva, liphantse lifane twatse . . . noko kubhalwe kwiincwadi zebhayibhile esizisebenzisayo namhlanje.”

Ngokucacileyo, la madoda azizigebenga ayekholelwa kwelokuba uMyili onguThixo weZibhalo zesiHebhere wayeya kuyisikelela imvukelo yawo nxamnye neRoma. Njengoko iThe Universal Jewish Encyclopedia icacisa: “Inzondelelo egqithiseleyo yamaYuda kwiMfazwe Enkulu nxamnye neRoma (66-73 C.E.) yomelezwa yinkolelo yawo yokuba ixesha lokufika kukaMesiya lalisondele. Ukudilizwa kweTempile kwalwandisa ulindelo lwawo olungokufika kukaMesiya.”

Ukufika KukaMesiya

IThe Encyclopedia of Religion, ithi, “AmaYuda awayekuzondelela ukufika kukaMesiya, ngokufuthi ayekusekela ukubala kwawo kwiNcwadi kaDaniyeli.” Enyanisweni, umprofeti ongumHebhere uDaniyeli wakuxela kusengaphambili ukufika ‘kukaMesiya iNkokeli.’ (Daniyeli 9:25, NW) Kwezinye iingxelo ezimbini, uDaniyeli wathi uMesiya wayeya kuba nguMlawuli wehlabathi nokuba uBukumkani Bakhe babuya kubatshabalalisa bonke oorhulumente babantu abachasayo.—Daniyeli 2:44; 7:13, 14.

Abavukeli abangamaYuda benkulungwane yokuqala bavakalelwa kukuba lalifikile ixesha lokuzaliseka kwale mibono ingokwesiprofeto. UJosephus uthi, “eyona nto yayibaphembelelela emfazweni, [yayiyinkolelo] yokuba ngelo xesha omnye osuka kwilizwe labo wayeya kuba ngumlawuli wehlabathi.” Kodwa uDaniyeli waxela kusengaphambili ukuba uMesiya iNkokeli kuqala wayemele ‘anqunyulwe’ nokuba emva kokufa kwakhe iYerusalem netempile yayo zaziya kutshatyalaliswa “ngabantu benganga eya kuza.”—Daniyeli 9:25, 26.

Iimbono ZamaYuda Ngolawulo LweeNtlanga

Ngenkulungwane yokuqala elakwaYuda lalahlukene kubini kukho abambalwa abazizityebi nabaninzi abangamahlwempu. AmaYuda athile azizityebi, ingakumbi phakathi kwabaSadusi nabaFarisi, ayelixabisa igunya iRoma eyayiwavumele ukuba abe nalo elizweni, yaye ayebacekisa abantu abaphantsi. Ngaloo ndlela, ayeyichasa nayiphi na ingcamango yemvukelo, endaweni yoko esebenzela ukuhlala eseluxolweni neRoma.—Luka 16:14; 19:45, 46; Yohane 2:14; 7:47-49; 11:47, 48.

Kwelinye icala, abemi abaqhelekileyo belakwaYuda babetsaliswa nzima yirhafu yamaRoma nengcinezelo yabantu abangowabo. Babengakuvuyeli ukuba phantsi koko kwakufane kubizwe ngokuba yiPax Romana (Uxolo LweRoma) kunoko babefuna inguqulelo. Oku kungqubana kwezilangazelelo kwaphumela kwimbambano embi yamakhaya. UJosephus wabhala esithi, “elinye iqela lalityekele ekulawuleni, elinye kubundlobongela nasekuphangeni abazizityebi.”

Ngokomzekelo, amadoda azizigebenga ayephanga aze abulale amaYuda angowawo yaye ezithethelela ezi zenzo zobunqolobi ngokuthi sisohlwayo kumaYuda ekucingelwa ukuba ayehambisana neRoma. Umfundisi wenkulungwane yesibini, uJohanan ben Torta, wanikela esi sizathu ngenkxwaleko eyafikela amaYuda enkulungwane yokuqala: “Ayenyolukele imali yaye ethiyene.”

Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba loo maYuda awayemoyika ngokwenene uThixo ayelangazelela ukubonakala kukaMesiya, lowo ayethembe ukuba wayeya kubhukuqa ulawulo lweRoma aze amisele uBukumkani bukaThixo obusesikweni. Kodwa amadoda anobugqwetha awasebenzisela inzuzo yawo loo mathemba.

OoMesiya Bobuxoki

Malunga nonyaka wama-33 C.E., inkokeli yomYuda egama linguGamaliyeli yakhumbuza abalawuli abangoowayo baseYerusalem ukuba: “Ngaphambi kwale mihla, . . . kwesuka uYuda welaseGalili, ngemihla yobhalo lomlibo wokuzalwa, wakhukulisa abantu banela; naye lowo watshabalala; baza bonke ababemthambele bachithachithwa.”—IZenzo 5:36, 37.

‘Ubhalo lomlibo wokuzalwa’ olwaphumela kwimvukelo kaYuda lwalulungiselelwe ngowesi-6 C.E. ngenjongo yokunyusa irhafu ehlawulwa kwiRoma. UJosephus usixelela ukuba uYuda wavakalisa ukuba amaYuda “ayengamagwala ukuba ayevuma ukuhlawula irhafu kumaRoma.” Igama elithi Yuda li bonisa ukuba wayengowesizwe uMesiya awayelindelwe kuso. (Genesis 49:10) ICyclopœdia kaMcClintock noStrong ithi, “Ukuthetha kwakhe ngobuciko, nokuthandwa kweemfundiso zakhe kwabangela ukuba alandelwe ngabantu abaninzi, uninzi lwabo olwalumgqala njengoMesiya.”

Phawula ukuba IZenzo 5:37 zinikela ingxelo yokuba abalandeli balo Yuda abazange batshabalale naye. Umbutho wakhe, ngokutsho komphengululi womYuda uGaalya Cornfeld, “wawunemvelaphi yamandulo namathemba awendeleyo kuMesiya.” Enyanisweni, iinkokeli ezimbini zamadoda azizigebenga, uMenahem noEleazar, zaziyinzala yaloo Yuda waseGalili. Ekuqaleni kwemvukelo yamaYuda ngowama-66 C.E., uMenahem waxhobisa abalandeli bakhe ngezixhobo ezazigcinwe eMasada. Wandula ke, “wabuyela eYerusalem njengokumkani” waza “waba yinkokeli yeqela lemvukelo.” IEncyclopaedia Judaica, yongezelela ngelithi “phantse ukuba kuqinisekiwe ngelokuba uMenahem [unyana] kaYuda wayegqalwa njengoMesiya.”

Phofu ke, kwangaloo nyaka, uMenahem wabulawa ngamalungu ombutho weqela lemvukelo eliphikisayo lamaYuda. Abalandeli bakhe babaleka babuyela eMasada, apho uEleazar waba yinkokeli yamadoda azizigebenga kwada kwangowama-73 C.E. Intetho kaEleazar yokuzibulala ivakalisa iimfundiso eziphosakeleyo zikayisemkhulu uYuda: “Kwakudala-dala, maqabane am akhaliphileyo, sasizimisele ukuba asisayi kuze siwakhonze amaRoma naye nabani na ongomnye ngaphandle koThixo.”

Ubundilele BamaKristu ElakwaYuda

Ngaphambi kwemvukelo yamaYuda ngowama-66 C.E., amabandla amaKristu ayesele emiselwe kwelakwaYuda, kuquka nebandla laseYerusalem. (IZenzo 9:31) La ayebunjwa ngamaYuda awayekholelwa ukuba uYesu waseNazarete wayenguMesiya okwakuxelwe kusengaphambili ukufa nokuvuswa kwakhe. (IZenzo 2:22-36) AmaKristu angamaYuda azisasaza ngenzondelelo ezi nkolelo zawo, ngoxa ayelinde ngokuseluxolweni ukufika kwesibini kukaMesiya, njengomlawuli wehlabathi. UYesu wayebonisile ukuba wayeya kubuya “emveni kwexesha [elide, TE].”—Mateyu 25:19, 31; 28:19, 20; IZenzo 1:8-11.

Kodwa yakuba iqalisile imvukelo yamaYuda ngowama-66 C.E., yintoni eyakhusela loo maYuda angamaKristu ukuba angakhukuliswa yimpumelelo yayo yasekuqaleni? Ngokungathandabuzekiyo akhumbula isilumkiso seNkosi yawo esithi: “Bonke abathabatha ikrele baya kutshabalala likrele.” (Mateyu 26:52) UYesu wayekwabanike imbono elungeleleneyo ngegunya loburhulumente beeNtlanga. Wayethe, “Nikelani izinto zikaKesare kuKesare, nezinto zikaThixo kuThixo.” (Marko 12:17) Ngaphezu koko, uYesu wayexele kusengaphambili ukuba kwakuya kuvela abantu abazenza uMesiya, besithi, “Banguye uKristu; ewe, ixesha lisondele,” kodwa walumkisa wathi: “Musani ukubalandela.”—Luka 21:8.

UYesu wayichaza kusengaphambili imiphumo yemvukelo yamaYuda, esithi: “Xa nithe nayibona iYerusalem irhawulwe yimikhosi, yazini oko ukuba kusondele ukuphanza kwayo. Ngelo xa mabathi abakwelakwaYuda basabele ezintabeni, nabo baphakathi kwayo mabaphume bemke, nabo basemaphandleni mabangangeni kuyo. . . . kuba kuya kubakho ingxakeko enkulu phezu kwawo umhlaba, nengqumbo kwaba bantu; bawe ngohlangothi lwekrele, bathinjwe, basiwe kuzo zonke iintlanga.”—Luka 21:20-24.

Ukutshatyalaliswa okoyikekayo okwalandela imvukelo yamaYuda kwakuyinzaliseko ebonakalayo yesiprofeto sikaYesu! Kanti, amaKristu akwelakwaYuda asinda ngokuthi ngokuthobela ‘asabele ezintabeni.’ IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi, “ngaphambi kokungqingwa kweYerusalem nguTitus [ngowama-70 C.E.], “abemi bakhona abangamaKristu baya ePella.” Okubangela umdla kukuba, iPella yayikumntla, emazantsi odederhu lweentaba ezingaphesheya koMlambo iYordan yaye ngaloo ndlela yayahlukaniswe ngokupheleleyo nelakwaYuda yiNtlambo yaseYordan. Kwintshayelelo yakhe yencwadi ethi Josephus—The Jewish War uG. A. Williamson uthi “kunganzima ukukuchaza oku kusaba ukuba isiprofeto [sikaYesu] sasibhalwe emva kwesi siganeko.”

Enyanisweni, ukusaba ngokunempumelelo kwamaKristu akwaYuda kububungqina obunamandla bokuba babengabalandeli bakaMesiya wokwenyaniso. Oku kuphakamisa imibuzo ebalulekileyo. Yayiyintoni injongo yokuza okokuqala kukaMesiya? Yaye imvukelo yamaYuda eyaba nomphumo oyintlekele ihlokomisa siphi isilumkiso kuthi namhlanje, ngokukodwa inxalenye yabantu ebizwa ngokuba “ngamaKristu”? Le mibuzo iza kuxutyushwa ngokubhekele phaya kweli phephancwadi.