UMesiya—Ngaba Lithemba Lokwenene?
Wayesithi unguMoses. Noko ke, igama lakhe lokwenene lilityelwe kwimbali. Kwinkulungwane yesihlanu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, wahambahamba kuso sonke isiqithi saseKrete, apho wayeyisela amaYuda kwelokuba wayengumesiya awayemlindele. Wawaxelela ukuba kungekudala ingcinezelo yawo, ukuthinjwa nokubanjwa kwawo kuya kuphela. Ayikholelwa loo nto. Xa usuku lwawo lwenkululeko lwafikayo, amaYuda alandela “uMoses” ukuya kwindawo ephakamileyo ephezu koLwandle iMeditera. Wawaxelela ukuba ayemele asuke aziphose elwandle yaye wathi lwaluza kuhlukana phakathi phambi kwawo. Amaninzi athobela, aziphosa kulwandle olungazange luhlukane phakathi. Amaninzi gqitha atshona; wambi ahlangulwa ngoomatiloshe nangababambisi beentlanzi. Noko ke, uMoses waphela emehlweni. Loo mesiya wayengasekho.
YINTONI umesiya? Kusenokuthi qatha engqondweni igama elithi “umsindisi,” “umhlawuleli,” nelithi “inkokeli.” Abantu abaninzi bacinga ukuba umesiya ngumntu ofuna ukuthenjwa nokuhlonelwa ngabalandeli bakhe, ebathembisa ukubakhulula kwingcinezelo aze abangenise enkululekweni. Ekubeni imbali yomntu ikakhulu iyimbali engokucinezelwa, ayimangalisi into yokuba kuye kwavela oomesiya abanjalo abaninzi ukutyhubela iinkulungwane. (Thelekisa INtshumayeli 8:9.) Kodwa njengalowo wayesithi unguMoses waseKrete, ngokufuthi aba mesiya baye babadanisa baza babakhokelela kwintlekele abalandeli babo kunokubakhokelela enkululekweni.
“Lo nguKumkani uMesiya!” Le yindlela umfundisi ohlonelwayo uAkiba ben Joseph awamkhahlela ngayo uSimeon Bar Kokhba ngonyaka we-132 C.E. UBar Kokhba wayeyindoda enamandla eyayikhokela umkhosi onamandla. AmaYuda amaninzi acinga ukuba, ekugqibeleni le yayiyindoda eyayiza kuphelisa ukucinezelwa kwawo kangangexesha elide phantsi kweGunya leHlabathi lamaRoma. UBar Kokhba akazange aphumelele; amakhulu amawaka abantu belizwe lakowabo afa ngenxa yokoyisakala kwakhe.
Ngenkulungwane ye-12, kwavela omnye umesiya ongumYuda, ngesi sihlandlo wavela eYemen. Xa inkokeli yamaSilamsi, okanye umlawuli, wacela ukuba enze umqondiso ongqina ukuba wayengumesiya, lo mesiya wacela ukuba inkokeli yamaSilamsi imnqumle intloko yaye ukuvuka kwakhe ngokukhawuleza kwakuza kuba ngumqondiso. Le nkokeli yalivuma elo cebo—yaye eso yaba sisiphelo sikamesiya waseYemen. Kwakuloo nkulungwane, indoda egama linguDavid Alroy yaxelela amaYuda eMbindi Mpuma ukuba azilungiselele ukumlandela enamaphiko ezithunywa zezulu abuyele kwiLizwe Elingcwele. Amaninzi akholelwa ukuba wayengumesiya. AmaYuda aseBaghdad alinda ngomonde emi emaphahleni ezindlu zawo, engaqondi yaye engawaboni amasela awayephanga izinto zawo.
USabbatai Zevi wavela ngenkulungwane ye-17 eSmirna. Wavakalisa ukuba wayengumesiya kumaYuda kuyo yonke iYurophu. KwanamaKristu, amphulaphula. UZevi wabanika inkululeko abalandeli bakhe—kubonakala ukuba wabanika inkululeko ngokubayeka baxhamle izono bengathintelwa. Abona balandeli bakhe basondeleyo bazifica ngeziyolo, ukuhamba ze, ukuhenyuza, yaye babaneentlobano zesini nezizalwana zabo ezisondeleyo, baze ke bazohlwaye ngokuzibetha, ngokuziqengqa kwikhephu behamba ze, nangokuzitshonisa bavele ngentloko kumhlaba obandayo. Xa watyelela eTheki, uZevi wabanjwa waza waxelelwa ukuba umele aguqukele kubuSilamsi okanye afe. Waguquka. Abalandeli bakhe abazinikeleyo abaninzi babulawa. Sekunjalo, kangangeenkulungwane ezimbini ezalandelayo, abanye abantu babesathi uZevi wayengumesiya.
NeNgqobhoko iye yavelisa oomesiya bayo. Ngenkulungwane ye-12, indoda egama linguTanchelm yenza umkhosi wabalandeli bayo yaza yalawula idolophu yaseAntwerp. Lo mesiya wayesithi unguthixo; wade wathengisa amanzi awayehlamba ngawo kubalandeli bakhe ukuze bawasele njengomthendeleko! Omnye umesiya “ongumKristu” yayinguThomas Müntzer weJamani yenkulungwane ye-16. Wakhokela ukuvukelwa kwamagunya oluntu asekuhlaleni, exelela abalandeli bakhe ukuba eli yayilidabi leArmagedon. Wathembisa ukuba angabakhusela kwimijukujelwa ephuma koombayimbayi botshaba. Kunoko, abantu bakhe babulawa, yaye uMüntzer wanqunyulwa intloko. Kwavela abanye omesiya abanjalo abaninzi beNgqobhoko ebudeni beenkulungwane.
Nezi iinkonzo ziye zanabantu ababezibanga bengoomesiya. AmaSilamsi athembele kwiMahdi, okanye kowalathiswa bubulungisa, oza kuzisa ixesha lokusesikweni. Kwinkqubo yobuHindu, bambi baye bazibanga bezizithixo ezingabantu, okanye izithixo ezahlukahlukeneyo ezizalwe ngokutsha. Yaye, njengokuba iThe New Encyclopædia Britannica isitsho, “kwanonqulo lobuBhuda olungakholelwayo kumesiya luye lwayivelisa le nkolelo, phakathi kwamaqela esebe leMahāyāna, akholelwa kumBhuda ogama linguMaitreya oza kuhla esuka kwikhaya lakhe lasezulwini aze angenise abathembekileyo eparadisi.”
Oomesiya Benkulungwane Yama-20
Kwinkulungwane yethu, ukufunwa kukamesiya wokwenene kuye kwangxamiseka ngakumbi kunanini na ngaphambili; ngoko, ayimangalisi into yokuba abaninzi beye bazibanga bengabo. Kwilizwe laseCongo eAfrika ebudeni beminyaka yee-1920, eyee-1930 neyee-1940, uSimon Kimbangu nelandela lakhe uAndre “Jesus” Matswa babenikwa imbeko njengoomesiya. Bafa, kodwa abalandeli babo basalindele ukuba babuye baze bazise ulawulo lwaseAfrika lweminyaka eliwaka.
Kwakhona kule nkulungwane kuye kwakho “imibutho yonqulo ezimisele ukufumana ngomlingo izinto zamazwe ahambele phambili kwezoqoqosho” eNew Guinea naseMelanesia. Amalungu ayo alindele ukufika kwenqanawa okanye kwenqwelo-moya, iqhutywa yindoda emhlophe enjengomesiya eya kubenza babe zizityebi ize izise isizukulwana esonwabileyo apho kwanabafileyo baya kuvuka.
Kwanamazwe ahambele phambili kwezoqoqosho aye aba nabo oomesiya. Bambi ziinkokeli zonqulo, njengoSun Myung Moon, owazivakalisa elilandela likaYesu Kristu nowayenenjongo yokusulungekisa ihlabathi ngentsapho emanyeneyo yabalandeli bakhe abazinikelayo. Kwaneenkokeli zobupolitika ziye zazama ukufikelela kwisikhundla sokuba ngoomesiya, uAdolf Hitler engowona mzekelo woyikekayo wale nkulungwane owanikela udlwabevu lwentetho engoLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka.
Iintanda-bulumko nemibutho yezobupolitika ngokufanayo iye yafikelela kwisikhundla sikamesiya. Ngokomzekelo, iThe Encyclopedia Americana iphawula ukuba ingcamango yezobupolitika yobuKomanisi eyaveliswa nguLenin ngokusuka kwiimfundiso zikaMarx iye yabonakala isingisele kumesiya. Yaye umbutho weZizwe Ezimanyeneyo, ohlonelwa ngokubanzi njengokuphela kwethemba loxolo lwehlabathi, ubonakala ngathi umele umesiya kwiingqondo zabaninzi.
Ngaba Lithemba Lokwenene?
Olu shwankathelo lufutshane luyenza icace mhlophe into yokuba imbali kamesiya ngokubanzi yimbali eyinkohliso, yamathemba angazange azalisekiswe namaphupha angazange azaliseke. Ngoko, akumangalisi nakancinane ukuba abantu abaninzi namhlanje baye bacatshukiswa lithemba elingomesiya.
Noko ke, ngaphambi kokuba silibhebhethe kwangoko ithemba elingomesiya kuqala simele sifunde apho livela khona. Enyanisweni, igama elithi “mesiya” livela eBhayibhileni. Igama lesiHebhere lithi ma·shiʹach, okanye “umthanjiswa.” Kumaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile, maxa wambi ookumkani nababingeleli babemiselwa kwizikhundla zabo ngenkonzo yokubathambisa, ebudeni belo xesha kwakugalelwa entloko ioli enevumba elinuka kamnandi. Ngenxa yoko igama elithi ma·shiʹach lalibhekisela kubo ngokufanelekileyo. Kwakhona kukho amadoda awathanjiswayo, okanye awamiselwa kwisikhunda esikhethekileyo, ngaphandle kwenkonzo yokuwathambisa. KumaHebhere 11:24-26, uMoses ubizwa ngokuthi ‘nguKristu,’ okanye “umthanjiswa,” kuba wayenyulwe njengomprofeti nommeli kaThixo.
Le ndlela yokuchaza umesiya ‘njengomthanjiswa’ yahlula oomesiya ekuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni koomesiya bobuxoki esixubushe ngabo. Oomesiya ekuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni babengazimiselanga ngokwabo; babenganyulwa nayinginginya yabalandeli babo ababebahlonela. Babemiselwa ngokusuka ngasentla, babemiselwa nguYehova uThixo.
Nangona iBhayibhile ithetha ngoomesiya abaninzi, ikhankanya omnye ongaphezulu kakhulu kwabanye. (INdumiso 45:7) Lo Mesiya ngoyena mntu uphambili kwisiprofeto seBhayibhile, nguye ozalisekisa uninzi lwamadinga aphefumlelweyo eBhayibhile. Yaye ngokwenene lo Mesiya ulwa neengxaki esijamelene nazo namhlanje.
Umsindisi Woluntu
UMesiya ekuthethwa ngaye eBhayibhileni ucombulula iingxaki zoluntu ngokuphelisa ezona zinto zizivelisayo. Xa abazali bethu bokuqala, uAdam noEva, bavukela uMdali ngokuphenjelelwa ngumvukeli osisidalwa esingumoya uSathana, ngokungathi kunjalo, babezibanga benelungelo elipheleleyo lokuzilawula. Babefuna ukuba ibe ngabo ababeza kugqiba ngoko kwakulungile noko kubi. Ngaloo ndlela bazikhupha phantsi kolawulo lukaYehova olunothando, olukhuselayo, baza bangenisa intsapho yabantu kwisiphithiphithi nakwinkxwaleko yokuzilawula, yokungafeziki, neyokufa.—Roma 5:12.
Ngoko, hayi indlela anothando ngayo uYehova uThixo kuba wanyula elo thuba lobumnyama kwimbali yoluntu ukuze anike lonke uluntu ukukhanya kwethemba. Ekuwiseni kwakhe isigwebo kubavukeli abangabantu, uThixo waxela kwangaphambili ukuba inzala yabo yayiza kuba nomhlanguli. Lo Msindisi ekubhekiselwa kuye ‘njengembewu’ wayeza kuza aze kuphelisa into embi eyenziwa nguSathana e-Eden; le Mbewu yayiza kuyityumza intloko loo “nyoka,” uSathana, imcole angabikho.—Genesis 3:14, 15.
Ukususela kumaxesha amandulo, amaYuda asiqonda esi siprofeto njengesasibhekisela kuMesiya. IiTargum eziliqela, izicatshulwa zamaYuda zeZibhalo Ezingcwele ezazisetyenziswa ngokuqhelekileyo ngenkulungwane yokuqala, zacacisa ukuba esi siprofeto sasiza kuzaliseka “ngemini kaKumkani uMesiya.”
Ngoko, akumangalisi ukuba kwasekuqaleni, amadoda okholo achwayitiswa leli dinga leMbewu, okanye loMsindisi ozayo. Khawuthelekelele nje indlela awavakalelwa ngayo uAbraham xa uYehova wamxelela ukuba iMbewu yayiza kuza ngomnombo wakhe, yaye “zonke iintlanga zehlabathi”—kungekuphela nje inzala yakhe—zaziya ‘kusikelelwa’ ngaloo Mbewu.—Genesis 22:17, 18.
UMesiya Norhulumente
Iziprofeto ezalandelayo zanxulumanisa eli themba nethemba lorhulumente olungileyo. KwiGenesis 49:10, uYuda, umzukulwana wonyana ka-Abraham, waxelelwa oku: “Intonga ayiyi kumka kuYuda, intonga yommisi-mthetho ayiyi kumka phakathi kweenyawo zakhe, ade afike uShilo, zimlulamele izizwe.” Licacile elokuba lo “Shilo” wayeza kulawula—yaye wayeza kulawula kungekuphela amaYuda kodwa wayeza kulawula “izizwe.” (Thelekisa uDaniyeli 7:13, 14.) AmaYuda amandulo uShilo ayemnxulumanisa noMesiya; enyanisweni, zimbi iiTargum zamaYuda zasuka zashenxisa igama elithi “Shilo” zafaka elithi “Mesiya” okanye elithi “ukumkani uMesiya.”
Njengokuba ukukhanya kwesiprofeto esiphefumlelweyo kwaqhubeka kukhanya ngakumbi, kwatyhilwa okungakumbi ngolawulo lwalo Mesiya. (IMizekeliso 4:18) Kweyesi-2 kaSamuweli 7:12-16, uKumkani uDavide, inzala kaYuda, waxelelwa ukuba iMbewu yayiza kuza ngomnombo wakhe. Ngokubhekele phaya, le Mbewu yayiza kuba nguKumkani ongaqhelekanga. Itrone, okanye ulawulo lwakhe, lwaluza kuhlala lukho ngonaphakade! UIsaya 9:6, 7 uyayixhasa le ngongoma: “Sizalelwe umntwana, sinikwe unyana; ukuthethela [“urhulumente,” King James Version] kusesixhantini sakhe; . . . ukuba kwande ukuthethela oko, kubekho uxolo olungenakuphela etroneni kaDavide, nasebukumkanini bakhe, ukuba bumiswe buxhaswe ngokusesikweni nangobulungisa, kususela koko kude kuse ephakadeni. Ikhwele likaYehova wemikhosi liya kukwenza oko.”
Ngaba unokuba nombono worhulumente onjalo? Umlawuli osesikweni nolilungisa umisela uxolo yaye ulawula ngonaphakade. Hayi indlela ahluke gqitha ngayo koomesiya bobuxoki abakhoyo embalini! Kunokuba abe yinkokeli ekhohlisayo nezimisayo, uMesiya ekuthethwa ngaye eBhayibhileni ngumlawuli wehlabathi onamandla nalo lonke igunya eliyimfuneko lokuguqula iimeko zehlabathi.
Eli themba linentsingiselo enzulu kwixesha lethu elineenkathazo. Uluntu aluzange lulufune ngolangazelelo ngakumbi ithemba elinjalo. Noko ke, ekubeni kulula ukuba ubani abambelele kumathemba obuxoki, kubalulekile ukuba ngamnye wethu enze uhlolisiso lwenyameko ngalo mbuzo: Ngaba uYesu waseNazarete wayenguMesiya owaxelwa kwangaphambili njengokuba abaninzi gqitha bekholelwa koko? Inqaku elilandelayo liza kuqwalasela lo mbandela.
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Ngaba Kukho UMesiya EBrooklyn?
Amaphepha ezibhengezo, iibhodi ezinkulu zezibhengezo nemiqondiso ekwizibane ezinegesi eyineon kutsha nje kwaSirayeli aye avakalisa “Lungiselelani ukufika kukaMesiya.” Eli phulo lokubhengeza elibiza isi-R1 100 000 liye laxhaswa ngamaLubavitcher, ihlelo lamaYuda angamaHasidim elibambelele gqitha kwinkqubo yesithethe. Kukho inkolelo esasazeke ngokubanzi phakathi kwamalungu eli qela angama-250 000 yokuba umfundisi wabo ozukileyo, uMenachem Mendel Schneerson waseBrooklyn, eNew York, unguMesiya. Kutheni? USchneerson ufundisa ukuba uMesiya uza kufika kwesi sizukulwana. Yaye ngokutsho kwephephancwadi iNewsweek, amagosa amaLubavitcher emi ngelithi lo mfundisi oneminyaka engama-90 ubudala akayi kufa ngaphambi kokuba uMesiya afike. Kangangeenkulungwane eli hlelo liye lafundisa ukuba isizukulwana ngasinye ubuncinane sivelisa indoda enye efanelekayo ukuba nguMesiya. USchneerson ubonakala eyiloo ndoda kubalandeli bakhe, yaye akamiselanga landela lakhe. Sekunjalo, iNewsweek ithi, inkoliso yamaYuda ayimamkeli njengoMesiya. Ngokutsho kwephephandaba iNewsday, umfundisi okhuphisana naye oneminyaka engama-96 ubudala uEliezer Schach uye wambiza ngokuthi ‘ngumesiya wobuxoki.’
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Inkolelo yokuba uMoses waseKrete wayengumesiya yabulalisa abantu abaninzi