Imbono YeBhayibhile
Ngaba Sifanele Sixhomekeke Kubembi Bezinto Zakudala Ukuze Sibe Nokholo?
Ngowe-1873, umfundisi oliNgesi uSamuel Manning wabhala oku kulandelayo ngokuphathelele iYerusalem: “Ngenxa yomtsalane wayo, abantu abahambela izinto zonqulo abavela mbombo zone zomhlaba bathontelana apha. Izigidi zabantu zigqala iindonga zayo ezidilikileyo, izitrato ezizele inkunkuma namabhodlo ayo njengeyona nto ibangel’ umdla emhlabeni, nefanelwe yintlonelo enzulu.”
ABANTU baqalisa ukuba nomdla kwiLizwe Elingcwele ukususela ngexesha loMlawuli waseRoma uConstantine.a Malunga neminyaka eli-1 500 abantu abahambela izinto zonqulo bebengena bephuma kwesi sixeko befuna ukuza kunyathela kweli Lizwe Lingcwele. Kodwa okumangalisayo kukuba, abaphengululi baqalisa ukuthelela abantu abahambela izinto zonqulo ngasekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-19, baza baqalisa ukumba izinto eziphathelele iziganeko ekuthethwa ngazo eBhayibhileni—bephanda ngezinto zobugcisa, abantu, iindawo neelwimi ezazithethwa mandulo kweli Lizwe Lingcwele.
Izinto ezifunyenwe ngabembi bezinto zakudala zibangele ukuba abantu baziqonde ngokucace ngakumbi iziganeko ezenzeka kumaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile. Kwakhona, izinto ezafunyanwa ngabembi bezinto zakudala bezisoloko zivisisana nengxelo yeBhayibhile. Kodwa ngaba ukholo lomKristu luxhomekeke kwizinto eziye zafunyanwa ngabembi bezinto zakudala? Ukuze siphendule lo mbuzo, makhe sinikel’ ingqalelo kwindawo ekwafunyanwa kuyo izinto ezininzi ngabembi bezinto zakudala—isixeko saseYerusalem netempile yaso.
“Akuyi Kusala Litye Phezu Kwelitye”
Kwikhalenda yamaYuda, ngomhla kaNisan 11 ngentwasahlobo yowama-33 C.E., uYesu Kristu, ehamba nabanye babafundi bakhe wayishiya itempile yaseYerusalem, yaye wayengazi kuphinda abuyele apho. Njengoko babesinge kwiNtaba yemiNquma, omnye wabafundi bakhe wathi: “Mfundisi, khangela! olunjani lona uhlobo lwamatye yaye olunjani lona uhlobo lwezakhiwo!”—Marko 13:1.
La maYuda athembekileyo ayemthanda gqitha uThixo netempile yakhe. Ayenebhongo ngezi zakhiwo zihle ezazifanekisela isithethe esasiqheliselwa apho kangangeenkulungwane ezili-15. Indlela uYesu awabaphendula ngayo abafundi bakhe yabothusa: ‘Niyazibona na ezi zakhiwo zikhulu? Akuyi kusala litye phezu kwelitye apha elingayi kudilizwa.’—Marko 13:2.
Ekubeni uMesiya owayethenjisiwe wayesele efikile, uThixo wayenokuyivumela njani into yokuba itempile yakhe itshatyalaliswe? Ngokuthe ngcembe, umoya oyingcwele wawuza kubanceda abafundi bakaYesu bayiqonde intsingiselo yoko wayekuthetha. Noko ke, amazwi kaYesu anakuthanani nokumbiwa kwezinto zakudala eziphathelele iziganeko ekuthethwa ngazo eBhayibhileni?
‘Isixeko’ Esitsha
Ngomhla wePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uhlanga lwamaYuda lwaphulukana nenkoliseko kaThixo. (Mateyu 21:43) Ngeso sizathu kwavulek’ ithuba lokusekwa kwento ezuke ngakumbi—urhulumente wasezulwini owayeza kuzisa iintsikelelo kulo lonke uluntu. (Mateyu 10:7) Isiprofeto sikaYesu sazaliseka xa iYerusalem netempile yayo yatshatyalaliswayo ngowama-70 C.E. Abembi bezinto zakudala bayangqinelana naloo ngxelo yeBhayibhile. Ukanti amaKristu akaxhomekekanga ekufunyanweni kwamabhodlo etempile yamandulo ukuze abe nokholo. Ukholo lwawo lusekelwe kwenye iYerusalem, kodwa esi sisixeko esahlukileyo.
Ngonyaka wama-96 C.E., umpostile uYohane owayesivile isiprofeto sikaYesu esiphathelele ukutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem netempile yayo waza wakubona nokuzaliseka kwaso, wabona lo mbono: “Ndabona kwanesixeko esingcwele, iYerusalem Entsha, sisihla siphuma ezulwini kuThixo.” Ilizwi elivela etroneni lathi: “Uya kuhlala [noluntu], lube ngabantu bakhe. Naye abe nguThixo walo. Uya kuzisula zonke iinyembezi emehlweni abo, kungabi sabakho kufa, kungabi sabakho kuzila nakukhala nantlungu kwakhona.”—ISityhilelo 21:2-4.
Esi ‘sixeko’ sibunjwa ngamaKristu athembekileyo aza kulawula noKristu njengookumkani ezulwini. Abumba urhulumente wasezulwini—uBukumkani bukaThixo—oya kulawula emhlabeni uze ubuyisele uluntu emfezekweni ebudeni beWaka Leminyaka. (Mateyu 6:10; 2 Petros 3:13) AmaKristu angamaYuda awayephila ngenkulungwane yokuqala, awayeza kuba yinxalenye yelo qela, aqonda ukuba kwinkqubo yamaYuda, akukho nto yayinokuthelekiswa nelungelo lokulawula noKristu ezulwini.
Ethetha ngesikhundla esiphakamileyo awayenaso kwinkqubo yamaYuda, umpostile uPawulos uchaza indlela abavakalelwa ngayo xa bebonke: “Kodwa izinto ebeziyinzuzo kum, ndazigqala ziyilahleko ngenxa kaKristu. Ngako oko, ndikwazigqala zonke izinto ziyilahleko ngenxa yexabiso eligqwesileyo lolwazi olungoKristu Yesu iNkosi yam.”—Filipi 3:7, 8.
Ekubeni umpostile uPawulos wayewuhlonela uMthetho kaThixo nelungiselelo letempile, ngokuqinisekileyo amazwi akhe akathethi kuthi la malungiselelo obuthixo afanele ajongelwe phantsi.b (IZenzo 21:20-24) UPawulos wayebonisa ukuba amalungiselelo obuKristu abaluleke ngaphezu kwenkqubo yamaYuda.
Alithandabuzeki elokuba, uPawulos namanye amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala angamaYuda babenolwazi ngeenkcukacha ezithile eziphathelele inkqubo yamaYuda. Yaye ekubeni izinto ezifunyenwe ngabembi bezinto zakudala zisenza sibe nolwazi ngezinto ezazisenzeka mandulo, amaKristu anamhlanje anokukwazi ukuziqonda ezi nkcukacha. Ukanti, phawula oko uPawulos waxelela uTimoti oselula ukuba anikele ingqalelo kuko: “Ziphonononge ezi zinto [ziphathelele ibandla lamaKristu]; wendele kuzo, ukuze ukuhambela kwakho phambili kubonakale ebantwini bonke.”—1 Timoti 4:15.
Okuhle kukuba ukumbiwa kwezinto zakudala eziphathelele iziganeko ekuthethwa ngazo eBhayibhileni kuye kwasenza saziqonda ngakumbi iziganeko zeBhayibhile. Ukanti amaKristu ayaqonda ukuba ukholo lwawo alusekelwanga kubungqina babantu, kodwa lusekelwe kwiLizwi likaThixo, iBhayibhile.—1 Tesalonika 2:13; 2 Timoti 3:16, 17.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a UConstantine nonina uHelena babenomdla wokuya kwiindawo ezingcwele zaseYerusalem. Unina wada waya kufika kwelo laseYerusalem. Baninzi abantu abalandela emanyathelweni akhe kwiinkulungwane ezalandelayo.
b Kangangexesha elithile, amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala angamaYuda aseYerusalem ayeyithobela inxalenye yoMthetho kaMoses, mhlawumbi ngenxa yezi zizathu zilandelayo. Lo Mthetho wawuvela kuYehova. (Roma 7:12, 14) Wawufana nesithethe kumaYuda. (IZenzo 21:20) Yayingumthetho welo lizwe yaye ukungawuthobeli kwakuza kubangela ukuchaswa kwesigidimi samaKristu ngokungeyomfuneko.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16]
Ngasentla: IYerusalem ngowe-1920; ingqekembe yamaRoma eyayisetyenziswa ngamaYuda ngowama-43 C.E; umhombiso werharnathi edubuleyo owenziwe ngophondo lwendlovu ekusenokwenzeka ukuba yayisetempileni kaSolomon ngenkulungwane yesibhozo ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo
[Inkcazelo]
Pages 2 and 16: Coin: Photograph © Israel Museum, Jerusalem; courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority; pomegranate: Courtesy of Israel Museum, Jerusalem