IBhayibheli—INcwadi Yesiprofetho Esinembile, Ingxenye 3

“Simtholile UMesiya”

Kulolu chungechunge lwezihloko ezingu-8, i-“Phaphama!” izokhuluma ngesici esibalulekile seBhayibheli—iziprofetho zalo, noma izibikezelo. Lezi zihloko zizokusiza ukuba uphendule le mibuzo: Ingabe iziprofetho zeBhayibheli zimane nje ziwumphumela wokuhlakanipha kwabantu? Ingabe ziphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu ngempela? Sikumema ukuba uhlole ubufakazi.

EMAKHULWINI amaningi eminyaka ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaJesu, abaprofethi abangamaHebheru babikezela ukufika kukaMesiya, ngesiHebheru okusho ukuthi “Ogcotshiwe.” Labo baprofethi banikeza imininingwane ngendlela uMesiya ayezophila ngayo—kuhlanganise nohlu lozalo lwakhe—wayezofikelaphi futhi nini, nokuthi yini eyayizokwenzeka kuye.

AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala C.E. ayekholelwa ukuthi lezi ziprofetho zagcwaliswa uJesu. Ayenomuzwa ofana nowomfundi u-Andreya, owatshela umfowabo uSimoni: “Simtholile uMesiya.” (Johane 1:40, 41) Ingabe sasinembile leso siphetho? Ake sihlole iziprofetho ezine kweziningi eziphathelene noMesiya, futhi esehlakalweni ngasinye sizohlola ubufakazi.

Isiprofetho 1: “Uyohlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide.”—Isaya 9:7, i-“Knox.”

Ukugcwaliseka: IVangeli likaMathewu liqala ngala mazwi: “Incwadi yomlando kaJesu Kristu, indodana kaDavide, indodana ka-Abrahama.” UMathewu ube eselandisa uhlu lozalo lukaJesu ngoDavide, njengoba enza kanjalo nomlobi weVangeli uLuka.—Mathewu 1:1-16; Luka 3:23-38.

Okwembulwa umlando:

● Imibhalo yesazi-mlando esingumJuda uJosephus ibonisa ukuthi umlando obhaliwe wohlu lozalo lwemindeni yamaJuda wawulondolozwa ezindaweni zomphakathi. Lowo mlando walahleka ngo-70 C.E. lapho kubhujiswa iJerusalema. Kodwa ngaphambi kokubhujiswa kweJerusalema, kwakuyinto eyaziwa kabanzi ukuthi uJesu wayethi ungowohlu lozalo lukaDavide. (Mathewu 9:27; 20:30; 21:9) Ukube kwakungamanga ukusho kwakhe kanjalo, noma ubani wayengakuveza futhi akuphikise ngisho nokukuphikisa lokho. Kodwa, azikho izincwadi zomlando ezibonisa ukuthi kunothile owake wazama ukwenza kanjalo.

Isiprofetho 2: “Nawe, Bhetlehema-Efratha, wena omncane kakhulu ukuba ube phakathi kwezinkulungwane zakwaJuda, kuwe ngiyophunyelwa ozoba umbusi kwa-Israyeli.”—Mika 5:2.

Ukugcwaliseka: UJesu wazalelwa eBhetlehema. Lapho uKhesari u-Awugustu ekhipha umyalo wokuba kubalwe abantu, kwadingeka ukuba usingayise uJosefa asuke eNazaretha aye “eJudiya [kwaJuda], emzini kaDavide, okuthiwa iBhetlehema, ngenxa yokuba eyilungu lendlu nomndeni kaDavide, ukuze abhaliswe kanye noMariya.” Ngesikhathi elapho, uMariya “wayibeletha indodana yakhe,” uJesu.—Luka 2:1-7.

Okwembulwa umlando:

● Imivubukulo iyakuqinisekisa ukuthi amaRoma ayebabala abantu eMpumalanga Ephakathi ngenjongo yokuqoqa intela nokubuthela izinsizwa empini. Ubufakazi bokubala abantu okunjalo bubonakala emyalweni wombusi waseGibhithe ongumRoma ngo-104 C.E. Ikhophi yalo myalo, eseBritish Library, ifundeka kanje: “Njengoba sesifikile isikhathi sokubala abantu endlini ngendlu, kuyafaneleka ukucindezela bonke abangahlali [ezifundazweni] zasemakubo ngenxa yanoma yiziphi izizathu ukuba babuyele emakubo, ukuze babalwe ngendlela evamile, futhi babe nengxenye egcwele ekulimeni amasimu ayisabelo semikhaya yabo.”

● Ngesikhathi okwazalwa ngaso uJesu, kwakunamadolobha amabili kwa-Israyeli ayebizwa ngokuthi iBhetlehema. Elinye lalisenyakatho eduze neNazaretha. Elinye ngokusobala elalikade laziwa ngokuthi i-Efrathi (noma Efratha), laliseduze neJerusalema kwaJuda. (Genesise 35:19) UJesu wazalelwa kwelakwaJuda, njengoba nje uMika ayebikezele emakhulwini eminyaka ayisishiyagalombili ngaphambili.

Isiprofetho 3: “Kusukela ekuphumeni kwezwi lokuba kubuyiselwe futhi kwakhiwe kabusha iJerusalema kuze kufike uMesiya uMholi, kuyoba ngamasonto ayisikhombisa, namasonto angamashumi ayisithupha nambili.”—Daniyeli 9:25.

Ukugcwaliseka: Inkathi echazwe esiprofethweni sikaDaniyeli iyizingxenye ezingu-69 ngayinye eyiminyaka engu-7, noma iminyaka engu-483. Ukwakhiwa kabusha kweJerusalema kwaqala ngo-455 B.C.E. Njengoba kwakuprofethiwe, ngemva kweminyaka engu-483 (amasonto angu-69 eminyaka), ngo-29 C.E., uJesu waba Ogcotshiwe, noma uMesiya, lapho ebhapathizwa futhi egcotshwa ngomoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu.a—Luka 3:21, 22.

Okwembulwa umlando:

● Engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lokuqala C.E., “abantu babelindele” ukufika kukaMesiya. (Luka 3:15) Encwadini yakhe ethi A History of Messianic Speculation in Israel, isazi-mlando esinguJuda u-Abba Hillel Silver sithi inkathi yangaphambi kokubhujiswa kweJerusalema yaba “eyokukhathazeka okukhulu ngoMesiya.” Uphawula nokuthi “uMesiya wayelindelwe ngasengxenyeni yesibili yekhulu lokuqala.” USilver uthi, ukulindela kwamaJuda uMesiya kwakusekelwe “kulokho abantu ababelindele ukuba kwenzeke ngaleso sikhathi.”

Isiprofetho 4: “Uyokwenza ukuba ingcwaba lakhe libe kanye nababi, kanye nesigaba sezicebi ekufeni kwakhe.”—Isaya 53:9.

Ukugcwaliseka: UJesu wabulawa kanye nezelelesi ezimbili, kodwa wangcwatshwa ethuneni eliyidwala elalisanda kugqojwa, elalinikelwe ikholwa elicebile—uJosefa wase-Arimatheya.—Mathewu 27:38, 57-60; Johane 19:38.

Okwembulwa umlando:

● Abalobi abaningi abangewona amaKristu—kuhlanganise isazi-mlando esingumJuda uJosephus nesingumRoma uTacitus—bayakufakazela ukuthi uJesu wabulawa njengeselelesi.

● Uphenyo lwabavubukuli ePalestina luthole amathuna asendulo ayimihume noma izindawo ezigqojwe emadwaleni. Ukuba nethuna elinjalo eselilungisiwe kakade kwakungeke kube yinkinga kumuntu ocebile futhi onethonya njengoJosefa wase-Arimatheya.

Lezi ziprofetho ezingenhla zimane nje zimelela iziprofetho ezimbalwa kweziningi eziphathelene noMesiya ezagcwaliseka kuJesu. Kuyacaca ukuthi akekho umuntu, ngobuqili owayengagcwalisa lezo ziprofetho ezinemininingwane. Ukugcwaliseka kwazo ngokunembile kuqinisa ukholo lwethu ekutheni uNkulunkulu wayenguMthombo wazo nokuthi usazolethela abantu abalalelayo zonke izibusiso ezabikezelwa ngoMesiya.

Esihlokweni esilandelayo kulolu chungechunge, sizoxoxa ngombuzo othakazelisayo othi: Uma ngempela uJesu ayenguMesiya othenjisiwe, kungani avuma ukuba ahlupheke futhi afe?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ishadi/Izithombe emakhasini 22, 23]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ISHADI LOKULANDELANA KWEZIPROFETHO EZINE EZIPHATHELENE NOMESIYA

UMesiya wayeyoba ngowohlu lozalo lweNkosi uDavide

1077 B.C.E.

UDavide uba yinkosi yawo wonke u-Israyeli

607 B.C.E.

AbaseBhabhiloni babhubhisa iJerusalema

455 B.C.E.

Kukhishwa umyalo wokuvuselelwa kweJerusalema

2 UMesiya wayezozalelwa eBhetlehema lakwaJuda

2 B.C.E.

UJesu uyazalwa eBhetlehema lakwaJuda ohlwini lozalo lukaDavide

3 UMesiya wayezofika ngemva kweminyaka engu-483 ngemva kokuphuma komyalo wokuvuselela iJerusalema

29 C.E.

UJesu uyabhapathizwa futhi agcotshwe njengoMesiya

4 UMesiya wayezofa nezelelesi futhi angcwatshwe nezicebi

33 C.E.

UJesu ufa nezelelesi futhi angcwatshwe nezicebi