Ukubhujiswa Kwe‘Ndawo Engcwele’—Lokho Okukushoyo Namuhla
“IZAKHIWO NAMASONTO NAMATHEMPELI KULO LONKE IZWE KUYABHUJISWA NGENXA YOKUQHUMA KOBUDLOVA OBUMELENE NENKOLO!”
YEKA ukuthi abantu abaningi bebengashaqeka kanjani ngolunye usuku uma isihloko esinjengalesi besingakhishwa ngabezindaba! Nokho lokho akukhona nje okungenzeka; akunakugwenywa!
Kungenzeka kanjani lokhu? Ngenxa yokuthi isiprofetho seBhayibheli sibonisa ngokukhanyayo ukuthi yikho kanye lokhu okuzokwenzeka ngokushesha emazweni amaningi ngokulandelana. Ngokwesibonelo, isiprofetho kuMathewu isahluko 24 sikhuluma ngokuchithwa kwe‘ndawo engcwele.’ Nakuba lokhu kwagcwaliseka ekhulwini lokuqala leSikhathi sethu Esivamile, kunokugcwaliseka okukhulu osukwini lwethu.
Isiprofetho sanikezwa okokuqala ngokuqondene neJerusalema nethempeli lalo elihle, elalisetshenziswa ngamaJuda ekukhulekeleni kwawo. Ngesinye isikhathi lapho uJesu ekhuluma nabafundi bakhe, wathi ngezakhiwo zethempeli: “Anikuboni konke lokhu na? Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Akuyikushiywa lapho itshe phezu kwetshe elingayikudilizelwa phansi.”—Mathewu 24:2.
Kungani uNkulunkulu ayengehlisela isahlulelo esinzima kangaka kulelothempeli “elingcwele” lekhulu lokuqala nesimiso senkolo elalisimelela? Ngoba amaJuda ayesephenduke izihlubuki. Ayesewulahlile umthetho kaNkulunkulu ayewunikezwe ngoMose. Kanti futhi ayesebalahlile abameleli bakaNkulunkulu ababethunyelwe ukuwaxwayisa, echitha ngisho negazi labo. Ngakho-ke, uJesu wathi: “Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi nokhanda ngamatshe abathunyelwe kuwe . . . Bhekani, indlu yenu isisala nani.”—Mathewu 23:37, 38.
‘Balekelani Ezintabeni’
Kulabo ababekhonza uNkulunkulu ngobuqotho, uJesu waqondisa lamazwi: “Ngakho-ke nxa nibona amanyala encithakalo ashiwo nguDaniyeli umprofethi emi endaweni engcwele—ofundayo makaqaphele—khona abaseJudiya mababalekele ezintabeni, ophezu kwendlu angehli ukuyothatha okusendlini yakhe, osensimini angabuyeli emuva ukuyothatha ingubo yakhe. Kepha maye kwabakhulelweyo nabancelisayo ngalezozinsuku!”—Mathewu 24:15-19.
Kungani uJesu anxusa abalandeli bakhe ukuba baphuthume kangaka ‘ekubalekeleni ezintabeni’? Wathi: “Ngokuba lapho kuyakuba-khona usizi olukhulu olungazange lube-khona kwasekuqaleni kwezwe kuze kube-manje nolungasayikuba-khona. Uma lezozinsuku zingafinyezwanga, bekungesindiswe-muntu; kepha ngenxa yabakhethiweyo lezozinsuku ziyakufinyezwa.”—Mathewu 24:21, 22.
Kodwa uJesu wayesho ukuthini lapho ekhuluma nga“manyala encithakalo . . . emi endaweni engcwele”? Wayesho ukuthini ngo‘sizi olukhulu,’ nanga‘bantu’ ababeyosindiswa? Kungani usizi ‘lwaluyofinyezwa,’ “ngenxa yabakhethiweyo”?
Ukugcwaliseka Ekhulwini Lokuqala
Kwaba yini ukugcwaliseka okungokoqobo kwalesiprofetho ekhulwini lokuqala? Okokuqala nje, phawula isixwayiso esiphuthumayo sokubalekela ezintabeni “nxa nibona amanyala encithakalo . . . emi endaweni engcwele.”
Ayeyini lamanyala encithakalo? Umlando uyasitshela ukuthi yini ngempela eyabangela ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema: Kwakungamabutho oMbuso wamaRoma. Lapho lawomabutho ebonakala okokuqala ephithizela ezungeza iJerusalema, kwakuyisibonakaliso kumuntu ‘oqaphelayo’ ukuba aphume kuleyondawo. Futhi lokhu kwenzeka ngonyaka ka-66 C.E. Khona-ke, amabutho amaRoma ngaphansi kukaJenene Cestius Gallus azungeza iJerusalema ahlasela ngisho nezindonga zethempeli, azonakalisa. Ayengase awuthumbe wonke umuzi.
Khona-ke, nanko amabutho amaRoma emi “emzini ongcwele.” (Qhathanisa noMathewu 4:5; 27:53.) Ngisho namaJuda ayizihlubuki ayeliqaphela iJerusalema nezakhiwo zalo njengeli“ngcwele.” Ukuba khona kwalezozimpi kule‘ndawo engcwele’ kwakungamanyala kumaJuda.
Nokho, kodwa ngesizathu esingaqondakali kwabayizazimlando, uJenene Gallus wawahoxisa amabutho akhe futhi wahlehla. Leso kwakuyisibonakaliso uJesu ayesibikezele. Sase sifikile isikhathi ngabalandeli bakhe ‘abakhethiweyo’ ukuba baqale ukubaleka. Beqaphela ukuphuthuma kwezikhathi, ngokushesha baphuma eJerusalema nakulo lonke iJudiya, njengoba uJesu ayeshilo. Isazimlando uEusebius uthi babaleka bawela uMfula iJordani maduze nePella esifundeni sasezintabeni zaseGileyadi.
IJerusalema Lenziwa Incithakalo
Eminyakeni embalwa kamuva, ngo-70 C.E., amabutho amaRoma ngaphansi kukaJenene Titus abuyela eJudiya futhi ahaqa iJerusalema. Kodwa ngalesosikhathi bonke ‘abakhethiweyo,’ amaKristu, kakade base bengaphandle ‘komuzi ongcwele.’ Ngakho-ke, ngenkathi amaRoma ezungeza iJerusalema ngalesosikhathi, kwakungasekho thuba nganoma ubani ukuba abaleke ukuze alondeke.—Luka 19:43, 44.
Ngemva kokuvinjezelwa kwesikhashana, kwezinyanga ezine nezinsuku ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu, amabutho aseRoma awubhidliza umuzi nethempeli. Isazimlando uJosephus, ufakazi wokuzibonela, ubeka inani labafayo esi-1 100 000 nabathunjwa ezi-97 000. Izibalo zaziphakeme ngoba amaJuda angathembekile awasilalelanga isixwayiso sikaJesu sokubaleka. Enza okuphambene. Ngesikhathi somkhosi wenkolo, afika ngobuningi eJerusalema futhi onke abanjwa ngenkathi amaRoma ngokushesha ehaqa umuzi.
Iqiniso lokuthi amaKristu ‘akhethiweyo’ ayengasekho eJerusalema, lalisho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengasenakukhathazeka ngokulondeka kwawo. Ayesebalekile kakade. Ngakho-ke uNkulunkulu wayengavumela amaRoma ukuba angene eJerusalema futhi ngokushesha ehlisele isahlulelo saKhe ngokumelene nomuzi. Ngakho-ke, ngenxa yokuthi amaKristu akhethiwe ayesengaphandle kweJerusalema kakade, lezozinsuku zosizi zafinyelela ekupheleni ngokushesha okukhulu njengoba zazi‘finyeziwe.’ Lokhu kwavumela abanye ‘abantu,’ izi-97 000 ukuba basinde.
Lolo“sizi olukhulu” ngo-70 C.E., kwakuyinhlekelele esabeka kakhulu eyake yehlela phezu kweJerusalema. Lwaletha isiphelo esihlala njalo emzini wamaJuda owakhiwe, ithempeli lawo nesimiso senkolo esasiwuzungezile.
Kodwa lowomlando wasendulo unakubaluleka kuni kulabo bethu abaphila kulelikhulu lamashumi amabili leminyaka? Unokubaluleka kakhulu.