IJerusalema—Umuzi Obaluleke Ngezindlela Eziningi
IJERUSALEMA lalingaphezu kakhulu kokuba inhloko-dolobha yesizwe sasemhlabeni. Laliwukuphela komuzi emhlabeni wonke uJehova uNkulunkulu ayebeke kuwo igama lakhe. (1 AmaKhosi 11:36) Ngemva kokuba umphongolo wesivumelwano uthuthelwe lapho, iJerusalema laba indawo uJehova ‘akhe’ kuyo ngokomfanekiso, ‘indawo yakhe yokuphumula.’ (IHubo 78:68, 69; 132:13, 14; 135:21; qhathanisa neyesi-2 Samuweli 7:1-7, 12, 13.) Ngenxa yokuthi amakhosi asohlwini lukaDavide ayengabagcotshiwe bakaNkulunkulu, ehlala “esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaJehova” (1 IziKronike 29:23; IHubo 122:3-5), iJerusalema ngokwalo nalo kwakuthiwa “isihlalo sobukhosi sikaJehova”; ngenxa yalokho, leyomindeni noma izizwe ezaziphendukela kulo ukuze ziqaphele ubukhosi bukaJehova zazibuthelwa egameni likaJehova. (Jeremiya 3:17; IHubo 122:1-4; Isaya 27:13) Eqinisweni, labo ababenobutha noma ababelwa neJerusalema babephikisa ukubonakaliswa kobukhosi bukaNkulunkulu. Lokhu kwakuzokwenzeka nakanjani, uma sicabangela amazwi angokwesiprofetho akuGenesise 3:15.
Ngakho-ke iJerusalema lalimelela ikomkhulu likahulumeni omiswe ngokwaphezulu noma umbuso kaNkulunkulu ongokomfanekiso. Kwakuphuma kulo umthetho kaNkulunkulu, izwi lakhe, kanye nesibusiso sakhe. (Mika 4:2; IHubo 128:5) Ngakho-ke labo ababenza ukuba iJerusalema libe nokuthula nokulunga babebangela ukuba injongo kaNkulunkulu yokulunga iphumelele, bechumisa intando yakhe. (IHubo 122:6-9) Nakuba lalibonakala likhanga, ukuphakama nobuhle bangempela beJerusalema babubangelwe indlela uJehova uNkulunkulu ayelenze ngayo lahlonishwa futhi walikhazimulisa, ukuze libe ‘njengomqhele wodumo’ kuye.—IHubo 48:1-3, 11-14; 50:2; Isaya 62:1-7.
Ngakho-ke, akuzona izakhiwo ezikhangayo ezazakhe lowomuzi ezazinquma ukuthi uJehova uyaqhubeka yini esebenzisa lomuzi kodwa abantu abakuwo, ababusi nababuswayo, abapristi nabantu. (IHubo 102:18-22; Isaya 26:1, 2) Ngenkathi laba babethembekile, bedumisa igama likaJehova ngamazwi abo nangenkambo yabo yokuphila, walibusisa futhi walivikela iJerusalema. (IHubo 125:1, 2; Isaya 31:4, 5) Ngokushesha abantu namakhosi abo bathola ukungamukelwa uJehova ngenxa yenkambo yokuhlubuka iningi elayilandela. Ngenxa yalesizathu uJehova wamemezela injongo yakhe yokuwulahla lomuzi owawubizwa ngegama lakhe. (2 AmaKhosi 21:12-15; 23:27) Wayezosusa “uzime nodondolo” kulomuzi, kuphumele ekubeni ugcwale ubushiqela, ukudelela kwezingane, nokudelelwa kwabantu abasezikhundleni ezihloniphekayo; iJerusalema lalizobhekana nokwehliswa kanye nokuthotshiswa okukhulu. (Isaya 3:1-8, 16-26) Ngisho nakuba uJehova uNkulunkulu awubuyisela lomuzi eminyakeni engu-70 ngemva kokuvumela iBabiloni ukuba liwubhubhise, abantu kanye nabaholi babo baphinde babuyela enkambweni yabo yokuhlubuka.
UJehova wawulondoloza lomuzi kwaze kwaba yilapho ethumela iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni. Kwakumelwe ube khona ukuze kugcwaliseke iziprofetho eziphathelene noMesiya. (Isaya 28:16; 52:7; Zakariya 9:9) Inkambo kaIsrayeli yokuhlubuka yafinyelela emvuthwandaba lapho kubethelwa uMesiya, uJesu Kristu. (Qhathanisa noMathewu 21:33-41.) Njengoba kwenzeka eJerusalema, kugqugquzelwa abaholi balesizwe ababesekelwa iningi, lokhu kwaqinisekisa ukuwulahla kukaNkulunkulu ngokuphelele nangokungenakuhlehliswa lomuzi njengowawummelela futhi ubizwa ngegama lakhe. Njengoba uJesu asho: “Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi, okhanda ngamatshe abathunyelwe kuwe, bengithanda kangaki ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho njengesikhukukazi sibuthela amazinyane aso phansi kwamaphiko; kepha anivumanga. Bhekani, indlu yenu isisala inxiwa kini; kepha ngithi kini: Anisoze nangibona, kuze kufike isikhathi sokuba nithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo egameni leNkosi.” (Luka 13:34, 35; qhathanisa noMathewu 16:21.) UJesu nabaphostoli bakhe abazange babikezele ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayezolibuyisela iJerusalema lasemhlabeni kanye nethempeli lalo ngemva kokubhujiswa kwalomuzi okunqunywe ngokwaphezulu, okwenzeka ngo-70 C.E.
Nokho igama elithi Jerusalema laqhubeka lisetshenziswa njengelifanekisela okuthile okukhulu kunomuzi wasemhlabeni. Umphostoli uPawulu, ephefumlelwe ngokwaphezulu, wembula ukuthi kukhona “iJerusalema eliphezulu,” abhekisela kulo ngokuthi “lingumame” wamaKristu agcotshiwe. (Galathiya 4:25, 26) Lokhu kwenza “iJerusalema eliphezulu” libe sesikhundleni sokuba umkaJehova uNkulunkulu uBaba omkhulu noMniki-kuphila. Lapho iJerusalema lasemhlabeni lisetshenziswa njengomuzi oyinhloko wesizwe sikaNkulunkulu esikhethiwe, nalo kwakubhekiselwa kulo njengowesifazane, oshade noNkulunkulu, oboshelwe kuye ngezibopho ezingcwele ebuhlotsheni besivumelwano. (Isaya 51:17, 21, 22; 54:1, 5; 60:1, 14) Kanjalo lalimelela lonke ibandla lezinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezingabantu. Ngakho kumelwe ukuthi “iJerusalema eliphezulu” limelela lonke ibandla lezinceku zikaJehova ezithembekile ezingumoya.
IJerusalema Elisha
EsAmbulweni esiphefumlelwe, umphostoli uJohane uveza ukwaziswa okuphathelene ‘neJerusalema elisha.’ (IsAmbulo 3:12) Embonweni uJohane ubona ‘lomuzi ongcwele’ “wehla uvela ezulwini kuNkulunkulu, ulungisiwe njengomlobokazi ohlotshiselwe umyeni wakhe.” Lokhu kuhlangene nombono awubonayo ‘wezulu elisha nomhlaba omusha.’ ‘Lomlobokazi’ kwathiwa ‘ungumkaWundlu.’ (IsAmbulo 21:1-3, 9-27) Eminye imibhalo yabaphostoli isebenzisa loluhlobo lomuntu ekubhekiseleni ebandleni lobuKristu labagcotshiwe. (2 Korinte 11:2; Efesu 5:21-32) KusAmbulo isahluko 14 “iWundlu” uKristu Jesu livezwa njengelimi eNtabeni yaseSiyoni, igama elihlobene futhi neJerusalema (qhathanisa neyoku-1 Petru 2:6), futhi abangu-144 000 bami nalo benegama lalo kanye negama likaYise libhalwe emabunzini abo.—IsAmbulo 14:1-5.
IJerusalema Elingathembekile
Njengoba okuningi okushiwo emiBhalweni ngeJerusalema kuphathelene nokulahlwa kwalo, kusobala ukuthi kulapho lithembekile kuphela lapho iJerusalema lalifanekisela khona inhlangano kaJehova yasezulwini, futhi ngezinye izikhathi, ibandla lamaKristu eqiniso, “uIsrayeli kaNkulunkulu.” (Galathiya 6:16) Lapho lingathembekile, lalifaniswa nesifebe nowesifazane ophingayo; laba njengama-Amori namaHeti angamaqaba ayeke alawula lowomuzi. (Hezekeli 16:3, 15, 30-42) Linjalo, lalingamelela kuphela izihlubuki, labo abalandela inkambo ‘yobufebe’ yokungathembeki kuNkulunkulu abathi babizwa ngegama lakhe.—Jakobe 4:4.
Ngakho kusobala ukuthi igama elithi “Jerusalema” lisetshenziswa ngemiqondo eminingi, futhi esimweni ngasinye kumelwe kucatshangelwe umongo ukuze kuqondwe indaba ngokunembile.