IBhayibheli—INcwadi Yesiprofetho Esinembile, Ingxenye 2

Phumani EBhabhiloni!

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.

ESIHLOKWENI esandulele salolu chungechunge, sikhulume ngeziprofetho ezintathu ezitholakala eBhayibhelini eziphathelene nenzalo ka-Abrahama. Ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wazifeza lezo zithembiso ngo-Israyeli wasendulo, owayeyinzalo ka-Abrahama.

IBhabhiloni laseNdulo lalingesinye isizwe esadlala indima ebalulekile emlandweni weBhayibheli, ikakhulukazi phakathi nekhulu lesikhombisa B.C.E. Ake sihlole iziprofetho ezintathu zeBhayibheli eziphathelene nalo mbuso futhi sibone ukuthi siyabuthola yini ubufakazi bokuthi zaziphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu.

Umprofethi uMose waxwayisa abantu bakwa-Israyeli wasendulo: ‘Uma kwenzeka nimkhohlwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu futhi nilandele abanye onkulunkulu nibakhonze nikhothame phambi kwabo niyoshabalala ngokuphelele.’ (Duteronomi 8:19; 11:8, 9) Noma kunjalo, ama-Israyeli akwenza umkhuba ukungamlaleli uNkulunkulu ngokukhulekela izithombe.—1 AmaKhosi 14:22-24.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, saphela isineke sikaNkulunkulu, futhi wavumela abantu bakhe abangamlaleli ukuba bawele ezandleni zabaseBhabhiloni. Ngaphansi kweNkosi uNebukhadinezari—obuye abhalwe ngokuthi uNebukhadirezari—amabutho aseBhabhiloni alwa no-Israyeli, ngesikhathi evimbezela iJerusalema. Ingabe lokhu kuvinjezelwa kwakubalulekile? Ake sicabangele lokho umprofethi uJeremiya akuloba eminyakeni engu-20 ngaphambi kwalesi senzakalo—Jeremiya 25:1.

Isiprofetho 1: ‘Ngesizathu sokuthi [ama-Israyeli] aniwalalelanga amazwi ami [uNkulunkulu], bhekani ngithumela uNebukhadirezari inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, ngizobaletha [abaseBhabhiloni] ngokumelene naleli zwe nangokumelene nabakhileyo kulo. Lonke leli zwe liyoba yindawo ebhuqiwe, into eshaqisayo, futhi lezi zizwe kuyodingeka zikhonze inkosi yaseBhabhiloni iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa.’—Jeremiya 25:8-11.

Ukugcwaliseka: Ngemva kokulivimbezela isikhathi eside, uNebukhadinezari walinqoba iJerusalema ngo-607 B.C.E. Wanqoba namanye amadolobha akwaJuda, kuhlanganise iLakishi ne-Azeka. (Jeremiya 34:6, 7) Iningi labasinda ladingiselwa eBhabhiloni, lapho laba yizithunjwa khona iminyaka engu-70.

Okwembulwa umlando:

● IBhayibheli likhomba uNebukhadinezari njengonkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngesikhathi sokuchithwa kweJerusalema. Ubufakazi bemivubukulo buyakusekela lokhu okushiwo yiBhayibheli ngokuba khona kwakhe. Indondo ethile eyenziwe ngetshe le-onekisi kubukiswa ngayo eFlorence, e-Italy. Iqoshwe umbhalo onengxenye ethi: “Ukuze kuhlonishwe uMerodaki, inkosi yakhe, uNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, lapho isaphila yathi akwenziwe le ndondo.” UNebukhadinezari wabusa kusukela ngo-624 kuya ku-582 B.C.E.

● Incwadi ethi The Bible and Archaeology ithi imivubukulo nocwaningo olwenziwa eLakishi kufakazela lokhu: “Ukubhujiswa kokugcina kwakunobudlova, futhi wawushisa kakhulu umlilo owabhubhisa leli dolobha [iLakishi] kangangokuba igwadle okwakwakhiwe ngalo laphenduka usimende.

Isiprofetho 2: “Ngiyoninaka [amaJuda athunjiwe] ngokuvumelana nokuphelela kweminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa eBhabhiloni, ngiyoqinisa [uJehova] kini izwi lami elihle ngokunibuyisela kule ndawo [ezweni lakwaJuda].”—Jeremiya 29:10.

Ukugcwaliseka: Ngemva kweminyaka engu-70, kusukela ku-607 kuya ku-537 B.C.E., uKoresi, inkosi yasePheresiya wawakhulula amaJuda ayethunjiwe wawavumela ukuba abuyele ezweni lawo ukuze akhe ithempeli eJerusalema.—Ezra 1:2-4.

Okwembulwa umlando:

● Ingabe ama-Israyeli aba yizithunjwa eBhabhiloni iminyaka engu-70 njengoba iBhayibheli lalibikezele? Phawula amazwi omvubukuli ohlonishwayo ongumIsrayeli, u-Ephraim Stern. “Kusukela ngo-604 B.C.E. kuya ku-538 B.C.E.—akunabufakazi bokuthi ukhona owayehlala kwa-Israyeli. Phakathi naso sonke leso sikhathi, alikho ngisho nelilodwa idolobha elalibhujiswe yiBhabhiloni okwakuhlalwa kulo.” Le nkathi eyigebe okuthiwa kwakungahlali muntu ngayo kule ndawo iyahambisana nokuthunjelwa kuka-Israyeli eBhabhiloni kusukela ngo-607 kuya ku-537 B.C.E.—2 IziKronike 36:20, 21.

● Izizwe zasendulo kulo lonke elaseMesophothamiya zazibhala ezibhebheni ezenziwe ngobumba. Esinye isibhebhe sobumba esiqinile, esaziwa ngokuthi i-Cyrus Cylinder, sihlehlela emuva cishe ku-539 B.C.E., okuwunyaka uKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya anqoba ngawo uMbuso waseBhabhiloni. Omunye umbhalo uthi: “NginguKoresi, . . . inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.” Umbhalo ofanayo uyabika: “Ngabuyela emadolobheni athile angcwele [aseshiwo kakade] ngakolunye uhlangothi lweTigris, izindawo zawo okwase kuyisikhathi eside ziyincithakalo, nezithombe (ezake) zaba kuzo . . . mina (futhi) ngabuthela ndawonye ababehlala kuzo (ngaphambili) (ngababuyisela) izindawo zabo.”

Lo mthombo uvumelana nesiprofetho seBhayibheli esithi izithunjwa ezingamaJuda zaziyobuyiselwa ezweni lazo—isiprofetho esasilotshwe kusasele iminyaka engamakhulu amabili ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke lokhu.

Isiprofetho 3: “IBhabhiloni, umhlobiso wemibuso, ubuhle bokuziqhenya kwamaKhaledi, liyoba njengalapho uNkulunkulu egumbuqela iSodoma neGomora. Ngeke liphinde lakhiwe.”—Isaya 13:19, 20.

Ukugcwaliseka: Izinto zashintsha ngendlela emangalisayo, umbuso womhlaba onamandla iBhabhiloni wanqotshwa amabutho amaMede namaPheresiya ngo-539 .B.C.E.a Leli dolobha aliphindanga lasimama ngokugcwele. Kunalokho, kancane kancane lawohloka futhi ekugcineni laba yinxiwa ‘okungenamuntu owakhileyo kulo.’—Jeremiya 51:37.

Okwembulwa umlando:

● Ukunyamalala kweBhabhiloni kwakuphelele kangangokuba isazi uTom Boiy size sikhulume “ngezazi-mlando zaseNtshonalanga nabahambi bamazwe abasukela ekhulwini le-16 kuya kwele-18” ababekwazi kahle ukubaluleka okuwuphawu lwaleli dolobha kodwa benenkinga yokuthola “indawo elalikuyo ngempela.”

● Ngo-1919, uH. R. Hall umgcini wezinto ezindala zaseGibhithe naseSiriya eMnyuziyamu waseBrithani, walichaza ngale ndlela iBhabhiloni: “Lingamahliphihliphi ezindonga ezadilika . . . ezigqitshwe umhlabathi.”

Singaphetha ngokuthini ngemva kokuhlola ukugcwaliseka kwalezi ziprofetho? Kufanele kucace ukuthi iBhayibheli belilokhu liyincwadi yesiprofetho esinembile. Iziprofetho eziphathelene noJuda neBhabhiloni zagcwaliseka ngokunembile!

IJerusalema labhujiswa ngenxa yokuthi abantu abazange bazilalele izixwayiso zaphezulu zokuba bayeke izinto ezingamjabulisi uNkulunkulu. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-70 eyayibikezelwe, ama-Israyeli avunyelwa ukuba abuyele ekhaya eJerusalema. IBhabhiloni laseNdulo labhujiswa ngendlela eyayichaziwe, futhi alihlalwa muntu kuze kube namuhla. Kodwa lezi ezimbalwa nje eziprofethweni eziningi ezitholakala eBhayibhelini.

Esihlokweni sethu esilandelayo sizoxoxa ngendlela ezabikezelwa kusasele isikhathi eside ngayo izenzakalo zangekhulu lokuqala C.E. Lezo zenzakalo ezagcwaliseka zakha nethemba lethu esiprofethweni seBhayibheli esinembile.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ishadi emakhasini 12, 13]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

UKULANDELANA KWEZENZAKALO ZASEBHABHILONI

(B.C.E.)

[Isithombe ekhasini 12]

UMbhalo WesiLakishi usekela incazelo kaJeremiya yokunqotshwa kukaJuda abaseBhabhiloni

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Emqulwini kaKoresi kulotshwe inqubo yokubuyisela ababethunjiwe emazweni abo

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 13]

Page 12, Lachish Letter: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum; page 13, Cyrus Cylinder: © The Trustees of the British Museum