Ingabe Izinkozi Noma Amanqe?

Isibonakaliso

“NOMAPHI lapho kukhona isidumbu, kulapho izinkozi ziyakubuthana khona.’ (Mathewu 24:28, NW) Kunokuba bafunde kulomfanekiso, abanye bawubona unephutha. Bathi izinkozi ziyizinyoni ezizingela ngazinye ezidla izinyamazane ezisaphila, hhayi izidumbu. Ngakho-ke, amanye amaBhayibheli, njengelesiZulu, asebenzisa igama elithi “amanqe.” Kodwa igama lesiGreki elingatshazwayo, elithi a·e·tosʹ, lihunyushwe kahle ngokuthi “ukhozi.”

Olunye uhlobo lokhozi olutholakala kwaIsrayeli luwukhozi olumpofu. “Njengezinyoni eziningi ezidla izinyamazane,” kuphawula uJohn Sinclair noJohn Mendelsohn, “ukhozi olumpofu aluxabene nengcuba futhi ngokuvame kakhulu luphakathi kwezilwane ezifika kuqala kokusanda kubulawa.” Enye ingqapheli yabika ukubuthana kwezinkozi ezingama-60 ezimnyama nezimpofu eKalahari eseAfrika. Yanezela: “UKhozi Olumpofu yilona oluba luningi lapho zihlangana engcubeni. Ezikhathini eziningana izinyoni ezimbili, esingathi umbhangqwana, ziye zabonwa zihlanganyela ekudleni isilwane esibulewe.”

Izinkozi zasolwandle nazo zivamile emazweni aseMedithera. Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule, izinkozi zasolwandle nezinkozi zasezweni zazidla izidumbu zamahhashi abulewe empini. “Kwaziwa kahle . . . ukuthi zilandela amabutho ngaleyonjongo,” kusho iCyclopædia kaMcClintock noStrong.

Njengoba zishesha futhi zibona kude, ngezinye izikhathi izinkozi ziyizinyoni ezifika kuqala esidunjini esisanda kufa. UJesu wayejwayelene nencazelo uJehova uNkulunkulu abuza kuyo uJobe lombuzo othobisayo: “Ukhozi lwenyukela phezulu ngezwi lakho, lwakhe isidleke salo phezulu, na? . . . eweni ledwala eliyinqaba yalo. Lulapho luhlola ukudla kwalo; amehlo alo akubona kusekude . . . lapho kukhona abagwaziweyo, lukhona nalo.”—Jobe 39:27-30.

Ngakho-ke, uJesu wakufanekisela kahle ukuthi yilabo kuphela abaneso elingokomfanekiso lokhozi ababeyozuza esibonakalisweni.