U-2000—Ingabe Uwunyaka Okhethekile?
INGABE kukhona okukhethekile ngonyaka ka-2000? Abantu abahlala emazweni aseNtshonalanga ngokuvamile bawubheka njengonyaka wokuqala wenkulungwane yesithathu yeminyaka. Kwenziwa amalungiselelo amakhulu okuwugubha. Kufakwa amawashi kagesi amakhulu ukuze kubalwe imizuzwana eholela ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane entsha yeminyaka. Kuhlelwa izindumezulu zemiButhano Yobusuku Bangaphambi KukaNcibijane. Kuthengiswa izikibha ezineziqubulo zokuphela kwenkulungwane yeminyaka ezitolo zasemadolobheni amancane kanye nasoxhaxheni lwezitolo zamadolobha amakhulu.
Amasonto, amancane namakhulu, azohlanganyela emikhosini ezothatha unyaka wonke. Ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo, uPapa John Paul II kulindeleke ukuba aye kwa-Israel ayohola amaRoma Katolika kulokho okuye kwabizwa ngokuthi “umkhosi wejubili wenkulungwane yeminyaka weSonto LamaRoma Katolika.” Ababuki bamazwe abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezimbili nengxenye kuya kweziyisithupha, abahlanganisa amakholwa nabantu abanelukuluku lokwazi, bahlela ukuvakashela kwa-Israel ngonyaka ozayo.
Kungani abantu abaningi kangaka behlela ukuvakashela kwa-Israel? Ekhulumela upapa, uRoger Cardinal Etchegaray, isikhulu seVatican, wathi: “Unyaka ka-2000 uwukuhalalisela uKristu nokuphila kwakhe kuleli zwe. Ngakho-ke singalindela ukuba uPapa eze lapha.” Unyaka ka-2000 uhlobene kanjani noKristu? Ngokuvamile unyaka ka-2000 kucatshangwa ukuthi usho iminyaka engu-2 000 egcwele kusukela uKristu azalwa. Kodwa ingabe kunjalo? Sizobona.
Unyaka ka-2000 ubaluleke nakakhulu emalungwini amaqembu athile enkolo. Akholelwa ukuthi esikhathini esingaba unyaka, uJesu uzobuyela eNtabeni Yeminqumo futhi impi ye-Armagedoni, okukhulunywa ngayo encwadini yesAmbulo, izolwelwa esigodini saseMegido. (IsAmbulo 16:14-16) Ebheke phambili kulezi zenzakalo, amakhulu ezakhamuzi zase-United States athengisa amakhaya nempahla yawo eningi futhi athuthela e-Israel. Ukuze kuzuze labo abangeke bakwazi ukushiya amakhaya abo, umshumayeli wevangeli ovelele wase-United States kubikwa ukuthi uthembise ukusakaza ukubuya kukaJesu kuthelevishini—yombala!
Emazweni aseNtshonalanga, ayavuthwa amalungiselelo okungena enkulungwaneni yesithathu yeminyaka. Nokho, abantu kwamanye amazwe bayaziqhubekela nje ngendlela evamile. Laba bantu—iningi labantu bomhlaba—abakukholelwa ukuthi uJesu waseNazaretha wayenguMesiya. Futhi abayamukeli indlela yokubhala iminyaka ka-B.C. kuya ku-A.D.a Ngokwesibonelo, amaSulumane amaningi asebenzisa elawo ikhalenda, ngokwalo ngonyaka ozayo kuzobe kungu-1420—hhayi u-2000. AmaSulumane abala iminyaka kusukela esikhathini sokubaleka komprofethi uMuhammad esuka eMecca eya eMedina. Sekukonke, abantu emhlabeni wonke basebenzisa amakhalenda angaba ngu-40 ahlukahlukene.
Ingabe unyaka ka-2000 usho okuthile kumaKristu? Ingabe u-January 1, 2000, uwusuku olukhetheke ngempela? Le mibuzo izophendulwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Endleleni yokubhala iminyaka ka-B.C. kuya ku-A.D., izenzakalo ezenzeka ngaphambi kwesikhathi esivamile sokuzalwa kukaJesu ziphawulwa ngokuthi iminyaka ka-“B.C.” (before Christ [ngaphambi kukaKristu]); lezo ezenzeka ngemva kwalokho ziphawulwa ngokuthi iminyaka ka-“A.D.” (Anno Domini—“ngonyaka weNkosi yethu.”) Nokho, ezinye izazi ezinolwazi olunzulu zikhetha ukusebenzisa indlela yokuphawula ka-“B.C.E.” (before our Common Era [ngaphambi kweSikhathi Sethu Esivamile]) neka-“C.E.” (of our Common Era [yeSikhathi Sethu Esivamile]).