Ukuba Nokholo Esiprofethweni SeBhayibheli Kulonda Ukuphila

UJESU uphuma okokugcina ethempelini laseJerusalema. Kuthi kusenjalo, omunye wabafundi bakhe athi: “Mfundisi, bheka! olunjani lona uhlobo lwamatshe nolunjani lona uhlobo lwezakhiwo!” Phela isizwe samaJuda siziqhenya kabi ngaleli thempeli futhi liyigugu kuso. Kodwa uJesu uphendula athi: “Uyazibona lezi zakhiwo ezinkulu? Akusoze kwashiywa lapha itshe phezu kwetshe lingadilizelwa phansi.”—Marku 13:1, 2.

Le nto eshiwo uJesu iyisimanga! Amanye amatshe akhe ithempeli makhulu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, okushiwo uJesu ngethempeli kusho ukuthi iJerusalema lizobhujiswa, mhlawumbe kubhujiswe ngisho nombuso wamaJuda osekelwe ngokuyinhloko ethempelini. Ngakho, abafundi bakhe bayambuzisisa: “Sitshele, Ziyokwenzeka nini lezi zinto, futhi siyoba yini isibonakaliso sesikhathi lapho zonke lezi zinto zimiselwe ukufika khona esiphelweni?”—Marku 13:3, 4.

UJesu uyabaqaphelisa: ‘Ukuphela akukafiki.’ Abafundi bazoqale bezwe ngezimpi, ukuzamazama komhlaba, indlala, nezifo ezindaweni ngezindawo. Ngemva kwalokho, izenzakalo ezesabekayo zaziyoholela isizwe samaJuda enhlekeleleni engakaze ibonwe ngaphambili, yebo, “usizi olukhulu.” Nokho, uNkulunkulu uyongenela ukuze asindise “abakhethiweyo,” okungukuthi, amaKristu athembekile. Kanjani?—Marku 13:7; Mathewu 24:7, 21, 22; Luka 21:10, 11.

Kuvukelwa IRoma

Kudlula iminyaka engu-28 futhi amaKristu aseJerusalema asalindele ukuphela. UMbuso WaseRoma uhlaselwe izimpi, ukuzamazama komhlaba, indlala nezifo. (Bheka ibhokisi ekhasini 9.) Kugcwele izimpi zemibango nezingxabano zobuzwe eJudiya. Noma kunjalo, ngaphakathi kwezindonga ezivikele iJerusalema, kukhonyana ukuthula. Izinto ziqhubeka ngendlela evamile ngoba abantu bayadla, bayasebenza, bayashada futhi bazala abantwana. Ukuba khona kwaleli thempeli elikhulukazi kwenza abantu babe nomuzwa wokulondeka nokuthi lo muzi uyohlala ukhona.

Cishe ngo-61 C.E., amaKristu aseJerusalema athola incwadi evela kumphostoli uPawulu. Uyawancoma ngokukhuthazela kwawo kodwa ukhathazekile ngokuthi kunabathile ebandleni ababonakala bentula umuzwa wokuphuthuma. Abaningi bayaphola ngokomoya futhi bantula ukuvuthwa kobuKristu. (Hebheru 2:1; 5:11, 12) UPawulu uyabanxusa: “Ngakho-ke, ningayilahli inkululeko yenu yokukhuluma . . . Ngoba kusele ‘isikhathi esincane kakhulu,’ futhi ‘lowo ozayo uzofika, ngeke alibale.’ ‘Kodwa olungileyo wami uyophila ngenxa yokholo,’ futhi, ‘uma ehlehlela emuva, umphefumulo wami awujabuli ngaye.’” (Hebheru 10:35-38) Saze safika ngesikhathi bo lesi seluleko! Kodwa ingabe amaKristu azobonisa ukholo ahlale ekuphaphamele ukugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho sikaJesu? Ingabe sekuseduze ngempela ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema?

Phakathi neminyaka emihlanu elandelayo izimo zilokhu zibheda eJerusalema. Ekugcineni, ngo-66 C.E., umbusi waseRoma okhohlakele, uFlorus, uthatha amathalenta angu-17 “esikweletu sentela” endaweni yomcebo ethempelini elingcwele. AmaJuda awotha ubomvu futhi aqala ukuvukela. Amavukela-mbuso akwaJuda, noma amaZealot, atheleka eJerusalema abulale amasosha amaRoma ayelapho. Abe esememezela ngesibindi ukuthi iJudiya alisekho ngaphansi kweRoma. Iyasuka-ke manje impi phakathi kweJudiya neRoma!

Phakathi nezinyanga ezintathu, umbusi waseSiriya ongumRoma, uCestius Gallus, uqonda eningizimu ehamba namasosha angu-30 000 ukuze ayodambisa ukuvukela kwamaJuda. Ibutho lakhe lifika eJerusalema phakathi noMkhosi Wamadokodo futhi ngokushesha lingena emizaneni. Ebona ukuthi ayingangawo, amaZealot abalekela ngaphakathi kwenqaba yethempeli. Ngokushesha amasosha amaRoma aqala ukubhidliza udonga lwethempeli. AmaJuda ayanengeka. Phela la masosha angamaqaba asengcolisa indawo yamaJuda engcwele kunazo zonke! Nokho, amaKristu asemzini akhumbula amazwi kaJesu: ‘Lapho nibona isinengiso simi endaweni engcwele, khona-ke labo abaseJudiya mabaqale ukubalekela ezintabeni.’ (Mathewu 24:15, 16) Ingabe azobonisa ukholo emazwini esiprofetho sikaJesu futhi enze njengokusho kwakhe. Empeleni ukuphila kwawo kuxhomeke ekwenzeni kanjalo. Kodwa azobaleka kanjani?

Kungazelelwe, uCestius Gallus uyahoxa ngaphandle kwesizathu futhi yena namasosha akhe bayahlehla baye ngasogwini, amaZealot abajahe. Kuyamangalisa ukuthi usizi luba isikhashana! Ebonisa ukholo lwawo esixwayisweni sikaJesu esiyisiprofetho, amaKristu ayabaleka eJerusalema aye ePhela, umuzi ongachemile kule nxushunxushu osezintabeni ngale koMfula iJordani. Abaleke ngesikhathi esifanele. AmaZealot ayabuya eJerusalema afike aphoqelele izakhamuzi ezisele ukuba zijoyine ekuvukeleni kwawo.a Le ePhela, amaKristu alondekile futhi alindele ukubona ukuthi kuzokwenzekani.

Kusuka Isiphithiphithi

Kungakapheli nezinyanga ezingaki, ibutho elisha laseRoma liphikelela eJerusalema. Ngo-67 C.E., uJenene Vespasian nendodana yakhe uTitus bakha ibutho elikhulu elinamasosha angu-60 000. Phakathi neminyaka emibili elandelayo, leli butho eliqotha imbokodo nesisekelo liqonda eJerusalema futhi licoboshisa noma yini eyisiphazamiso kulo. Le eJerusalema, amavukela angamaJuda asemaqembuqembu alwa wodwa ngesihluku esikhulu. Izinqolobane zomuzi ezigcina okusanhlamvu ziyadilizwa futhi indawo ezungeze ithempeli icekelwa phansi, kufe namaJuda angaphezu kuka-20-000. UVespasian ubamba izinyawo kancane njengoba eqonde eJerusalema athi: ‘UNkulunkulu ungujenene waseRoma ongcono kakhulu kunami; izitha zethu ziqobana zodwa.’

Lapho uNero, uMbusi WaseRoma, efa, uVespasian uyahamba aye eRoma ayozithathela isihlalo sobukhosi, futhi ushiya uTitus ukuba aphothule umkhankaso wokubhubhisa iJudiya. UTitus ufika eJerusalema sekuzoba iPhasika lika-70 C.E., ngaleyo ndlela avalele izakhamuzi nezihambi ezize emkhosini ngaphakathi komuzi. Amasosha akhe agawula izihlahla ezisemaphandleni akhe uthango oluzungeza umuzi ngezigxobo ezicijile lube ngamakhilomitha angu-7. Kwenzeka njengoba nje uJesu asho: “Izitha zakho zizokwakha uthango nxazonke zakho ngezigxobo ezicijile zikuzungeze futhi zikucindezele nhlangothi zonke.”—Luka 19:43.

Ngokushesha umuzi uhlaselwa yindlala. Izixuku ezihlomile ziphanga imizi yabantu abashonile nasebezoshona. Owesifazane oyedwa osephelelwe amasu ubulala usana lwakhe aludle, kugcwaliseke isibikezelo: “Kuyodingeka udle isithelo sesisu sakho, inyama yamadodana akho namadodakazi akho, . . . ngenxa yobunzima nokucindezela isitha sakho esiyokucindezela ngakho.”—Duteronomi 28:53-57.

Ekugcineni, ngemva kokuvinjezelwa izinyanga ezinhlanu, iJerusalema liyabhujiswa. Umuzi nethempeli lawo eliwubukhazikhazi kuyaphangwa, kushiswe konke kucoboshiswe. (Daniyeli 9:26) Kufa abantu abangaba ngu-1 100 000; abangu-97 000 baba yizigqila.b (Duteronomi 28:68) Kucishe kwaphela wonke amaJuda eJudiya. Kwakuqala ukuba amaJuda avelelwe inhlekelele enje futhi yakushintsha ngokuphelele ukuphila kwawo ngokuqondene nezombusazwe, inkolo namasiko.c

Njengoba kwenzeka konke lokhu, amaKristu asePhela abonga uNkulunkulu ngokusuka enhliziyweni ngokuwakhulula. Ukuba kwawo nokholo esiprofethweni seBhayibheli kulonde ukuphila kwawo!

Uma sicabanga ngalezo zenzakalo esezadlula, ngamunye wethu namuhla wenza kahle ngokuzibuza: “Nginalo yini ukholo oluyolonda ukuphila kwami phakathi nosizi olukhulu oluzayo? Ingabe ‘ngiluhlobo olunokholo kube ukulondwa komphefumulo’?”—Hebheru 10:39; IsAmbulo 7:14.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ishadi ekhasini 9]

Izici Zesibonakaliso Esagcwaliseka Ekhulwini Lokuqala

IZIMPI:

EGaul (39-40 C.E.)

ENyakatho Afrika (41 C.E.)

EBrithani (43, 60 C.E.)

E-Armenia (58-62 C.E.)

Izinxushunxushu zombango nezobuzwe eJudiya (50-66 C.E.)

UKUZAMAZAMA KOMHLABA:

ERoma (54 C.E.)

EPompeii (62 C.E.)

E-Asia Minor (53, 62 C.E.)

EKrethe (62 C.E.)

INDLALA:

ERoma, eGrisi naseGibhithe (cishe ngo-42 C.E.)

EJudiya (cishe ngo-46 C.E.)

IZIFO:

EBhabhiloniya (40 C.E.)

ERoma (60, 65 C.E.)

ABAPROFETHI BAMANGA:

EJudiya (cishe ngo-56 C.E.)

[Ibalazwe/Isithombe ekhasini 10]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Umkhankaso WamaRoma EPalestina Ngo-67-70 C.E.

IPhetolemayi

ULwandle Lwase-Galile

IPhela

IPHEREYA

ISAMARIYA

IJerusalema

ULwandle Lukasawoti

IJUDIYA

IKhesariya

[Umthombo]

Map only: Based on maps copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel

[Isithombe ekhasini 11]

‘Izitha zethu ziqobana zodwa.’—uVespasian

[Izithombe ekhasini 11]

Ngo-70 C.E., amabutho aseRoma abhubhisa iJerusalema

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 11]

Relief: Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma; Vespasian: Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz/Art Resource, NY