Imbono YeBhayibhile

IHanukkah—Ngaba “YiKrismesi YamaYuda”?

NJENGOKO izigidi ezisehlabathini jikelele zilungiselela ukubhiyozela iKrismesi, ngokuqhelekileyo amaYuda alungiselela ukubhiyozela iholide eyahlukileyo, uMthendeleko weHanukkah (Chanukah). Iyintoni iHanukkah? Abantu abangengomaYuda ngokufuthi bacinga ukuba iluhlobo oluthile ‘lweKrismesi yamaYuda,’ kodwa oko akuchananga konke konke.

Ngokomzekelo, kuthiwa iKrismesi isisikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kukaYesu Kristu, kodwa enyanisweni lo mbhiyozo umiliselwe kwizinto ezinjengeSanta Claus nemithi ehlala iluhlaza ehonjisiweyo, zinto ezo ezingenanto yakwenza noThixo, uYesu, okanye iBhayibhile. Kwanolu suku, uDisemba 25, asingomhla wokuzalwa kukaYesu kodwa ngumhla wokuzalwa kothixo welanga wasentsomini uMithra! Kwelinye icala, iHanukkah sisikhumbuzo sonyaka sesiganeko esingokwembali esaba nemiphumo ebalulekileyo kubantu bakaThixo bamandulo.

Enyanisweni, kuyaphawuleka ukuba iHanukkah ikhankanyiwe kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. KuYohane 10:​22, 23 sifunda oku: “Ke kaloku, kwabakho umthendeleko wokuhlaziywa kwetempile eYerusalem [ichanuk·kahʹ, ngesiHebhere]; kwaye kusebusika. Waye ehambahamba uYesu etempileni, evarandeni kaSolomon.” Ngokucacileyo, lo mthendeleko wawusele ubhiyozelwa ngomhla kaYesu kwaye kuyabonakala ukuba wabhiyozelwa nanguYesu ngokwakhe.

Yintoni eyakhokelela kulo mbhiyozo? Ukuze siwuphendule lo mbuzo, simele siqwalasele imbali ethile.

Ukuhlanjelwa Kwetempile KaYehova

Njengoko kwaxelwa ngaphambili kwiinkulungwane zangaphambili ngumprofeti uDaniyeli, ngethuba elithile kwimbali yawo, amaYuda ayelawulwa ngokulandelelanayo yiGrisi ibe, emva kokuqhekeka kobo bukhosi, yiYiputa neSiriya. (Daniyeli 11:​2-16) Ngoxa uninzi lwabalawuli ababengengawo amaYuda lwakunyamezelayo ukunqula kwamaYuda uYehova, umntu omnye owahluke ngokuphawulekayo yayinguAntiochus IV waseSiriya.

Ngowe-175 B.C.E., uAntiochus walawula ubukhosi obukhulu beentlanga ezazinamasiko angafaniyo. Enethemba lokumanyanisa abantu bakhe, waseka unqulo olunye elungiselela bona bonke, yena ‘enguthixo obonakalayo.’ Noko ke, uYehova ufuna uzinikelo olupheleleyo, ngoko amaYuda akwala ukumnqula uAntiochus. (Eksodus 20:​4-⁠6) Ngoko ke uAntiochus wagqiba ekubeni alutshayele kuthi tu olu nqulo lwamaYuda lungahambisaniyo naye. Kungekudala wakwalela ukunikela kwawo ngamadini ezilwanyana, ukugcinwa kweSabatha, ukwaluka kwanokufundwa kweZibhalo zesiHebhere, konke oku kunesigwebo sokufa. Enyanisweni, imibhalo yeZibhalo zesiHebhere yayifunwa ize itshiswe!

Engayekeleli kumnqweno wakhe wokutshabalalisa unqulo lukaYehova, imikhosi ka-Antiochus yahlasela iYerusalem yaza yangena etempileni kaYehova, iphanga oko kwakuyiNgcwele kaNgcwele. NgoChislev 15, 168 B.C.E., uAntiochus wakha isibingelelo sothixo wamaGrike uZeyus phezu kwesibingelelo sikaYehova esasisentendelezweni yetempile. Kwiintsuku ezilishumi kamva, ngoChislev 25, wenza isikizi lokugqibela, ukusebenzisa eso sibingelelo ekubingeleleni ngeehagu (izilwanyana ezizinqambi ngokutsho komthetho kaYehova). Ngokungathi kunjalo, oku kwakukukunikelwa kwetempile kaYehova kuZeyus.

Imvukelo KaMaccabeus

Asabela njani amaYuda kuko konke oku? Ngokutsho kwengxelo engaphefumlelwanga yembali ngoku eyaziwa njengeyoku-⁠1 yeeMaccabees, amaYuda amaninzi anikezela kwabo bahlaseli aza alushiya unqulo lukaYehova. Amanye alondoloza ingqibelelo yawo, aza afela ukholo ngenxa yeenkolelo zawo.

Ngaloo nyaka ukwamnye (168 B.C.E.) amaYuda athile aqalisa ukulwa namaSiriya, enethemba lokuzuza inkululeko yokunqula uYehova. Ngowe-167 B.C.E., uJudas Maccabeus (uJudah Maccabee), umbingeleli ongumLevi, waba yinkokeli yeli qela lemvukelo. Ekholelwa ekubeni babeya koyisa kuphela ukuba babethembele ngoYehova, uJudas wahlanganisa amadoda akhe ukuze bafunde iZibhalo zesiHebhere nokuze bathandaze kuYehova.

Kangangeminyaka emithathu uJudas namadoda akhe balwa namaSiriya, phezu kwako nje ukuhla okukhulu kwabo ngamanani. Ngokungalindelekanga, ngowe-166 B.C.E., uJudas wayebuye wayifumana iYerusalem. Ngoko ababingeleli bakaYehova bakwazi ukuyihlambulula itempile nokwakha isibingelelo esitsha. Ekugqibeleni, ngoChislev 25, 165 B.C.E., iminyaka emithathu emva kosuku eyathi yahlanjelwa ngalo itempile, yayibuye yanikezelwa kuYehova.

Ukubhiyozelwa Kokuphinda Inikezelwe

Nangona kwakusafuneka uJudas eqhubeke esilwa namaSiriya eGalili, uvuyo lokuphinda kunikezelwe itempile kaYehova lwalulukhulu kangangokuba kwamiselwa umbhiyozo waminyaka le othabatha iintsuku ezisibhozo wokukhumbuza oko. Oku kwaziwa njengoMthendeleko Wokuhlaziywa Kwetempile (iHanukkah).a

Nakubeni lo mthendeleko wawungeyiyo inxalenye yomnqophiso uThixo awawenza noSirayeli, iHanukkah yaba yinxalenye eyamkelekileyo yonqulo lwamaYuda, njengokuba kwakunjalo ngoMthendeleko wePurim kwiminyaka edluleyo. (Estere 9:​26, 27) NjengePurim, iHanukkah yayibhiyozelwa ngeengoma nemithandazo kwizindlu zesikhungu, ngokungafaniyo nemithendeleko emithathu emikhulu eyayigunyaziswa ngumnqophiso (iPasika; uMthendeleko Weeveki, okanye iPentekoste; noMthendeleko Weminquba) neyayifuna kuthatyathwe uhambo lokuya etempileni eyayiseYerusalem.​—⁠Duteronomi 16:⁠16.

Ekuhambeni kweminyaka kwavela isiko lokubhiyozela iHanukkah ngezibane. Ngaloo ndlela, umbhali-mbali uJosephus unikela ingxelo yokuba ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo iHanukkah yayikwaziwa njengoMthendeleko Wezibane. Noko ke, imvelaphi yeli siko ayicacanga. Elinye ibali lithi esi sisikhumbuzo sommangaliso owenzekayo xa kwabuya kwanikezelwa itempile. Ngokutsho kweli bali, xa kwafika ithuba lokuba kulunyekwe izibane ezazisetempileni kaYehova, nangona kwakukho ioli ecocekileyo yalo mbhiyozo eyayanele usuku olunye, yathi ngokungummangaliso yahlala iintsuku ezisibhozo.b

Ngaba eli bali leoli engummangaliso lichanile okanye liyintsomi nje engenamvelaphi? Ngapha koko, ngaba uThixo wayeyixhasa imvukelo kaJudas Maccabeus eyayinxamnye neSiriya?

Ngaba Oko Kwakuxhaswa NguThixo?

Akukho ngxelo ingqalileyo kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere eziphefumlelweyo ethi uYehova wabangela uloyiso lukaJudas okanye walathisela ukuhlaziywa nokunikezelwa kwakhona kwetempile. Kambe ke, ezi ziganeko zenzeka emva kokuba kugqitywe ukubhalwa kweZibhalo zesiHebhere, ngoko akukho ngxelo ifumanekayo ngoku kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere.

Kuthekani ngeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike? UYesu nabapostile bakhe abazange bathethe nto ngezi ziganeko, ngoko nazo azizange zibonise ukuba uThixo wamxhasa uJudas okanye akunjalo kusini na.

Sekunjalo, iZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike zinengxelo ngokuzalisekiswa kweziprofeto zeZibhalo zesiHebhere ezingoMesiya kubulungiseleli bukaYesu Kristu. Zimbi zezi ziprofeto zazifuna ukuba itempile ibe isetyenziswa ngexesha lobukho bukaMesiya. (Daniyeli 9:​27; Hagayi 2:⁠9; thelekisa INdumiso 69:⁠9 noYohane 2:​16, 17.) Ngaloo ndlela, ngaphandle kokuba itempile ibe yayihlanjululwe yacocwa, yaza yabuya yanikelwa kuYehova, ezi ziprofeto zazingenakuzalisekiswa. Ngokucacileyo, uThixo wayefuna ukuba le tempile iphinde inikezelwe. Kodwa ngaba uJudas Maccabeus wayesisixhobo sakhe asinyulileyo ukuba siphumeze oku?

Ngenxa yokungabikho kwengxelo ephefumlelweyo, asinakuthi kunjalo ngokuqinisekileyo. Kambe ke, kwiminyaka edluleyo uYehova wayebasebenzisile abantu abangengomaYuda, abanjengoKoreshi umPersi, ukuba baphumeze iinkalo ezithile zokuthanda kwakhe. (Isaya 44:​26–45:⁠4) Kukangakanani ke ukuba uThixo asebenzise uthile owayengomnye wabantu bakhe abazahluleleyo, amaYuda!

Kuthekani NgamaKristu?

Kodwa kuthekani ngomthendeleko ngokwawo? Ekubeni usisikhumbuzo sesiganeko esibalulekileyo embalini yabantu bakaThixo, ngaba sifanele esi sikhumbuzo senziwe nangamaKristu?

Umpostile uPawulos wacacisa esithi kweyabaseKolose 2:​14-17: “[UThixo wawucima] umbhalo wesandla owalana nathi . . . ngokuwubethelela [emthini, NW] . . . Makungabikho mntu ngoko unigwebayo ngento edliwayo, nangento eselwayo, nangendawo yomthendeleko, nangenyanga ethwasileyo, nangeesabatha; ezisisithunzi sezinto eziza kuza; ke sona isiqu sesikaKristu.” Kanye njengokuba isithunzi esivelayo sinokumenza uthile aqonde ukufika kwento ethile, umnqophiso woMthetho wakwazi ukwenza abantu baqonde ukufika kukaMesiya, okanye uKristu. Noko ke, wakuba loo mbhalo wesandla uyiphumezile injongo yawo, wacinywa nguThixo.​—⁠Galati 3:​23-⁠25.

Ngaloo ndlela, umnqophiso woMthetho nayo yonke imithendeleko eyayihamba nawo waphela ngokwembono kaThixo ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. Eneneni, ukutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem netempile yimikhosi yaseRoma ngowama-70 C.E. kungekudala kwasibalaselisa eso sibakala. (Luka 19:​41-44) Ngoko kwanokuba ukuphinda kunikezelwe itempile kwakusisiganeko esibalulekileyo kwimbali yabantu bakaThixo bamandulo, asikho isizathu sokuba amaKristu enze isikhumbuzo seHanukkah.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 12]

Kumazwe apho iKrismesi yathi yaba ngumthendeleko othandwayo yintsapho, iHanukkah, ngokukodwa kumaYuda Aguqukileyo, yenziwa ngohlobo olufanayo.​—⁠IEncyclopœdia Judaica

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 11]

Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums; Israel Museum/David Harris