Umbono WeBhayibheli

IHanukkah—Ingabe “Iwukhisimusi WamaJuda”?

NJENGOBA izigidi emhlabeni wonke zilungiselela ukugubha uKhisimusi, ngokuvamile amaJuda alungiselela ukugubha iholide elihlukile, uMkhosi weHanukkah (Chanukah). Iyini iHanukkah? Abangewona amaJuda ngokuvamile bayicabangela njengohlobo “lukaKhisimusi wamaJuda,” kodwa lokho akulona iqiniso.

Ngokwesibonelo, uKhisimusi kucatshangelwa ukuthi uwukukhumbula ukuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu, kodwa lomkhosi eqinisweni ugxila ezintweni ezinjengoSanta Claus nezihlahla ezingabuni ezihlotshisiwe, izinto ezingaphathelene ngalutho noNkulunkulu, uJesu, noma iBhayibheli. Ngisho nosuku, uDecember 25, akulona usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu kodwa olokuzalwa kukankulunkulu welanga ongaqondakali uMithra. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iHanukkah, iwusuku lokukhumbula isenzakalo somlando esasinemiphumela ebalulekile kubantu bakaNkulunkulu basendulo.

Eqinisweni, kungokuphawulekayo ukuthi iHanukkah iyathintwa emiBhalweni yamaKristu yesiGreki. KuJohane 10:22, 23 siyafunda: “Khona kwakuwumkhosi wokuhlanjululwa [ngesiHeberu, chanuk·kahʹ] kwethempeli eJerusalema, kusebusika. UJesu wayehamba ethempelini emphemeni kaSolomoni.” Ngokukhanyayo, lomkhosi wawusugujwa kakade osukwini lukaJesu futhi ngokusobala nanguJesu ngokwakhe.

Yini eyaholela kulomkhosi? Ukuze siphendule lombuzo, kumelwe sicabangele umlando othile.

Ukungcoliswa Kwethempeli LikaJehova

Njengoba kwabikezelwa emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili umprofethi uDaniyeli, esikhathini esithile emlandweni wawo, amaJuda abuswa ngokulandelana yiGrisi futhi ngemva kokuchitheka kwalowombuso, iGibithe neSiriya. (Daniyeli 11:2-16) Nakuba ababusi abaningi abangewona amaJuda bakubekezelela ukukhulekela kwamaJuda uJehova, oyedwa ophawulekayo owayengakuvumeli kwakunguAntiochus IV waseSiriya.

Ngo-175 B.C.E., uAntiochus wabusa phezu kombuso omkhulu onabantu bamasiko ahlukene. Ethemba ukuhlanganisa abantu bakhe, wabumba inkolo eyodwa yabo bonke, yena “ewukubonakaliswa kukankulunkulu.” Nokho uJehova ufuna ukuzinikela okukhethekile, ngakho-ke amaJuda enqaba ukukhulekela uAntiochus. (Eksodusi 20:4-6) Ngakho uAntiochus wanquma ukuyiqothula lenkolo yamaJuda engahambisani naye. Esikhathini esingeside wayenqabela imihlatshelo yabo yezilwane, ukugcinwa kweSabatha, umkhuba wokusoka, ngisho nokufundwa kwemiBhalo yesiHeberu, konke kwakunesijeziso sokufa. Eqinisweni, amakhophi emiBhalo yesiHeberu ayefunwa futhi ashiswe!

Engadambi esifisweni sakhe sokuqothula ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova, amabutho ka-Antiochus ahlasela iJerusalema futhi angena ethempelini likaJehova, ephanga iNgcwele Ngcwele. NgoChislev 15, 168 B.C.E., uAntiochus wamisa ialtare likankulunkulu wamaGreki uZeus phezu kwealtare likaJehova egcekeni lethempeli. Ezinsukwini eziyishumi kamuva, ngoChislev 25, wahlambalaza okokugcina, esebenzisa ialtare ekunikeleni ngezingulube (ezingahlanzekile ngokoMthetho kaJehova). Ngamanye amazwi, lokhu kwanikezela ithempeli likaJehova kuZeus.

Ukuhlubuka KukaMaccabee

AmaJuda asabela kanjani kukho konke lokhu? Ngokombhalo ongokomlando ongaphefumlelwe manje owaziwa ngokuthi eyoku-1 Maccabees, amaJuda amaningi abambisana nabahlaseli bawo, eshiya ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova. Amanye agcina ubuqotho bawo, kodwa abulawelwa izinkolelo zawo.

Ngalowonyaka ofanayo (168 B.C.E.) amanye amaJuda aqala ukulwa neSiriya, ethemba ukuvikela inkululeko yokukhulekela uJehova. Ngo-167 B.C.E., uJudas Maccabeus (Judah Maccabee), umpristi ongumLevi, waba umholi walenhlangano ephikisayo. Ekholelwa ukuthi bayonqoba kuphela uma bethembela kuJehova, uJudas wahlanganisa abantu bakhe ukuze bafunde imiBhalo yesiHeberu futhi bathandaze kuJehova.

UJudas nabantu bakhe balwa namaSiriya iminyaka emithathu, naphezu kokungalingani okukhulu ngokwezibalo. Ngokumangalisayo, ngo-166 B.C.E., uJudas wayeselithumbile futhi iJerusalema. Khona-ke abapristi bakaJehova bakwazi ukuhlanza ithempeli nokumisa ialtare elisha. Ekugcineni, ngoChislev 25, 165 B.C.E., iminyaka emithathu kuya osukwini lwangemva kokungcoliswa kwethempeli, lanikezelwa futhi kuJehova.

Ukugubha Ukunikezelwa Kwesibili

Nakuba uJuda ayesadinga ukuqhubeka nokulwa nabaseSiriya eGalile, injabulo yokunikezelwa kwethempeli yaba-nkulu kangangokuthi kwamiswa umkhosi wezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili waminyaka yonke wokukhumbula lokhu kunikezelwa. Waziwa ngokuthi uMkhosi Wokunikezela (Hanukkah).a

Ngisho nakuba lomkhosi wawungeyona ingxenye yesivumelwano uNkulunkulu asenza noIsrayeli, iHanukkah yaba ingxenye eyamukelekayo yokukhulekela kwamaJuda, njengoba uMkhosi wePurim wawunjalo eminyakeni edlule. (Esteri 9:26, 27) NjengePurim, iHanukkah yayigujwa ngamaculo nemithandazo emasinagogeni, ngokungafani nemikhosi emithathu eyinhloko eyayigunyazwe isivumelwano (IPhasika; Umkhosi Wamasonto, noma iPentekoste; noMkhosi Wamadokodo) eyayidinga ukuba kuyiwe ethempelini eJerusalema.—Duteronomi 16:16.

Ekuqhubekeni kweminyaka isiko lokugubha iHanukkah ngezibani laqala. Kanjalo, isazi-mlando uJosephus sibika ukuthi ngekhulu lokuqala C.E. iHanukkah yayaziwa futhi ngokuthi uMkhosi Wezibani. Nokho, imvelaphi yalelisiko ayicacile. Enye indaba iveza ukuthi liwukukhumbula isimangaliso esenzeka lapho ithempeli linikezelwa okwesibili. Ngokwalendaba, lapho sekuyisikhathi sokukhanyisa futhi uthi lwezibani ethempelini likaJehova, nakuba kwakunamafutha ahlanzekile ngokwesiko anele usuku olulodwa, ngokuyisimangaliso aqhuba izinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili.b

Ingabe lendaba yamafutha ayisimangaliso iyiqiniso noma iyinganekwane nje engenasisekelo? Ngokuphathelene nalokho, ingabe uNkulunkulu wakusekela ukuvukela kukaJudas Maccabeus iSiriya?

Ingabe Kwakukhona Ukusekelwa Kwaphezulu?

Ayikho inkulumo eqondile emiBhalweni yesiHeberu ephefumlelwe yokuthi uJehova wanikeza uJudas ukunqoba noma waqondisa ukulungiswa nokunikezelwa kwethempeli. Ngokusobala, lezizenzakalo zenzeka ngemva kokuba ukubhalwa kwemiBhalo yesiHeberu sekuphelile, ngakho-ke akukho ukuphawula okwakungenzeka emiBhalweni yesiHeberu.

Kuthiwani ngemiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki? Akekho phakathi kukaJesu nabaphostoli bakhe owaphawula ngalezizenzakalo, ngakho-ke nabo abazange babonise ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamsekela yini uJudas noma akazange.

Nokho, imiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki iyakubonisa ukugcwaliseka kweziprofetho zemiBhalo yesiHeberu yobuMesiya enkonzweni kaJesu Kristu. Ezinye zaleziprofetho zadinga ukuba ithempeli libe lisebenza ngesikhathi sokubonakala kukaMesiya. (Daniyeli 9:27; Hagayi 2:9; qhathanisa neHubo 69:9 noJohane 2:16, 17.) Kanjalo, ngaphandle kokuba ithempeli lihlanzwe, futhi linikezelwe kuJehova, leziprofetho zazingenakugcwaliseka. Ngokusobala, uNkulunkulu wayefuna ukuba ithempeli liphinde linikezelwe. Kodwa ingabe uJudas Maccabeus wayeyithuluzi lakhe elikhethiwe lokufeza lokhu?

Njengoba kungekho-mbhalo ophefumlelwe, asinakusho ngokuqinisekile. Yebo, eminyakeni eminingi edlule uJehova wayesebenzise abangemaJuda, njengoKoresi umPheresiya, ukuba afeze izici ezithile zentando yakhe. (Isaya 44:26–45:4) Yeka ukuthi kufaneleka kakhulu kangakanani ngoNkulunkulu ukuba asebenzise omunye kubantu bakhe abazinikezele, amaJuda!

Kuthiwani NgamaKristu?

Kepha kuthiwani ngomkhosi ngokwawo? Njengoba ukhumbuza ngesenzakalo esibalulekile emlandweni wabantu bakaNkulunkulu, ingabe kufanele ugujwe amaKristu?

Umphostoli uPawulu wachaza kwabaseKolose 2:14-17: “[UNkulunkulu] esehlangulé incwadi yecala lethu, emelana nathi . . . ngokuyibethela [esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa] . . . Ngakho makungabikho-muntu onilahla ngokudla nesiphuzo, noma ngemikhosi, noma ukwethwasa kwenyanga, noma amasabatha, okuyisithunzi nje salokho obekuzakuza; kepha umzimba ngokaKristu.” Njengoba nje isithunzi esivezwa into esondelayo singaxwayisa othile ngokufika kwayo, isivumelwano soMthetho sakwazi ukuxwayisa abantu ngokufika kukaMesiya, noma uKristu. Nokho, lapho lencwadi isiyifezile injongo yayo, uNkulunkulu wayisula.—Galathiya 3:23-25.

Kanjalo, isivumelwano soMthetho nayo yonke imikhosi ehlobene naso kwafika esiphelweni sakho ngokukaNkulunkulu ngePentekoste ngo-33 C.E. Ngempela, ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema nethempeli amabutho amaRoma ngo-70 C.E. ngokushesha kwagcizelela leloqiniso. (Luka 19:41-44) Ngakho-ke ngisho nakuba ukunikezelwa kwesibili kwethempeli kwakuyisenzakalo esibalulekile emlandweni wabantu bakaNkulunkulu basendulo, asikho isizathu sokuba amaKristu agubhe iHanukkah.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 12]

Emazweni lapho uKhisimusi uye waba umkhosi womkhaya othandwayo, iHanukkah, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwamaJuda aGuquliwe, yaba nesimo esifanayo.—Encyclopædia Judaica

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 11]

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