IBhayibheli Linomlando Onokwethenjelwa?
BAGXEKA ababusi. Bakhuza abapristi. Basola abantu abavamile ngobubi babo. Baze babhala nangokushiyeka nezono zabo emibhalweni yomphakathi. Baxoshwa futhi bashushiswa, futhi abanye baze babulawa ngenxa yokukhuluma nokubhala iqiniso. Babengobani? Abaprofethi beBhayibheli, abaningi babo ababa nengxenye ekubhaleni imiBhalo Engcwele.—Mathewu 23:35-37.
Encwadini yakhe ethi The Historian and History, uPage Smith uyabhala: “[AmaHeberu] ayengenaluzwela emaqhaweni awo njengakubantu abayizigilamkhuba, kuwo ngokwawo njengasezitheni zawo, ngoba ayebhala ebhekwe uNkulunkulu futhi engeke azuze lutho futhi engase alahlekelwe okukhulu ngokufihla okuthile.” USmith wabhala nokuthi “uma kuqhathaniswa nezenzakalo ezinesidina zezikhathi zamaqhawe amakhosi ase-Asiriya noma aseGibithe, ukulandisa ngosizi nokunqoba kwabantu ababekhethwe uNkulunkulu . . . kuyindaba okumnandi ukuyifunda. Ababhali bomlando abangamaHeberu babethole esinye sezici ezibaluleke kakhulu emlandweni—ukuthi ukhuluma ngabantu abangokoqobo, nawo wonke amaphutha abo nezici.”
Abalobi beBhayibheli futhi babenembe ngokumangalisayo. Ngemva kokuhlaziya iBhayibheli ngokwalokho okushiwo umlando nemivubukulo, umlobi uWerner Keller wathi esethulweni sencwadi yakhe ethi The Bible as History: “Ngenxa yobufakazi obuningi obunokwethenjelwa nobufakazelwe obukhona manje, . . . lo musho ubulokhu unkeneneza engqondweni yami: ‘IBhayibheli belilokhu liqinisile!’”
Umlando Onamandla Onezifundo Ezinzulu
Ngokwengxenye enkulu, abalobi beBhayibheli kwakungabantu abavamile—abalimi, abelusi nabadobi. Kodwa lokho abakubhala enkathini eyiminyaka ebalelwa ku-1 600 kuye kwathonya abantu abaningi kunanoma yimuphi omunye umbhalo, wasendulo noma wanamuhla. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imibhalo yabo iye yahlaselwa nxazonke kodwa kwaphelela emoyeni. (Isaya 40:8; 1 Petru 1:25) Namuhla iBhayibheli lingafundwa liphelele noma liyingxenye ngezilimi ezingaba ngu-2 200—eziningi kunanoma iyiphi enye incwadi! Kungani iBhayibheli livelele kangaka? Lezi zingcaphuno ezilandelayo ziyasiza ekuphenduleni lo mbuzo.
“Yonke imiBhalo iphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu futhi inenzuzo yokufundisa, yokusola, yokuqondisa izinto, yokuyala ekulungeni, ukuze umuntu kaNkulunkulu afaneleke ngokugcwele, ayihlomele ngokuphelele yonke imisebenzi emihle.”—2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17.
“Zonke izinto ezalotshwa esikhathini esingaphambili zalotshelwa ukuba kufundiswe thina, ukuze kuthi ngokukhuthazela kwethu nangenduduzo evela emiBhalweni sibe nethemba.”—Roma 15:4.
“Lezizinto zaqhubeka zibehlela [abakwa-Israyeli] njengezibonelo, futhi zalotshelwa ukuba zibe isixwayiso kithi [maKristu] esesifikelwe ukuphela kwezimiso zezinto.”—1 Korinte 10:11.
Yebo, njengomlando ophefumulelwe ngokwaphezulu nogciniwe wabantu abangokoqobo—abanye abajabulisa uNkulunkulu nabanye abangamjabulisanga—iBhayibheli liphakeme kunazo zonke ezinye izincwadi. Alilona nje uhlu lwezinto okumelwe uzenze nokungamelwe uzenze noma iqoqo lezindatshana ezimnandi zokujabulisa izingane. Yiqiniso, uNkulunkulu wasebenzisa abalobi abangabantu, kodwa lokhu kwamane kwalithuthukisa iBhayibheli, kwalenza lakhanga ngendlela eye yathinta izinhliziyo zabafundi izizukulwane ngezizukulwane. Isazi semivubukulo uWilliam Albright sathi: “Ukuqonda okukhulu kweBhayibheli ngokokuziphatha nangokomoya, okuyisambulo esivelele sikaNkulunkulu kumuntu ngemizila yezinto ezenzeka kubantu, kuseyiqiniso namuhla njengoba kwakunjalo eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili noma ezintathu edlule.”
Ukuze sibonise ukuthi ukusebenza kweBhayibheli akuphelelwa yisikhathi, ake sihlehlele emuva ekuqaleni komlando wesintu—lapho kuyiBhayibheli kuphela elingasiyisa khona—futhi sicabangele ezinye zezifundo eziyinhloko ezisencwadini kaGenesise.
Izifundo Ezifike Ngesikhathi Zomlando Wasendulo
Phakathi kokunye, incwadi kaGenesise yembula ukuqala komkhaya wesintu—amagama nakho konke. Kulokhu, ayikho enye incwadi yomlando esho ngokuqonde kangaka. Ungase ubuze, ‘Kodwa kunanzuzoni namuhla ukwazi okhokho bethu bokuqala?’ Kunenzuzo enkulu, ngoba ngokwembula ukuthi bonke abantu—kungakhathaliseki ibala, uhlanga noma isizwe—baphuma kumzali oyedwa, uGenesise ususa noma isiphi isisekelo sobandlululo.—IzEnzo 17:26.
UGenesise unikeza nesiqondiso ngokuziphatha. Ulandisa ngeSodoma, iGomora namadolobha angomakhelwane, uNkulunkulu awabhubhisa ngenxa yobuhlobo bobulili obuphendukezelwe bezakhamuzi zakhona. (Genesise 18:20–19:29) Ivesi 7 lencwadi yeBhayibheli kaJude lithi: “ISodoma neGomora nemizi eyizungezile, ngemva kokuba nayo . . . yenze ubufebe ngokweqile futhi yalandela inyama ngenjongo yokuyisebenzisa ngokungekhona okwemvelo, ibekwe phambi kwethu njengesixwayiso esiyisibonelo.” Abantu baseSodoma neGomora abazange bathole imithetho yokuziphatha kuNkulunkulu; kodwa njengabo bonke abantu, babenonembeza abawunikezwe uNkulunkulu. Ngakho, uNkulunkulu wayengababeka icala kufanele labo bantu ngenxa yezenzo zabo. (Roma 1:26, 27; 2:14, 15) Ngokufanayo namuhla, bonke abantu kuyofanele balandise kuNkulunkulu ngezenzo zabo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bayalamukela iZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli Elingcwele, noma cha.—2 Thesalonika 1:8, 9.
Isifundo Sokusinda Esingokomlando
Isithombe esiqoshiwe seKhothamo LikaTitus eRoma sibonisa amasosha aseRoma ethwele izitsha ezingcwele ezisusa ethempelini eJerusalema ngemva kokubhujiswa kwalo muzi ngonyaka ka-70 C.E. Angaphezu kwesigidi amaJuda abulawa. Kodwa amaKristu alalelayo asinda, ngenxa yokuthi uJesu wayewaxwayise kusengaphambili: “Lapho nibona iJerusalema lihaqwe amabutho akanisile, khona-ke yazini ukuthi ukuchithwa kwalo sekusondele. Khona-ke labo abaseJudiya mabaqale ukubalekela ezintabeni, futhi labo abaphakathi kwalo mabasuke, futhi labo abasemaphandleni mabangangeni kulo; ngoba lezi izinsuku zokukhipha ubulungisa.”—Luka 21:20-22.
Esikhundleni sokuba umlando nje wasendulo, usizi lwaseJerusalema lwafanekisela izici zosizi olukhulu oluzosibekela umhlaba wonke ngokushesha. Kodwa nalapha futhi, kukhona abayosinda. Laba bachazwa ngokuthi “isixuku esikhulu . . . siphuma kuzo zonke izizwe nezizwana nabantu nezilimi.” ‘Siphuma osizini olukhulu’ ngenxa yokholo lwaso egazini likaJesu elachitheka—ukholo olusekelwe ngokuqinile emlandweni nasesiprofethweni seBhayibheli.—IsAmbulo 7:9, 14.
Umlando Ongeke Uphindwe
Namuhla siphila esikhathini sokubusa koMbuso Wezwe WamaNgisi NamaMelika, ongowokugcina esiprofethweni seBhayibheli. Ngokwalokho okuye kwenzeka kweminye efana nawo ngaphambili, nawo kufanele uphele. Kodwa kanjani? NgokweBhayibheli, ukuphela kwalo mbuso kuyoba okuvelele ngempela. Ekhomba phambili onyakeni ka-1914 C.E., uDaniyeli 2:44 wathi ngababusi bezombangazwe ababusayo, noma “imibuso”: “Ezinsukwini zalawo makhosi uNkulunkulu wasezulwini uyakumisa umbuso ongasoze wachithwa nobukhosi bawo bungayikushiyelwa kwabanye abantu, kepha uyakuchoboza, uqede yonke le mibuso, wona uqobo ume phakade.”
Yebo, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu—uhulumeni wakhe wasezulwini oholwa uKristu Jesu—uyochitha yonke iminonjana yokubusa komuntu okucindezelayo e-Armagedoni, umvuthwandaba ‘wosizi olukhulu’ okukhulunywe ngalo ngaphambili. Ngemva kwalokho, lo Mbuso ‘awuyikushiyelwa kwabanye abantu,’ okusho ukuthi ngeke ugumbuqelwe noma uvotelwe ukuba ukhishwe esikhundleni. Uyobusa “kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba.”—IHubo 72:8.
Ekugcineni, uyophela umjikelezo ononya wokubusa kwenkolo yamanga, ezombangazwe ezicindezelayo nezentengiselwano ezinobugovu. IHubo 72:7 liyathembisa: “Olungileyo uyakuqhakaza, kuvame ukuthula, ize ingabikho inyanga.” Iplanethi ngeke igcwale ubugovu nokuqhosha kodwa iyogcwala imfanelo kaNkulunkulu evelele yothando. (1 Johane 4:8) UJesu wathi: “Thandanani.” Mayelana nalokhu, isazi-mlando uWill Durant sathi: “Isifundo sami esikhulu engisifunde emlandweni siyafana nesikaJesu. . . . Uthando luyinto ebaluleke kakhulu emhlabeni.”
Uthando lukaNkulunkulu ngabantu lwamshukumisela ukuba aphefumulele ukulotshwa kweBhayibheli. Yilona kuphela elicacisa isikhathi esidlule, esamanje nesizayo. Siza wamukele umyalezo walo onikeza ukuphila ngokuzinika isikhathi sokutadisha iBhayibheli. Ukuze benze lokho futhi balalele umyalo kaJesu, oFakazi BakaJehova bahlanganyela ‘izindaba ezinhle zombuso’ nomakhelwane babo. Ngokushesha lezi zindaba ezinhle ngeke zisaba yisiprofetho. Zizoba umlando ophilayo.—Mathewu 24:14.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 9]
“IBhayibheli belilokhu liqinisile!”—UWERNER KELLER
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 11]
“Ukuqonda okukhulu kweBhayibheli ngokokuziphatha nangokomoya . . . kuseyiqiniso namuhla njengoba kwakunjalo eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili noma ezintathu edlule.”—UWILLIAM ALBRIGHT, ISAZI SEMIVUBUKULO
[Izithombe ekhasini 9]
Itshe LakwaMowabi: INkosi uMesha ulandisa ngempi phakathi kwabakwaMowabi no-Israyeli (2 AmaKhosi 3:4-27), amagama ezindawo zeBhayibheli ezihlukahlukene, negama likaNkulunkulu ngezinhlamvu zasendulo zesiHeberu.
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Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Uhlamvu lukadenariyu lwesiliva: Lo denariyu ofana nawo unomfanekiso nombhalo oqoshiwe kaTiberiyu Kesari (Marku 12:15-17).
Umlando kaNabonidasi: Isibhebhe se-cuneiform esiqinisekisa ukuwela kweBabiloni ngokungazelelwe ezandleni zikaKoresi. (UDaniyeli, isahluko 5)
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Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum.
Isixebeledu setshe: Sinegama likaPontiyu Pilatu ngesiLatini.
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Photograph © Israel Museum, Jerusalem; courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority.
Ingemuva LoMqulu Wasolwandle Olufile: Ukuhlola ukulandisa kuka-Isaya kwabonisa ukuthi le ncwadi yahlala injalo ingashintshile iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-1 000 ikopishwa ngesandla.
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Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
[Izithombe ekhasini 10]
Isithombe esiqoshwe eKhothamweni LikaTitus siqinisekisa ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema ngo-70 C.E.
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Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma