Umbhalo Osodongeni—Ingabe Uyawubona?

“Ukuwa kwakhe ukubona esandleni, . . .

Kunjengombhalo osodongeni.”

NGALAMAZWI, uJonathan Swift umlobi waseIreland wekhulu le-18 leminyaka, wachaza isimo somnini webhange. Ekhathazwe abantu ayebagcinela izimali befuna abuyise izimali zabo, waba nomuzwa wokuthi ibhizinisi lakhe laselizokuwa. Emakhulwini eminyaka, amazwi athi ‘umbhalo osodongeni’ aye asho ingozi esondelayo.

Kodwa ‘umbhalo wokuqala osodongeni’ wabonakala eminyakeni engaphezu kwezi-2 500 edlule. Futhi ukugcwaliseka kwawo ngokushesha kwaguqula umlando. Ukuze sihlole ngokuqhubekayo imvelaphi yamazwi athi ‘umbhalo osodongeni,’ kumelwe siphendukele encwadini yeBhayibheli kaDaniyeli. Lokhu kuzosisiza ukuba sibone ukubaluleka kwezixwayiso ezisemiBhalweni, futhi kumelwe kusishukumisele ukuba silalele isixwayiso esibalulekile osukwini lwethu.

Ukusuka Emandleni Okubusa Aphakeme Kakhulu

Kusebusuku buka-October 5, 539 B.C.E. Izakhamuzi zaseBabiloni ziyaphuza futhi ziyasina. Nakuba isitha esingamaMede namaPheresiya sisemasangweni alo, umuzi ubonakala ulondekile. Akukho lutho olungangena ezindongeni zawo, ngakho wonke umuntu makazithokozise. Phela, umsindo wedili ungabonisa abahlaseli ukuthi umuzi kwakungelula ukuwuhlasela!

Ehholweni elikhulu lesigodlo sakhe, futhi ngokungangabazeki ngokuqhosha okukhulu, iNkosi uBelishasari yehla yenyuka ihlola abantu ababalulekile eye yabahlanganisela emcimbini. Iyaleza izinceku zayo ukuba zilethe izitsha zegolide nezesiliva uyisemkhulu, iNkosi uNebukadinesari, eyayizithathe ethempelini likaJehova eJerusalema emashumimi eminyaka ngaphambili. Mhlawumbe uBelishasari uyamemezela uthi, ‘Ngalezitsha masiphuze iwayini kube udumo konkulunkulu bethu!’—Daniyeli 5:1-4.

Ukuya Ekubhujisweni Okuphelele

Ngokungazelele, ubuso bukaBelishasari buyaphaphatheka ngenxa yokwesaba. Laphaya, ngaphambi kothi lwesibani eduze kodonga, kuvela isandla futhi sibhala amagama amane alula kodwa angaqondakali. Ngenxa yalokhu, umculo nokusina kuyama. Inkosi ithukile futhi amadolo ayo ayeshayana. Ingabe lomhlola usho ukuthini? Bizani abahlakaniphileyo nabahlola imihlola! Noma ubani onganikeza incazelo yalombhalo uyonikezwa udumo.—Daniyeli 5:5-7.

Wonke umuntu ulindele ngokwesaba ukuba abahlakaniphileyo basho okuthile. Kodwa bakhungathekile. Usho ukuthini ngempela ‘lowombhalo osodongeni’? Akekho onesibindi sokuzama ukuwuchaza, futhi inkosi yethuke kakhulu.—Daniyeli 5:8, 9.

Lapho indlovukazi izwa okwenzekayo, ingena ehholo. Ikhumbuza uBelishasari ukuthi embusweni kukhona indoda ehlakaniphile yakwelinye izwe eye yazibonakalisa inekhono. Khona-ke uDaniyeli uyabizwa. Ngesibindi, ukhumbuza inkosi lokho okwehlela uNebukadinesari eminyakeni engaphambili. Khona-ke, uDaniyeli utshela uBelishasari okuzokwenzeka kuye, ethi:

“Yiló umbhalo owalotshwa: MENÉ, MENÉ, TEKÉL, UFARSÍN.

Nansi incazo yalento: “MENÉ: uNkulunkulu ubalile umbuso wakho, uwuqedile.

TEKÉL: ulinganisiwe esilinganisweni, ufunyenwe ulula.

PERÉS: umbuso wakho wahlukene, unikelwe kumaMede namaPheresiya.”—Daniyeli 5:10-28.

Ukugcwaliseka Ngokushesha

Ingabe uBelishasari kuyomelwe ukuba alinde isikhathi eside ukuze abone ukuba yiqiniso kwamazwi kaDaniyeli? Ake sibone ukuthi kwenzekani ngokulandelayo futhi sicabangele izehlakalo ezinokubaluleka okungaphezu kokungokomlando.

Amabutho amaMede namaPheresiya kade emba umhosha ukuze aphambukise uMfula iEwufrathe odabula emzini waseBabiloni. Inkosi uKoresi iye yalindela ukufeza icebo layo ngalobubusuku, ithemba ukuthi abaseBabiloni ngeke banake ngenxa yobumnyama. Manje, imihosha isivuliwe. Lapho amanzi omfula ophambukisiwe esenciphe ngokwanele, amasosha ehla ngogu aze afike engxenyeni engasenamanzi.

Ngalobubusuku amasango omuzi avulekela emfuleni ayeshiywe evulekile, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuzethemba kakhulu. Ibutho lamaMede namaPheresiya lingena emzini kungazelelwe. Ingxenye yayo iyaphumelela ukungena esigodlweni sobukhosi, futhi uBelishasari uyabulawa. Umbuso omkhulu waseBabiloni usuwile.—Daniyeli 5:30.

Imbubhiso Ephuthuma Ngokufanayo

Ukushaya emhloleni kwencazelo kaDaniyeli kubonisa ukungathi sína kwezixwayiso zeBhayibheli. Kamuva amazwi alotshwa umphostoli uPawulu abonisa ukuthi kunezinye izehlakalo ezisheshayo nezibalulekile eziseza. Encwadini yakhe yokuqala ephefumlelwe eyayiya kumaKristu aseThesalonika, uyaloba: “Nxa bethi: Ngukuthula nokuhlala kahle, khona ukubhujiswa [okuvela kuNkulunkulu] kuyabazuma njengemihelo ifikela okhulelweyo, abasoze baphunyuka.”—1 Thesalonika 5:3.

Kodwa njengoba nje uDaniyeli kanye namaJuda basinda lapho iBabiloni liwa, kanjalo kunokwenzeka ukusinda kwembubhiso ezayo evela kuNkulunkulu. Kanjani? Ngokuhlala siphapheme ngokomoya futhi ngaleyondlela sithole isivikelo sikaJehova. UPawulu wathi: “Kepha nina-bazalwane anikho ebumnyameni, ukuze lolosuku lunifice njengesela.”—1 Thesalonika 5:4.

UPawulu wayebhekisela ‘osukwini lukaJehova’ isikhathi sokungenela kwaphezulu ezindabeni zesintu ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu wobuMesiya. (1 Thesalonika 5:2) Kumelwe siwulindele nini ‘lombhalo osodongeni’—izibonakaliso ezisixwayisa kusengaphambili ngalokhu kungenela? Isiprofetho sangaphambili esilotshwe kuDaniyeli isahluko 2 siyawuphendula umbuzo wethu.