Ukufuna Izibikezelo Ezinokwethenjelwa
NGEMVA nje kokuba inkosi yaseMakedoniya eyaziwa ngokuthi u-Alexander Omkhulu ihlalé esihlalweni sobukhosi ngo-336 B.C.E., yaya endaweni yomboni eDelphi, enkabeni yeGreece. Yayishisekela ukuba ngesikhathi esizayo inqobe ingxenye enkulu yezwe langaleso sikhathi. Kodwa yayifuna isiqinisekiso saphezulu sokuthi lo mkhankaso wayo omkhulu wawuzophumelela. Ngokwezindaba zasendulo, ngosuku eyaya ngalo eDelphi, kwakungavumelekile ukuba ibonane nomboni. Engafuni ukubuyela emuva engayitholanga impendulo, u-Alexander waphikelela, ephoqelela umprofethikazi ukuba akhiphe isibikezelo. Lo mprofethikazi wamemeza ekhungathekile wathi: “O mntanami, ungongenakunqotshwa!” Le nkosi esencane yathatha lokho njengesibikezelo esihle—esithembisa ukuthi yayizonqoba empini.
Nokho, u-Alexander wayeyothola ukwaziswa okungcono kakhulu ngokuphathelene nomphumela womkhankaso wakhe ukube wayehlole iziprofetho ezitholakala encwadini yeBhayibheli kaDaniyeli. Zabikezela ngokunemba okuphawulekayo ngokunqoba kwakhe okusheshayo. Ngokokulandisa kwasendulo, u-Alexander wagcina elitholile ithuba lokubona lokho uDaniyeli ayekulobe ngaye. Ngokwesazi-mlando esingumJuda uJosephus, lapho le nkosi yaseMakedoniya ingena eJerusalema, yaboniswa isiprofetho sikaDaniyeli—okungaba isahluko 8 saleyo ncwadi. (Daniyeli 8:5-8, 20, 21) Kubikwa ukuthi ngenxa yalokhu, amabutho ka-Alexander abhubhisayo awazange awubhubhise lo muzi.
Isidingo Umuntu Azalwa Naso
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yinkosi noma umuntu ovamile, kusendulo noma kunamuhla—umuntu uye wezwa kunesidingo sokuthola izibikezelo ezinokwethenjelwa ngekusasa. Njengezidalwa ezihlakaniphile, thina bantu siyafunda ngesikhathi esidlule futhi siyasiqaphela isikhathi samanje kanti sinesithakazelo esikhethekile esikhathini esizayo. Isaga sesiShayina sisho ngokufanele ukuthi: “Lowo ongabona kusengaphambili izindaba zezinsuku ezintathu angaceba izinkulungwane zeminyaka.”
Phakathi nayo yonke iminyaka edlule, izigidi ziye zazama ukuhlola ikusasa ngokuya kulabo ezibabheka njengabaphefumulelwe ngokwaphezulu. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngamaGreki asendulo. Ayenezindawo eziningi ezingcwele zababoni, njengalezo ezaziseDelphi, eDelos naseDodona, lapho ayeya khona ukuyobuza konkulunkulu ngokuphathelene nezenzakalo zezombangazwe noma ezempi kanye nezindaba zawo siqu ezinjengezohambo, umshado nezingane. Kwakungayi amakhosi nabakhuzi bezempi kuphela ukuyofuna iziqondiso endaweni yomoya ngezibikezelo ezinjalo zababoni, kodwa kwakuya sonke isizwe nemibuso yamadolobha.
Ngokomunye uprofesa, manje “kuqubuke izinhlangano ezizinikele ekuhloleni ikusasa.” Nokho, eziningi zikhetha ukuwushaya indiva lowo owukuphela komthombo onembile weziprofetho—iBhayibheli. Zikuchitha ngokungananazi ukuthi iziprofetho zeBhayibheli zingase zibe nakho kanye ukwaziswa ezikufunayo. Ezinye izazi zize zifanise isiprofetho seBhayibheli nezibikezelo ezazikhishwa ababoni basendulo. Futhi ngokuvamile labo abangabazayo namuhla banombono ongemuhle ngesiprofetho seBhayibheli.
Sikumema ukuba uzihlolele lokho kulandisa. Kwembulani ukuziqhathanisa ngokucophelela izibikezelo zeBhayibheli nezababoni abangabantu? Ingabe ungazethemba iziprofetho zeBhayibheli kunezibikezelo zababoni basendulo? Futhi ingabe ungakugxilisa ngokuqiniseka ukuphila kwakho eziprofethweni zeBhayibheli?
[Isithombe ekhasini 3]
IBhayibheli labikezela ngokunqoba okusheshayo kuka-Alexander
[Umthombo]
Cortesía del Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain
[Isithombe ekhasini 4]
U-Alexander Omkhulu
[Umthombo]
Musei Capitolini, Roma
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]
COVER: General Titus and Alexander the Great: Musei Capitolini, Roma