Iqala Nini Inkulungwane Yesithathu Yeminyaka?

WAKE wezwa kuthiwa inkulungwane yesithathu yeminyaka ngeke iqale ngonyaka ka-2000 kodwa izoqala ngo-2001? Kuyiqiniso lokho abakushoyo—ngezinga elithile. Uma sithatha ngokuthi uJesu Kristu wazalwa ngesikhathi manje esaziwa ngokuthi u-1 B.C.E., njengoba abanye bake bacabanga kanjalo, khona-ke u-December 31, 2000 (hhayi u-1999) uyosho ukuphela kwenkulungwane yesibili, u-January 1, 2001, asho ukuqala kweyesithathu.a Nokho, namuhla cishe zonke izazi ziyavuma ukuthi uJesu Kristu akazalwanga ngo-1 B.C.E. Pho wazalwa nini?

Wazalwa Nini UJesu?

IBhayibheli alilwembuli usuku oluqondile lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Nokho, liyasho ukuthi wazalwa “ezinsukwini zikaHerode inkosi.” (Mathewu 2:1) Izazi eziningi zeBhayibheli zikholelwa ukuthi uHerode wafa ngonyaka ka-4 B.C.E. nokuthi uJesu wazalwa ngaphambi kwaleso sikhathi—mhlawumbe ngo-5 noma ngo-6 B.C.E. Zisekela isiphetho sazo ngokuphathelene nokufa kukaHerode emazwini esazi-mlando esingumJuda sekhulu lokuqala uFlavius Josephus.b

NgokukaJosephus, ngaphambi nje kokufa kweNkosi uHerode, inyanga yafiphala. Izazi zeBhayibheli zibhekisela ekufiphaleni kwengxenye yenyanga ngo-March 11, 4 B.C.E., njengobufakazi bokuthi uHerode kumelwe ukuba wafa ngalowo nyaka. Nokho, ngonyaka ka-1 B.C.E., inyanga yafiphala ngokuphelele ngo-January 8, kwafiphala ingxenye yayo ngo-December 27. Akekho ongasho ukuthi uJosephus wayebhekisela kokunye kokufiphala kwenyanga kwango-1 B.C.E. noma kwango-4 B.C.E. Ngenxa yalokho, ngeke sikwazi ukusebenzisa amazwi kaJosephus ukuze sikhombe unyaka oqondile wokufa kukaHerode. Ngisho noma besingakwazi, ngaphandle kokwaziswa okwengeziwe besingeke sikwazi ukuthola ukuthi uJesu wazalwa nini.

Ubufakazi esinabo obuqine kunabo bonke bosuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu buvela eBhayibhelini. Umbhalo ophefumulelwe uthi umzala kaJesu uJohane uMbhapathizi waqala umsebenzi wakhe wokuprofetha ngonyaka we-15 wombusi waseRoma uTiberiyu Kesari. (Luka 3:1, 2) Umlando wezwe ufakazela ukuthi uTiberiyu wamiswa njengombusi ngo-September 15, 14 C.E., ngakho unyaka wakhe we-15 wawuyoqala ngasekupheleni kuka-28 C.E. kuya ngasekupheleni kuka-29 C.E. UJohane waqala inkonzo yakhe phakathi naleso sikhathi, futhi kusobala ukuthi uJesu waqala inkonzo yakhe ezinyangeni eziyisithupha kamuva. (Luka 1:24-31) Lokhu, kuhlanganise nobunye ubufakazi, bungabeka isikhathi sokuqala kwenkonzo kaJesu ekwindla ka-29 C.E.c IBhayibheli lithi uJesu “cishe wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu ubudala” lapho eqala inkonzo yakhe. (Luka 3:23) Uma ayeneminyaka engu-30 ekwindla ka-29 C.E., kumelwe ukuba wazalwa ekwindla ka-2 B.C.E. Khona-ke, uma sibala iminyaka eyinkulungwane siya phambili kusukela ekwindla ka-2 B.C.E. (sikhumbula ukuthi wawungekho unyaka ka-0; ngakho, kusukela ku-2 B.C.E. kuya ku-1 C.E. yiminyaka emibili), siyaqaphela ukuthi inkulungwane yesibili isiphelile futhi inkulungwane yesithathu iqale ekwindla ka-1999!

Ingabe kunendaba lokho? Ngokwesibonelo, ingabe ukuqala kwenkulungwane yesithathu kuyosho ukuqala kokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane, okukhulunywa ngakho encwadini yesAmbulo? Cha. Akukho lapho iBhayibheli lihlobanisa khona inkulungwane yesithathu yeminyaka nokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane.

UJesu waxwayisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bangazifuniseli izikhathi. Watshela abafundi bakhe: “Akukhona okwenu ukuthola ulwazi ngezikhathi noma izinkathi uBaba azibeke egunyeni lakhe siqu.” (IzEnzo 1:7) Ngaphambili, uJesu wembula ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi ngisho naye wayengazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayeyosikhipha nini isahlulelo kulesi simiso esibi, okwakuyovula indlela yokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane. Wathi: “Ngokuphathelene nalolosuku nalelohora akekho owaziyo, nazingelosi zasemazulwini naNdodana, kodwa uBaba kuphela.”—Mathewu 24:36.

Ingabe kunengqondo ukulindela ukuthi uKristu uyobuya ngemva kweminyaka engu-2 000 ngokuqondile kusukela osukwini azalwa ngalo njengomuntu? Cha, akunangqondo. Kumelwe ukuba uJesu wayelwazi usuku azalwa ngalo. Futhi ngokuqinisekile wayekwazi ukubala iminyaka engu-2 000 kusukela kulolo suku. Nokho, wayengalwazi usuku noma ihora lokuza kwakhe. Ngokusobala, kwakungeke kube lula kangako ukukhomba usuku lokubuya kwakhe! ‘Izikhathi nezinkathi’ kwakusegunyeni likaYise—uhlelo lwesikhathi olwaziwa nguye kuphela.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJesu akazange ayale abalandeli bakhe ukuba bamlindele endaweni ethile engokoqobo. Akazange athi baqoqane ndawonye balinde, kodwa wathi basakazekele “ezingxenyeni eziqhele kakhulu zomhlaba” futhi benze abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi. Akazange awuhoxise lowo myalo.—IzEnzo 1:8; Mathewu 28:19, 20.

Ingabe Amathemba Abo Enkulungwane Yeminyaka Ayoshabalala?

Noma kunjalo, abanye abantu bezinkolo zobufandamentali banamathemba amakhulu ngokuphathelene nonyaka ka-2000. Bakholelwa ukuthi phakathi nezinyanga ezimbalwa ezizayo, izingxenye ezithile zencwadi yesAmbulo zizogcwaliseka ngokoqobo. Ngempela, bazibheka njengabazohlanganyela ngokuqondile kulokho kugcwaliseka. Ngokwesibonelo, babhekisela esiprofethweni esilotshwe kuyisAmbulo 11:3, 7, 8, esikhuluma ngofakazi ababili abaprofetha “[emzini] omkhulu lowo ngomqondo ongokomoya obizwa ngokuthi iSodoma neGibithe, lapho neNkosi yabo yabethelwa khona.” Lapho beqeda ukufakaza, lab’ ofakazi ababili babulawa isilo sasendle esinobudlova esivela kwalasha.

Ngokombiko we-New York Times Magazine ka-December 27, 1998, umholi welinye iqembu lenkolo “uye watshela abalandeli bakhe ukuthi ungomunye walab’ ofakazi ababili omiselwe ukumemezela ukubhujiswa komhlaba nokuza kweNkosi—abese ebulawa uSathane emigwaqweni yaseJerusalema.” Iziphathimandla zakwa-Israel zikhathazeke kufanele. Zesaba ukuthi abanye abantu abeqisayo bangase bazame “ukugcwalisa” isiprofetho ngokwabo—ngisho noma lokho kusho ukususa impi! Nokho, uNkulunkulu akaludingi “usizo” lwabantu ukuze agcwalise injongo yakhe. Zonke iziprofetho zeBhayibheli ziyogcwaliseka ngesikhathi sikaNkulunkulu nangendlela yakhe.

Incwadi yesAmbulo yabhalwa “ngezibonakaliso.” NgokwesAmbulo 1:1, uJesu wayefuna ukwambulela “izigqila zakhe” (hhayi uwonkewonke) lokho okuzokwenzeka maduze. Ukuze ziqonde incwadi yesAmbulo, izigqila zikaKristu, noma abalandeli bakhe, babeyodinga umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, uJehova awunika labo abamjabulisayo. Ukube incwadi yesAmbulo yayenzelwe ukuba iqondwe njengoba injalo, ngisho nabantu abangenalo ukholo babengayifunda futhi bayiqonde. Khona-ke, besingeke sibe khona isidingo sokuba amaKristu athandazele umoya ongcwele ukuze ayiqonde.—Mathewu 13:10-15.

Siye sabona ukuthi ngokobufakazi beBhayibheli, inkulungwane yesithathu yeminyaka kusukela ekuzalweni kukaJesu iqala ekwindla ka-1999 nokuthi u-January 1, 2000 no-January 1, 2001 ababalulekile ngendlela ekhethekile. Noma kunjalo, ikhona inkulungwane yeminyaka amaKristu anesithakazelo kakhulu kuyo. Uma kungeyona inkulungwane yesithathu, iyiphi? Isihloko sokugcina kulolu chungechunge sizowuphendula lo mbuzo.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

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U-2000 Noma U-2001?

Ukuze uqonde ukuthi kungani abanye bethi inkulungwane yesithathu kusukela ekuzalweni kukaJesu izoqala ngo-January 1, 2001, cabangela lo mfanekiso. Ake sithi ufunda incwadi enamakhasi angu-200. Lapho ufinyelela phezulu ekhasini 200 usuke usuqede ukufunda amakhasi angu-199, ususalelwe ukuba ufunde ikhasi elilodwa. Ngeke uyiqede incwadi kuze kube yilapho ufinyelela ekugcineni kwekhasi 200. Ngokufanayo, ngo-December 31, 1999, kuzobe sekuphele iminyaka engu-999 yale nkulungwane yeminyaka, ngokwendlela evamile, futhi kuzobe kusasele unyaka owodwa ngaphambi kokuba kuphele inkulungwane yeminyaka. Ngaleyo ndlela yokubala, inkulungwane yesithathu yeminyaka iqala ngo-January 1, 2001. Nokho, lokho akusho ukuthi ngalolo suku kuzobe sekuphele iminyaka engu-2 000 ngokuqondile kusukela osukwini lokuzalwa kukaJesu, njengoba lesi sihloko sibonisa.

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Indlela Eyasungulwa Ngayo Indlela Yokubala Iminyaka Ka-B.C. Kuya Ku-A.D.

Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesithupha C.E., uPapa John I wanika indela okuthiwa uDionysius Exiguus umsebenzi wokusungula indlela yokubala ezokwenza amasonto akwazi ukubeka usuku olungokomthetho lwama-Easter.

UDionysius waqala ukusebenza. Wabala wahlehlela emuva, wadlula esikhathini sokufa kukaJesu, waze wafika kulokho acabanga ukuthi unyaka wokuzalwa kukaJesu; wabe esebala unyaka ngamunye kusukela lapho. UDionysius waphawula inkathi esuka ekuzalweni kukaJesu ngokuthi u-“A.D.” (osho u-Anno Domini—“ngonyaka weNkosi yethu.”) Nakuba ayehlose nje ukusungula indlela enokwethenjelwa yokubala afike kuma-Easter onyakeni ngamunye, uDionysius waqalisa engahlosile indlela yokubala iminyaka esukela ekuzalweni kukaKristu kuye phambili.

Nakuba izazi eziningi zivuma ukuthi uJesu akazalwanga ngonyaka uDionysius awusebenzisa njengesisekelo sokubala kwakhe, indlela yakhe yokubala ukulandelana kwezenzakalo ngokohlelo lwezikhathi isenza sikwazi ukuthola ukuthi izenzakalo zenzeka nini nokubona indlela ezihlobana ngayo.