Incwadi Onokuyithemba—Icandelo 6

IRoma Kwimbali YeBhayibhile

Eli linqaku lesithandathu kwasixhenxe “kaVukani!” athetha ngamagunya asixhenxe akwimbali yeBhayibhile. Injongo yawo kukubonisa ukuba iBhayibhile inokuthenjwa, iphefumlelwe nguThixo yaye ithetha ngethemba lokupheliswa kokubandezeleka kwabantu okubangelwa kukulawulwa ngabantu abakhohlakeleyo.

UYESU waseka ubuKristu yaye abalandeli bakhe babusasaza nakwamanye amazwe ebudeni bexesha lokulawula koBukhosi baseRoma. Iindlela, imijelo yamanzi kunye namatye ezikhumbuzo zaseRoma asekho kumazwe anjengeBritani neYiputa. Ezo ziintsalela zokwenene zoBukhosi baseRoma. Zisikhumbuza ukuba uYesu nabapostile bakhe babengabantu bokwenene nokuthi izinto abazithethayo nabazenzayo zizinto zokwenene. Ngokomzekelo, xa uhamba kwiNdlela ka-Apiyo yamandulo, uhamba kwindlela awahamba kuyo umpostile uPawulos xa wayesiya eRoma.—IZenzo 28:15, 16.

Imbali Enokuthenjwa

Ibali leBhayibhile likaYesu nabafundi bakhe lithetha kaninzi ngeziganeko zembali ezenzeka ngenkulungwane yokuqala. Phawula indlela umbhali weBhayibhile uLuka awuchaza ngayo ngokuchanileyo unyaka ekwenzeka ngawo iziganeko ezibini ezibalulekileyo: ukuqalisa kobulungiseleli bukaYohane umBhaptizi nokubhaptizwa kukaYesu, xesha elo awaqalisa ngalo ukuba nguKristu okanye uMesiya. ULuka wathi ezo ziganeko zenzeka “Ngonyaka weshumi elinesihlanu wolawulo lukaTibheriyo Kesare [29 C.E.], xa uPontiyo Pilato wayeyirhuluneli yelakwaYuda, noHerode engumlawuli wesithili saseGalili.” (Luka 3:1-3, 21) Kwakhona, uLuka wathetha ngamagosa amane abalulekileyo—uFilipu, (umntakwabo Herode), uLisaniya, uAnas noKayafa. Nabanye ababhali-mbali bayathetha ngala madoda asixhenxe. Kodwa ke, okwangoku makhe sithethe ngoTibheriyo, uPilato noHerode.

UTibheriyo Kesare waziwa ngokubanzi yaye ukhe wazotywa nakwimifanekiso. Wamiselwa yiRoma ukuba abe ngumlawuli ngoSeptemba 15, 14 C.E., xa uYesu wayeneminyaka emalunga ne-15 ubudala.

Igama likaPontiyo Pilato likhankanywa nelikaTibheriyo kwibali elabhalwa ngumbhali-mbali waseRoma uTacitus kungekudala nje emva kokuba iBhayibhile ibhalwe yagqitywa. Ethetha ngegama elithi “amaKristu,” uTacitus wabhala wathi: “UChristus [Kristu], elisuka kuye eli gama, wohlwaywa ngokuqatha ebudeni bolawulo lukaTibheriyo ngesigwebo esawiswa lelinye lamabamba ethu, uPontiyo Pilato.”

UHerode Antipas udume ngokuba yindoda eyakha isixeko sikaTibheriyo ngakuLwandle lwaseGalili. Wakha nomzi wakhe apho. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uHerode wambulalela eTibheriyo uYohane umBhaptizi.

IBhayibhile ikwathetha ngeziganeko eziphawulekayo ezenzeka ngexesha lokulawula kweRoma. Ngokuphathelele ukuzalwa kukaYesu, iBhayibhile ithi: “ Ke kaloku ngaloo mihla kwaphuma ummiselo kuKesare Agasto wokuba wonke umhlaba omiweyo ubhaliswe; (olu bhaliso lokuqala lwenzeka xa uKwiriniyo wayeyirhuluneli yaseSiriya;) yaye bonke abantu bahamba besiya kubhaliswa, ngamnye kwisixeko sakowabo.”—Luka 2:1-3.

UTacitus kunye nombhali-mbali ongumYuda uJosephus bathetha ngoKwiriniyo. Umyalelo werhuluneli yaseRoma ogcinwe kumzi wogcino zincwadi waseBritani uyakungqina ukwenzeka kobhaliso olunjalo. Uthi: “Ekubeni lifikile ixesha lokuba kubalwe abantu, kufuneka bonke abantu abangahlali kwimimandla yabo, enoba kungasiphi na isizathu, ukuba babuyele kumakhaya abo.”

Kwakhona iBhayibhile ithetha ‘ngendlala enkulu. . . ngexesha likaKlawudiyo [uMlawuli waseRoma].’ (IZenzo 11:28) Umbhali-mbali wenkulungwane yokuqala uJosephus naye uyakungqina oku. Wabhala wathi: “Yabakho ngokwenene indlala ngelo xesha yaye kwafa abantu abaninzi.”

Ukongezelela koko, kwiZenzo 18:2 iBhayibhile ithi “uKlawudiyo wayeyalele ukuba onke amaYuda emke eRoma.” Oku kuxhaswa nayincwadi ethetha ngobomi bukaKlawudiyo eyabhalwa ngumbhali-mbali waseRoma uSuetonius malunga nowe-121 C.E. USuetonius uthi uKlawudiyo “wawagxotha onke amaYuda eRoma” esithi “ayesoloko ephazamisa uxolo ngenxa yokungevani kwawo namaKristu.”

Malunga nexesha lendlala ekuthethwe ngayo ngaphambili, iBhayibhile ithi uHerode Agripa, owayenxibe ‘isambatho sasebukhosini,’ wanikela intetho kwisihlwele esasimqhwabel’ izandla, sisithi: “Lilizwi lothixo elo, yaye asilamntu!” Emva koko, iBhayibhile ithi uAgrippa “wadliwa ziimpethu waza wabhubha.” (IZenzo 12:21-23) UJosephus wabhala nangesi siganeko, esongeza nezinye iinkcukacha. Uthi uAgripa wanikela intetho yakhe “enxibe isambatho esenziwe ngesilivere.” Kwakhona wathi ‘isisu sika-Agripa saba buhlungu ngendlela engathethekiyo.’ UJosephus uthi uAgripa wafa kwiintsuku ezintlanu kamva.

Isiprofeto Esinokuthenjwa

Kwakhona IBhayibhile ikwathetha nangeziprofeto eziliqela ezazaliseka ngexesha lokulawula kwamaRoma. Ngokomzekelo, xa uYesu wangena eYerusalem, walila waza waprofeta ngendlela umkhosi wamaRoma owawuza kusitshabalalisa ngayo eso sixeko. UYesu wathi, “kuya kuza phezu kwakho imihla yaxa iintshaba zakho ziya kwakha inqaba zikujikeleze ngezibonda ezibaziweyo.” Wongezelela esithi: “Aziyi kushiya litye phezu kwelitye kuwe, ngenxa yokuba akuliqondanga ixesha lokuvelelwa kwakho.”—Luka 19:41-44.

Noko ke, abalandeli bakaYesu babeza kukwazi ukusaba. Njani? UYesu wabanika imiyalelo ecacileyo. Wathi: “Xa niyibona iYerusalem ingqongwe yimikhosi emise iintente, yazini ke ukuba kusondele ukuphanziswa kwayo. Mabandule abo bakwelakwaYuda basabele ezintabeni, nabo baphakathi kuyo [iYerusalem] mabemke.” (Luka 21:20, 21) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba abalandeli bakaYesu bazibuza ukuba, ‘Siza kusaba njani kwisixeko esingqongiweyo?’

UJosephus wakubhala oko kwenzekayo. Ngowama-66 C.E., xa irhuluneli yaseRoma yathimba ubuncwane betempile kuba ihlawulisa amaYuda irhafu awayeyityala, amaYuda alugcwabevu axabela imikhosi yamaRoma aza ngaloo ndlela azikhulula kulawulo lweRoma. Ngasekupheleni kwaloo nyaka irhuluneli yaseRoma eyayiseSiriya yakhokela amajoni angama-30 000 ukuya emazantsi yaza yafika eYerusalem ngexesha lombhiyozo wonqulo. UGallus wangena ezithilini de waya kufika nakudonga lwetempile apho babezifihle khona abavukeli. Kodwa ke uGallus warhoxa ngaphandle kwesizathu. AmaYuda awuhlasela loo mkhosi wakhe njengoko wawurhoxa.

Ezi ziganeko azizange ziwakhohlise amaKristu athembekileyo. Aqonda ukuba ayebona ukuzaliseka kwesiprofeto sikaYesu: Isixeko sasingqongwe yimikhosi! Ngenxa yokuba le mikhosi yarhoxa, amaKristu athembekileyo alisebenzisa eli thuba ukuze asabe. Amaninzi abalekela ePella, isixeko seeNtlanga esikummandla weentaba ongaphesheya kweYordan nesasingathathi cala kwezopolitiko.

Kwenzeka ntoni kwiYerusalem? Umkhosi wamaRoma wabuya ukhokelwa nguVespasian nonyana wakhe uTitus, kodwa ngoku bebuya namajoni angama-60 000. Bangqinga isixeko ngaphambi kwePasika yowama-70 C.E., bevalela kuso abemi nabanye abantu ababeze kuloo mbhiyozo. Umkhosi waseRoma wagawula imithi waza wakha udonga lwezibonda ezibaziweyo njengoko wayeprofetile uYesu. Malunga neenyanga ezintlanu kamva isixeko sawa.

UTitus wayeyalele ukuba itempile ingadilizwa, kodwa elinye ijoni layitshisa yaye izitena zetempile zawa njengoko uYesu wayeprofetile. Ngokutsho kukaJosephus, kwafa amaYuda nabangeni kubuYuda abasisi-1 100 000, inkoliso yawo yabulawa yindlala nezifo yaye abangama-97 000 bathinjwa. Abaninzi bathunyelwa eRoma ukuze babe ngamakhoboka. Xa utyelele eRoma namhlanje unokuyibona iColosseum edumileyo eyagqityezelwa nguTitus emva kokoyisa kwakhe elakwaYuda. Kwakhona unokubona neLitye likaTitus, elisisikhumbuzo sokoyiswa kweYerusalem. Zonke iinkcukacha zesiprofeto seBhayibhile zinokuthenjwa. Kubalulekile ke ngoko ukuba singakubethi ngoyaba oko ikuthethayo ngekamva!

Isithembiso Onokusikholelwa

Xa wayephambi kweRhuluneli yaseRoma uPontiyo Pilato, uYesu wathetha ngobukumkani okanye urhulumente, ‘ongeyonxalenye yeli hlabathi.’ (Yohane 18:36) Eneneni uYesu wafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bawuthandazele lo rhulumente. Wathi bafanele bathi, “Bawo wethu osemazulwini. . . . Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenzeke ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.” (Mateyu 6:9, 10) Phawula ukuba uBukumkani bukaThixo buza kubangela ukuba emhlabeni kwenziwe ukuthanda kukaThixo—kungekhona okwamadoda anekratshi namabhongo.

UYesu Kristu unguKumkani woBukumkani basezulwini. Ngokuvumelana nenjongo kaThixo yantlandlolo uYesu uza kwenza lo mhlaba ube yiparadesi.—Luka 23:43.

UBukumkani bukaThixo buza kubalawula nini abantu? UYesu owavuswa ekufeni wawuphendula lo mbuzo xa wayethetha nompostile uYohane, owayevalelwe kwisiqithi sasePatmos ngexesha loMlawuli waseRoma uDomitian umntakwabo Titus. UYesu wathi, “kukho ookumkani abasixhenxe: abahlanu bawile, omnye ukho, omnye akakafiki, kodwa xa athe wafika umele ahlale ithuba elifutshane.”—ISityhilelo 17:10.

Xa uYohane wabhala loo mazwi, “ookumkani” okanye izikumkani ezahlukeneyo ezihlanu zazisele ziwile: iYiputa, iAsiriya, iBhabhiloni, amaMedi namaPersi kunye neGrisi. ‘Obabukho’ ngexesha lompostile uYohane yayiyiRoma. Ngenxa yoko kwakusasele obunye kuphela—igunya lehlabathi lokugqibela ekuthethwe ngalo eBhayibhileni. Liliphi elo gunya? Liza kulawula ixesha elingakanani? Le mibuzo iza kuphendulwa kuVukani! olandelayo.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]

UPawulos wahamba ngendlela ka-Apiyo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]

UTibheriyo Kesare ngomnye wamagosa amaninzi aseRoma ekuthethwe ngawo kwiVangeli kaLuka

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]

Umbhalo onegama likaPontiyo Pilato

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12, 13]

UTitus unyana kaVespasian kwingqekembe yaseRoma

[Inkcazelo]

Musée de Normandie, Caen, France

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]

Ilitye lesikhumbuzo likaTitus eliseRoma lisisikhumbuzo sokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem ngowama-70 C.E.

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 10]

Top, time line: Egyptian wall relief and bust of Nero: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum; Persian wall relief: Musée du Louvre, Paris; bottom, bust of Tiberius Caesar: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum