UMesiya—Ithemba Langempela?
Wayezibiza ngokuthi unguMoses. Nokho, igama lakhe langempela lakhohleka emlandweni. Ekhulwini lesihlanu leminyaka C.E., wahamba sonke isiqhingi saseCrete, eqinisekisa amaJuda alapho ukuthi wayengumesiya ayemlindele. Wawatshela ukuthi ngokushesha ukucindezelwa kwawo, ukudingiswa kwawo kanye nokuthunjwa kwakuzophela. Akholelwa. Lapho usuku lokukhululwa kwawo lufika, amaJuda amlandela “uMoses” aya enhlonhlweni yezwe eyengamele uLwandle iMediterranean. Wawatshela ukuthi kwakufanele nje aziphonse olwandle futhi lwaluyohlukana phambi kwawo. Amaningi alalela, ezigxambukisela olwandle olungazange luhlukane phakathi. Amaningi kakhulu aminza; amanye atakulwa amatilosi kanye nabadobi. Nokho, uMoses wavele nje wanyamalala. Lowomesiya wayeshaye utshani.
UYINI umesiya? Kungenzeka engqondweni kufike amagama athi “umsindisi,” “umkhululi,” nelithi “umholi.” Abantu abaningi bacabanga ukuthi umesiya umuntu ovusa kubalandeli bakhe ithemba kanye nokuzinikela, othembisa ukubahola abakhiphe ekucindezelweni abayise enkululekweni. Njengoba umlando wesintu ikakhulu uwumlando wokucindezela, akumangalisi ukuthi kuye kwavela omesiya abaningi abanjalo emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka. (Qhathanisa nomShumayeli 8:9.) Kodwa njengoMoses wokuzisholo waseCrete, labomesiya ngokuvamile baye baholela abalandeli babo ekudumaleni nasenhlekeleleni kunasekukhululekeni.
“Lena iNkosi uMesiya!” Leyo indlela umfundisi ohlonishwayo uAkiba ben Joseph abingelela ngayo uSimeon Bar Kokhba ngonyaka ka-132 C.E. UBar Kokhba wayeyindoda enamandla kakhulu eyayiphethe ibutho elinamandla. AmaJuda amaningi acabanga ukuthi ekugcineni kwase kufike umuntu owayezoqeda ukucindezeleka kwawo osekuthathe isikhathi eside ezandleni zoMbuso Wezwe wamaRoma. UBar Kokhba wehluleka; amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu bezwe lakubo bakhokha ngokuphila kwabo ngenxa yalokho kwehluleka.
Ekhulwini le-12 leminyaka, kwavela omunye umesiya ongumJuda, kulokhu eYemen. Lapho icaliph, noma umbusi, emcela ukuba enze isibonakaliso sokuba kwakhe umesiya, lomesiya wasikisela ukuba umbusi enze ukuba kunqunywe ikhanda lakhe (yena mesiya) bese uvuko lwakhe olusheshayo luba njengesibonakaliso. Umbusi wavumelana nalelicebo—futhi lokho kwaba ukuphela kukamesiya waseYemen. Ngalo lelokhulu leminyaka, indoda egama layo linguDavid Alroy yatshela amaJuda aseMpumalanga Ephakathi ukuba alungiselele ukuyilandela egibele ezimpikweni zezingelosi ephindela eZweni Elingcwele. Amaningi akholelwa ukuthi wayengumesiya. AmaJuda aseBaghdad ayelinde ngesineke phezu kophahla lwezindlu zawo, enganakile futhi engaboni ukuthi amasela ayephanga izimpahla zawo.
USabbatai Zevi waqhamuka ekhulwini le-17 leminyaka evela eSmyrna. Wamemezela kumaJuda ukuba kwakhe umesiya kulo lonke elaseYurophu. AmaKristu nawo amlalela. UZevi wathi wayezokhulula abalandeli—ngokusobala ngokubavumela ukuba benze isono ngaphandle kokuzithiba. Abalandeli bakhe abaseduze kakhulu babezitika ngobulili, babenqunu phakathi kwabobulili obuxubile, bafebe, futhi babe nobuhlobo bobulili nezihlobo, bese bezijezisa ngokuzishaya, ngokuzibhuqabhuqa benqunu phezu kweqhwa, nangokuzigqiba emhlabeni obandayo kuze kusale ikhanda kuphela ngaphandle. Lapho ephindela eTurkey, uZevi wabanjwa futhi watshelwa ukuthi kufanele aguqukele ekubeni iSulumane noma afe. Waguquka. Abaningi babalandeli bakhe basakazeka. Nokho, emakhulwini amabili eminyaka alandela, abanye abantu uZevi babesambiza ngokuthi umesiya.
ELobukholwa nalo liye laveza elabo omesiya. Ekhulwini le-12 leminyaka, indoda egama layo linguTanchelm yakha ibutho labalandeli futhi yaphatha idolobha laseAntwerp. Lomesiya wazibiza ngokuthi unkulunkulu; waze ngisho wadayisela nabalandeli bakhe amanzi akhe okugeza ukuba bawaphuze njengesakramente! Omunye umesiya ‘ongumKristu’ kwakunguThomas Müntzer wekhulu le-16 leminyaka eJalimane. Wahola ukubhikisha kokumelana nezikhulu zikahulumeni wendawo, etshela abalandeli bakhe ukuthi lena kwakuyimpi yeArmagedoni. Wathembisa ukuthi wayezozibamba ngezandla izikhali zezitha ezicitshwa ngenganono. Esikhundleni salokho, abantu bakhe abaningi babulawa, futhi uMüntzer wanqunywa ikhanda. Emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka kwavela omesiya abaningi abanjalo kweLobukholwa.
Ezinye izinkolo nazo, zinabo abantu bazo abangomesiya. Inkolo yamaSulumane ikhomba kuMahdi, noma kulowo oqondiswa kahle, oyoletha inkathi yobulungisa. Enkolweni yobuHindu, abanye baye bathi bawukushintshela emzimbeni omusha wasemhlabeni konkulunkulu abehlukahlukene. Futhi, njengoba iNew Encyclopædia Britannica iphawula, “ngisho nenkolo engenandaba nomesiya njengobuBuddha iye yaveza inkolelo, phakathi kwamaqembu eMahāyāna, yokukholelwa kuBuddha Maitreya wangesikhathi esizayo owayeyokwehla evela endaweni ahlala kuyo ezulwini futhi alethe abathembekile epharadesi.”
Omesiya Bekhulu Lama-20 Leminyaka
Ekhulwini lethu siqu leminyaka, isidingo sikamesiya ongokoqobo siye saba esiphuthuma ngokwengeziwe kunanini ngaphambili; khona-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi abaningi baye bazithathela lesiqu. ECongo yaseAfrika yeminyaka yawo-1920, 1930, nawo-1940, uSimon Kimbangu kanye nomlandeli wakhe uAndre “Jesus” Matswa babedunyiswa ngokuthi bangomesiya. Bafa, kodwa abalandeli babo basabalindele ukuba babuye futhi balethe iminyaka eyinkulungwane yeAfrika.
Lelikhulu leminyaka liye futhi labona ukwanda “kwezinhlangano zenkolo ezinemikhuba yokuphanga ezimbonini ngomlingo” eNew Guinea naseMelanesia. Amalungu alindele ukuba kufike umkhumbi noma indiza, ishayelwa amadoda amhlophe anjengomesiya azobenza ukuba bacebe futhi alethe inkathi yenjabulo lapho ngisho nabafile beyovuka.
Amazwe ezemisebenzi nawo aye aba nomesiya bawo. Abanye bangabaholi benkolo, abanjengoSun Myung Moon, ozisholo ukuthi ulandela uJesu Kristu esikhundleni ohlose ukuhlanza umhlaba ngomkhaya obumbene wabazinikele kuye. Abaholi bezombangazwe baye bazama futhi ukugabadela isikhundla sobumesiya, uAdolf Hitler uyisibonelo esibi kakhulu salelikhulu leminyaka ngenkulumo yakhe eyihaba yoMbuso Weminyaka Eyizinkulungwane.
Amafilosofi kanye nezinhlangano zezombangazwe nazo ziye zafinyelela isikhundla sobumesiya. Ngokwesibonelo, iEncyclopedia Americana iphawula ukuthi imfundiso yezombangazwe kaLenin noMarx inokusikisela kobumesiya. Futhi inhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene, ehalaliselwa kakhulu njengewukuphela kwethemba lokuthula komhlaba, kubonakala sengathi iye yathatha isikhundla sikamesiya ezingqondweni zabaningi.
Ingabe Ithemba Langempela?
Lokhu kuhlola kafushane kukwenza kube sobala kakhulu ukuthi umlando wezinhlangano zobumesiya ikakhulukazi uwumlando oyinkohliso, wamathemba ashabalele kanye namaphupho angafanele. Khona-ke, akumangalisi neze ukuthi abantu abaningi namuhla abasalikholelwa ithemba lokuba khona kukamesiya.
Nokho, ngaphambi kokulilahla ngokuphelele ithemba lokufika kukamesiya, kufanele siqale sifunde ukuthi livelaphi. Empeleni, elithi “mesiya” igama leBhayibheli. Igama lesiHeberu elithi ma·shiʹach, noma “ogcotshiwe.” Ezikhathini zeBhayibheli, ngezinye izikhathi amakhosi nabapristi babemiswa ezikhundleni zabo ngomkhosi wokugcoba, lapho amafutha anamakha ayethelwa ekhanda. Ngakho igama elithi ma·shiʹach lalisetshenziswa ngokufanelekile kubo. Kwakukhona namadoda ayegcotshiwe, noma ayemiswe esikhundleni esikhethekile, ngaphandle kwanoma imuphi umkhosi wokugcoba. UMose ubizwa ngokuthi “uKristu,” noma “ogcotshiweyo,” kumaHeberu 11:24-26, ngenxa yokuthi wakhethwa njengomprofethi kanye nommeleli kaNkulunkulu.
Lencazelo yokuchaza umesiya ngokuthi “ogcotshiweyo” yenza omesiya beBhayibheli behluke kakhulu komesiya bamanga esixoxe ngabo. Omesiya beBhayibheli babengazimisi; futhi babengakhethwa isixuku sabalandeli abangabakhulekeli. Cha, ukumiswa kwabo kwakuqala phezulu, kuJehova uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe.
Nakuba iBhayibheli likhuluma ngomesiya abaningi, liphakamisa oyedwa ngaphezu kwabo bonke. (IHubo 45:7) LoMesiya uyisidalwa esiphakeme esiprofethweni seBhayibheli, isihluthulelo sokugcwaliseka kwezithembiso zeBhayibheli ezivusa amadlingozi ngempela. Futhi loMesiya uyabhekana ngempela nezinkinga esibhekene nazo namuhla.
Umsindisi Wesintu
UMesiya weBhayibheli ubhekana nezinkinga zesintu ngokulungisa imbangela yazo. Lapho abazali bethu bokuqala, uAdamu noEva, behlubuka uMdali ngenxa yokunxenxwa isidalwa esingokomoya esiyisihlubuki uSathane, empeleni babezithathela ngokwabo ilungelo elikhulu likahulumeni. Babefuna kube yibona abanqumayo ukuthi yini eyayilungile neyayingalungile. Ngaleyondlela baphumela ngaphandle kukahulumeni kaJehova wothando, novikelayo futhi bafaka umkhaya wesintu enhlekeleleni nasosizini lokuzibusa, ukungapheleli, kanye nokufa.—Roma 5:12.
Khona-ke, yeka ukuthi kwakuwuthando kangakanani ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ukuba akhethe lesosikhathi esimnyama emlandweni wesintu ukuba anikeze sonke isintu ukukhanya kwethemba. Lapho ekhipha isigwebo ezihlubukini ezingabantu, uNkulunkulu wabikezela ukuthi inzalo yabo yayizoba nomkhululi. Ebhekisela kuye ngokuthi “imbewu,” loMsindisi wayezokuza azolungisa umsebenzi omubi uSathane ayewenzile lapho e-Edene; iMbewu yayizolimaza ‘leyonyoka,’ uSathane, ekhanda, imchoboze angaphinde abe khona.—Genesise 3:14, 15.
Kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo, amaJuda asibona lesiprofetho ukuthi kwakungesobuMesiya. AmaTargum amaningana, ukuchaza kwamaJuda imiBhalo Engcwele eyayisetshenziswa kakhulu ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka, achaza ukuthi lesiprofetho sasiyogcwaliseka “osukwini leNkosi uMesiya.”
Khona-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi kusukela nje ekuqaleni, amadoda okholo asijabulela lesithembiso seMbewu, noma uMsindisi owayezofika. Cabanga nje ngemizwa ka-Abrahama lapho uJehova emtshela ukuthi iMbewu yayizofika ngohlu lozalo lwakhe, nanokuthi “izizwe zonke zomhlaba”—hhayi nje inzalo yakhe kuphela—‘zazizozibusisa’ ngaleyoMbewu.—Genesise 22:17, 18, qhathanisa neNW.
UMesiya Nohulumeni
Kamuva iziprofetho zahlanganisa lelithemba kanye nethemba likahulumeni omuhle. KuGenesise 49:10, umzukulu ka-Abrahama uJuda watshelwa ukuthi: “Intonga yobukhosi ayiyikusuka kuJuda, nozime lokubusa phakathi kwezinyawo zakhe, aze afike yena [“uShilo,” NW] olufanele lona; nezizwe ziyakumlalela.” Ngokusobala, ‘loShilo’ kwakufanele abuse—futhi wayezobusa hhayi nje amaJuda kodwa “abantu.” (Qhathanisa noDaniyeli 7:13, 14.) AmaJuda asendulo ayehlanganisa uShilo noMesiya; empeleni, amanye amaTargum amaJuda ayemane afake elithi “Shilo” esikhundleni selithi “Mesiya” noma “inkosi uMesiya.”
Njengoba ukukhanya kwesiprofetho esiphefumlelwe kwaqhubeka kukhanya, kwembulwa okwengeziwe ngokubusa kwaloMesiya. (IzAga 4:18) Kweyesi-2 Samuweli 7:12-16, iNkosi uDavide, yenzalo kaJuda, yatshelwa ukuthi iMbewu yayizovela ohlwini lwayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, leMbewu yayizoba iNkosi engavamile. Isihlalo sayo sobukhosi, noma ubukhosi bayo, babuzohlala phakade! UIsaya 9:6, 7 uyalisekela leliphuzu: “Sizalelwa umntwana, siphiwa indodana; umbuso [“uhulumeni,” King James Version] uyakuba-semahlombe akhe, . . . Umbuso uyakuba-mkhulu, ukuthula kungabi-nakuphela esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide nasembusweni wakhe, ukuze uqiniswe, usekelwe ngokwahlulela nangokulunga, kusukela manje kuze kube-phakade. Ukushisekela kukaJehova-Sebawoti kuyakwenza lokhu.”
Ingabe ungacabanga ngohulumeni onjalo? Umbusi onobulungisa, onokulunga omisa ukuthula nobusa kuze kube phakade. Yeka ukuthi kuhluke kanjani ohidini oludabukisayo lomlando womesiya bamanga! Ngokwehluke kakhulu ekubeni umholi okhohlisayo, ozimisile, uMesiya weBhayibheli ungumbusi womhlaba onawo wonke amandla negunya okudingekayo ekuguquleni izimo zomhlaba.
Lelithemba libaluleke kakhulu ezikhathini zethu ezinenkathazo. Isintu asikaze sibe nesidingo esikhulu kangaka sethemba elinjalo. Nokho, njengoba kulula kangaka ukubambeka emathembeni angamanga, kubalulekile ukuthi ngamunye wethu ayihlolisise ngokucophelela lendaba: Ingabe uJesu waseNazaretha wayenguMesiya owabikezelwa njengoba abaningi bekholelwa kanjalo? Isihloko esilandelayo sizocabangela lombuzo.
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UMesiya EBrooklyn?
Izingqwembe, amabhodi, nezimpawu ezibhalwe ngeneon kwaIsrael muva nje ziye zamemezela “Lungiselelani ukuza kukaMesiya.” Lomkhankaso onesasasa ka-R1 100 000 uye wenziwa amaLubavitcher, ihlelo lobuorthodox eleqisayo lamaJuda angamaHasid. Kunenkolelo esakazekile phakathi kweqembu elinamalungu angu-250 000 yokuthi urabi walo omkhulu, uMenachem Mendel Schneerson waseBrooklyn, eNew York, unguMesiya. Ngani? USchneerson uyakufundisa ukuthi uMesiya uyoza kulesizukulwane. Futhi ngokukamagazini iNewsweek, izikhulu zamaLubavitcher ziphikelela ngokuthi lorabi oneminyaka engu-90 ubudala ngeke afe ngaphambi kokuba uMesiya afike. Emakhulwini eminyaka lelihlelo liye lafundisa ukuthi isizukulwane ngasinye siveza okungenani umuntu oyedwa ofanelekela ukuba uMesiya. USchneerson ubonakala eyilowomuntu kubalandeli bakhe, futhi akazange amise ozomlandela esikhundleni. Nakuba kunjalo, amaJuda amaningi awamamukeli njengoMesiya, kusho iNewsweek. Ngokwephephandaba iNewsday, urabi obangisana naye uEliezer Schach oneminyaka engu-96 ubudala uye wambiza ngokuthi “umesiya wamanga.”
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Ukukholelwa ukuthi uMoses waseCrete wayengumesiya kwalahlekisela abantu abaningi ukuphila kwabo