4. Obani abakha inzalo yowesifazane, futhi leyo nzalo izokwenzani?

⁴ Ngemva nje kokuhlubuka kwase-Edene, uJehova wanikeza isithembiso sokuthi “owesifazane” wayeyoveza ‘inzalo.’a (Funda uGenesise 3:15.) Leyo nzalo yayiyogcina ichoboze ikhanda lenyoka, uSathane. Kamuva uJehova wembula ukuthi le nzalo yayiyovela ohlwini lozalo luka-Abrahama, ibe ilungu lesizwe sika-Israyeli, ivele kuJuda nasozalweni lweNkosi uDavide. (Gen. 22:15-18; 49:10; IHu. 89:3, 4; Luka 1:30-33) UKristu Jesu waba ingxenye eyinhloko yale nzalo. (Gal. 3:16) Amalungu agcotshwe ngomoya ebandla lobuKristu akha ingxenye yesibili yayo. (Gal. 3:26-29) UJesu nalaba agcotshiwe bayahlangana bakhe uMbuso kaNkulunkulu, ithuluzi uNkulunkulu ayochoboza ngalo uSathane.—Luka 12:32; Roma 16:20.

5, 6. (a) Mingaki imibuso emikhulu ebalulwa uDaniyeli noJohane? (b) Amelelani amakhanda esilo sasendle esikusAmbulo?

⁵ Leso siprofetho sokuqala esashiwo e-Edene sabonisa nokuthi uSathane wayeyoveza ‘inzalo.’ Inzalo yakhe yayiyobonisa ubutha noma inzondo enzalweni yowesifazane. Obani abakha inzalo yenyoka? Yibo bonke abalingisa uSathane ngokuzonda uNkulunkulu nangokuphikisa abantu bakhe. Kuwo wonke umlando, uSathane uye wahlela inzalo yakhe yaba izinhlangano zezombusazwe noma imibuso ehlukahlukene. (Luka 4:5, 6) Nokho, imbalwa kuphela imibuso yabantu eye yaba nethonya elikhulu kubantu bakaNkulunkulu, kungaba isizwe sakwa-Israyeli noma ibandla lamaKristu agcotshiwe. Kungani kuphawuleka lokhu? Yingoba kuchaza ukuthi kungani imibono kaDaniyeli noJohane ikhuluma ngemibuso yezwe emikhulu engu-8 kuphela.

 7. Limelelani ikhanda lokuqala, futhi kungani usho kanjalo?

⁷ Ikhanda lokuqala lesilo limelela iGibhithe. Ngani? Ngoba iGibhithe laba umbuso omkhulu wokuqala owabonisa ubutha kubantu bakaNkulunkulu. Inzalo ka-Abrahama—okwakuyovela kuyo inzalo yowesifazane ethenjisiwe—yanda kakhulu eGibhithe. AbaseGibhithe babe sebewacindezela ama-Israyeli. USathane wazama ukuqothula abantu bakaNkulunkulu ingakafiki leyo nzalo. Kanjani? Ngokushukumisela uFaro ukuba abulale bonke abantwana besilisa bama-Israyeli. UJehova wawubhuntshisa lowo mzamo futhi wakhulula abantu bakhe ebugqilini baseGibhithe. (Eks. 1:15-20; 14:13) Kamuva wangenisa ama-Israyeli eZweni Lesithembiso.

 8. Lingubani ikhanda lesibili, futhi lazama ukwenzani?

⁸ Ikhanda lesibili lesilo limelela i-Asiriya. Lo mbuso onamandla nawo wazama ukuqothula abantu bakaNkulunkulu. Yebo, uJehova walisebenzisa i-Asiriya ukuze ajezise umbuso wezizwe eziyishumi ngenxa yokuvukela nokukhulekela kwawo izithombe. Nokho, i-Asiriya labe selihlasela iJerusalema. Kungenzeka ukuthi uSathane wayenomgomo wokuluqeda nya uhlu lozalo lwasebukhosini olwaluyogcina luholele kuJesu. Lokho kuhlasela kwakungeyona ingxenye yenjongo kaJehova futhi wabakhulula ngokuyisimangaliso abantu bakhe abathembekile ngokubhubhisa labo bahlaseli.—2 AmaKh. 19:32-35; Isaya 10:5, 6, 12-15.

¹³ UJehova wasebenzisa uMbuso WamaMede NamaPheresiya ukuze agcwalise isiprofetho ngokugumbuqela iBhabhiloni futhi abuyisele ama-Israyeli ezweni lenkaba yawo. (2 IziKr. 36:22, 23) Nokho, kamuva wona lo mbuso wacishe waqothula abantu bakaNkulunkulu. Incwadi yeBhayibheli ka-Esteri ilandisa ngozungu olwakhiwa undunankulu wasePheresiya, uHamani. Wahlela ukuba kuqothulwe wonke amaJuda ayehlala eMbusweni omkhulu wasePheresiya futhi wabeka nosuku oluqondile okwakuzokwenziwa ngalo lokho. Ukungenela kukaJehova kuphela okwenza ukuba abantu bakhe bavikelwe nakulobo butha benzalo kaSathane. (Est. 1:1-3; 3:8, 9; 8:3, 9-14) Ngakho-ke, kuyafaneleka ukuba uMbuso WamaMede NamaPheresiya ufanekiselwe ikhanda lesine lesilo sesAmbulo.

16. Yini eyenziwa u-Antiochus IV?

¹⁶ Ngemva kokunqoba uMbuso WasePheresiya, iGrisi yabusa izwe labantu bakaNkulunkulu. Ngalesi sikhathi amaJuda ayesezinzile eZweni Lesithembiso futhi eselakhe kabusha ithempeli eJerusalema. UNkulunkulu wayesawabheka njengesizwe sakhe esikhethiwe, futhi ithempeli elalakhiwe kabusha liseyisikhungo sokukhulekela kweqiniso. Nokho, ngekhulu lesibili B.C.E., iGrisi, ikhanda lesihlanu lesilo sasendle, yahlasela abantu bakaNkulunkulu. U-Antiochus IV, ongomunye wezindlalifa zombuso ka-Alexander owawusuhlukene, wabeka i-altare lobuqaba emagcekeni ethempeli eJerusalema futhi wenza ukuqhuba inkolo yamaJuda kwaba icala elinesijeziso sokufa. Yeka isenzo senzondo senzalo kaSathane! Nokho, ukuba kweGrisi umbuso wezwe kwasheshe kwaphela. Ubani owayeyoba ikhanda lesithupha lesilo sasendle?

17. Ikhanda lesithupha laba nayiphi indima ebalulekile ekugcwalisekeni kukaGenesise 3:15?

¹⁷ Kwakukhonya uMbuso WamaRoma ngesikhathi uJohane enikwa umbono wesilo sasendle. (IsAm. 17:10) Leli khanda lesithupha laba nendima ebalulekile ekugcwalisekeni kwesiprofetho esikuGenesise 3:15. USathane wasebenzisa izikhulu zamaRoma ukuze ashaye inzalo ngegalelo elayikhubaza okwesikhashana, eyilimaza “esithendeni.” Kanjani? Zaqulisa uJesu icala lamanga lokuvukela umbuso futhi zambulala. (Math. 27:26) Kodwa lelo nxeba laphola ngokushesha ngoba uJehova wamvusa.

18. (a) Isiphi isizwe esisha uJehova asikhetha, futhi kungani? (b) Inzalo yenyoka yaqhubeka kanjani ibonisa ubutha enzalweni yowesifazane?

¹⁸ Abaholi benkolo bakwa-Israyeli bahlangana neRoma bakhela uJesu uzungu, futhi ingxenye enkulu yesizwe nayo yamala. Ngakho, uJehova wamlahla u-Israyeli wemvelo wangabe esaba isizwe sakhe. (Math. 23:38; IzE. 2:22, 23) Wabe esekhetha isizwe esisha, “u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu.” (Gal. 3:26-29; 6:16) Leso sizwe sasiyibandla lamaKristu agcotshiwe elalakhiwa amaJuda nabeZizwe. (Efe. 2:11-18) Ngemva kokufa nokuvuka kukaJesu, inzalo yenyoka yaqhubeka ibonisa ubutha enzalweni yowesifazane. UMbuso WamaRoma wazama kaningi ukuqothula ibandla lobuKristu, elaliyingxenye yesibili yenzalo.c