Ingabe Bewazi?

Kungani uPontiyu Pilatu ethuka lapho ezwa isimangalo sokuthi uJesu ‘wayezenze indodana kaNkulunkulu’?—Johane 19:7.

ISigele saseRoma sasiphakamisele uJulius Caesar esikhundleni sokuba unkulunkulu ngemva kokufa kwakhe. Indodana yakhe yokutholwa eyamlandela esikhundleni, u-Octavian, kamuva yabizwa ngokuthi i-divi filius, okuwukuthi, “iNdodana Yophezulu,” noma “iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.” Lesi siqu sesiLatini saba isiqu esingcwele sababusi. Lokhu kufakazelwa yimibhalo eminingi eqoshwe ema-altare, emathempelini, ezithombeni nasezinhlamvwini zemali zamaRoma. Lapho amaJuda emangalela uJesu ngokuthi wayezenza “indodana kaNkulunkulu,” empeleni ayemmangalela ngokugagamela isikhundla sobukhosi, okwakufana nobumbuka.

Ngesikhathi sokuqulwa kwecala likaJesu, uTiberiyu wayesenikezwe isiqu esithi divi filius. Lo mbusi wayenedumela elibi lokubulala noma obani ayebabheka njengezitha zakhe. Ngakho lapho amaJuda ethi uPilatu wayeyobe engathembekile kuKhesari uma engamlahli ngecala uJesu, lo mbusi ongumRoma “wesaba kakhulu.” Ekugcineni, wavuma ukucindezelwa wayala ukuba uJesu abulawe.—Johane 19:8, 12-16.

Kungani uZakariya abikezela ukubhujiswa kweThire ngemva kwesikhathi eside libhujiswe abaseBhabhiloni?

IThire lasendulo, elisoGwini lweMedithera, empeleni laliyizingxenye ezimbili. Enye yayisezwekazini, kanti enye yayisesiqhingini.

Ngesinye isikhathi, izakhamuzi zaseThire zazinobungane kuma-Israyeli. Kodwa kamuva, iThire lachuma futhi laqala ukuvukela uJehova uNkulunkulu, laze leba igolide nesiliva ethempelini lakhe ladayisela nabanye babantu bakhe ebugqilini. (Joweli 3:4-6) Lokhu kwaletha isahlulelo sikaJehova esibi. Ngabaprofethi bakhe, uJehova wabikezela ukuthi iThire lalizochithwa yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni uNebukhadinezari, owaletha amabutho akhe eThire ngemva kokubhubhisa iJerusalema ngo-607 B.C.E.—Isaya 23:13, 14; Jeremiya 27:2-7; Hezekeli 28:1-19.

Bebhekene nokunqotshwa, abantu baseThire babaleka nempahla yabo baya emzini osesiqhingini. AbaseBhabhiloni bashiya umuzi osezwekazini uyincithakalo. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-200, uJehova waphefumulela umprofethi wakhe uZakariya ukuba amemezele isahlulelo saKhe eThire: “Bheka! UJehova ngokwakhe uyoliphuca ifa, futhi ngokuqinisekile uyoshaya ibutho lalo lempi alifake olwandle; lona liyoshwabadelwa umlilo.”—Zakariya 9:3, 4.

Ngo-332 B.C.E., umuzi osesiqhingini wabhujiswa ngu-Alexander Omkhulu, kanjalo kwagcwaliseka isiprofetho sikaZakariya. Ukuze awubhubhise, u-Alexander wakha indlela enqamula olwandle engamamitha angu-800 ubude esuka ezwekazini iye esiqhingini, esebenzisa izingodo namatshe amanxiwa eThire lasendulo. UHezekeli wayekubikezele nalokhu.—Hezekeli 26:4, 12.

[Isithombe ekhasini 27]

“Ukuhlaselwa kweThire”

[Umthombo]

Drawing by Andre Castaigne (1898-1899)