IJerusalema—“Umuzi WeNkosi Enkulu”

“Ningafungi . . . iJerusalema, ngoba liwumuzi weNkosi enkulu.”—MATHEWU 5:34, 35.

Indawo ‘Yesihlalo Sobukhosi SikaJehova’

4, 5. UDavide wayehileleke kanjani ekusizeni iJerusalema lifeze indima ebalulekile ekufezekeni kwenjongo kaNkulunkulu?

⁴ Ngekhulu le-11 leminyaka B.C.E., iJerusalema laduma ezweni lonke ngokuba yinhloko-dolobha yesizwe esilondekile nesinokuthula. UJehova uNkulunkulu wenza ukuba insizwa enguDavide igcotshwe njengenkosi yaleso sizwe sasendulo—u-Israyeli. Njengoba ihlalankosi laliseJerusalema, uDavide nenzalo yakhe yasebukhosini bahlala “esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso kaJehova,” noma “esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaJehova.”—1 IziKronike 28:5; 29:23.

⁵ Le ndoda eyayimesaba uNkulunkulu, uDavide—umIsrayeli wesizwana sakwaJuda—yanqoba iJerusalema kumaJebusi ayekhonza izithombe. Ngaleso sikhathi lo muzi wawusegqumeni elibizwa ngokuthi iZiyoni, kodwa lelo gama lagcina selisho iJerusalema uqobo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uDavide wathuthela umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu no-Israyeli eJerusalema, lapho wafakwa khona etendeni. Eminyakeni eminingi ngaphambili uNkulunkulu wayekhulume nomprofethi wakhe uMose esefwini ngaphezu kwalowo Mphongolo ongcwele. (Eksodusi 25:1, 21, 22; Levitikusi 16:2; 1 IziKronike 15:1-3) UMphongolo wawubonakalisa ukuba khona kukaNkulunkulu, ngoba uJehova wayeyiNkosi yangempela yakwa-Israyeli. Ngakho-ke, kwakungashiwo ngomqondo okabili ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu wayebusela emzini waseJerusalema.

6. Yisiphi isithembiso uJehova asenza mayelana noDavide neJerusalema?

⁶ UJehova wathembisa uDavide ukuthi umbuso wendlu yakhe yasebukhosini, owawumelelwa iZiyoni, noma iJerusalema, wawungeke uphele. Lokhu kwakusho ukuthi inzalo kaDavide yayiyozuza njengefa ilungelo lokubusa phakade njengoGcotshiweyo kaNkulunkulu—uMesiya, noma uKristu.a (IHubo 132:11-14; Luka 1:31-33) IBhayibheli lembula nokuthi le ndlalifa yaphakade ‘yesihlalo sobukhosi sikaJehova’ yayizobusa zonke izizwe, hhayi iJerusalema kuphela.—IHubo 2:6-8; Daniyeli 7:13, 14.

7. INkosi uDavide yakuthuthukisa kanjani ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile?

⁷ Imizamo yokugudluza ogcotshiweyo kaNkulunkulu esihlalweni, iNkosi uDavide, yabhuntsha. Kunalokho, izizwe eziyizitha zanqotshwa, futhi imingcele yeZwe Lesithembiso yanwetshwa yafinyelela lokho uNkulunkulu ayekunqumile. UDavide wasebenzisa lesi simo ukuze athuthukise ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile. Futhi amahubo amaningi kaDavide adumisa uJehova njengoyiyona Nkosi yangempela eZiyoni.—2 Samuweli 8:1-15; IHubo 9:1, 11; 24:1, 3, 7-10; 65:1, 2; 68:1, 24, 29; 110:1, 2; 122:1-4.

8, 9. Ukukhulekela kweqiniso kwasabalala kanjani eJerusalema ngaphansi kokubusa kweNkosi uSolomoni?

⁸ Phakathi nokubusa kwendodana kaDavide uSolomoni, ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova kwadlondlobala. USolomoni wanwebela iJerusalema enyakatho lahlanganisa negquma laseMoriya (indawo eyiDome of the Rock namuhla). Kule ndawo ephakeme, waba nelungelo lokwakha ithempeli elihle ngokumangalisayo, kwaba ludumo kuJehova. Umphongolo wesivumelwano wabekwa eNgcwelengcwele yalelo thempeli.—1 AmaKhosi 6:1-38.

⁹ Isizwe sakwa-Israyeli sasijabulela ukuthula njengoba sasisekela ngenhliziyo yonke ukukhulekela kukaJehova, okwakugxile eJerusalema. Lapho isichaza kahle lesi simo, imiBhalo ithi: “OJuda noIsrayeli babebaningi ngangesihlabathi solwandle ngobuningi, bedla, bephuza, bejabula. . . . [USolomoni] wayenokuthula nxazonke zakhe. OJuda noIsrayeli bahlala belondekile, kwaba-yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe nomkhiwane wakhe.”—1 AmaKhosi 4:20, 24, 25.

10, 11. Isayensi yemivubukulo ikuqinisekisa kanjani okushiwo yiBhayibheli ngeJerusalema ngenkathi kubusa uSolomoni?

¹⁰ Imivubukulo iyakusekela lokhu kulandisa kokubusa kukaSolomoni okuchumayo. Encwadini yakhe ethi The Archaeology of the Land of Israel, uProfesa Yohanan Aharoni uthi: “Ingcebo eyayigobhozela ehlalankosi ivela nxazonke, nohwebo oluchumayo . . . kwabangela ushintsho olusheshayo noluphawulekayo kuzo zonke izici zentuthuko yezinto ezibonakalayo. . . . Le ntuthuko yezinto ezibonakalayo . . . ayigcini ngokubonakala ezintweni zokunethezeka kodwa ikakhulukazi nasemikhiqizweni yobumba. . . . Izinga lezinto zobumba nokushiswa kwazo kwathuthuka kakhulu.”

¹¹ Ngokufanayo, uJerry M. Landay wabhala: “Ngaphansi kukaSolomoni, intuthuko yezinto ezibonakalayo yakwa-Israyeli yadlondlobala kakhulu ngamashumi amathathu eminyaka kunangeminyaka engamakhulu amabili yangaphambili. Ezingqimbeni zesikhathi sikaSolomoni sithola izinsalela zezakhiwo eziyizikhumbuzo, imizi emikhulu enezindonga ezinkulukazi, ukubheduka kwezindawo zokuhlala ezinoxhaxha lwezindlu ezakhiwe kahle zabadla kahle, okuyigxathu elikhulu entuthukweni yobuchwepheshe bombumbi nezinqubo zakhe zokwakha. Sithola nezinsalela zezinto zobungcweti ezimelela izimpahla ezakhiwe ezindaweni ezikude, izimpawu zohwebo olunamandla lwezizwe zonke.”—The House of David.

Ukusuka Ekuthuleni Kuya Encithakalweni

12, 13. Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba ukukhulekela kweqiniso kungaqhubeki kuthuthukiswa eJerusalema?

¹² Ukuthula nokuchuma kweJerusalema, umuzi owawunendlu engcwele kaJehova, kwakuyinto okufanelekayo ukuyithandazela. UDavide wabhala: “Khulekelani ukuthula kwaseJerusalema; abakuthandayo bayakuphumelela kahle. Makube-khona ukuthula phakathi kwezingange zakho, nenhlanhla ezindlini zakho zobukhosi. Ngenxa yabafowethu nabangane bethu ngizakuthi manje: Makube-khona ukuthula kuwe.” (IHubo 122:6-8) Nakuba uSolomoni aba nelungelo lokwakha ithempeli elihle ngokumangalisayo kulowo muzi onokuthula, ekugcineni washada abafazi abaningi abangamaqaba. Esegugile, bamnxenxela ekuthuthukiseni ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu bamanga bangaleso sikhathi. Lokhu kuhlubuka konakalisa sonke isizwe, kwaphuca sona nabantu baso ukuthula kwangempela.—1 AmaKhosi 11:1-8; 14:21-24.

¹³ Ngasekuqaleni kokubusa kwendodana kaSolomoni uRehobowamu, izizwana eziyishumi zavukela futhi zakha umbuso wasenyakatho wakwa-Israyeli. Ngenxa yokukhulekela kwazo izithombe, uNkulunkulu wavumela lowo mbuso ukuba ugumbuqelwe yi-Asiriya. (1 AmaKhosi 12:16-30) Umbuso waseningizimu wezizwana ezimbili wakwaJuda waqhubeka ugxile eJerusalema. Kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi nawo wakulahla ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile, ngakho uNkulunkulu wavumela ukuba lo muzi ohlubukile ubhujiswe abaseBabiloni ngo-607 B.C.E. AmaJuda ayedingisiwe ahlupheka iminyaka engu-70 eBabiloni. Khona-ke, ngesihe sikaNkulunkulu, avunyelwa ukuba abuyele eJerusalema futhi avuselele ukukhulekela kweqiniso.—2 IziKronike 36:15-21.

14, 15. IJerusalema layizuza kanjani kabusha indima eyinhloko ngemva kokudingiselwa eBabiloni, kodwa kwase kunaluphi ushintsho?

¹⁴ Ngemva kweminyaka engu-70 ziyincithakalo, kumelwe ukuba izakhiwo ezase zingamanxiwa zase zenile. Ugange lwaseJerusalema lwaludilikile, lunezikhala ezinkulu lapho kwakukade kunamasango khona nemibhoshongo yokuluphasa. Nokho, amaJuda ayesebuyile aqina idolo. Akha i-altare endaweni okwakwakhiwe kuyo ithempeli elidala futhi aqala ukunikela imihlatshelo yansuku zonke kuJehova.

¹⁵ Lesi kwakuyisiqalo esithembisayo, kodwa lelo Jerusalema elivuselelwe lalingeke liphinde libe inhloko-dolobha yombuso obuswa yinzalo yeNkosi uDavide. Kunalokho, amaJuda abuswa umbusi owayemiswe abanqobi baseBabiloni futhi kwakudingeka akhokhe izintela emakhosini awo asePheresiya. (Nehemiya 9:34-37) Nakuba lalisesimweni ‘sokunyathelwa phansi,’ iJerusalema lalisewukuphela komuzi emhlabeni wonke owawuthandwa nguJehova uNkulunkulu ngokukhethekile. (Luka 21:24) Njengesikhungo sokukhulekela okuhlanzekile, lalimelela nelungelo likaNkulunkulu lokusebenzisa ubukhosi bakhe phezu komhlaba ngenzalo yeNkosi uDavide.

Ukuphikiswa Omakhelwane Benkolo Yamanga

16. Kungani amaJuda ayebuye eBabiloni ayeka ukuqhubeka evuselela iJerusalema?

¹⁶ Ngokushesha amaJuda ayesebuyele eJerusalema evela ekudingisweni abeka isisekelo sethempeli elisha. Kodwa abakhulekeli benkolo yamanga ababengomakhelwane bathumela incwadi enyundelayo eNkosini u-Aritahishashita yasePheresiya, bethi amaJuda ayezovukela. Ngakho, u-Aritahishashita wavimbela ukuqhubeka nokwakha eJerusalema. Ungase ucabange nje ukuthi ukube wawuhlala kulo muzi emuva ngaleso sikhathi, wawuyozibuza ukuthi kazi ikusasa liwuphatheleni. Ngendlela okwenzeka ngayo, amaJuda ayeka ukuqhubeka nokwakha ithempeli futhi angena shí ekuphishekeleni izinto zawo ezibonakalayo.—Ezra 4:11-24; Hagayi 1:2-6.

17, 18. Iyiphi indlela uJehova ayisebenzisa ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi iJerusalema liyakhiwa kabusha?

¹⁷ Eminyakeni engaba ngu-17 ngemva kokubuya kwabo, uNkulunkulu wavusa abaprofethi uHagayi noZakariya ukuze balungise ukucabanga kwabantu bakhe. Eshukumiseleke ukuba aphenduke, amaJuda aphinde aqala ukwakha ithempeli. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uDariyu wayesethathe ubukhosi ePheresiya. Waqinisekisa umyalo weNkosi uKoresi wokuba ithempeli laseJerusalema lakhiwe kabusha. UDariyu wathumela incwadi komakhelwane bamaJuda, ebaxwayisa ukuba ‘babe-kude neJerusalema’ futhi baxhase ngezimali zentela yenkosi ukuze kuqedwe umsebenzi wokwakha.—Ezra 6:1-13.

¹⁸ AmaJuda aqeda ithempeli ngonyaka wa-ma-22 ebuyile. Ungaqonda ukuthi le ngqopha-mlando yayiyoba okuthile okwakuzohalaliselwa ngokuthokoza okukhulu. Nokho, ngokwezinga elikhulu, iJerusalema nezingange zalo laliseyincithakalo. Lo muzi walungiswa “emihleni kaNehemiya umbusi noEzra umbhali.” (Nehemiya 12:26, 27) Ngokusobala, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E., iJerusalema lase lakhiwe kabusha lonke laba umuzi omkhulu kulelo lizwe lasendulo.

UMesiya Uyavela!

19. UMesiya wavuma kanjani ukuthi iJerusalema linesikhundla esihlukile?

¹⁹ Nokho, make seqe amakhulu athile eminyaka siye esenzakalweni esathinta umhlaba wonke, ukuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu. Ingelosi kaJehova uNkulunkulu yayitshele unina kaJesu oyincasakazi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu uyoyinika isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide uyise, . . . futhi umbuso wayo ngeke ube nakuphela.” (Luka 1:32, 33) Eminyakeni ethile kamuva, uJesu wanikeza iNtshumayelo yakhe edumile yaseNtabeni. Kuyo, wanikeza isikhuthazo neseluleko ngezindaba eziningi. Ngokwesibonelo, wanxusa izilaleli zakhe ukuba zifeze izifungo ezizenza kuNkulunkulu kodwa ziqaphele ukuthi azihileleki ekufungeni okungenanjongo. UJesu wathi: “Nezwa ukuthi kwathiwa kulabo bezikhathi zasendulo, ‘Akumelwe ufunge ungenzi, kodwa kumelwe uzifeze izithembiso zakho ezifungelwe kuJehova.’ Nokho, mina ngithi kini: Ningafungi nhlobo, noma izulu, ngoba liyisihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu; noma umhlaba, ngoba uyisenabelo sezinyawo zakhe; noma iJerusalema, ngoba liwumuzi weNkosi enkulu.” (Mathewu 5:33-35) Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi uJesu wavuma ukuthi iJerusalema lalinesikhundla esihlukile—okwaphela amakhulu eminyaka linaso. Yebo, ‘laliwumuzi weNkosi enkulu,’ uJehova uNkulunkulu.

20, 21. Yiluphi ushintsho olukhulu olwenzeka esimweni sengqondo sabaningi ababehlala eJerusalema?

²⁰ Ngasekupheleni kokuphila kwakhe kwasemhlabeni, uJesu waziletha ezakhamuzini zaseJerusalema njengeNkosi yazo egcotshwe ngokufanele. Besabela kuleso senzakalo esivusa amadlingozi, abaningi bakhamuluka ngenjabulo bethi: “Ubusisiwe oza egameni likaJehova! Ubusisiwe umbuso ozayo kababa wethu uDavide!”—Marku 11:1-10; Johane 12:12-15.

²¹ Nokho, esikhathini esingaphansi kwesonto, izixuku zavumela abaholi benkolo baseJerusalema ukuba bazenze zijikele uJesu. Waxwayisa ngokuthi umuzi waseJerusalema nesizwe sonke kwakuzolahlekelwa yisikhundla sako sokuthandwa uNkulunkulu. (Mathewu 21:23, 33-45; 22:1-7) Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu wathi: “Jerusalema, Jerusalema, umbulali wabaprofethi nomkhandi ngamatshe walabo abathunyelwe kuye,—yeka ukuthi kukaningi kangakanani ngifuna ukubuthela abantwana bakho ndawonye, ngendlela isikhukukazi esibuthela ndawonye ngayo amatshwele aso ngaphansi kwamaphiko aso! Kodwa anifunanga. Bhekani! indlu yenu ishiywa nani.” (Mathewu 23:37, 38) Ngesikhathi sePhasika ngo-33 C.E., abaphikisi bakaJesu bambulala ngokungafanele ngaphandle kweJerusalema. Nokho, uJehova wamvusa Ogcotshiweyo wakhe futhi wamkhazimulisa ngokuphila komoya okungenakufa eZiyoni lasezulwini, isenzakalo sonke esingazuza kuso.—IzEnzo 2:32-36.

22. Ngemva kokufa kukaJesu, okuningi okubhekisele eJerusalema kuye kwasebenza kuphi?

²² Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, iningi leziprofetho ezazingagcwalisekile ezimayelana neZiyoni, noma iJerusalema, zingaqondwa njengezisebenza emalungiselelweni asezulwini noma kubalandeli bakaJesu abagcotshiwe. (IHubo 2:6-8; 110:1-4; Isaya 2:2-4; 65:17, 18; Zakariya 12:3; 14:12, 16, 17) Izindima eziningi ezikhuluma ‘ngeJerusalema’ noma “iZiyoni” ezabhalwa ngemva kokufa kukaJesu kusobala ukuthi zinomqondo ongokomfanekiso futhi azisebenzi emzini noma indawo engokoqobo. (Galathiya 4:26; Heberu 12:22; 1 Petru 2:6; IsAmbulo 3:12; 14:1; 21:2, 10) Ubufakazi bokugcina bokuthi iJerusalema lalingasewona “umuzi weNkosi enkulu” baba ngo-70 C.E. lapho amabutho amaRoma elibhubhisa, njengoba uDaniyeli noJesu Kristu babeprofethile. (Daniyeli 9:26; Luka 19:41-44) Abalobi beBhayibheli noma uJesu ngokwakhe abazange babikezele ukuthi kamuva iJerusalema lasemhlabeni laliyophinde lithandwe uJehova uNkulunkulu ngokukhethekile njengoba ake alithanda.—Galathiya 4:25; Heberu 13:14.