IMasada—Ingabe Iwubufakazi Bokuthi UMesiya Wayefikile?

UKUCHITHA igazi egameni lenkolo kuye kwaba inhlupho ebilokhu yenzeka ngokuphindaphindiwe. Kwakunjalo nangeMasada, ngoba abavikeli bayo babenezisusa eziqinile ezingokwenkolo. Uma uvakashela imivubukulo eMasada, ungabona izincithakalo zesinagoge lapho amadoda enkemba ayehlangana khona ngenjongo yokukhulekela nezindawo zokuhlamba eziyisiko ezazisetshenziselwa ukuhlanjululwa okungokwenkolo.

Kuye kwatholakala nezingxenye zeBhayibheli eMasada. Ungase uzibuze, isigijimi esingokweBhayibheli esasifundwa amadoda enkemba sifana ngayiphi indlela nalokho esikufunda eBhayibhelini namuhla? UDkt. Yigael Yadin, encwadini yakhe ethi Masada, wabhala ngokunjalo okuvubukuliwe kokuqala:

“Ukuhlola okusheshayo kuleyondawo kwasibonisa ngaso lesosikhathi ukuthi lapha kwakunengxenye evela eNcwadini YamaHubo, futhi sasingase sikwazi ukuchaza ngisho nezahluko: lengxenye yayisukela kumaHubo 81 kuya kumaHubo 85. . . . Kwakungenzeka ukuba sisho isikhathi sokubhalwa kwayo ngaphandle kokuncane ukungabaza. Ngokunokwenzeka kwakungenakuba ngemva konyaka ka-73 A.D., unyaka iMasada eyawa ngawo. . . . Lengxenye evela eNcwadini YamaHubo, njengeminye imiqulu yeBhayibheli esayithola kamuva, cishe ifana nsé . . . nombhalo wezincwadi zeBhayibheli esizisebenzisayo namuhla.”

Ngokusobala, amadoda enkemba ayekholelwa ukuthi uMlobi waPhezulu wemiBhalo YesiHeberu wayeyokubusisa ukuvukela kwawo iRoma. Njengoba iUniversal Jewish Encyclopedia ichaza: “Intshiseko eyeqisayo yamaJuda eMpini Enkulu yokulwa neRoma (66-73 C.E.) yaqiniswa inkolelo yawo yokuthi inkathi yobuMesiya yayiseduze. Ukulahlekelwa iThempeli kwamane kwandisa ukucabangela ngokuphathelene nokufika kukaMesiya.”

Ukufika KukaMesiya

“Abashisekeli bobuMesiya abangamaJuda,” kusho iEncyclopedia of Religion, “babevame ukusekela ukubala kwabo eNcwadini KaDaniyeli.” Yiqiniso, umprofethi ongumHeberu uDaniyeli wakubikezela ukufika ‘kukaMesiya uMholi.’ (Daniyeli 9:25, NW) Kokunye ukulandisa okubili, uDaniyeli wathi uMesiya wayeyoba uMbusi wezwe nokuthi uMbuso waKhe wawuyobhubhisa yonke imibuso yabantu ephikisayo.—Daniyeli 2:44; 7:13, 14.

Abavukeli abangamaJuda bekhulu lokuqala leminyaka baba nomuzwa wokuthi sasifikile isikhathi sokugcwaliseka kwalemibono engokwesiprofetho. UJosephus wathi: “Ngaphezu kwakho konke, lokho okwakubashukumisela empini [kwakuyinkolelo] yokuthi ngalesosikhathi omunye ezweni lakubo wayeyoba umbusi wezwe.” Kodwa uDaniyeli wabikezela ukuthi uMholi wobuMesiya kumelwe ‘anqunywe’ kuqala nokuthi ngemva kokufa kwakhe iJerusalema nethempeli lalo laliyokwenziwa incithakalo ‘abantu bomunye umbusi owayeza.’—Daniyeli 9:25, 26.

Umbono WamaJuda Ngokubusa KwabeZizwe

IJudiya lekhulu lokuqala leminyaka lalihlukaniswe phakathi kwabambalwa abacebile nabaningi abampofu. Amanye amaJuda acebile, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwabaSadusi nabaFarisi, ayelazisa igunya iRoma elaliwavumela ukuba abe nalo ezweni, futhi ayebadelela abantu abavamile. Ngakho, ayemelene nanoma yimuphi umcabango wokuvukela, kunalokho esebenzela ubuhlobo obunokuthula neRoma.—Luka 16:14; 19:45, 46; Johane 2:14; 7:47-49; 11:47, 48.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izakhamuzi ezivamile zaseJudiya zazihlupheka ngaphansi komthwalo wentela yamaRoma nabantu bakubo abacindezelayo. Aziyitholanga induduzo ngokuba ngaphansi kwalokho okubizwa ngokuthi yiPax Romana (Ukuthula KwaseRoma) kodwa zazifuna ushintsho. Lokhu kushayisana kwezithakazelo kwaphumela ekulweni okwesabekayo komphakathi. UJosephus wabhala: “Elinye iqembu lalilwela ukubuswa, elinye ligxile ebudloveni nasekuphangeni abacebile.”

Ngokwesibonelo, amadoda enkemba ayephanga futhi abulale amaJuda ayekanye nawo futhi ayezithethelela lezenzo zobuphekula ngokuthi ziwukujeziswa kwamaJuda okucatshangwa ukuthi ayebambisene neRoma. Umfundisi wekhulu lesibili leminyaka, uJohanan ben Torta, wanikeza lesizathu ngenhlekelele eyafikela amaJuda ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka: “Ayenesifiso esijulile semali futhi ezondana.”

Akumangalisi ukuthi lawomaJuda ayemesaba ngempela uNkulunkulu ayelangazelela ukuvela kukaMesiya, ayenethemba lokuthi wayeyogumbuqela ukubusa kwamaRoma futhi amise uMbuso kaNkulunkulu onokulunga. Kodwa abantu abangenazimiso basizakala ngalamathemba.

OMesiya Bamanga

Cishe ngonyaka ka-33 C.E., umholi ongumJuda ogama lakhe linguGamaliyeli wakhumbuza ababusi baseJerusalema abakanye naye: “Ngaphambi kwalezizinsuku . . . kwasuka uJuda waseGalile ezinsukwini zokubhalwa; wahlubukisa abantu ukuba bamlandele; nalowo wabhubha, nabo bonke abamlalelayo bahlakazeka.”—IzEnzo 5:36, 37.

‘Ukubhalisa’ okwaphumela ekuvukeleni kukaJuda kwahlelwa ngo-6 C.E. ngenjongo yokukhuphula intela yaseRoma. UJosephus usitshela ukuthi uJuda wamemezela ukuthi amaJuda “ayengamagwala uma ezithoba ekukhokheni izintela kumaRoma.” Igama elithi Juda lisikisela ukuthi wayengowesizwe uMesiya okwakulindelwe ukuba avele kuso. (Genesise 49:10) “Inkulumo yakhe eshisayo nokuthandwa kwezimfundiso zakhe kwadonsela inani elikhulu endinganisweni yakhe, iningi lalo elalimbheka njengoMesiya,” kusho iCyclopœdia kaMcClintock noStrong.

Phawula ukuthi izEnzo 5:37 zibika ukuthi abalandeli baloJuda abazange babhubhe naye. Umzabalazo wakhe, ngokwesazi esingumJuda uGaalya Cornfeld, “wasiphula izimpande ezijulile namathemba obuMesiya.” Eqinisweni, abaholi ababili bamadoda enkemba, uMenahem noEleazar, babeyinzalo yalowoJuda waseGalile. Ekuqaleni kokuvukela kwamaJuda ngo-66 C.E. uMenahem wahlomisa abalandeli bakhe ngezikhali ezazigcinwe eMasada. Khona-ke, “wabuyela eJerusalema njengenkosi” futhi “waba umholi wokuvukela.” “Cishe kuqinisekile,” kwenezela iEncyclopaedia Judaica, “ukuthi uMenahem [indodana] kaJuda wayecatshangelwa njengoMesiya.”

Nokho, ngawo kanye lowonyaka, uMenahem wabulawa amalungu omzabalazo wokuvukela wamaJuda oncintisanayo. Abalandeli bakhe babaleka baphindela eMasada, lapho uEleazar aba khona umphathi wamadoda enkemba kwaze kwaba ngo-73 C.E. Inkulumo yokuzibulala kaEleazar iphinda izimfundiso eziyiphutha zikakhokho wakhe uJuda: “Kusukela kudala, bangane bami abanesibindi, sazimisela ukungakhonzi kungaba amaRoma noma ubani omunye ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu kuphela.”

Ukungathathi-hlangothi KwamaKristu AseJudiya

Ngaphambi kokuvukela kwamaJuda ngo-66 C.E., amabandla amaKristu ayemisiwe eJudiya, yebo, kuhlanganise nebandla laseJerusalema. (IzEnzo 9:31) Lamabandla ayakhiwa amaJuda ayekholelwa ukuthi uJesu waseNazaretha wayenguMesiya okufa nokuvuka kwakhe kwakubikezelwe. (IzEnzo 2:22-36) AmaKristu angamaJuda azisakaza ngentshiseko izinkolelo zawo, kuyilapho elindele ngokuthula ukufika kwesibili kukaMesiya, njengombusi wezwe. UJesu wayebonisile ukuthi wayeyobuya “emva kwesikhathi eside.”—Mathewu 25:19, 31; 28:19, 20; IzEnzo 1:8-11.

Kodwa lapho ukuvukela kwamaJuda kugqashuka ngo-66 C.E., yini eyavikela lawomaKristu aseJudiya ekubeni akhukhulwe ukuphumelela kwakho kokuqala? Akungabazeki ukuthi akhumbula isixwayiso seNkosi yawo: “Bonke abaphatha inkemba bayakubhubha ngenkemba.” (Mathewu 26:52) Futhi uJesu wayewanike umbono olinganiselwe ngegunya likahulumeni wabeZizwe. Wathi: “Nikani uKesari okukaKesari noNkulunkulu okukaNkulunkulu.” (Marku 12:17) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJesu wayebikezele ukuthi kwakuzofika abazishaya oMesiya, bethi, “Nginguye; bathi futhi: Isikhathi sesisondele,” kodwa waxwayisa: “Maningabalandeli.”—Luka 21:8.

UJesu wayeze ngisho wabikezela umphumela wokuvukela kwamaJuda, ethi: “Nxa nibona iJerusalema lihaqiwe yizimpi, yazini ukuthi sekusondele ukuchithwa kwalo. Khona abaseJudiya mababalekele ezintabeni, abaphakathi kwalo baphume, abasemaphandleni bangangeni kulo. . . . Ngokuba kuyakuba-khona ukuhlupheka okukhulu emhlabeni nentukuthelo phezu kwalesisizwe. Bayakuwa bedliwa yinkemba, bathunjelwe ezizweni zonke.”—Luka 21:20-24.

Isikhukhula sokubhujiswa esisabekayo esalandela ukuvukela kwamaJuda sasiwukugcwaliseka okuvusa amadlingozi kwesiprofetho sikaJesu! Nokho, amaKristu aseJudiya asinda ‘ngokubalekela ezintabeni’ ngokuzithoba. IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “Ngaphambi kokuvinjezelwa kweJerusalema nguTitus [ngo-70 C.E.], izakhamuzi zalo ezingamaKristu zathuthela ePella.” Ngokuthakazelisayo, iPella yayingasenyakatho, ezintatshaneni ezisezintabeni ezingaphesheya koMfula iJordani futhi iSigodi saseJordani sasiyihlukanise ngokuphelele neJudiya. “Kunzima ukulandisa ngalokhu kusinda uma isiprofetho [sikaJesu] salotshwa ngemva kwalesenzakalo,” kusho uG. A. Williamson esethulweni sakhe kwethi Josephus—The Jewish War.

Ngempela, ukusinda ngokuphumelelayo kwamaKristu aseJudiya kuwubufakazi obunamandla bokuthi babengabalandeli bakaMesiya weqiniso. Lokhu kuphakamisa imibuzo ebalulekile. Yayiyini injongo yokufika kokuqala kukaMesiya? Futhi ukuvukela kwamaJuda okubhubhisayo kunikeza siphi isixwayiso ngathi namuhla, ikakhulukazi ingxenye yesintu ebizwa ngokuthi “amaKristu”? Lemibuzo kuzoxoxwa ngayo ngokuqhubekayo kulomagazini.