AmaJuda

Incazelo: Njengoba lisetshenziswa ngokuvamile namuhla, leligama libhekisela kubantu abayinzalo yamaHeberu nabanye abaye baguqulelwa enkolweni yobuJuda. IBhayibheli futhi lidonsela ukunakekela eqinisweni lokuthi kunamaKristu angamaJuda angokomoya akha “uIsrayeli kaNkulunkulu.”

Ingabe amaJuda emvelo namuhla angabantu bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiwe?

Leyo inkolelo yamaJuda amaningi. IEncyclopaedia Judaica (Jerusalem, 1971, Umq. 5, uhlu 498), ithi: “ABANTU ABAKHETHIWE, inkulumo evamile ebhekisela kubantu bakwaIsrayeli, eveza umqondo wokuthi abantu bakwaIsrayeli basebuhlotsheni obukhethekile nobungavamile noNkulunkulu wendawo yonke. Lomqondo uye waba ngoyinhloko kuwo wonke umlando wokucabanga kwamaJuda.”—Bheka uDuteronomi 7:6-8; Eksodusi 19:5.

Abaningi kweLobukholwa babambelela emibonweni efanayo. Uhlu ‘lweZenkolo’ lweJournal and Constitution yaseAtlanta (January 22, 1983, k. 5-B) lwabika: “Ngokuphambene nezimfundiso zamasonto ezingamakhulu eminyaka ubudala zokuthi uNkulunkulu ‘wabalahla abantu bakhe uIsrayeli’ esikhundleni sabo kwaba ‘noIsrayeli omusha,’ [uPaul M. Van Buren, isazi senkolo eThempelini leYunivesithi yasePhiladelphia] uthi amasonto manje aqinisa ukuthi ‘isivumelwano phakathi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu abangamaJuda singesaphakade. Lokhu kushintsha komqondo okumangalisayo kuye kwenziwa ngamaProthestani namaKatolika, kuzo zombili izinhlangothi zeAtlantic.’” IThe New York Times (February 6, 1983, k. 42) yanezela: “‘Kunesithakazelo esikhulu ngelungelo levangeli noIsrayeli nenkolelo yokuthi konke okwenziwa uIsrayeli kumelwe kusekelwe, ngoba uNkulunkulu usohlangothini lukaIsrayeli,’ kusho uTimothy Smith, uprofesa wolwazi lwezenkolo eJohns Hopkins University nomvangeli waseWeseli.” Abanye kweLobukholwa balindele ukuguquka nokusindiswa ekugcineni kwawo wonke uIsrayeli wemvelo. Abanye banombono wokuthi kuye kwaba nesibopho esingenakuhlukaniseka phakathi kukaNkulunkulu noIsrayeli, ngakho bacabanga ukuthi abeZizwe kuphela okumelwe babuyisane naye ngoKristu.

Cabangela lokhu: Lapho amaIsrayeli ebuyiselwa ezweni lawo ngemva kokudingiselwa eBabiloni, kwakumelwe abuyisele ukukhulekela kweqiniso ezweni lawo ayelinikwe uNkulunkulu. Omunye wemisebenzi yokuqala eyenziwa kwakuwukwakha futhi ithempeli likaJehova eJerusalema. Nokho, kusukela ekubhujisweni kweJerusalema ngamaRoma ngo-70 C.E. ithempeli alizange liphinde lakhiwe. Kunalokho, endaweni lapho kwakumi khona ithempeli kunesonto lamaIslamu. Uma amaJuda, athi angaphansi koMthetho kaMose, abeseJerusalema namuhla njengabantu bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiwe, ingabe bekungabe alikakakhiwa futhi ithempeli lokukhulekelwa kwakhe?

Math. 21:42, 43: “UJesu wathi kubo [abapristi abakhulu namalungu amaJuda eJerusalema]: Anizange nifunde yini emibhalweni ukuthi: Itshe abalinqabayo abakhi lona laba-yinhloko yegumbi; lona lavela eNkosini; liyisimangaliso emehlweni ethu, na? Ngalokho ngithi kini: Niyakwamukwa umbuso kaNkulunkulu, uphiwe isizwe esiyakuveza izithelo zawo.”

Math. 23:37, 38: “Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi nokhanda ngamatshe abathunyelwe kuwe, kukangaki ngithanda ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho njengesikhukhukazi sibuthela amazinyane aso phansi kwamaphiko aso, kepha anivumanga. Bhekani, indlu yenu isisala nani.”

Ingabe isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu noAbrahama siqinisekisa ukuthi amaJuda aye aqhubeka engabantu bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiwe?

Gal. 3:27-29: “Nonke enabhapathizelwa kuKristu nembatha uKristu. Akakho umJuda nomGreki, akakho oboshiweyo nokhululekileyo, akakho owesilisa nowesifazane, ngokuba nina nonke nimunye kuKristu Jesu. Kepha uma ningabakaKristu, seniyinzalo ka-Abrahama, niyizindlalifa ngokwesithembiso.” (Ngakho-ke, ngokubheka kukaNkulunkulu akusekhona ukuba ngowozalo lwemvelo luka-Abrahama okunqumayo ukuthi obani abayinzalo ka-Abrahama.)

Ingabe wonke amaJuda ayophendulelwa okholweni kuKristu azuze ukusinda kwaphakade?

Roma 11:25, 26: “Ngokuba angithandi, bazalwane, ukuba ningayazi lemfihlakalo, funa nizishaye abahlakaniphileyo, ukuthi inxenye kaIsrayeli yehlelwe ngubulukhuni, kuze kungene abezizwe ngokupheleleyo; kanjalo [“kungalendlela,” TEV; “ngakho-ke,” CC, By; houʹtos, ngesiGreki] uIsrayeli wonke uyakusindiswa.” (Phawula ukuthi ukusindiswa ‘kukaIsrayeli wonke’ akufezwa ngokuphenduka kwawo wonke amaJuda, kodwa ‘kungokungena’ kwabantu beZizwe. Abanye abahumushi bahumusha ivesi lama-26 ngalendlela: “Khona-ke ngemva kwalokhu wonke omunye uIsrayeli uyosindiswa.” Kodwa iA Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament [Edinburgh, 1937, G. Abbott-Smith, k. 329] ichaza elithi houʹtos njengelisho ukuthi “ngalendlela, kanjalo, ngakho-ke.”)

Ukuze sifinyelele ekuqondeni okuyikho ngalokho okulotshwe kumaRoma 11:25, 26, kumelwe sicabangele futhi amazwi angaphambili kumaRoma: “UmJuda kakusiye onguye ngokubonwayo, nokusoka akusikho okubonwa enyameni; kodwa umJuda yilowo onguye ngaphakathi, nokusoka kungokwenhliziyo, ngomoya kungengegama.” (2:28, 29) “Asibo bonke abavela kuIsrayeli abangabakwaIsrayeli.”—9:6.

Ingabe kudingekile ngamaJuda ukuba akholwe kuJesu Kristu ukuze asindiswe?

UIsaya 53:1-12 wabikezela ngokufa kukaMesiya ukuze ‘athwale izono zabaningi, akhulekele aboni.’ UDaniyeli 9:24-27 wahlanganisa ukuza kukaMesiya nokufa kwakhe ‘nokukhawuka kwesono, nokwenza ukubuyisana ngobubi.’ Zombili lezingxenye zibonisa ukuthi amaJuda ayekudinga ukulanyulelwa nokuthethelelwa okunjalo. Ayengamenqaba yini uMesiya kodwa alindele ukuba amukeleke kuLowo owamthuma?

IzE. 4:11, 12: “[Ngokuqondene noJesu Kristu, umphostoli uPetru washukunyiselwa umoya ongcwele ukuba athi kubabusi bamaJuda namadoda amadala eJerusalema:] Yena uyitshe eladelelwa yinina-bakhi, eselaba-yinhloko yegumbi. Ayikho insindiso ngomunye, ngokuba alikho futhi elinye igama phansi kwezulu elinikiwe ebantwini, esimelwe ukusindiswa ngalo.” (Nakuba isizwe sakwaIsrayeli wemvelo singasajabuleli umusa okhethekile waphezulu, indlela isawavulekele amaJuda ngamanye, njengoba kunjalo ngabantu bazo zonke izizwe, ukuba azuze ensindisweni etholakala ngoJesu uMesiya.)

Ingabe izenzakalo ezenzeka kwaIsrayeli namuhla ziwukugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho seBhayibheli?

Hez. 37:21, 22: “Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Bheka, ngiyakuthabatha abantwana bakwaIsrayeli ezizweni lapho baya khona, ngibabuthe nxazonke, ngibayise ezweni lakubo, ngibenze isizwe sinye ezweni, ezintabeni zakwaIsrayeli, kube-yinkosi inye kubo bonke.” (UIsrayeli namuhla akasona isizwe esingaphansi kwenkosi yohlu lobukhosi lukaDavide. Umbuso wabo uwuzibuse.)

Isaya 2:2-4: “Kuyakuthi ngezinsuku ezizayo intaba yendlu kaJehova iqiniswe esiqongweni sezintaba, iphakame kunamagquma, nezizwe zonke ziyakugobhozela khona. Abantu abaningi bayakuhamba, bathi: Wozani sikhuphukele entabeni kaJehova endlini kaNkulunkulu kaJakobe; uyakusifundisa izindlela zakhe, sihambe emikhondweni yakhe, . . . bayakukhanda izinkemba zabo zibe-ngamakhuba, nemikhonto yabo ibe-ngocelemba; isizwe asiyikuphakamisela isizwe inkemba, zingabe zisafunda ukulwa.” (EJerusalema namuhla, lapho ithempeli lalikhona, ayikho ‘indlu kaNkulunkulu kaJakobe,’ kodwa kunalokho, kunesonto lamaIslamu. Futhi akukho okwenziwa ngamaIsrayeli noma omakhelwane bawo ‘okuwukukhanda izinkemba zibe-ngamakhuba.’ Ukuze basinde bathembele ekulungiseleleni impi.)

Isaya 35:1, 2: “Kuyakujabula ihlane nogwadule, kuthokoze uqwathule, lukhahlele njengentebe. Luyakukhahlela kahle, luthokoze, yebo, luthokoze, luhube; luyakuphiwa udumo lweLebanoni, nobukhosi beKarmeli nobeSharoni, lubone inkazimulo kaJehova, nobukhosi bukaNkulunkulu wethu.” (Imisebenzi emangalisayo yokutshala amahlathi nokunisela iye yenziwa ngokuphumelelayo kwelakwaIsrayeli. Kodwa abaholi balo abadumisi iNkosi uNkulunkulu ngalokho. Njengoba umbusi wangaphambili uDavid Ben-Gurion asho: “ElakwaIsrayeli lizimisele . . . ukunqoba ugwadule lulwenze luchume ngamandla esayensi nomoya wokwandisa izindawo, futhi liguqule izwe libe umbuso weningi.”)

Zak. 8:23: “Ngalezozinsuku amadoda ayishumi azo zonke izilimi zabezizwe ayakubamba umphetho womuntu wakwaJuda ngokuthi: Siyakuhamba nani, ngokuba sizwile ukuthi uNkulunkulu unani.” (Imuphi loNkulunkulu lesiprofetho esibhekisela kuye? Olimini lwesiHeberu igama lakhe [elithi יהוה, ngokuvamile elihunyushwa ngokuthi uJehova] livela izikhathi ezingaphezu kwe-130 kulencwadi eyodwa yemiBhalo eNgcwele. Namuhla uma umuntu esebenzisa lelogama, ingabe abantu baphetha ngokuthi kumelwe ukuba ungumJuda? Cha; ngoba emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka, ukukholelwa ezeni kuye kwabangela abantu abangamaJuda bebonke ukuba bakuxwaye ukuphimisela igama likaNkulunkulu siqu. Ukukhula kwesithakazelo senkolo ngokuqondene noIsrayeli wemvelo namuhla akuhambisani nalesiprofetho.)

Khona-ke, izenzakalo kuIsrayeli wanamuhla kumelwe zibhekwe kanjani? Zibhekwe nje njengeziyingxenye yezenzakalo zembulunga yonke ezabikezelwa eBhayibhelini. Lezi zihlanganisa impi, ukungabi-namthetho, ukuphola kothando ngoNkulunkulu, nokuthanda imali.—Math. 24:7, 12; 2 Thim. 3:1-5.

Iziprofetho ngokubuyiselwa kukaIsrayeli zigcwaliseka phakathi kobani namuhla?

Gal. 6:15, 16: “Ngokuba nakusoka nakungasoki akulutho, isidalwa esisha kuphela. Bonke abahamba ngalendlela makube-kubo ukuthula nesihawu, yebo, kuIsrayeli kaNkulunkulu.” (Ngakho-ke “uIsrayeli kaNkulunkulu” akasakhethwa ngesisekelo semfuneko eyayibekwe kuAbrahama ngawo wonke amalungu omkhaya wakhe esilisa ukuba asokwe. Kunalokho, njengoba kuphawulwe kwabaseGalathiya 3:26-29, labo abangabakaKristu nabangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu abazelwe ngomoya ‘bayinzalo ka-Abrahama.’)

Jer. 31:31-34: “Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza, usho uJehova, lapho ngiyakwenza isivumelwano esisha nendlu kaIsrayeli nendlu kaJuda, . . . abasayikufundisana, kube-yilowo nalowo umakhelwane wakhe, kube-yilowo nalowo umfowabo, ngokuthi: Yazi uJehova, ngokuba bonke bayakungazi, kusukela kwabancane kuya kwabakhulu babo, usho uJehova.” (Lesosivumelwano esisha asenziwanga nesizwe sikaIsrayeli wemvelo, kodwa senziwa nabalandeli bakaJesu Kristu abathembekile labo ababenikezwa ithemba lokuphila kwasezulwini. Lapho emisa iSikhumbuzo sokufa kwakhe, uJesu wabanikeza indebe yewayini wathi: “Lesisitsha siyisivumelwano esisha egazini lami.” [1 Kor. 11:25])

IsAm. 7:4: “Ngase ngizwa umumo wababekwa uphawu, izinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amane nane, ababekwa uphawu ezizweni zonke zabantwana bakwaIsrayeli.” (Kodwa emavesini alandelayo, kukhulunywa ‘ngesizwe sakwaLevi’ ‘nesizwe sakwaJosefa.’ Lezi zazingahlanganisiwe ohlwini lwezizwe eziyi-12 zakwaIsrayeli wemvelo. Ngokuthakazelisayo, nakuba kuthiwa abantu “babekwa uphawu ezizweni zonke,” isizwe sakwaDani nesakwaEfrayimi aziphawuliwe. [Qhathanisa noNumeri 1:4-16.] Lapha kumelwe ukuba kubhekiselwa kuIsrayeli kaNkulunkulu ongokomoya, kulabo isAmbulo 14:1-3 esibonisa ukuthi bayohlanganyela noKristu eMbusweni wakhe wasezulwini.)

Heb. 12:22: “Nizé entabeni yaseSiyoni nasemzini kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, iJerusalema lasezulwini, nasezigidigidini zezingelosi.” (Ngakho-ke akulona iJerusalema lasemhlabeni kodwa “iJerusalema lasezulwini” amaKristu abheka kulo ukugcwaliseka kwezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu.)