1-3. Kuyini okwabangela ukuthi amaJuda ayeseBhabhiloni aphelelwe lithemba? (Khangela umfanekiso osekuqaliseni.)

 AMAJUDA ayethunjiwe ahanjiswa eBhabhiloni ayesekubona sibili ukuthi izinto kazimanga kuhle. Kwasekuleminyaka emihlanu uHezekheli ewatshela ukuthi iJerusalema yayizatshabalaliswa kodwa wona ayelokhu eqinisa amakhanda ezitshela ukuthi lokho ngeke kwenzakale. UHezekheli wakhuluma lawo esebenzisa imizekeliso futhi okunye okwakuzakwenzakala eJerusalema waze wakwenza phambi kwawo. Kodwa amaJuda ayethunjiwe ayengakukholwa ukuthi uJehova uzavumela ukuthi iJerusalema ibhujiswe. Langesikhathi esezwile ukuthi iJerusalema isivinjezelwe ngamabutho eBhabhiloni, amaJuda ayelokhu ezitshela ukuthi ayisoze inqotshwe.

² Ngemva kweminyaka emibili iJerusalema ivinjezelwe kwafika indoda eyayiphunyuke eJerusalema izobikela amaJuda ayeseBhabhiloni okwakwenzakele. Yafika yathi: “Idolobho selithunjiwe.” Umbiko lo wawaqeda amandla amaJuda ayethunjiwe, ayengakholwa ukuthi idolobho lawo elihle lethempeli elingcwele kanye lelizwe lawo ayelithanda kwasekungasekho. Ithemba ayelalo latshabalala.—Hez. 21:7; 33:21.

 ³ AmaJuda athi esakhalela idolobho lawo, uHezekheli watshengiswa umbono owawuzawanika ithemba. Umbono lo wanika amaJuda athunjiweyo liphi ithemba njalo ugcwaliseke njani ebantwini bakaNkulunkulu lamuhla? Wena ungakunceda njani? Kasiboneni ukuthi uJehova wamtshengisani uHezekheli.

4. Yiziphi izinto ezimbili uHezekheli azinanzelelayo?

⁴ Bala uHezekheli 37:1-10. Embonweni lo uJehova wathatha uHezekheli wamusa esigodini esasigcwele amathambo. UJehova wayefuna ukuthi uHezekheli akubone kuhle konke okwakusembonweni lo yikho wamtshela ukuthi ‘adlule phakathi’ kwamathambo la ayegcwele yonke indawo. Ngesikhathi uHezekheli ehambahamba phakathi kwesigodi lesi wananzelela izinto ezimbili. Okokuqala, wabona ukuthi amathambo la ‘ayemanengi kakhulu.’ Okwesibili, wananzelela ukuthi “ayewome kakhulu.”

5. Yiziphi izinto ezimbili uJehova atshela uHezekheli ukuthi azenze, njalo kwenzakalani uHezekheli esezenzile?

⁵ UJehova watshela uHezekheli izinto ezimbili okwakumele azikhulume ukuze amathambo la aqalise ukuvuselelwa. Okokuqala wamtshela ukuthi ‘aphrofethe akhulume lamathambo’ awatshele ukuthi ‘avuke aphile.’ (Hez. 37:4-6) UHezekheli wathi esanda kuqala ukuphrofetha “kwezwakala umsindo amathambo ekhehlezela futhi eqalisa ukuhlangana.” Ngemva kwalokho amathambo ‘aba lemisipha lenyama’ futhi ‘aba lejwabu phezulu.’ (Hez. 37:7, 8) Okwesibili uNkulunkulu wamtshela ukuthi ‘aphrofethe akhulume lomoya,’ awutshele ukuthi ‘uphephethe phezu kwezidumbu zabantu labo.’ UHezekheli wathi esephrofethile “umoya wangena phakathi kwabo bavuka baphila, basebesukuma bama ngenyawo.” Abantu labo “babebanengi kakhulu.”—Hez. 37:9, 10.

6. UJehova wamtshelani uHezekheli ukuze amncede azwisise okwakutshiwo ngumbono?

⁶ UJehova wachasisela uHezekheli ukuthi umbono lo wawusitshoni. Wathi: “Amathambo la amela bonke abako-Israyeli.” Ama-Israyeli ayethunjiwe athi esizwa ukuthi iJerusalema isibhujisiwe aphelelwa lithemba lonke kwaba angathi asefile. Yikho akhala athi: “Amathambo ethu omile lethemba lethu selitshabalele. Sekuphelile ngathi.” (Hez. 37:11; Jer. 34:20) UJehova wawaphendula ama-Israyeli ngokuwavezela ukuthi lanxa umbono lo wawungowamathambo awomileyo, wawuzawanika ithemba.

7. KuHezekheli 37:12-14 uJehova wamtshelani umphrofethi wakhe njalo lokhu kwabaqinisekisa ngani abantu bakhe ababethunjiwe?

⁷ Bala uHezekheli 37:12-14. UJehova wasebenzisa umbono lo ukuthi aqinisekise amaJuda ayethunjiwe ukuthi wayezakwenza ukuthi ‘avuke aphile,’ abesewabuyisela elizweni lawo awahlalise khona. UJehova waphinda wawabiza ngokuthi ‘ngabantu bakhe.’ Kufanele ukuthi lokhu kwawavuselela sibili amaJuda ayesephelelwe lithemba. Kungani kwakungamelanga athandabuze ukuthi isithembiso  lesi sokuvuselelwa sasizagcwaliseka? UJehova ngokwakhe nguye owayewathembisile wathi: ‘Mina Jehova ngitshilo futhi sengikwenzile.’

8. (a) “Bonke abantu bako-Israyeli” basebefanana njani lamathambo awomileyo? (b) UHezekheli 37:9 uthi amathambo abonwa nguHezekheli ayengawabantu abanjani? (Khangela amabala angaphansi.)

⁸ Abantu bako-Israyeli basebefanana njani lamathambo awomileyo? Ngo-740 B.C.E. umbuso wako-Israyeli wezizwana ezilitshumi wanqotshwa futhi abantu bawo bathunjwa ngenxa yokuthi basebehlamukele uJehova. Ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-130 umbuso wakoJuda wezizwana ezimbili lawo wanqotshwa. Ngakho “bonke abantu bako-Israyeli” basebesekuthunjweni. (Hez. 37:11) Basebefanana lamathambo awomileyo uHezekheli awabona embonweni. a Kodwa khumbula ukuthi amathambo abonwa nguHezekheli “ayewome kakhulu.” Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi abantu bako-Israyeli basebelesikhathi eside behlamukele uNkulunkulu. Phela abako-Israyeli labakoJuda bahlala besekuthunjweni okweminyaka edlula 200, kusukela ngo-740 kusiya ku-537 B.C.E.—Jer. 50:33.

9. Okwenzakala esizweni sako-Israyeli sakudala kufanana njani lokwenzakala ‘ku-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu’?

⁹ Iziphrofetho zokuvuselelwa kokukhonza kweqiniso ezakhulunywa nguHezekheli zazingasoze zigcwaliseke kuma-Israyeli kuphela kodwa zazizaphinda zigcwaliseke ngesikhathi esizayo. (Imiseb. 3:21) Njengoba isizwe sako-Israyeli sakudala ‘sabulawa’ futhi sahlala sifile okwesikhathi eside, ‘lo-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu’ loba ibandla lamaKhristu agcotshiweyo labulawa futhi lahlala angathi lifile okwesikhathi eside. (Gal. 6:16) Ibandla lamaKhristu agcotshiweyo lahlala isikhathi eside kakhulu lithunjiwe okokuthi ubudlelwano bawo loJehova basebungathi ‘ngamathambo awome kakhulu.’  (Hez. 37:2) Njengoba sibonile esahlukweni esidlulileyo, ibandla lamaKhristu agcotshiweyo lathunjwa ngemva kuka-100.C.E. futhi lahlala lithunjiwe okweminyaka leminyaka. Lokhu kuhambelana lokwatshiwo nguJesu emzekelisweni wakhe wengqoloyi lokhula.—Mat. 13:24-30.

10. (a) UHezekheli 37:7, 8 ukuveza njani lokho okwakuzakwenzakala ebantwini bakaNkulunkulu? (b) Kuyini okungabe kwavuselela ithemba labantu bakaNkulunkulu ababethunjiwe?

¹⁰ Endulo uJehova waveza ukuthi wayezavuselela abantu bakhe kancane kancane. (Hez. 37:7, 8) Kuyini okwanceda abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuthi babe lethemba lokuthi babezaphinda babuyele elizweni labo? Okunye kwakhona yilokho okwakukhulunywe ngabaphrofethi bakudala. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Isaya waphrofetha ukuthi abako-Israyeli babengasoze batshabalale bonke lokuthi labo ababezasala babezabuyela elizweni labo. Abantu labo wababiza ngokuthi ‘yinhlanyelo engcwele.’ (Isaya. 6:13; Jobe. 14:7-9) Kumele ukuthi iziphrofetho ezinengi zikaHezekheli ezazimayelana lokuvuselelwa kokukhonza kweqiniso zenza ama-Israyeli ahlala elethemba. Kanti njalo kumele ukuthi uDanyeli lamanye amadoda ayethembekile ayeseBhabhiloni banceda ama-Israyeli ayethunjiwe ukuthi angalahli ithemba. Ukunqotshwa kweBhabhiloni ngo-539 B.C.E. lakho kungabe kwenza ama-Israyeli abona ukuthi ayezabuyela elizweni lawo.

11, 12. (a) ‘U-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu’ wavuselelwa njani kancane kancane? (Khangela lebhokisi elithi, “Ukukhonza Kweqiniso Kwavuselelwa Kancane Kancane.”) (b) Okutshiwo kuHezekheli 37:10 kwenza sibe lawuphi umbuzo?

¹¹ Ibandla lamaKhristu agcotshiweyo elibizwa langokuthi ‘ngu-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu’ lona lavuselelwa njani? Ngemva kweminyaka  eminengi ibandla lamaKhristu eqiniso lifile abanye abantu ababesesaba uNkulunkulu baqalisa ukulwela ukukhonza kweqiniso, kwaba angathi ‘kuzwakala umsindo, amathambo ekhehlezela.’ Ngokwesibonelo, ngabo-1530 uWilliam Tyndale wahumutsha iBhayibhili ngolimi lwesiNgisi. Abakhokheli besonto yeRoma Katolika bazonda kakhulu ngoba wonke umuntu wayesengalibala iBhayibhili. UTyndale wabulawa kodwa kwaba labanye futhi ababalesibindi baqhubeka behumutsha iBhayibhili ngezinye izindimi. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi abantu abanengi benelise ukubala iLizwi likaNkulunkulu.

¹² Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uCharles T. Russell labangane bakhe basebenza gadalala becacisa iqiniso eliseBhayibhilini. Kwasekungathi amathambo asesiba “lemisipha lenyama.” INqabayokulinda yangalesosikhathi lamanye amabhuku kwanceda abantu ababelenhliziyo eziqotho ukuthi bathole iqiniso, basebezimisela ukuzihlanganisa labantu bakaNkulunkulu abagcotshiweyo. Ekuqaliseni kwabo-1900 i-Photo-Drama of Creation lebhuku elalilesihloko esithi The Finished Mystery kwabaqinisa ukholo abantu bakaNkulunkulu abagcotshiweyo. Masinyane nje ngemva kwalokho safika isikhathi sokuthi uNkulunkulu enze abantu bakhe ‘basukume bame ngenyawo.’ (Hez. 37:10) Lokho kwenzakala nini futhi njani? Okwenzakala eBhabhiloni kungasinceda siwuphendule umbuzo lo.

13. (a) Amazwi akuHezekheli 37:10, 14 agcwaliseka njani kusukela ngo-537 B.C.E.? (b) Yiphi imibhalo eveza ukuthi abanye abombuso wezizwana zako-Israyeli ezilitshumi labo babuyela ko-Israyeli?

¹³ Kusukela ngo-537 B.C.E., amaJuda ayeseBhabhiloni abona umbono kaHezekheli ugcwaliseka. UJehova ‘wawavusa aphila, asesukuma ama ngenyawo.’ Wakwenza njani lokho? Wawakhulula ekuthunjweni wasewabuyisela elizweni lawo. Ama-Israyeli angu-42 360 labanye ababengayisiwo ma-Israyeli ababengaba ngu-7 000 basuka eBhabhiloni baya elizweni lako-Israyeli bafika bakha kutsha idolobho leJerusalema lethempeli. (Ezra. 1:1-4; 2:64, 65; Hez. 37:14) Kwasekusithi ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-70, abanye ababethunjiwe ababengaba ngu-1 750 babuyela lo-Ezra eJerusalema. (Ezra. 8:1-20) Esewonke amaJuda abuyela elizweni lako-Israyeli ayesedlula 44 000. “Babebanengi kakhulu” ababuyelayo. (Hez. 37:10) ILizwi likaNkulunkulu liveza ukuthi labanye ababeyizizukulwane zama-Israyeli ayesembusweni wezizwana ezilitshumi babuyela elizweni lako-Israyeli bayancedisa ekuvuseleleni ithempeli. Okhokho babo babethunjwe ngama-Asiriya ngo-740 B.C.E.—1 Imilan. 9:3; Ezra. 6:17; Jer. 33:7; Hez. 36:10.

14. (a) UHezekheli 37:24 utshengisa njani ukuthi isiphrofetho sikaHezekheli sagcwaliseka kakhulu ngesikhathi sethu? (b) Kuyini okwenzakala ngo-1919? (Khangela lebhokisi elithi, “Isiphrofetho ‘Samathambo Awomileyo’ ‘Lesabofakazi Ababili’—Zingenelana Njani?”)

¹⁴ Isiphrofetho lesi sigcwaliseke njani esikhathini sethu? Kwesinye isiphrofetho uJehova wavezela uHezekheli ukuthi isiphrofetho lesi sasizagcwaliseka kakhulu nxa uJesu uDavida Omkhulu eseqalisile ukubusa. b (Hez. 37:24) Ngo-1919 uJehova wafaka umoya  wakhe ebantwini bakhe bavuka baphila, bahle bakhululwa eBhabhiloni Enkulu. (Isaya. 66:8) Ngemva kwalokho uJehova wabavumela ukuthi bahlale ‘elizweni’ labo, okutsho ukuthi wabancedisa ukuthi benelise ukumkhonza ngendlela ayamukelayo. Kodwa kuyini okwenza ukuthi bande ‘babe banengi kakhulu’?

15, 16. (a) Kuyini okwenze ukuthi abantu bakaJehova bande ‘babe banengi kakhulu’? (b) Isiphrofetho lesi singasinceda njani nxa siphakathi kobunzima? (Khangela ibhokisi elithi, “UJehova Uzakusukumisa Ume Ngenyawo.”)

¹⁵ UKhristu wathi esanda kubeka inceku ethembekileyo ngo-1919, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zabona amazwi omphrofethi uZakhariya eqalisa ukugcwaliseka. UZakhariya waphrofetha ngesikhathi amaJuda esebuyele elizweni lawo. Wathi: “Abantu abanengi lezizwe ezilamandla bazakuza kuJehova.” Umphrofethi lo wabiza abantu ababezakuza kuJehova ngokuthi ‘ngamadoda alitshumi avela kuzo zonke izizwe lezindimi.’ Amadoda la ayezabamba umphetho wejazi “lendoda engumJuda” athi: “Sifuna ukuhamba lani ngoba sizwile ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulani.” Indoda engumJuda imela amaKhristu agcotshiweyo.—Zak. 8:20-23.

¹⁶ Lamuhla kulamaqembu amabili abumba inhlanganiso kaJehova elabantu “abanengi kakhulu,” asebefika amamiliyoni. (Hez. 37:10) Amaqembu la ngu-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu okutsho amaKhristu agcotshiweyo kanye “lamadoda alitshumi,” okutsho abezinye izimvu. Siqhubeka sisanda sisiba banengi kakhulu futhi silandela iNkosi yethu uJesu siqiniseka ukuthi zinengi kakhulu izibusiso azasinika zona ngesikhathi esizayo.—Hubo. 37:29; Hez. 37:24; Flp. 2:25; 1 Thes. 4:16, 17.

17. Sizaxoxa ngani esahlukweni esilandelayo?

¹⁷ Ukuvuselelwa kokukhonza kweqiniso kwenza abantu bakaNkulunkulu bathole umsebenzi oqakatheke kakhulu. Yiwuphi umsebenzi lo? Uyafanana lalowo uJehova awunika uHezekheli iJerusalema ingakabhujiswa. Ngakho esahlukweni esilandelayo sizabona ukuthi uJehova wathuma uHezekheli ukuthi enzeni.