1, 2. Ngiliphi ilanga lesikhumbuzo okufuze woke amaKrestu afune ukwazi okunabileko ngalo, begodu kubayini kunjalo?

NEWUCABANGA ngelanga lesikhumbuzo, ngiliphi eliza kokuthoma emkhumbulwenakho? Umuntu otjhadileko angathi, “Mina ngikhumbula lamhla ngitjhada.” Kwabanye, kungaba lilanga eligidingwa nekukhunjulwa isenzakalo esingokomlando, mhlamunye sokutjhatjululwa kwenarha yekhabo. Kodwana uyazi bona kunelanga lesikhumbuzo elidume iphasi loke nje, elathonya ukugidingwa iminyaka engaphezu kwezii-3 500 eyadlulako?

² Likhona ilanga elinjalo—ilanga lePhasika. Ilangeli belikhumbuza ama-Israyeli ngokutjhatjululwa kwawo ebugqilini beGibhide. Ilangelo kufuze libe ngeliqakatheke khulu kuwe. Kubayini kunjalo? Ngombana linemininingwana eqakathekileko ethinta ukuphila kwakho. Kodwana ungakhe ubuze, ‘angithi iPhasika beligidingwa maJuda, manje phela mina angisimJuda, alo-ke kubayini mina kufuze ngizitshwenye ngigidingana nelangelo?’ Ipendulo itholakala emezwini la: “UKrestu oyimvana yethu yePhasika wenziwe umhlatjelo.” (1 Kor. 5:7) Nesifuna ukwazi ngomongo weqinisweli, kufuze sazi ngokunabileko ngePhasika lamaJuda ukuthi lihlobana njani nomyalo lo onikelwe woke amaKrestu.

3, 4. Ngiziphi izehlakalo ezadosela ePhasikeni lokuthoma?

³ Amakhulu wamamiliyoni wabantu ephasini mazombe abangasiwo amaJuda banelwazi elithileko ngesehlakalo esenza bona kube nePhasika lokuthoma. Kungenzeka balifunde eBhayibhelini encwadini ka-Eksodusi, namkha bezwe ngobatjho, namkha babubeke amafilimu asekelwe esenzakalweneso.

⁴ Ngesikhathi ama-Israyeli amakhoboka eGibhide, uJehova wathumela uMosi nomnakwabo u-Aroni kuFaro, bona bambawe atjhaphulule abantu baKhe. Umbusi weGibhide ozikhakhaziso loyo wabhala  ukutjhaphulula ama-Israyeli, yeke, uJehova warhidla inarhakhe ngomlandelande weembetho zamatshwenyeko. Ekugcineni, uJehova wabarhidla ngesibetho samaswaphela, esabulala woke amazibulo weGibhide, esenza uFaro watjhaphulula ama-Israyeli.—Eks. 1:11; 3:9, 10; 5:1, 2; 11:1, 5.

5. Ama-Israyeli bekufuze enzeni nekazakutjhatjululwa? (Qala isithombe esisekuthomeni.)

⁵ Kodwana khuyini ebekufuze kwenziwe ma-Israyeli nekafuna ukutjhaphuluka? Bekusikhathi lapha inyanga iphahlwa khona liphasi nelanga ngesilimela sango-1513 B.C.E, ngenyanga ngesiHebheru ebizwa ngokobana ngu-Abibi, kamuva eyabizwa ngo-Nisan. * UZimu wathi ngelanga letjhumi enyangeni leyo, ama-Israyeli bekufuze khibe sekajame kuhle bona enze okuthileko ngoNisan 14. Ilangelo belithoma nekutjhinga ilanga, angitjho ilanga lamaHebheru lithoma butjhingo belanga, liphele butjhingo belanga. NgoNisani 14, kwahlatjwa imvana yeduna (namkha imbuzi) komunye nomunye umuzi, bese kwathathwa iingazi zayo zazeswa egosenini nemalendleleni wezindlu zabo. (Eks. 12:3-7, 22, 23) Umndeni bekufuze ufinye ngendololwani, uyidle ibasiwe, uyidle nesikwa esinganangumelo neminye imirorho. Ingilozi beyizathi neyidlula enarheni yeGibhide, irhayile woke amazibulo weGibhide, kodwana ama-Israyeli alalelako avikelwe, bese atjhatjululwe.—Eks. 12:8-13, 29-32.

6. Abantu bakaJehova bekufuze baliqale njani iPhasika eminyakeni eyalandelako?

⁶ Ngilokho-ke okwenzekileko, begodu ama-Israyeli bekufuze alikhumbule ilanga lokutjhatjululwa kwabo eminyakeni ezokulandela. UZimu wabatjela wathi: “Leli lilanga okumele ulikhumbule, niligidinge njengomnyanya kaSomnini, libe simiso sanini nanini eenzukulwaneni zenu.” Ukugindinga ilanga le-14 bekufuze kulandelwe mnyanya wamalanga alikhomba. Kuhlekuhle ilanga lePhasika belingoNisan 14, kodwana iPhasikelo beligidingwa amalanga abunane woke womnyanya lo. (Eks. 12:14-17; Luk. 22:1; Jwa. 18:28; 19:14) IPhasika laba mnyanya (“ilanga lesikhumbuzo,” ngokwe-The Bible in Living English) ogidingwa maHebheru qobe mnyaka.—2 Kron. 8:13.

7. Khuyini uJesu ayithomisa ngePhasika lamaswaphela elingokomthetho?

⁷ NjengamaJuda angaphasi koMthetho kaMosi, uJesu nabapostoli bakhe bebaligidinga iPhasika laqobe mnyaka. (Mat. 26:17-19) Ngephasika lokugcina abaligidingako, uJesu wathomisa umgidi omutjha ozokwenziwa balandeli bakhe qobe mnyaka—isiDlo seKosi saNtambama. Nakusisidlwesi, bekufuze sigidingwe ngaliphi ilanga?

8. Nesimadanisa iPhasika nesiDlo seKosi saNtambama, siba namiphi imibuzo?

⁸ Njengombana sazi bona uJesu wathomisa isiDlo seKosi saNtambama ngemva kwePhasika elingokomthetho, lokho kutjho ukuthi isenzakalwesi besizokwenziwa ngelanga langePhasika. Mhlamunye ulemukile bona ilanga lePhasika lamaJuda elivela ema-almanageni wanamhlanjesi, litjhiyana ngamalanga ambalwa nelanga okugidingwa ngalo ukufa kwakaKrestu. Ubangelwa yini umahluko lo? Ingcenye yependulo yakhona, ibandakanya nomthetho uZimu awubekela ama-Israyeli. Ngemva kokutjho bona “yoke ihlangano yakwa-Israyeli” kumele ihlabe izimvana, uMosi watjho nokuthi bekufuze bazihlabe nini ngoNisan 14.—Funda u-Eksodusi 12:5, 6.

9. Ngokuya kwaka-Eksodusi 12:6, imvana yePhasika bekufuze ihlatjwe nini? (Qala ibhoksi elithi  “Bekusikhathi Bani?”)

⁹ I-Pentateuch namaHaftorahs, atjengisa bona u-Eksodusi 12:6 ukhuluma ngokuthi imvana bekufuze ihlatjwe “hlangana namantambama amabili.” Amanye amaBhayibheli asebenzisa amezwi  afana patsi nala. Amanye, kuhlanganise ne-Tanakh yamaJuda awatjhugulula ngokuthi “nekurhwalalako.” Nanyana kunjalo kunamanye asathi “ilanga nelitjhingako,” “ngamarhwaqela wobutjhingo belanga” “ngesikhathi sokutjhinga kwelanga.” Yeke, imvana bekufuze ihlatjwe ngemva kokutjhinga kwelanga, kodwana kusakhanya, ekuthomeni kwakaNisan 14.

10. Abanye bathi imvana bekufuze ihlatjwe nini, kodwana lokho kuletha muphi umbuzo?

¹⁰ Eenkhathini zamuva, amanye amaJuda besele acabanga ukuthi bekuthatha ama-awara amanengi ukuhlaba izimvana okufuze zilethwe ethempelini. Yeke, u-Eksodusi 12:6 besele kuthiwa ukhuluma ngekupheleni kwakaNisan 14, esikhathini lapho ilanga seliyokusela amanzi (malangantambama,) lingakatjhingi, nabutjhingo belanga. Nengabe bayiphethe ngesibhukwini amaJuda la, alo-ke isidlwesi bekufuze sidliwe nini? UPhrofesa uJonathan Klawans, oyisazi somlando wamaJuda wekadeni, uthi: “Ilanga elitjha lithoma lokha ilanga nelitjhingako, okutjho bona umhlatjelo bewenziwa ngelanga lesi-14, kuthi iPhasika nesidlo kube ngelanga lesi-15, ngitjho nanyana ukulandelana kwamalanga la kungakahlathululwa ku-Eksodusi.” Wathi godu nakaragako: “Iincwadi zaboRabi . . . aziyiphathi nokuyiphatha yokuthi isidlo besidliwa njani ngaphambi kokutjhatjalaliswa kweThempeli ngo-70 C.E.—Amagama atjhiganyiswe ngithi.

11. (a) Khuyini okwenzeka kuJesu ngelanga lePhasika lango 33 C.E? (b) Kubayini ilanga langoNisan 15 lango-33 C.E. libizwa ngokobana “liSabatha elikhethekileko” (Qala umtlolo waphasi)

¹¹ Sizabe siza nayo kuhle nesizibuza ukuthi, kanti iPhasika laka-33 C.E. belinjani lona? NgoNisan 13, njengombana ilanga “lapha bekuzokuhlatjwa khona imvana” litjhidela nje, uKrestu watjela uPitrosi noJwanisi wathi: “Khambani niyokwenza amalungiselelo ukuze sigome iphasika.” (Luk. 22:7, 8) “Kwathi nekufika isikhathi” sesidlo sePhasika, ngemva kokutjhinga kwelanga ngoNisan 14, ngakithi okungeLesine ntambama, uJesu wadla iPhasika nabapostoli bakhe, kwathi ngemva kwalokho wathomisa isiDlo seKosi saNtambama. (Luk. 22:14, 15) Ngobusukobo wabotjhwa bewagwetjwa. UJesu wabetjhelwa nasele kuzokuba semini, wahlongaka ngentambama yamhlokho. (Jwa. 19:14) Yeke, “UKrestu oyimvana yethu yePhasika [wenziwa] umhlatjelo” ngelanga ebekuhlatjwa ngalo imvana. (1 Kor. 5:7; 11:23; Mat. 26:2) Neliya ngekupheleni ilanga lamaJudelo, uJesu wabulungwa—ngaphambi kobana kuthome uNisan 15. *—Lev. 23:5-7; Luk. 23:54.

12, 13. Abantwana bamaJuda bebabandakanyeka njani ekugidingweni kwePhasika?

¹² Akhe sithi ukubuyela kilokho okwenzeka eGibhide. UMosi wabatjela abantu bakaZimu bona eminyakeni ebeyizokulandela, bekufuze baphethe iPhasika, kube simiso sabo “sanini nanini.” Njengombana bazoligidinga qobe mnyaka, abantwana bebazokuba nemibuzo emalungana nomnyanya lo. (Funda u-Eksodusi 12:24-27; Dut. 6:20-23) Yeke, iPhasika bekufuze libe yinto eqakathekileko, libe sikhumbuzo ngitjho nebantwaneni.—Eks. 12:14.

¹³ Njengombana isizukulwana esitjha sikhula nje, kuneemfundo eziqakathekileko ebekufanele zigandelelwe, zidluliselwe nguyise endodanenakhe. Esinye sazo ngesokuthi uJehova ayabavikela labo abamlotjhako. Abantwana bekufanele bafunde bona uZimu akasimumuntu ongazwisiseki kuhle, namkha isithombe esilotjhwako. UJehova umumuntu wamambala onekareko ebantwini bakhe, obalwelako. Lokho wakutjengisa ngesikhathi avikela amazibulo wama-Israyeli “lokha nakehlisela amaGibhide amatshwenyeko.” Wawasindisa amazibulo layo.

14. Ngisiphi isifundo ababelethi abamaKrestu abangasiza abantwababo balemuke ukuqakatheka kwaso?

¹⁴ Ababelethi abamaKrestu ababafundisi abantababo ngokuqakatheka kwePhasika lokuthoma. Nanyana kunjalo, uyabafundisa na abantwabakho isifundo esifanako sokuthi uJehova uyabavikela abantu bakhe? Uyabanikela na amabanga angabaqinisekisa ngokuzeleko bona nanje uJehova uyabavikela abantu bakhe? (Rhu. 27:11; Isa. 12:2) Kghani ubahlala entanyeni newubafundisa lokho, namkha wenza isifundo sibe yingcoco emnandi phakathi kwakho nabantwabakho? Yenza okusemandlenakho bona iimfundwezo zikhulise umndenakho ngokomoya.

15, 16. IPhasika nokulandisa kwaka-Eksodusi kungasetjenziswa njani bona kuveze lokho uJehova angikho?

¹⁵ Esikufunda endabeni yePhasika akusi kukobana uJehova uyakwazi ukuvikela abantu bakhe kwaphela. Kodwana nokuthi uyakwazi ukubatjhaphulula ‘abakhiphe eGibhide.’ Ungakhe ucabange ngalokho ebekwenzeka. Bekabadosa phambili ngesika yelifu nomlilo. Barabhula phakathi eLwandle lomGaba, baphahlwe mithangala yamanzi ngapha nangapha. Bathe bangarabhula, babona amanzi awulukela phezu kwebutho lamaGibhide. Ngikho okwenza ama-Israyeli ezwakala selathi: “Ngizakubhinela uSomnini . . . wajikijela iinjomani neenkarana ngelwandle. USomnini ungamandlami neenkhwepha zami begodu uyisindiswami.”—Eks. 13:14, 21, 22; 15:1, 2; Rhu. 136:11-15.

¹⁶ Nengabe unabantwana, uyabasiza na bona bamthembe uJehova njengoMtjhaphululi wabo? Bayasibona na isiqinisekiso salokho kuwe, endleleni okhuluma ngayo nendleleni owenza ngayo iinqunto? Kwenicoca ngakho ekuKhulekeleni komNdeni, fundani u-Exodusi 15:12-15 bese nitjheja khulu indlela uJehova abasindisa ngayo abantu bakhe. Ngezinye iinkhathi ningacoca nangamaphuzu akuzEnzo 7:30-36 namkha uDanyela 3:16- 18, 26-28. Kungakhathaliseki-ke bona umdala namkha umncani, soke kufuze siqiniseke bona uJehova akasiMtjhaphululi wabantu bakhe besikhathi esidlulileko kwaphela. Njengombana asindisa abantu bakhe bangesikhathi sakaMosi, uzosisindisa nathi esikhathini esizako.—Funda 1 Thesalonika 1:9, 10.

17, 18. Nesicabanga ngendlela iingazi ebezisebenza ngayo ngePhasika lokuthoma, khuyini okufuze kube seenqgondweni zethu?

¹⁷ AmaKrestu weqiniso awaligidingi iPhasika. Ilanga lesikhumbuzweli beliyingcenye yomthetho kaMosi, thina-ke asikho angaphasi komThetho. (Rom. 10:4; Kol. 2:13-16) Kunalokho, kithi kunesenzakalo esiqakatheke khulu, sokufa kweNdodana kaZimu. Nanyana kunjalo, kusesenezici zokugidinga iPhasika elathonywa eGibhide eziqakatheke khulu nakithi.

¹⁸ Iingazi zemvana ebezifafazwa emagosenini weminyango nemalendleleni bezisindisa ipilo yabantu. Namhlanjesi, asinikeli ngeenlwana kuZimu—kungaba ngelanga lePhasika namkha ngananyana ngisiphi isikhathi. Kodwana kunomnikelo ongcono khulu ongasindisa ukuphila ngokungapheliko. Umpostoli uPowula watlola ngebandla “lamazibulo atloliswe ezulwini.” Nekuzakusindiswa amaphilo wamaKrestu azesiweko la, kutlhogeka ‘ukufafazwa kweengazi,’ iingazi zakaJesu. (Heb. 12:23, 24) AmaKrestu anethemba lokuphila isiphelani ephasina, asaqale bona zona iingazezo zibasindise. Kufuze ahlale azikhumbuza ngesiqinisekiswesi: “Kuye sinesihlengo ngeengazi zakhe, ukucolelwa kwezono, ukuya ngomusa omkhulu kaZimu.”—Efe. 1:7.

19. Indlela ungazimbi wePhasika ebekaphathwa ngayo kukuqinisa njani ukukholelwa kwethu esiphrofidweni?

¹⁹ Nekuhlatjwa imvana bona idliwe ngePhasika, ama-Israyeli bekangakafaneli bona aphule nanyana ngiliphi lamathambwayo. (Eks. 12:46; Num. 9:11, 12) Kuthiwani-ke ‘ngeMvana kaZimu’ ebeyizokuba sihlengo? (Jwa. 1:29) Yabetjhelwa neenlelesi, ziyiphahle ngapha nangapha. AmaJuda abawa uPilatu bona aphule amathambo wamadoda la. Lokho bekuzokwenza bona abantwaba bafe msinya ukwenzela bona bangasolo balenge eengodwenapha bekube nguNisan 15, oyisabatha elikabili. Amasotja aphula imilenze yeenlelesezo, “kodwana kwathi lokha nafika kuJesu, amfumana sele afile. Yeke azange asaphula imilenzakhe.” (Jwa. 19:31-34) Lokho kwafana patsi nalokho ebekwenziwa emvaneni yePhasika, yeke imvana le beyisithunzi sento ebeyizokwenzeka ngoNisan 14, wango-33 C.E. (Heb. 10:1) Ngaphezu kwalokho, koke okwenzekako bekuvumelana namezwi weRhubo 34:21 [34:20, NW], aqinisa ukuthemba kwethu isiphorofido.

20. Ngimuphi umahluko okhona hlangana nePhasika nesiDlo seKosi saNtambama?

²⁰ Nokho, kunomahluko hlangana nePhasika nesiDlo seKosi saNtambama. Lokho kutjengisa ukuthi iPhasika amaJuda ebekufanele alikhumbule, belisithunzi salokho uJesu atjela abafundi bakhe bona bakwenze nebazakukhumbula ukufa kwakhe. Kade eGibhide, ama-Israyeli bekadla inyama yemvana kwaphela ingasi iingazi zayo. Lokho kuyahluka kilokho uJesu athi abafundi bakhe abakwenze. Wathi labo abazokubusa “embusweni kaZimu” kufuze badle isikwa newayini ezifanekisela umzimbakhe neengazi zakhe. Sizokucoca ngokunabileko ngalokho esihlokweni esilandelako.—Mar. 14:22-25.

21. Kubayini kuqakathekile bona sibe nelwazi elinabileko ngePhasika?

²¹ Nanyana kunjalo, asingabazi bona iPhasika bekusisenzakalo esiqakathekileko ekusebenzelaneni kwakaZimu nama-Israyeli, begodu isenzakalwesi sifundisa ngamunye wethu isifundo. Yeke, njengombana iPhasika bekufuze libe sikhumbuzo kumaJuda ingasi amaKrestu, thina njengamaKrestu kufuze sibe nelwazi elinabileko ngalo begodu sifunde iimfundo eziqakathekileko eziyingcenye yayo yoke ‘imitlolo ephefumulelwe nguZimu.’—2 Thim. 3:16.