CISHE abantu abayizi-50 000 abasohambweni olusuka eBhabhiloni abaya eJerusalema. Kodwa uma befika, iJerusalema liyinxiwa elikhulu. Akuhlali muntu khona. Ama-Israyeli kufanele aqale phansi akhe.

Into yokuqala ayakhayo i-altare. Lena indawo angase anikele kuyo, kuJehova. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa ama-Israyeli aqala ukwakha ithempeli. Izitha ezisemazweni aseduze azifuni ukuba ama-Israyeli alakhe. Khona-ke zizama ukuwesabisa ziwenze ayeke. Ekugcineni, lezi zitha zenza ukuba inkosi entsha yasePheresiya imise umthetho wokuvimbela umsebenzi wokwakha.

Kudlula iminyaka. Manje sekuyiminyaka ewu-17 kusukela ama-Israyeli abuya eBhabhiloni. UJehova uthuma abaprofethi bakhe uHagayi noZakariya ukuba batshele abantu baqale ukwakha futhi. Abantu bathembela osizweni lukaJehova, balalela abaprofethi. Baqala ukwakha futhi, nakuba umthetho uthi akufanele bakwenze.

Ngakho isikhulu sasePheresiya uThathenayi uyeza ubuza ama-Israyeli ukuthi alithathephi ilungelo lokwakha ithempeli. Ama-Israyeli amtshela ukuthi ngesikhathi eseBhabhiloni, iNkosi uKoresi yawatshela ukuthi: ‘Hambani niye eJerusalema, nakhe ithempeli likaJehova.’

UThathenayi uthumela incwadi eBhabhiloni abuze ukuthi, uKoresi, manje osefile, wakusho ngempela yini lokho. Ngokushesha incwadi evela enkosini entsha yasePheresiya iyabuya. Ithi uKoresi wakusho. Ngakho inkosi iyabhala: ‘Vumela ama-Israyeli akhe ithempeli likaNkulunkulu wawo. Futhi ngikuyala ukuba uwasize.’ Eminyakeni ecishe ibe mine ithempeli liyaphela, ama-Israyeli ajabule.

Kudlula iminyaka eminingi. Manje sekucishe kube iminyaka engu-48 ithempeli laphela. Abantu eJerusalema bampofu, umuzi nethempeli likaNkulunkulu akusekuhle. Emuva eBhabhiloni, umIsrayeli ongu-Ezra uyezwa ngendingeko yokulungisa ithempeli likaJehova. Uyazi ukuthi wenzani?

U-Ezra uya ku-Aritahishashita, inkosi yasePheresiya, le nkosi enhle inika u-Ezra izipho eziningi aye nazo eJerusalema. U-Ezra ucela ama-Israyeli aseBhabhiloni ukuba amsize athwale lezi zinto ziye eJerusalema. Abantu abacishe babe yizi-6 000 bayahamba. Banesiliva negolide eliningi nezinye izinto eziyigugu abaziphethe.

U-Ezra ukhathazekile, ngoba kunabantu ababi endleleni. Laba bantu ababi bangase babathathele isiliva negolide, bababulale. Ngakho u-Ezra umisa abantu ndawonye, njengoba ungase ubone kulesi sithombe. Khona-ke bayathandaza kuJehova ukuba abavikele ohambweni lwabo olude lokubuyela eJerusalema.

UJehova uyabavikela. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezine zokuhamba, bafika ngokulondekile eJerusalema. Ingabe lokhu akubonisi ukuthi uJehova angabavikela labo abathembela kuye ngosizo?