UDANIYELI, umfana owayeqotho ngendlela emangalisayo, wathunjelwa eBhabhiloni ngaphambi kokubhujiswa kweJerusalema. Yena namanye amaJuda—izithunjwa zasembusweni wakwaJuda owawunqotshiwe—banikezwa abathumbi babo inkululeko ethé xaxa. Phakathi nesikhathi eside uDaniyeli asiphila eBhabhiloni, uNkulunkulu wambusisa kakhulu, waze wasinda nasekufeni emgodini wezingonyama wathola nemibono eyamenza wabona isikhathi esizayo. Iziprofetho zikaDaniyeli ezibaluleke kakhulu zazigxile kuMesiya nasekubuseni kwaKhe.

UDaniyeli utshelwa ukuthi uyofika nini uMesiya. UDaniyeli watshelwa ukuthi abantu bakaNkulunkulu babengakulindela nini ukufika ‘kukaMesiya uMholi’—kwakuyoba amasonto eminyaka angu-69 ngemva kokukhishwa komyalo wokubuyisela nokwakha kabusha izindonga zeJerusalema. Isonto elivamile linezinsuku eziyisikhombisa; isonto leminyaka lineminyaka eyisikhombisa. Lowo myalo wakhishwa lapho uDaniyeli esafa kudala, ngonyaka ka-455 B.C.E. La “masonto” angu-69 aqala ngalowo nyaka, athatha iminyaka engu-483, aphela ngonyaka ka-29 C.E. Engxenyeni elandelayo yale ncwadi, sizobona ukuthi kwenzekani ngalowo nyaka. UDaniyeli waphinde wabona embonweni ukuthi uMesiya ‘wayeyonqunywa,’ noma abulawe, ukuze kuhlawulelwe izono.—Daniyeli 9:24-26.

UMesiya wayeyoba iNkosi ezulwini. Embonweni ongavamile wezulu uqobo lwalo, uDaniyeli wabona uMesiya, obizwa ngokuthi “othile onjengendodana yomuntu,” engena esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaJehova. UJehova wamnika “ububusi nesithunzi nombuso.” Lowo Mbuso wawuyohlala kuze kube phakade. UDaniyeli wathola esinye isici esijabulisayo ngoMbuso KaMesiya—le Nkosi yayiyobusa kanye nabanye, iqembu elibizwa ngokuthi “abangcwele boPhakeme Kunabo Bonke.”—Daniyeli 7:13, 14, 27.

Lo Mbuso uyobhubhisa ohulumeni baleli zwe. UNkulunkulu wanika uDaniyeli amandla okuchaza iphupho elalidida uNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhiloni. Inkosi yayibone isizemazema sesithombe esasinekhanda legolide, isifuba nezingalo zesiliva, isisu namathanga ethusi, imilenze yensimbi nezinyawo zensimbi exutshwe nobumba. Itshe elaqheshulwa entabeni lashaya izinyawo zaso ezintekenteke laphihliza umfanekiso waba yizicucu. UDaniyeli wachaza ukuthi izingxenye zesithombe zimelela ukulandelana kwemibuso yezwe okwakuyodonsa isikhathi eside, kusukela kowaseBhabhiloni omelelwa yikhanda legolide. UDaniyeli wabona ukuthi lapho sekubusa imibuso yokugcina yaleli zwe elibi, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu wawuyothatha isinyathelo. Wawuyochoboza yonke imibuso yaleli zwe, bese ubusa kuze kube phakade.—Daniyeli, isahluko 2.

Lapho uDaniyeli eseyikhehla, wabona ukuwa kweBhabhiloni. Inkosi uKoresi yawugumbuqela umuzi njengoba nje abaprofethi babeshilo. Esikhathini esingeside ngemva kwalokho, amaJuda agcina ekhululiwe ekuthunjweni kwawo—ngaso kanye isikhathi esasibikezelwe, ngemva kweminyaka engu-70 izwe lawo liyincithakalo. Ngaphansi kokuqondisa kwababusi, abapristi nabaprofethi abathembekile, ekugcineni amaJuda alakha kabusha iJerusalema abuyisela nethempeli likaJehova. Nokho, yini eyayiyokwenzeka ngemva kokuphela kweminyaka engu-483?

—Isekelwe encwadini kaDaniyeli.