1-3. Kutheni ephelelwe lithemba nje amaYuda? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

LIPHELE tu ithemba kumaYuda aseBhabhiloni! Kangangeminyaka emalunga nemihlanu uHezekile ebeprofeta esithi iYerusalem iza kutshatyalaliswa, kodwa wona ecinga ukuba soze yenzeke loo nto. Ebewaxelela into eza kwenzeka, ade awenzele imizekelo nemiboniso, kodwa wona ecinga ukuba uYehova soze ayeke iYerusalem itshatyalaliswe. Naxa esiva ukuba umkhosi waseBhabhiloni uyirhangqile, ayesaqinisekile ukuba akhonto iza kwenzeka kubantu ababehlala kuyo.

² Ngoku emva kweminyaka emibini irhangqiwe, kufika umntu oqhweshe eYerusalem aze athi kuwo: “Isixeko sixatyelwe!” Ziwakhathaza kakhulu amaYuda aseBhabhiloni ezi ndaba. Awayazi ukuba sitshatyalaliswa njani isixeko sawo asithandayo, itempile engcwele nelizwe lawo. Liphele tu ithemba abenalo, aza akhathazeka.​—Hez. 21:7; 33:21.

³ Kodwa athi esebuhlungu enjalo, uHezekile abone umbono owanika ithemba. Uthini lo mbono kula maYuda? Udibana  njani nabantu bakaThixo namhlanje, kwaye unokusinceda njani? Ukuze siphenduleke, masive oko uYehova akuxelela uHezekile.

4. Wabona ntoni uHezekile embonweni?

⁴ Funda uHezekile 37:1-10. Embonweni, uHezekile wayephakathi ethafeni eligcwele amathambo. UYehova wathi kuye ‘makajikeleze phakathi kwawo.’ Kweli thafa wabona izinto ezimbini: inani lala mathambo, nendlela ayiyo. Wathi, ‘Ayemaninzi futhi ome nko.’

5. Ziintoni ezimbini uYehova awathi makazenze uHezekile, ibe kwenzeka ntoni emva kokuba ezenzile?

⁵ Emva koko, uYehova waxelela uHezekile ukuba enze izinto ezimbini ezaziza kwenza aphinde akhonzwe ngendlela ayifunayo. Nantsi eyokuqala: ‘Profeta phezu kwala mathambo, uthi mawaphile.’ (Hez. 37:4-6) Wathi egqiba nje ukuprofeta ‘kwabakho ingxolo engathi kukurhashaza, aza amathambo asondelelana,’ emva koko afakwa ‘imisipha nenyama aza ambathiswa ngolusu.’ (Hez. 37:7, 8) Eyesibini ithi: ‘Profeta kumoya, uthi mawuvuthuze’ phezu kwezo zidumbu. Emva kokuba eprofetile, “kwangena impefumlo kuwo [amathambo], aphila ema ngeenyawo, angumkhosi omkhulu.”—Hez. 37:9, 10.

6. Wathini uYehova xa wayecacisela uHezekile umbono?

⁶ UYehova wacacisela uHezekile lo mbono, esithi: “La mathambo yindlu kaSirayeli xa iyonke.” Kaloku, xa amaYuda athinjiweyo eva ukuba iYerusalem itshatyalalisiwe, aziva ngathi afile. Ngoko akhala athi: “Amathambo ethu omile, nethemba lethu litshabalele. Sitshabalele ngokupheleleyo.” (Hez. 37:11; Yer. 34:20) Ukuze uYehova awathuthuzele, wawabonisa ukuba lo mbono wawuphinda uwanike ithemba.

7. UHezekile 37:12-14 uthi uYehova wathini kuHezekile, ibe wabaqinisekisa wathini abantu bakhe ababethinjiwe?

⁷ Funda uHezekile 37:12-14. Ngalo mbono uYehova wawaqinisekisa amaYuda athinjiweyo ukuba wayeza kuwaphilisa aze awabuyisele elizweni lawo. Waphinda wawabiza ngokuthi “bantu bam.” Loo nto imele ukuba yawakhuthaza nyhani la maYuda ayesele ephelelwe lithemba. Kutheni ayenokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova wayeza kuwabuyisela nyhani elizweni lawo? Kuba ayethenjiswe nguye ngenkqu. Wathi: “Mna Yehova, ndiyithethile ndaza ndayenza loo nto.”

8. (a) ‘Indlu kaSirayeli xa iyonke’ yayifana njani namathambo akumbono kaHezekile? (b) UHezekile 37:9 uthi ayebulewe njani amaSirayeli? (Jonga umbhalo osemazantsi.)

⁸ Inxalenye ebuhlungu yesi siprofeto yenzeka njani kumaSirayeli? Kaloku ngo-740 B.C.E. ubuhlobo bawo noYehova babusele buphela, xa izizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli zathinjelwa eBhabhiloni. Emva kweminyaka emalunga neyi-130, xa  nabantu bakwaYuda bathinjwayo, ‘indlu kaSirayeli xa iyonke’ yayithinjiwe. (Hez. 37:11) Singathi ubuhlobo eyayinabo noYehova babufile njengala mathambo akumbono kaHezekile. * Ukhumbule ke ukuba uHezekile zange abone nje amathambo, kodwa wabona amathambo “ome nko.” Le nto yayibonisa ukuba abo bantu babethinjiwe babeyeke kudala ukuba ngabahlobo bakaYehova. Xa edibene, amaSirayeli namaYuda, ayesele eneminyaka engaphezu kwe-200 eyekile ukuba ngabahlobo bakhe, ukuqala ngonyaka ka-740 ukuya ku-537 B.C.E.​—Yer. 50:33.

9. Zifana njani izinto ezenzeka kuSirayeli wakudala nezo zenzeka ‘kuSirayeli kaThixo’?

⁹ Iziprofeto zokubuyiselwa kwamaSirayeli, ezinjengezo zazithethwe nguHezekile, zazingazukwenzeka kuwo kuphela. (IZe. 3:21) Njengokuba uhlanga lwamaSirayeli ‘lwabulawa’ lwaza lwafana nokuba lufile kangangexesha elide, ‘noSirayeli kaThixo,’ ibandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo, ufana nokuba wabulawa waza wasiwa ekuthinjweni okufana nokufa kangangexesha elide. (Gal. 6:16) Wathinjwa ixesha elide lwade ukholo lwakhe lwafana nala mathambo ‘ayome nko.’ (Hez. 37:2) Njengoko sitshilo isahluko esingaphambi kwesi, ibandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo lathinjwa ngeminyaka yoo-100, laza lahlala lithinjiwe iminyaka emininzi, kanye njengokuba noYesu wayebonisile kumzekelo wengqolowa nokhula.​—Mat. 13:24-30.

10. (a) UHezekile 37:7, 8 uthi kwakuza kwenzeka ntoni kubantu bakaThixo? (b) Ziintoni ezinye izinto ezisenokuba zabenza baphinda banethemba abantu bakaThixo abathinjiweyo?

¹⁰ Ngexesha lakudala, uYehova waxela kwangaphambili ukuba wayeza kubavusa kancinci kancinci abantu bakhe. (Hez. 37:7, 8) Ngoko ziintoni ezinye izinto ezaye zenza abantu bakaThixo abathinjiweyo baphinda banethemba lokuba baza kubuyela kwaSirayeli? Enye into enoba yabenza banethemba ziziprofeto zabaprofeti ababephila ngaphambili. Ngokomzekelo, uIsaya waprofeta wathi babekhona abantu abambalwa, “imbewu engcwele,” ababeza kubuyela elizweni labo. (Isa. 6:13; Yobhi 14:7-9) Kanti nezinye iziprofeto ezininzi zokubuyela kwabantu bakaThixo kwilizwe labo, ezabhalwa nguHezekile, zimele ukuba zabanceda bahlala benethemba. Enye into emele ukuba yaliqinisa nyhani ithemba labo, kukubakho kwamadoda athembekileyo eBhabhiloni njengoDaniyeli, kunye nokutshatyalaliswa kwesixeko saseBhabhiloni ngo-539 B.C.E.

11, 12. (a) Wabuyiselwa njani kancinci kancinci uSirayeli kaThixo? (Jonga nebhokisi ethi “UYehova Uphinda Akhonzwe Ngendlela Ayifunayo.”) (b) UHezekile 37:10 ushiya umbuzo othini?

¹¹ Yena “uSirayeli kaThixo,” okanye ibandla lamaKristu athanjisiweyo, wayeza kuvuswa njani kancinci kancinci? Emva kokuba wayethinjiwe kangangamakhulu eminyaka kwavakala “isandi sokurhashaza,” njengoko abantu baThixo babekumela ukukhonzwa kwakhe ngendlela ayifunayo. Ngokomzekelo, ngeminyaka yoo-1500, uWilliam Tyndale waguqulela iBhayibhile kwisiNgesi. Le nto yabacaphukisa  abefundisi becawa yamaRoma, kuba ngoku nabantu abangafundanga kangako babeza kukwazi ukufunda iBhayibhile. UTyndale wabulawa. Kodwa nabanye abantu ababenesibindi baqhubeka beguqulela iBhayibhile kwezinye iilwimi, baza baya besiba baninzi abantu abafunda iLizwi LikaThixo.

¹² Kamva xa uCharles T. Russell nabahlobo bakhe baqalisa ukuveza inyaniso eseBhayibhileni, kwaba ngathi kufakwa “imisipha nenyama” emathanjeni. IZion’s Watch Tower nezinye iincwadi ezithetha ngeBhayibhile zanceda abantu abamthandayo uThixo bazi inyaniso eseBhayibhileni. Ekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo-1900, abantu bakaThixo abathanjisiweyo bakhuthazwa nayi-“Photo-Drama of Creation” kunye nencwadi ethi The Finished Mystery. Akubanga kudala emva koko, lafika ixesha likaThixo ‘lokubamisa ngeenyawo’ abantu bakhe. (Hez. 37:10) Yenzeka nini yaye njani loo nto? Izinto ezenzeka kwiBhabhiloni yakudala zisinceda siphenduleke.

13. (a) Enzeka njani amazwi akuHezekile 37:10, 14 ngo-537 B.C.E.? (b) Zeziphi izibhalo ezibonisa ukuba abanye abantu bezizwe ezilishumi babuyela kwaSirayeli?

¹³ AmaYuda awayeseBhabhiloni awubona usenzeka lo mbono ngo-537 B.C.E. Njani? UYehova wawavusa ‘wawamisa  ngeenyawo’ xa wawakhupha ekuthinjweni waza wawabuyisela kwaSirayeli. Kwabuya amadoda akwaYuda ayi-42 360 nabantu ababengengomaSirayeli abamalunga ne-7 000, bayakha iYerusalem netempile yayo, baza bahlala kwaSirayeli. (Ezra 1:1-4; 2:64, 65; Hez. 37:14) Kwathi ke emva kweminyaka emalunga neyi-70, amaYuda amalunga ne-1 750 ahamba noEzra xa wayebuyela eYerusalem. (Ezra 8:1-20) Ngoko ewonke amaYuda awabuyayo ayengaphezu kwe-44 000. ‘Ayengumkhosi omkhulu’ nyhani. (Hez. 37:10) ILizwi LikaThixo liphinda lithi abazukulwana babantu ababethinjwe ngama-Asiriya ngeminyaka yoo-700 B.C.E. babuyela kwaSirayeli baza bancedisa xa kwakusakhiwa itempile.​—1 Kron. 9:3; Ezra 6:17; Yer. 33:7; Hez. 36:10.

14. (a) Amazwi akuHezekile 37:24 asinceda njani sazi ixesha esaphinda senzeka ngalo isiprofeto sikaHezekile? (b) Kwenzeka ntoni ngo-1919? (Jonga nebhokisi ethi “‘Amathambo Omileyo’ ‘Namangqina Amabini’​—Adibana Njani?”)

¹⁴ Inxalenye yesi siprofeto yenzeka njani okwesibini? Njengoko uYehova wayembonisile uHezekile komnye umbono onjengalo, esi siprofeto sasiza kwenzeka okwesibini emva kwexeshana uDavide Omkhulu, onguYesu Kristu, eqalise ukulawula njengoKumkani. * (Hez. 37:24) Nyhani ke, ngo-1919 uYehova wafaka umoya wakhe ebantwini bakhe.  ‘Baphila’ baza bakhululwa ekuthinjweni yiBhabhiloni Enkulu. (Isa. 66:8) Emva koko, uYehova wabavumela ukuba bahlale ‘kwilizwe’ labo, oko kukuthi, wabenza baba noxolo. Kodwa ke, abantu bakaThixo babe nguwo njani ‘umkhosi omkhulu’?

15, 16. (a) Abantu bakaThixo namhlanje ‘bangumkhosi omkhulu’ njani? (b) Lo mbono kaHezekile usinceda njani kwiingxaki esinazo? (Jonga ibhokisi ethi “UThixo Usinceda Siphakame.”)

¹⁵ Emva nje kokuba uKristu emisele ikhoboka elithembekileyo ngo-1919, kwenzeka into eyayiprofetwe nguZekariya kumaYuda awayebuya ekuthinjweni, esithi: “Izizwana ezininzi neentlanga ezinamandla ziza kumfuna uYehova.” Lo mprofeti wathi abo bantu babeza kufuna uYehova ‘ngamadoda alishumi azo zonke iilwimi zeentlanga.’ Ayeza kubamba ‘umYuda,’ okanye abathanjiswa, esithi: “Sifuna ukuhamba nani, kuba sivile ukuba uThixo unani.”​—Zek. 8:20-23.

¹⁶ Namhlanje, abo bathanjiswa kunye ‘namadoda alishumi’ (ezinye izimvu), xa bedibene baba ‘ngumkhosi omkhulu’ ofikelela kwiimiliyoni. (Hez. 37:10) Ekubeni singamajoni kaKristu kulo mkhosi uya usanda, silandela uKumkani wethu, osikhokelela kwiintsikelelo esiza kuzifumana kwixesha elizayo.​—INdu. 37:29; Hez. 37:24; Fil. 2:25; 1 Tes. 4:16, 17.

17. Siza kufunda ngantoni kwisahluko esilandelayo?

¹⁷ Ukukhonzwa kukaThixo ngendlela ayifunayo kwakuza kubazisela umsebenzi obalulekileyo abantu bakhe. Ngumsebenzi wantoni lowo? Ukuze siphenduleke, kufuneka sibuye umva siyokufunda ngento awayeyithunyiwe uHezekile ngaphambi kokuba iYerusalem itshatyalaliswe. Siza kufunda ngayo kwisahluko esilandelayo.