Ityeya yesivumelwano yayiyibhokisi engcwele eyayenziwe ngamaSirayeli akudala ngendlela uThixo awayewayalele ngayo. Le tyeya yayihlala “iSingqino,” okanye amacwecwe amabini amatye ekwakubhalwe kuwo iMithetho Elishumi.​—Eksodus 25:8-10, 16; 31:18.

• Indlela eyayakhiwe ngayo. Ubude betyeya babuziikubhite ezimbini ezinesiqingatha, iyikubhite enye enesiqingatha ububanzi nokuphakama kuyikubhite enesiqingatha (111 x 67 x 67 cm). Yayenziwe ngomthi womnga, iyigolide ngaphakathi nangaphandle, inemihombiso kwimiqukumbelo yayo. Isiciko sayo sasenziwe ngegolide eqinileyo, macala omabini aso kumi iikherubhi ezimbini. Zazijongene kodwa ubuso bazo zibugqume ngamaphiko olulelwe phezulu akhusela isiciko. Le tyeya yayinamakhonkco enziwe ngegolide kuyo yomine imilenze yayo. Iipali zayo zomnga zaziyigolide ngaphandle, zifakwe kula makhonkco ukuze ikwazi ukuphakanyiswa ngazo.​—Eksodus 25:10-21; 37:6-9.

• Indawo eyayikuyo. Ekuqaleni iTyeya yayigcinwa endlwini yeYona Ngcwele kumnquba. Le yayiyintente ekwakunqulelwa kuyo eyayenziwe ngaxeshanye netyeya neyayikwazi ukuya kubekwa kwenye indawo. EYona Ngcwele yayivaliwe kubabingeleli nabantu ukuze bangayiboni. (Eksodus 40:3, 21) Yayingumbingeleli omkhulu kuphela owayevumelekile ukuba angene kule ndlu, naye engena kanye ngonyaka ngoMhla Wocamagushelo. (Levitikus 16:2; Hebhere 9:7) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, yasiwa kweYona Ngcwele eyayisetempileni kaSolomon.​—1 Kumkani 6:14, 19.

• Injongo yayo. ITyeya yayingcwele, ikhumbuza amaSirayeli ngomnqophiso okanye isivumelwano uThixo awayesenze nawo kwiNtaba yaseSinayi. Yayibaluleke kakhulu ngoMhla Wocamagushelo.​—Levitikus 16:3, 13-17.

• Yayinantoni? Into yokuqala eyafakwa kule Tyeya yayingamacwecwe ekwakubhalwe kuwo iMithetho Elishumi. (Eksodus 40:20) Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwafakwa ingqayi yegolide enemana kunye ‘nentonga ka-Aron eyaphuma iintyatyambo.’ (Hebhere 9:4; Eksodus 16:33, 34; Numeri 17:10) Kuyacaca ke ukuba yona ingqayi nentonga zaye zakhutshwa kuba zazingasekho xa iTyeya yasiwa etempileni.​—1 Kumkani 8:9.

• Indlela eyayiphathwa ngayo. ITyeya yayithwalwa ngabaLevi emagxeni, beyithwala ngeepali zomnga. (Numeri 7:9; 1 Kronike 15:15) Ezi pali zazibotshelelwe kwiTyeya ngalo lonke ixesha ukuze abaLevi bangayibambi. (Eksodus 25:12-16) Kwakusetyenziswa “Ikhuselo lomkhusane” elalisahlula iNgcwele kweYona Ngcwele ukuze kugqunywe iTyeya xa ithwelwe.​—Numeri 4:5, 6. a

• Yayimela ntoni? ITyeya yayimela ubukho bukaThixo. Ngokomzekelo, ilifu elaliphezu kweTyeya ekweYona Ngcwele naphezu kweenkampu zamaSirayeli lalibonisa ukuba uYehova unawo ibe uyawasikelela. (Levitikus 16:2; Numeri 10:33-36) Xa iBhayibhile isithi uYehova uhleli “phezu kweekherubhi,” ibhekisela kwiikherubhi ezimbini ezaziphezu kweTyeya. (1 Samuweli 4:4; INdumiso 80:1) Ngoko, ezi kherubhi ‘zaziyimbonakaliso yenqwelo’ kaYehova. (1 Kronike 28:18) Ngenxa yento eyayimelwa yiTyeya, uKumkani uDavide wabhala wathi uYehova ‘wahlala eZiyon’ emva kokuba iTyeya isiwe khona.​—INdumiso 9:​11.

• Iindlela ebizwa ngazo. IBhayibhile isebenzisa amagama ahlukahlukeneyo xa ithetha ngeTyeya. Amagama afana nala, “ityeya yesingqino”, ‘ityeya yesivumelwano,’ “ityeya kaYehova,” nelithi ‘iTyeya yamandla akho [kaYehova].’​—Numeri 7:​89; Yoshuwa 3:​6, 13; 2 Kronike 6:​41

  Isiciko seTyeya sasibizwa ngokuba ‘sisigqubuthelo socamagushelo.’ (1 Kronike 28:11) Eli gama libhekisela kumsebenzi obalulekileyo wesi sigubungelo okanye isiciko ngoMhla Wocamagushelo. Umbingeleli omkhulu wakwaSirayeli wayetshiza igazi lezilwanyana ekwakubingelelwa ngazo ngasesigubungelweni naphambi kwaso. Le nto wayeyenzela ukucamagushela “yena nendlu yakhe nebandla lakwaSirayeli liphela.”​—Levitikus 16:14-​17.

Ngaba isekhona ityeya yesivumelwano?

Akukho bungqina bubonisa ukuba isekhona. IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba asisayidingi nganto ngoku kuba isivumelwano eyayenzelwe sona sathatyathelw’ indawo ‘sisivumelwano esitsha’ esenziwa ngedini likaYesu. (Yeremiya 31:31-33; Hebhere 8:13; 12:24) IBhayibhile yaprofeta ngexesha laxa ityeya yesivumelwano ingasoze iphinde ibekho, nabantu bakaThixo bengazukuyidinga nganto.​—Yeremiya 3:​16.

Emva kokuba kwenziwe isivumelwano esitsha, embonweni umpostile uYohane wabona ityeya yesivumelwano isezulwini. (ISityhilelo 11:15, 19) Le Tyeya imela ubukho bukaThixo nendlela asisikelela ngayo esi sivumelwano sitsha.

Ngaba le Tyeya yayiwenza aphumelele?

Hayi, yayingawenzi aqiniseke ukuba aza kuphumelela. Ngokomzekelo, yayikhona iTyeya xa amaSirayeli ayesilwa neAyi, kodwa oyiswa ngenxa yomntu omnye owayenganyanisekanga. (Yoshuwa 7:​1-6) Emva koko, oyiswa ngamaFilisti nakuba yayikho ityeya. Oyiswa ngenxa yobubi obabusenziwa ngababingeleli bakwaSirayeli, uHofeni noFinehasi. (1 Samuweli 2:​12; 4:​1-​11) AmaFilisti ayithatha iTyeya, kodwa uThixo wawazisela izibetho de ayibuyisela kwaSirayeli.​—1 Samuweli 5:⁠11–6:​5.