1-3. Yini eyashintsha indlela amaJuda aseBhabhiloni ayezizwa ngayo? (Bheka isithombe esisekuqaleni.)

INDLELA amaJuda aseBhabhiloni azizwa ngayo isishintshile! Sekuyiminyaka engaba mihlanu uHezekeli eprofetha ukuthi iJerusalema lizobhujiswa kodwa abantu bengamkholwa. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iziphi izinto azenza ngokoqobo, imifanekiso ayisho noma imiyalezo ayimemezela, abantu abadingisiwe babengafuni ukukholelwa ukuthi uJehova uyovumela iJerusalema ukuba libhujiswe. Ngisho nalapho bethola ukuthi idolobha lase livinjezelwe yibutho laseBhabhiloni, babesaqiniseka ukuthi ngeke kwenzeke lutho kubantu baseJerusalema.

² Kodwa manje, njengoba sekuphele iminyaka emibili idolobha livinjezelwe, umuntu obalekile eJerusalema ufika eBhabhiloni, elethe umbiko othi: “Idolobha lidiliziwe!” Lezo zindaba zibaqeda amandla abadingisiwe. Bayahluleka ukuqonda ukuthi kusho ukuthini lokhu: idolobha labo abalithandayo, ithempeli elingcwele nezwe labo abalithandayo—konke akusekho! Sebephelelwe ithemba.—Hez. 21:7; 33:21.

³ Nokho, kulesi sikhathi sokuphelelwa ithemba, uHezekeli uthola umbono onamandla obanikeza ithemba. Lo mbono unamuphi  umyalezo oya kumaJuda adingisiwe aphatheke kabi? Ubathinta kanjani abantu bakaNkulunkulu namuhla futhi thina singazuza kanjani kuwo? Ukuze sithole izimpendulo, ake sihlole lokho uJehova akwambulela uHezekeli.

4. Yini uHezekeli ayiphawula embonweni awubona?

⁴ Funda uHezekeli 37:1-10. Kulo mbono, uHezekeli ubekwa esigodini esigcwele amathambo. UJehova wayala lo mprofethi ukuba ‘ahambe phakathi’ kwamathambo ayesakazeke kuyo yonke indawo, njengokungathi ufuna ukuba uHezekeli awuzwe egazini lo mbono. Njengoba uHezekeli ehamba kulesi sigodi, waphawula izinto ezimbili ngala mathambo: ubuningi bawo nesimo sawo. Wabona ukuthi “ayemaningi kakhulu” futhi “ayome kakhulu.”

5. Yimiphi imiyalo emibili uJehova ayinika uHezekeli, futhi kwenzekani ngemva kokuba uHezekeli esekwenzile lokho okuthiwa akakwenze?

⁵ UJehova wabe esenika uHezekeli imiyalo emibili eyayizokwenza ukuba amathambo avuke. Umyalo wokuqala wawuthi: “Profetha ngala mathambo,” uwatshele ukuba ‘aphile.’ (Hez. 37:4-6) Ngokushesha nje ngemva kokuba uHezekeli eseprofethile “kwaba khona umsindo, ubukhehlekhehle, amathambo aqala ukusondelana,” ngemva kwalokho kwavela “imisipha nenyama” kuwo, “isikhumba sawamboza.” (Hez. 37:7, 8) Umyalo wesibili wawuthi: “Profetha emoyeni,” uwutshele ukuba “uvunguze” phezu kwezidumbu. Lapho uHezekeli eprofetha, ‘umoya wangena kubo, labo bantu baqala ukuphila bama ngezinyawo, beyibutho elikhulu kakhulu.’—Hez. 37:9, 10.

6. Imaphi amazwi kaJehova asiza uHezekeli ukuba aqonde ukuthi usho ukuthini lo mbono?

⁶ Ngemva kwalokho, uJehova wembulela uHezekeli ukuthi usho ukuthini lo mbono, wathi: “La mathambo ayiyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli.” Ngemva kokuba abandingisiwe bezwile ukuthi iJerusalema libhujisiwe babona sengathi sekuphelile ngabo, sebefana nabafile. Ngenxa yalokho bazikhalela bathi: “Amathambo ethu omile nethemba lethu lishabalele. Sinqunywe ngokuphelele.” (Hez. 37:11; Jer. 34:20) Ngenxa yalokho kukhala kwabo, uJehova wembula ukuthi lowo mbono wamathambo empeleni wawunomyalezo onika u-Israyeli ithemba.

7. Yini uJehova ayambulela uHezekeli njengoba kubhalwe kuHezekeli 37:12-14, futhi kwabenza bazizwa kanjani abantu baKhe ababedingisiwe?

⁷ Funda uHezekeli 37:12-14. Ngalo mbono, uJehova wayeqinisekisa abadingisiwe ukuthi wayeyobenza baphinde baphile, abahole babuyele ezweni labo futhi abahlalise kulo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJehova waphinde wababiza ngokuthi “bantu bami.” Kumelwe ukuba lawo mazwi abakhuthaza kakhulu abadingisiwe abase bephelelwe ithemba! Kungani babengaqiniseka ukuthi lesi sithembiso sasiyofezeka? Yingoba nguJehova ngokwakhe owayesithembisile. Wathi: “Mina Jehova ngikhulumile futhi ngikwenzile.”

8. (a) Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba “yonke indlu ka-Israyeli” kube sengathi ifile? (b) UHezekeli 37:9 usiveza kanjani isizathu esenza u-Israyeli wafana nofile? (Bheka umbhalo waphansi.)

 ⁸ Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba isizwe sakwa-Israyeli wasendulo sigcine sesifana namathambo akulo mbono oyisiprofetho? Ngo-740 B.C.E. lapho kuwa umbuso wezizwe eziyishumi futhi abantu bakhona bedingiswa, ubuhlobo buka-Israyeli noJehova base buvele busengcupheni. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-130, lapho abantu bakwaJuda nabo sebedingiswa, “yonke indlu ka-Israyeli” yayisithunjiwe. (Hez. 37:11) Ubuhlobo labo ababethunjiwe ababenabo noJehova base bufana nobufile njengamathambo uHezekeli awabona embonweni. * Khumbula nokuthi uHezekeli akabonanga nje amathambo kodwa wabona amathambo “ayome kakhulu” okubonisa ukuthi kwaphela isikhathi eside befana nabafile. Ngempela kwaphela iminyaka engaphezu kuka-200, kusukela ku-740 kuya ku-537 B.C.E. u-Israyeli noJuda befana nabantu abafile—Jer. 50:33.

9. Yikuphi ukufana okukhona phakathi kwalokho okwenzeka ku-Israyeli wasendulo nalokho okwenzeka ‘ku-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu’?

⁹ Iziprofetho ezimayelana no-Israyeli eziphathelene nokwenziwa kwezinto zibe zintsha, njengalezo uHezekeli akhuluma ngazo, ziphinde zigcwaliseke ngenye indlela enkulu. (IzE. 3:21) Njengoba nje isizwe sakwa-Israyeli wasendulo ‘sasibulewe’ futhi kwaphela isikhathi eside sifana nesifile, kanjalo ‘no-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu,’ ibandla lamaKristu agcotshiwe, kwaphela isikhathi eside ethunjiwe futhi efana nofile. (Gal. 6:16) Empeleni ibandla labagcotshiwe lathunjwa isikhathi eside kangangokuba ubuhlobo balo noNkulunkulu base bungafaniswa namathambo “ayome kakhulu.” (Hez. 37:2) Njengoba kuchaziwe esahlukweni esidlule, ukuthunjwa kwebandla lamaKristu agcotshiwe kwaqala ngekhulu lesibili  C.E. kwaqhubeka amakhulu eminyaka njengoba nje uJesu abonisa emfanekisweni wakhe woMbuso owawukhuluma ngokolweni nokhula.—Math. 13:24-30.

10. (a) Yini eyabikezelwa mayelana nabantu bakaNkulunkulu kuHezekeli 37:7, 8? (b) Yiziphi izinto okumelwe ukuba kancane kancane zabenza baba nokholo abadingisiwe abesaba uNkulunkulu?

¹⁰ Ezikhathini zasendulo uJehova wabikezela ukuthi abantu bakhe babeyokwenziwa baphile kancane kancane. (Hez. 37:7, 8) Ngakho, iziphi izinto ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ezanikeza abantu ababedingisiwe abesaba uNkulunkulu ukholo lokuthi ithemba labo lokubuyela kwa-Israyeli lalizogcwaliseka? Eyokuqala, kumelwe ukuba yiziprofetho ezenziwa abaprofethi bangaphambili. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Isaya wayebikezele ukuthi abasele, “inzalo engcwele,” babeyobuyela ezweni labo. (Isaya 6:13; Jobe 14:7-9) Okwesibili, iziprofetho eziningi zokubuyiselwa kwendlela emsulwa yokukhonza uNkulunkulu ezazibhalwe uHezekeli, akungabazeki ukuthi zabagcina benethemba. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuba khona kwamadoda athembekile njengomprofethi uDaniyeli eBhabhiloni kanye nokuwa okukhulu kwedolobha laseBhabhiloni ngo-539 B.C.E, kumelwe ukuba kwaliqinisa ithemba labo lokuthi bazobuyela ezweni lakubo.

11, 12. (a) Indlela emsulwa yokukhonza uNkulunkulu yabuyiselwa kanjani kancane kancane phakathi ‘kuka-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu’? (Bheka nebhokisi elithi, “Indlela Emsulwa Yokukhonza UNkulunkulu—Iyabuyiselwa Kancane Kancane.”) (b) Lokho okushiwo uHezekeli 37:10 kuphakamisa muphi umbuzo?

¹¹ Ukubuyiselwa kancane kancane kwendlela emsulwa yokukhonza uNkulunkulu kwenzeka kanjani “ku-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu,” noma ibandla lamaKristu agcotshiwe? Ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu ethunjiwe njengokungathi ufile, “kwaba khona umsindo, ubukhehlekhehle,” njengoba abantu  abesaba uNkulunkulu bevuka besekela ukukhonza uNkulunkulu ngeqiniso. Ngokwesibonelo, ngekhulu lika-16, uWilliam Tyndale wahumushela iBhayibheli esiNgisini. Abefundisi bamaRoma Katolika bacasulwa ukuthi iBhayibheli manje lase lingafundwa yinoma ubani. Wabe esebulawa uTyndale. Noma kunjalo, abanye abantu abanesibindi baqhubeka behumusha iBhayibheli ngezinye izilimi, futhi abantu abaningi bakwazi ukuthola izimfundiso zikaNkulunkulu.

¹² Kamuva, lapho uCharles T. Russell nabangane bakhe beqala ukusebenza ngentshiseko ukuze bakhanyise amaqiniso eBhayibheli kwaba njengokungathi “imisipha nenyama” kwemboza amathambo. I-Zion’s Watch Tower nezinye izincwadi kwasiza abantu ababefuna ukwazi ngempela ngoNkulunkulu ukuba bathole amaqiniso ngaye, okwabashukumisela ukuba bazihlanganise nezinceku zakhe ezigcotshiwe. Ekuqaleni kweminyaka yawo-1900, abantu bakaNkulunkulu abagcotshiwe bakhuthazeka nakakhulu lapho kuphuma “iPhoto-Drama of Creation” nencwadi ethi, The Finished Mystery. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, kwafika isikhathi sokuba uNkulunkulu enze abantu bakhe ‘bame ngezinyawo.’ (Hez. 37:10) Kwenzeka nini futhi kanjani lokho? Lokho okwenzeka eBhabhiloni lasendulo kuyasisiza siphendule lowo mbuzo.

13. (a) Kusukela ngo-537 B.C.E., amazwi akuHezekeli 37:10, 14 agcwaliseka kanjani? (b) Yimiphi imiBhalo ebonisa ukuthi abanye babantu bombuso wezizwe eziyishumi babuyela kwa-Israyeli?

¹³ Kusukela ekuqaleni kuka-537 B.C.E., amaJuda ayeseBhabhiloni abona ukugcwaliseka kwalo mbono. Kanjani? UJehova wawenza aphila, wawenza “ama ngezinyawo” ngokuwakhulula ekuthunjweni nangokuwabuyisela kwa-Israyeli. Ama-Israyeli angu-42 360 nabangewona ama-Israyeli abangaba ngu-7 000 basuka eBhabhiloni bayokwakha kabusha iJerusalema nethempeli lalo futhi bahlala kwa-Israyeli. (Ezra 1:1-4; 2:64, 65; Hez. 37:14) Kwathi ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-70, abadingisiwe abangaba ngu-1 750 bahamba no-Ezra lapho ebuyela eJerusalema. (Ezra 8:1-20) Ngakho esewonke amaJuda abuyela eJerusalema ayengaphezu kuka-44 000—ngempela ‘ayeyibutho elikhulu.’ (Hez. 37:10) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iZwi likaNkulunkulu libonisa ukuthi abantu bombuso wezizwe eziyishumi, okhokho babo ababekade bedingiswe abase-Asiriya phakathi nekhulu lika-8 B.C.E., nabo babuyela kwa-Israyeli beyosiza ekwakheni kabusha ithempeli.—1 IziKr. 9:3; Ezra 6:17; Jer. 33:7; Hez. 36:10.

14. (a) Amazwi akuHezekeli 37:24 asisiza kanjani sibone isikhathi sokugcwaliseka okukhulu kwalesi siprofetho? (b) Yini eyenzeka ngo-1919? (Bheka nebhokisi elithi “‘Amathambo Omile’ ‘Nofakazi Ababili’—Kuhlobana Kanjani?”)

¹⁴ Le ngxenye yesiprofetho sikaHezekeli yagcwaliseka kanjani ngezinga elikhulu? Njengoba uJehova embulela uHezekeli esiprofethweni esihlobene nalesi, ukugcwaliseka okukhulu kwalesi siprofetho kwakuyokwenzeka ngemva kwesikhathi esithile uDavide  Omkhulu, uJesu Kristu, eqale ukuba iNkosi ebusayo. * (Hez. 37:24) Futhi ngempela ngo-1919, uJehova wafaka umoya wakhe kubantu bakhe. Ngemva kwalokho ‘baphila’ futhi bakhululwa ekuthunjweni yiBhabhiloni Elikhulu. (Isaya 66:8) Ngemva kwalokho uJehova wabavumela ukuba bahlale ‘ezweni’ labo, okuwukuthi, epharadesi elingokomfanekiso. Nokho, kwenzeke kanjani ukuba abantu bakaJehova namuhla babe “ibutho elikhulu”?

15, 16. (a) Kwenzeke kanjani ukuba namuhla abantu bakaJehova babe “ibutho elikhulu”? (b) Lesi siprofetho sikaHezekeli sisisiza kanjani ukuba sibhekane nezimo ezinzima ekuphileni? (Bheka ibhokisi elithi, “Ukusizwa Ukuba Siphinde Sime Ngezinyawo.”)

¹⁵ Kungakapheli isikhathi eside uKristu ebeke inceku ethembekile ngo-1919, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zaqala ukubona lokho uZakariya, umprofethi owayekhonza phakathi kwababedingisiwe ababuya, ayekubikezele lapho ethi: “Kuyofika abantu abaningi nezizwe ezinamandla zizofuna uJehova.” Lo mprofethi wachaza laba bantu abafuna uJehova ngokuthi “amadoda ayishumi avela kuzo zonke izilimi zezizwe.” La madoda ayeyobamba ‘umJuda’ noma u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu, athi: “Sifuna ukuhamba nani, ngoba sizwile ukuthi uNkulunkulu unani.”—Zak. 8:20-23.

¹⁶ Namuhla, labo abakha u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu (abasele abagcotshiwe) ‘namadoda ayishumi’ (ezinye izimvu) ngempela sebebonke bakha “ibutho elikhulu kakhulu” elibalelwa ezigidini. (Hez. 37:10) Njengoba singamasosha kaKristu kuleli butho elandayo, silandela eduze iNkosi yethu uJesu, siqonde ezibusisweni ezisilindele.—IHu. 37:29; Hez. 37:24; Fil. 2:25; 1 Thes. 4:16, 17.

17. Sizofunda ngani esahlukweni esilandelayo?

¹⁷ Lokhu kubuyiselwa kwendlela emsulwa yokukhonza uNkulunkulu kwakuyonikeza abantu bakaNkulunkulu umsebenzi obalulekile. Uyini lowo msebenzi? Ukuze sithole impendulo yalowo mbuzo, kudingeka siphindele emuva siyohlola isabelo uHezekeli asinikezwa uJehova, ngisho nangaphambi kokuba iJerusalema libhujiswe. Sizokwenza lokho esahlukweni esilandelayo sale ncwadi.