Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Ngenkathi uJohane ebona “isixuku esikhulu” sinikela inkonzo engcwele ethempelini likaJehova, sasikwenza sikuyiphi ingxenye yethempeli lokhu?—IsAmbulo 7: 9-15.

Kunengqondo ukuthi isixuku esikhulu sikhulekela uJehova kwelinye lamagceke asemhlabeni ethempeli lakhe elingokomoya, lelo elihambisana ngokuthé ngqo negceke langaphandle lethempeli likaSolomoni.

Ngaphambili, kwakuthiwe isixuku esikhulu sisegcekeni elingokomoya elifana, noma elifanekisela iGceke LabeZizwe elalikhona ngesikhathi sikaJesu. Nokho, ukucwaninga okwengeziwe kwembule okungenani izizathu ezinhlanu zokuthi kungani kungenjalo. Okokuqala, akuzona zonke izici zethempeli likaHerode ezinomfuziselo ethempelini likaJehova elikhulu elingokomoya. Ngokwesibonelo, ithempeli likaHerode lalineGceke Labesifazane neGceke Lika-Israyeli. Kokubili abesilisa nabesifazane babengangena eGcekeni Labesifazane, kodwa ngabesilisa kuphela ababevunyelwe ukungena eGcekeni Lika-Israyeli. Emagcekeni asemhlabeni ethempeli likaJehova elikhulu elingokomoya, abesilisa nabesifazane abakhulekeli ngokwahlukana. (Galathiya 3:28, 29) Ngaleso sizathu, akukho okufanekiselwa yiGceke Labesifazane neGceke Lika-Israyeli ethempelini elingokomoya.

Okwesibili, lalingekho iGceke LabeZizwe emapulanini ezakhiwo zethempeli likaSolomoni ayevela kuNkulunkulu noma embonweni wethempeli likaHezekiya; lalingekho ngisho nasethempelini elakhiwa kabusha uZerubabele. Ngakho, asikho isizathu sokusikisela ukuthi iGceke LabeZizwe kumelwe libe nengxenye elungiselelweni lokukhulekela ethempelini likaJehova elikhulu elingokomoya, ikakhulu uma kucatshangelwa iphuzu elilandelayo.

Okwesithathu, iGceke LabeZizwe lakhiwa iNkosi uHerode yakwa-Edomi ukuze izikhazimulise yona futhi izitholele ukwamukelwa yiRoma. UHerode waqala ukuvuselela ithempeli likaZerubabele mhlawumbe ngo-18 noma ngo-17 B.C.E. I-Anchor Bible Dictionary iyachaza: “Ukuthanda izinto zasendulo kombuso omkhulu oseNtshonalanga [iRoma] . . . kwaholela ekwakhiweni kwethempeli elikhulu uma liqhathaniswa nawasemizini yasempumalanga.” Nokho, izilinganiso zethempeli ngokwalo zase zikhona. Isichazamazwi siyenaba: “Nakuba iThempeli ngokwalo kwakufanele libe nezilinganiso ezifanayo nezalawo alendulela [elikaSolomoni nelikaZerubabele], iNtaba YeThempeli yayinganqunyelwe ubukhulu engase ibufinyelele.” Ngaleso sizathu, uHerode wanweba indawo yethempeli ngokunezela lokho namuhla okubizwa ngokuthi iGceke LabeZizwe. Kungenzeka kanjani nje ukuba isakhiwo esinomlando onjalo sibe nomfuziselo elungiselelweni lethempelini likaJehova elingokomoya?

Okwesine, cishe noma ubani—izimpumputhe, izinyonga, nabeZizwe abangasokile—babengangena eGcekeni LabeZizwe. (Mathewu 21:14, 15) Yiqiniso, igceke lafeza injongo ethile kwabeZizwe abaningi abangasokile ababenesifiso sokwenza iminikelo kuNkulunkulu. Futhi yilapho la uJesu ngezinye izikhathi akhuluma khona nezixuku, kanti kabili waxosha abashintshi bemali nabahwebi, ethi babeyithele ngehlazo indlu kaYise. (Mathewu 21:12, 13; Johane 2:14-16) Noma kunjalo, i-Jewish Encyclopedia ithi: “Eqinisweni leli gceke langaphandle lalingeyona ingxenye yeThempeli. Umhlabathi walo wawungengcwele, futhi kwakungangena noma ubani kulo.”

Okwesihlanu, igama lesiGreki (hi·e·ron’) elihunyushwe ngokuthi “ithempeli” nelisetshenziswe ngokuphathelene neGceke LabeZizwe “libhekisela esakhiweni sisonke, kunokuba libhekisele ngokukhethekile esakhiweni seThempeli sodwa,” kusho  incwadi ethi A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, ebhalwe uBarclay M. Newman noPhilip C. Stine. Ngokuphambene, igama lesiGreki (na·os’) elihunyushwe ngokuthi “ithempeli” embonweni kaJohane wesixuku esikhulu lona lisho isakhiwo sethempeli sodwa. Uma kukhulunywa ngethempeli laseJerusalema, ngokuvamile libhekisela eNgcwelengcwele noma esakhiweni sethempeli. Ngezinye izikhathi kuthiwa ‘indlu engcwele.’—Mathewu 27:5, 51; Luka 1:9, 21; Johane 2:20.

Amalungu esixuku esikhulu abonisa ukholo emhlatshelweni wesihlengo sikaJesu. Ahlanzekile ngokomoya, njengoba ‘egeze izivatho zawo azenza zaba mhlophe egazini leWundlu.’ Ngakho, kuthiwa alungile ngombono wokuba abe abangane bakaNkulunkulu futhi asinde osizini olukhulu. (Jakobe 2:23, 25) Ngezindlela eziningi, afana namaproselithe kwa-Israyeli azithoba esivumelwaneni soMthetho futhi akhonza kanye nama-Israyeli.

Yebo, lawo maproselithe awazange akhonze egcekeni langaphakathi, lapho abapristi babenza khona imisebenzi yabo. Namalungu esixuku esikhulu awekho egcekeni langaphakathi lethempeli likaJehova elikhulu elingokomoya, okuyigceke elifanekisela isimo sokuba ngamadodana alungile, aphelele ‘obupristi obungcwele’ bukaJehova ngesikhathi esesemhlabeni. (1 Petru 2:5) Kodwa njengoba omunye wabadala basezulwini atshela uJohane, isixuku esikhulu sisendaweni yethempeli, asikho ngaphandle kwethempeli eGcekeni limbe elingokomoya LabeZizwe. Yeka ilungelo lokho okuyilo! Futhi yeka ukuthi kusigcizelela kangakanani isidingo sokuba ngamunye alondoloze ubumsulwa ngokomoya nangokuziphatha ngaso sonke isikhathi!

[Umdwebo/Isithombe ekhasini 31]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IThempeli likaSolomoni

1. Isakhiwo Sethempeli

2. Igceke Langaphakathi

3. Igceke Langaphandle

4. Izitebhisi eziqonde Egcekeni Lethempeli