NAMUHLA, umhlaba wonke ukhathazekile ngalokho okwenzeka eMpumalanga Ephakathi. Njalo nje kuqhuma amabhomu, amabutho ezempi ayaxabana futhi amaphekula abulala abantu ngamabhomu. Ngaphezu kwalesi simo esibi kangaka, kukhona namathuba amaningi okuthi kungase kusetshenziswe izikhali zenuzi. Akumangazi ukuthi kungani abantu emhlabeni wonke bekhathazekile!

Ngo-May 1948, umhlaba wonke wawukhathazekile ngeMpumalanga Ephakathi. Ngaleso sikhathi, eminyakeni engu-62 edlule, ukubusa kweBrithani indawo eyayibizwa ngokuthi iPalestina ngaleso sikhathi kwase kuphelelwa isikhathi, futhi impi isiseduze kakhulu. Ngo-1947, iZizwe Ezihlangene zazigunyaze ukusungulwa koMbuso wamaJuda owuzimele-geqe ezifundeni ezinabantu. Izizwe zama-Arabhu ezingomakhelwane zagomela zathi ngeke kwenzeke lokho. INhlangano Yama-Arabhu yaxwayisa: “Ukubekwa kwaleyo mingcele kuyoholela ekuchithekeni kwegazi.”

Ngo-May 14, 1948, ngoLwesihlanu ntambama, ngehora lesine, umbuso waseBrithani owawubusa iPalestina wawusalelwe amahora ambalwa. EMuseum yaseTel Aviv, abantu abangu-350 bahlangana ngokuyimfihlo belinde isimemezelo okwase kukade silangazelelwa—isimemezelo esisemthethweni sokumiswa koMbuso wakwa-Israyeli wanamuhla. Kwakubekwe abaqaphi nxazonke ukuze izitha eziningana zalo Mbuso omusha zingaphazamisi uhlelo.

UDavid Ben-Gurion, umholi woMkhandlu Kazwelonke wakwa-Israyeli, wafunda i-Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. Ingxenye yaleso simemezelo yayithi: “Thina malungu oMkhandlu Wabantu, abameleli boMphakathi WamaJuda Wase-Eretz-Israel . . . ngenxa yelungelo elingokwemvelo nelingokomlando nangamandla eZwi Lesinqumo LoMkhandlu-jikelele WeZizwe Ezihlangene, simemezela ukumiswa koMbuso WamaJuda e-Eretz-Israel, futhi uzobizwa ngokuthi uMbuso Wakwa-Israyeli.”

Amanye amaProthestani Obuvangeli akholelwa ukuthi uMbuso Wakwa-Israyeli wanamuhla ugcwalisa isiprofetho seBhayibheli. Ngokwesibonelo, encwadini ethi Jerusalem Countdown, umfundisi uJohn Hagee uthi: “Lesi senzakalo  esibalulekile sabhalwa umprofethi u-Isaya, wathi, ‘Izwe liyozalwa ngosuku olulodwa.’ (Bheka u-Isaya 66:8.) . . . Lokhu kwakuwukugcwaliseka okukhulu kwesiprofetho ngekhulu leminyaka lamashumi amabili futhi kwaba ubufakazi bangempela kubantu bonke bokuthi uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli usaphila.”

Ingabe lokhu okushiwo ngenhla kuyiqiniso? Ingabe u-Isaya 66:8 wayebikezela ukumiswa koMbuso Wakwa-Israyeli wanamuhla? Ingabe u-May 14 1948 ‘wayewukugcwaliseka okukhulu kwesiprofetho ngekhulu leminyaka lamashumi amabili’? Uma uMbuso Wakwa-Israyeli wanamuhla useyisizwe sikaNkulunkulu esikhethiwe, futhi uma esisebenzisa ekugcwaliseni iziprofetho zeBhayibheli, lokhu bekungabathakazelisa nakanjani abafundi beBhayibheli yonke indawo.

Isiprofetho sika-Isaya sithi: “Ubani oyizwile into enjengale? Ubani ozibonile izinto ezinjengalezi? Ingabe izwe lingazalwa ngemihelo ngosuku olulodwa? Noma ingabe isizwe singazalwa ngasikhathi sinye? Ngoba iZiyoni lifikelwe ukusikwa futhi lazala amadodana alo.” (Isaya 66:8) Leli vesi libikezela ngokucacile ngokuzalwa ngokushesha kwaso sonke isizwe, njengokungathi ngosuku olulodwa. Kodwa ubani ongabangela lokho? Ivesi elilandelayo lithi: “‘Mina-ke, ingabe ngingabangela ukubhoboka kodwa ngingabangeli ukuba kuzalwe?’ kusho uJehova. ‘Noma ingabe ngibangela ukuba kube khona ukuzala kodwa empeleni ngibangele ukuba kuvaleke?’ kusho uNkulunkulu wakho.” UJehova uNkulunkulu wenza kucace ukuthi nguye obangela ukuzalwa kwesizwe ngokushesha.

UMbuso Wakwa-Israyeli wanamuhla ubusa ngentando yeningi, okubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi awuthembele nhlobo kuNkulunkulu weBhayibheli. Ngo-1948, ingabe ama-Israyeli avuma ukuthi nguJehova uNkulunkulu owawanika umbuso? Cha. Ngisho negama likaNkulunkulu elithi Jehova noma igama elithi “Nkulunkulu” alizange libhalwe nokubhalwa embhalweni wokuqala waleso simemezelo. Incwadi ethi Great Moments in Jewish History isho lokhu ngombhalo wokugcina wesimemezelo: “Ngisho nangesikhathi uMkhandlu Kazwelonke uhlangene ngehora lokuqala ntambama, amalungu awo ayengakwazi ukuvumelana ngokuthi azosethula kanjani isimemezelo sokumiswa kombuso. . . . AmaJuda aqaphile nalandela umlando ayefuna kubhalwe elithi ‘uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.’ Abamelene nenkolo bamelana nalokho. Ukuze ajabulise wonke umuntu, uBen-Gurion wanquma ukuba kubhalwe igama elithi ‘iDwala’ kunelithi ‘uNkulunkulu.’”

Nanamuhla abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi leli zwe balithola ngenxa yezwi lesinqumo le-UN nalokho abakubiza ngokuthi ilungelo labo elingokwemvelo nelingokomlando njengamaJuda. Ingabe kunengqondo ukulindela ukuba uNkulunkulu weBhayibheli abenzele izimanga abantu abangafuni ukumnika udumo ngokuthi agcwalise isiprofetho esiyisimangaliso ngekhulu leminyaka lama-20?

Isimo sengqondo sabantu bakwa-Israyeli wanamuhla asifani nakancane nesama-Israyeli abuya ekudingisweni eBhabhiloni ngo-537 B.C.E. Ngaleso sikhathi, isizwe sakwa-Israyeli ‘sazalwa kabusha’ ngempela njengokungathi ngosuku olulodwa ngemva kokukhungatheka nokulahlekelwa abantu abaningi eminyakeni engu-70 ngaphambili. Ngaleso sikhathi, u-Isaya 66:8 wagcwaliseka ngendlela ephawulekayo lapho umnqobi weBhabhiloni ongumPheresiya, uKhoresi Omkhulu, egunyaza amaJuda ukuba abuyele ezweni lawo.—Ezra 1:2.

UKhoresi, iNkosi engumPheresiya, wabona ukuthi uJehova wayenesandla ekubuyiselweni kwamaJuda ngo-537 B.C.E., futhi labo ababuyela eJerusalema babona ukuthi injongo yabo eyinhloko yayiwukubuyisela ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova uNkulunkulu nokwakha kabusha ithempeli lakhe. UMbuso Wakwa-Israyeli wanamuhla awukaze uzwakalise isifiso noma inhloso enjengalena.

Ngonyaka ka-33 C.E., isizwe sakwa-Israyeli esingokwemvelo salahlekelwa ilungelo lokuba isizwe sikaNkulunkulu esikhethiwe lapho senqaba  iNdodana kaJehova, uMesiya. UMesiya ngokwakhe uthi: “Jerusalema, Jerusalema, mbulali wabaprofethi nomkhandi ngamatshe walabo abathunyelwe kuye . . . Bhekani! Indlu yenu ishiywa nani.” (Mathewu 23:37, 38) Amazwi kaJesu agcwaliseka ngo-70 C.E. lapho amabutho amaRoma ebhubhisa iJerusalema nethempeli futhi eqeda ubupristi. Kwakuyokwenzekani enjongweni kaNkulunkulu yokuba ‘nempahla yakhe ekhethekile kuzo zonke ezinye izizwe, umbuso wabapristi nesizwe esingcwele’?—Eksodusi 19:5, 6.

Umphostoli uPetru naye owayengumJuda wemvelo wawuphendula lowo mbuzo encwadini ayibhalela amaKristu—angaweZizwe nangamaJuda. Wabhala: “‘Niluhlanga olukhethiweyo, ubupristi bobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, isizwe esiyimpahla ekhethekile,’ . . . ngoba kade ningesona isizwe, kodwa manje seniyisizwe sikaNkulunkulu; naningabangaboniswanga isihe, kodwa manje seningababoniswe isihe.”—1 Petru 2:7-10.

Ngakho-ke, amaKristu akhethwe umoya ongcwele angawesizwe esingokomoya. Ukuba kwawo amalungu aleso sizwe akuxhomekile ozalweni noma endaweni ahlala kuyo. Umphostoli uPawulu wakuchaza ngale ndlela lokhu: “Ukusoka nokungasoki akulutho, kodwa indalo entsha iyona ewutho. Futhi kubo bonke abayohamba ngokuhlelekile ngalo mthetho wokuziphatha, makube nokuthula nesihe, yebo ku-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu.”—Galathiya 6:15, 16.

Kwa-Israyeli wanamuhla, umuntu angaba yisakhamuzi uma engumJuda ongokwemvelo noma ephendukela ebuJudeni. Nokho, ukuba yizakhamuzi kulokho iBhayibheli elikubiza ngokuthi ‘u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu’ kutholwa kuphela yilabo ‘abalalelayo futhi abafafazwe ngegazi likaJesu Kristu.’ (1 Petru 1:1, 2) Ekhuluma ngalawo malungu ka-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu, noma amaJuda angokomoya, uPawulu wabhala: “UmJuda akuyena lowo onguye ngaphandle, nokusoka akukhona lokho okungaphandle enyameni. Kodwa umJuda yilowo onguye ngaphakathi, nokusoka kwakhe yilokho kwenhliziyo ngomoya, hhayi ngesimiso esilotshiwe. Udumo lwakhe lowo aluveli kubantu, kodwa luvela kuNkulunkulu.”—Roma 2:28, 29.

Leli vesi lisisiza ukuba siqonde amazwi kaPawulu asusa uthuthuva. Encwadini yakhe eya kwabaseRoma, uPawulu wachaza ukuthi amaJuda angokwemvelo angakholwa ayefana kanjani namagatsha omnqumo angokomfanekiso asuswa ukuze kuxhunywe ‘amagatsha asendle’ afanekisela abeZizwe. (Roma 11:17-21) Lapho ephetha lo mfanekiso, wathi: “Kubé nokuthuntubezeka kwemizwa ku-Israyeli kwaze kwaba yilapho sekungene isibalo esigcwele sabantu bezizwe, futhi ngale ndlela wonke u-Israyeli uyosindiswa.” (Roma 11:25, 26) Ingabe uPawulu wayebikezela ukuthi kuyophenduka uquqaba lwamaJuda lube amaKristu ngomzuzu wokugcina? Kusobala ukuthi akukho ukuphenduka okunjalo okuye kwenzeka.

Ngenkulumo ethi “wonke u-Israyeli,” uPawulu wayesho wonke u-Israyeli ongokomoya—amaKristu akhethwe umoya ongcwele. Wayesho ukuthi ukwenqaba kwamaJuda emvelo uMesiya kwakungeke kubhuntshise injongo kaNkulunkulu yokuba ‘nomnqumo’ ongokomoya onamagatsha amaningi athelayo. Lokhu kuvumelana nomfanekiso uJesu athi kuwo yena ungumvini nokuthi amagatsha angatheli ayosuswa. Wathi: “Mina ngingumvini weqiniso, uBaba ungumlimi. Wonke amagatsha akimi angatheli izithelo uyawasusa, futhi wonke athela izithelo uyawathena, ukuze athele izithelo eziningi.”—Johane 15:1, 2.

Nakuba iBhayibheli lingazange likubikezele ukumiswa koMbuso Wakwa-Israyeli wanamuhla, kodwa labikezela ngokumiswa kuka-Israyeli ongokomoya! Uma ususitholile futhi usuzihlanganise naleso sizwe esingokomoya namuhla, uyothola izibusiso kuze kube phakade.—Genesise 22:15-18; Galathiya 3:8, 9.