Ingabe Bewazi?

Kungani uNkulunkulu akhetha ukondla ama-Israyeli ngezigwaca ehlane?

▪ Ngemva kokuba ama-Israyeli ephume eGibhithe, uNkulunkulu wathumela kabili izigwaca eziningi ukuze zibe ukudla kwawo.—Eksodusi 16:13; Numeri 11:31.

Izigwaca yizinyoni ezincane ezingamasentimitha angaba ngu-18 ubude namagremu ayikhulu isisindo. Zichitha ingxenye ethile yonyaka ezindaweni eziningi entshonalanga Asia naseYurophu. Njengoba ziyizinyoni ezifudukayo, ebusika ziya eNyakatho Afrika nase-Arabhiya. Phakathi nohambo lwazo, zinqamula ugu loLwandle iMedithera olusempumalanga zidlule iNhlonhlo YaseSinayi.

Ngokwe-New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, “zindiza ngejubane elikhulu zisizwa umoya; kodwa uma umoya uphambana nazo, noma uma sezikhathele ngenxa yokundiza isikhathi eside, zonke zingase zehlele phansi, zihlale lapho ngenxa yokukhathala.” Ngaphambi kokuba ziqhubeke nokufuduka kwazo, kudingeka ziphumule usuku olulodwa noma ezimbili, okwenza zibe yizisulu ezilula zabazingeli. Ekuqaleni kwekhulu leminyaka lama-20, iGibhithe lalithumela kwamanye amazwe minyaka yonke cishe izigidi ezintathu zezigwaca ukuze zidliwe.

Ama-Israyeli adla izigwaca entwasahlobo ngazo zombili izinkathi uNkulunkulu azithumela ngazo. Nakuba izigwaca zazivame ukundiza phezu kweSinayi ngaleso sikhathi, nguJehova owabangela ukuba ‘kuvuke umoya’ owaziqondisa ekamu lama-Israyeli.—Numeri 11:31.

Wawuyini ‘umkhosi wokunikezela’ okukhulunywa ngawo kuJohane 10:22?

▪ Imikhosi emithathu yezinkathi zonyaka uNkulunkulu ayala amaJuda ukuba ayigcine—uMkhosi Wamaqebelengwane Angenamvubelo, uMkhosi WePhentekoste noMkhosi Wokubutha—yayiba sekuqaleni kwentwasahlobo, ngasekupheleni kwayo nasekwindla, ngokulandelana. Nokho, umkhosi okukhulunywa ngawo kuJohane 10:22 wawuba “sebusika” futhi ngawo kwakukhunjulwa ukunikezelwa kwesibili kwethempeli likaJehova ngo-165 B.C.E. Wawuthatha izinsuku ezingu-8, uqala ngosuku lwesi-25 enyangeni kaKhisilevi, lapho kusondela injikalanga yasebusika. Yini eyaholela ekumisweni kwalo mkhosi?

Ngo-168 B.C.E., umbusi ongumSiriya wohlu lozalo lukaSeleucus, u-Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), emzamweni wakhe wokuqeda nya ukukhulekela kwamaJuda kanye namasiko awo, wathatha i-altare lamaqaba walimisa phezu kwe-altare elalisethempelini likaJehova eJerusalema. Walisebenzisela ukunikela imihlatshelo kunkulunkulu wamaGreki uZeus.

Lokhu kwenza amaMaccabee avukela. Umholi wamaJuda uJudas Maccabaeus walwa ukuze akwazi ukubusa iJerusalema elihlwitha ozalweni lukaSeleucus futhi wabhidliza i-altare elingcolisiwe wakha elisha. Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu kusukela i-altare langcoliswa okokuqala, uJudas waphinde wanikezela ithempeli elihlanzekile kuJehova. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, lo “mkhosi wokunikezela” (ngesiHebheru obizwa ngokuthi i-chanuk·kahʹ) ugujwa njalo amaJuda ngo-December. Namuhla, lo mkhosi ubizwa ngokuthi iHanukkah.

[Isithombe ekhasini 14]

Uhlamvu lwemali olubonisa ubuso bukaJudas Maccabaeus, eLyon, ngo-1553

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 14]

From the book Scripture Natural History. Illustrated. 1876