“Lapho nibona iJerusalema lihaqwe amabutho akanisile, khona-ke yazini ukuthi ukuchithwa kwalo sekusondele. Khona-ke labo abaseJudiya mababalekele ezintabeni, abaphakathi kwalo baphume.” (Luka 21:20, 21) UJesu wanikeza abafundi bakhe lezo ziqondiso ezaziphathelene nokubhujiswa kweJerusalema. Bukhona yini ubufakazi bokuthi abafundi basilalela isixwayiso sikaJesu?

Ngemva kwamashumi eminyaka uJesu afa, ibutho laseRoma elalikhuzwa uCestius Gallus langena ePalestina lizoqeda ukuvukela. UJosephus, isazi-mlando esingumJuda esasiphila ngaleso sikhathi, uyakufakazela lokhu. Amasosha aseRoma ahaqa iJerusalema futhi kwakubonakala sengathi azolinqoba. Kungazelelwe, uGallus wayala ibutho ukuba lihoxe. Ngokusho kwesazi-mlando sesonto u-Eusebius, amaKristu aseJudiya abamba lelo thuba abalekela ePhela, umuzi owawusesifundeni saseDekapholi esinezintaba.

Ngemva kweminyaka ethile, ngo-70 C.E., elinye ibutho laseRoma elalikhuzwa uJenene Titus, labuya lizovimbezela inhloko-dolobha yamaJuda. La masosha abe eseqedela umsebenzi owawushiywe uGallus, awubhubhisa lo muzi. Abantu abangamakhulu ezinkulungwane bavaleleka eJerusalema futhi bafa.

Izindaba eziseBhayibhelini ezikhuluma ngabaprofethi uSamuweli, u-Eliya no-Elisha zibhekisela kubantu ababebizwa ngokuthi “amadodana abaprofethi.” Ngokwesibonelo, u-Elisha wathumela “enye yamadodana abaprofethi” ukuba iyogcoba uJehu njengenkosi yakwa-Israyeli.—2 AmaKhosi 9:1-4.

Izazi zikholelwa ukuthi le nkulumo ayibhekiseli kubantu abazalwa abaprofethi kodwa ibhekisela kubantu ababefundiswa esikoleni sohlobo oluthile noma eqenjini labantu abahlala futhi basebenze ndawonye. Ngokwe-Journal of Biblical Literature, amalungu ala maqembu cishe ayengabantu “ababezinikele enkonzweni kaYahweh [uJehova] bengaphansi komprofethi othile . . . owayenguyise ongokomoya.” (2 AmaKhosi 2:12) Eqinisweni, indaba yokugcotshwa kukaJehu ibiza isithunywa sika-Elisha ngokuthi “isikhonzi somprofethi.”—2 AmaKhosi 9:4.

Kubonakala sengathi “amadodana abaprofethi” ayephila ukuphila okulula. Elinye iqembu langesikhathi sika-Elisha kuthiwa lazakhela lona ngokwalo izindlu zokuhlala, lisebenzisa nembazo yokwebolekwa. (2 AmaKhosi 6:1-5) Ukuthi abanye balaba bantu babeshadile kubonakala ngokuthi kukhulunywe ngomfelokazi ‘wamadodana abaprofethi.’ (2 AmaKhosi 4:1) Kusobala ukuthi ama-Israyeli athembekile ayewazisa amadodana abaprofethi, futhi kwesinye isibonelo esilotshiwe, ayewapha nokudla.—2 AmaKhosi 4:38, 42.