IBhayibheli Liwumthombo Othembekile Weqiniso
Kuwo wonke umlando, abantu bezizinda ezihlukahlukene baye babheka iBhayibheli njengeliwumthombo othembekile weqiniso. Namuhla, izigidi zabantu zilandela izimfundiso zalo. Nokho, abanye abenqaba iBhayibheli bathi alisizi futhi liyincwadi yezinganekwane. Ucabangani? Ungalithola yini iqiniso eBhayibhelini?
KUNGANI UNGALETHEMBA IBHAYIBHELI?
Unganquma kanjani ukuthi kufanele yini ulethembe iBhayibheli? Cabangela lo mfanekiso: Uma sekuyiminyaka eminingi umngane wakho ehlale ekutshela iqiniso, ungase umbheke njengomuntu othembekile. Njengomngane wakho othembekile, ingabe neBhayibheli lihlale likhuluma iqiniso? Nazi ezinye zezibonelo.
Ababhali Abaneqiniso
Ababhali beBhayibheli babethembeke ngempela, babebhala ngisho nawabo amaphutha. Ngokwesibonelo, umprofethi uJona wabhala ngokungalaleli kwakhe. (Jona 1:1-3) Empeleni, waphetha incwadi yakhe yeBhayibheli ngokubhala ngendlela uNkulunkulu amsola ngayo, noma kunjalo, akazange azifunele udumo ngokubonisa ukuthi wayilungisa kanjani indlela ayecabanga ngayo. (Jona 4:1, 4, 10, 11) Ukwethembeka kwabo bonke ababhali beBhayibheli kubonisa ukuthi babelikhathalela ngobuqotho iqiniso.
Amaqiniso Awusizo
Ingabe iBhayibheli lihlale lisinikeza izeluleko ezihlakaniphile mayelana nezinto eziwusizo? Impela. Ngokwesibonelo, phawula ukuthi iBhayibheli lithini ngokuphathelene nokuba nobuhlobo obuhle nabanye: “Zonke izinto enifuna abantu bazenze kini, nani kumelwe nizenze ngokufanayo kubo.” (Mathewu 7:12) “Impendulo, lapho imnene, iyakunqanda ukufutheka, kodwa izwi elibangela ubuhlungu lenyusa intukuthelo.” (IzAga 15:1) Amaqiniso eBhayibheli asalokhu esebenza nanamuhla ngendlela ayesebenza ngayo ngesikhathi ebhalwa.
Amaqiniso Angokomlando
Izinto eziningi ezatholwa abavubukuli kule minyaka edlule ziqinisekisa ukuba khona kwabantu nezindawo ezihlukahlukene kanye nokunemba kwezinto okukhulunywa ngazo eBhayibhelini. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga nje ngalobu bufakazi obuncane. IBhayibheli lithi ngesikhathi sikaNehemiya, abaseThire (amaFenike aseThire) ababehlala eJerusalema ‘babeletha izinhlanzi nazo zonke izinhlobo zezimpahla.’—Nehemiya 13:16.
Bukhona yini ubufakazi obusekela leli vesi leBhayibheli? Yebo bukhona. Abavubukuli bathola izinto zamaFenike kwa-Israyeli, okubonisa ukuthi la mazwe womabili ayehwebelana ngezimpahla. Ngaphezu kwalokho, eJerusalema kwatholakala izinsalela zezinhlanzi zaseMedithera. Abavubukuli bakholelwa ukuthi izinhlanzi zalethwa abadayisi ababesuka ogwini olukude kakhulu. Ngemva kokuhlaziya ubufakazi, esinye isazi saphetha ngalokhu: “Amazwi asencwadini kaNehemiya 13:16 athi abaseThire babedayisa izinhlanzi eJerusalema abonakala enengqondo.”
Amaqiniso Angokwesayensi
Ngokuyinhloko, iBhayibheli liyincwadi engokwenkolo nengokomlando. Kodwa lapho likhuluma ngezinto zesayensi, liyanemba. Nasi isibonelo esisodwa.
Cishe eminyakeni engaba ngu-3 500 eyedlule, iBhayibheli lathi umhlaba ulengiswe “phezu kweze.” (Jobe 26:7) Lokhu kuhluke kakhulu ezinganekwaneni ezazithi umhlaba untanta phezu kwamanzi noma uthwelwe ufudu olukhulu. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-1 100 ngemva kokuba incwadi kaJobe ibhaliwe, abantu baqhubeka bekholelwa ukuthi akunakwenzeka ukuthi umhlaba untanta emoyeni nje kodwa kufanele kube khona into ohlezi phezu kwayo. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-300 eyedlule, ngo-1687, u-Isaac Newton wanyathelisa ucwaningo lwakhe ngamandla adonsela phansi, wachaza nokuthi umhlaba ubanjwe amandla angabonakali. Le ngqopha-mlando engokwesayensi yaqinisekisa lokho okwashiwo iBhayibheli eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-3 000 eyedlule!
Amaqiniso Angokwesiprofetho
Zinembe kangakanani iziprofetho eziningi eziseBhayibhelini? Cabanga ngesibonelo esisodwa: Isiprofetho sika-Isaya esiphathelene nokuchithwa kweBhabhiloni.
Isiprofetho: Ngekhulu lesi-8 B.C.E., umbhali weBhayibheli u-Isaya wathi iBhabhiloni—kamuva elalizoba inhlokodolobha yombuso onamandla—lalizochithwa, kungabe kusahlala muntu khona. (Isaya 13:17-20) U-Isaya washo nokuthi uKoresi nguyena owayezolichitha. Wachaza nendlela uKoresi ayezongena ngayo eBhabhiloni, ebonisa ukuthi imifula ‘yayizokoma.’ Wabikezela nokuthi amasango edolobha ayeyoshiywa evuliwe.—Isaya 44:27–45:1.
Ukugcwaliseka: Eminyakeni engaba ngu-200 ngemva kwesiprofetho sika-Isaya, inkosi yasePheresiya yahlasela iBhabhiloni. Kwakungubani igama layo? UKoresi. Ngenxa yokuthi kwakunzima ukungena eBhabhiloni, uKoresi wakhetha ukusebenzisa uMfula i-Ewufrathe, owawuhamba phakathi kwaleli dolobha. Amasosha akhe amba umsele owawuzochezukisela umfula exhaphozini. Lokhu kwawanciphisa ngokwanele amanzi ayesemfuleni owawugudle udonga lwedolobha aze afika emathangeni, okwenza amasosha kaKoresi akwazi ukunqamula kuwo. Ngokumangalisayo, abaseBhabhiloni babeshiye amasango abheke emfuleni evuliwe! Amasosha kaKoresi angena eBhabhiloni ngamasango ayevuliwe futhi alichitha.
Nokho, kukhona okukodwa okusele: Ingabe iBhabhiloni laba indawo engasahlali muntu? Amakhulu athile eminyaka abantu babeqhubeka behlala khona. Kodwa namuhla, amanxiwa aseBhabhiloni—eduze naseBaghdad, e-Iraq—afakazela ukuthi isiprofetho seBhayibheli sagcwaliseka ngokuphelele. IBhayibheli linokwethenjelwa ngisho nalapho likhuluma ngezinto ezizokwenzeka esikhathini esizayo.