AbaPhrofethi
uMhlonishwa uAlbert Luthuli [1898-1967]Izincwadi eziyisikhombisa zokugcina ethestamenteni elidala zaziwa ngokuthi „ngezabaPhrofethi“. Yileyo naleyo ibizwa ngomphrofethi othile osethestamenteni elidala, iqukethe imibono nezeluleko nezexwayiso zakhe. Incwadi „isiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo“ ithathwa njengenye yezabaPhrofethi ngokwenqubo yenkolo yobuJuda, bese kuthi incwadi kaDanyela ingabalelwa kuzo, ibalelwe kokuthiwa ngezoMbhalo (amaHubo, iZaga).
uBizo nobuPhrofethi
AbaPhrofethi babengabenemindeni nezifunda nemisebenzi ngobuningi nokwehlukahlukana kwayo: uJeremiya wayezwalwa ngumphristi, uDanyela kwakungumnumzane-nje ozimele kahle, ohlonishwayo, uAmose wayengumlimi. Yilowo nalowo wayezizwa enobizo oluvela koPhezukonke olumthuma ukuthi edlulisele esizweni sakwaJuda nesakwaIzrayeli udaba ngothando nangentshisekelo kaSmakade. Lwase ludambile ukholo emphakathini, isiya ngokushabalala nenkuthalo yokuhambisana nentando yoMdali. Kwase kwejwayelekile-nje ukuthi umuntu enze sengathi naye usakholwa, afake naye isandla ngokungamandla akhe uma kuqoqwa inkongozelo enkonzweni, ethembé ukuthi angakwazi ukumziba kanjalo uMvelingqangi bese eziqhubekela nezindlela nemikhuba yakhe. AbaPhrofethi-ke bona babezibona bebizelwe ukusheshe bazibone izimo ezinjalo emphakathini, baphuthume, basiphaphamise, basixwayise isizwe ngokusikhumbuza udaba olukhulu ngoMdali.
uHlelo lweziNcwadi zabaPhrofethi ngokomlando
Zine izincwadi esinazo – ngekaIzaya, nekaJeremiya, nekaHezekhiya, nekaDanyela, bese-ke kuba yiziHlabalelo zeziHlabelelo – ezelanywa ngeziyishumi nambili ezaziwa ngokuthi ngezabaphrofethi „abancane“ (oHozeya, noJoweli, noAmose, noObadiya, noJona, noMikha, noNahumi, noHabakhukhu, noZefaniya, noHagayi, noZakhariya kanye noMalaki).
Ngokwelamana kwazo, uAmose noHozeya noMikha kanye noIzaya yizincwadi ezalotshwa eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaJesu – ngaphambi kwenkathi esiphila kuyo, inkathi esukela ekuveleni kwenkolo yobuKhristu (800 ph.Khr.). ONahumi, noHabakhukhu, noZefaniya bona balotshwa eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisikhombisa ngaphambi kwenkathi esiphila kuyo (700 ph.Khr.). UJeremiya wayephila kusuka esikhathini esisekupheleni kweminyaka engamakhulu ayisikhombisangaphambi kwenkathi esiphila kuyo (700 ph.Khr.) kuya ekuqaleni kweminyaka engamakhulu ayisithupha ngaphambi kwenkathi esiphila kuyo (600 ph.Khr.). UHezekhiya noObadiya balotshwa eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisithupha ngaphambi kwenkathi esiphila kuyo (600 ph.Khr.); bona-ke belanywa ngoHagayi, noZakhariya noMalaki.
ezikhathini zobunzima
AbaPhrofethi babebhekana nenkonzo yabo njalo-nje ezikhathini lapho isizwe sakwaIzrayeli nesakwaJuda zazisebunzimeni khona: UIzaya wayengumphrofethi ngesikhathi umphakathi uxozonyiswa yisizwe saseAsiriya. OJeremiya noHezekhiya babephrofetha ngesikhathi abaseBhabhiloni benqoba isizwe sakwaJuda, bebhidliza bediliza umuzi waseJerusalema beze bethumba isizwe sonke besixoshela ekudingisweni. Kwathi-ke ekubuyeni kwababekade bedingisiwe, sekwakhiwa umuzi nethempeli kabusha, kuvuselelwa umphakathi, kwase kungoHagayi noZakhariya abasebememezela ngothando nangentshisekelo kaSmakade.
amabandla nezifunda zabaPhrofethi
Iningi labaphrofethi laliseNingizimu nelakwaJuda. Sibalelwa eminyakeni engamakhulu amathathu (300) isikhathi abasebenza bededelana kuso, kusukela eminyakeni eyikhulu namashumi amahlanu (150) emva kokubhidlizwa nokudilizwa komuzi waseJerusalema kuze kube sekubuyeni kwababedingisiwe kwelaseBhabhiloni ngonyaka wamakhulu amahlanu namashumi amathathu nesishiyagalombili ngaphambi kwenkathi esiphila kuyo (538 ph.Khr.).
Kwakujwayelekile ukuthi umphrofethi ashumayele kude nakwelakubo: UAmose wayejutshwé ukuyosebenza eNyakatho nelakwaIzrayeli elalinqotshwé ngabaseAsiriya ngowamakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi amabili nambili ngaphambi kwesikhathi esiphila kuso (722 ph. Khr.). UHozeya naye wayengowalapho eNyakatho nelakwaIzrayeli. UHezekhiya eyakhe inkonzo wayeyibambé phakathi kwabakubo ayedingiswé nabo kwelaseBhabhiloni. Amazwi asengxenyeni yencwadi kaIzaya esuka esahlukweni samashumi amane kuye kwesamashumi amahlanu nesihlanu (Izaya 40-55) nawo aqondiswé kulabo ababedingiselwé kwelaseBhabiloni.
Cishe yilowo nalowo mphrofethi wayenombiko ayewuqondisé noma ophathelene nabezizwe ezakhelene nelakwaJuda nelakwaIzrayeli. Kwabanye babo sekwasala kwaziwa leyo mibiko-nje kuphela – oNahumi noObadiya.
uSmakade, uMbusi wanini-nini
AbaPhrofethi babezizwa bebizwe bathunywa ngoPhezukonke. Inkulumo yakhe ubeyiqala kanje umphrofethi, athi: „INkosi ithi: …. …“ Babeqinisekile ekutheni uMdali unamandla amakhulukazi, beqinisekile ukuthi akushoyo, uyakufeza. UMdali babemazisa ngokuthi nguyena Mbusi kusukela endabukweni yomhlaba okuyobe kulokhu kunguye futhi nini-nini, okunguyena ophethe inamuhla nekusasa lezulu nomhlaba ezandleni zakhe. Babewuxwayisa, bawukhuze, bawusole, bawufungele baze bawuqalekise umphakathi uma uphambuka, unhlanhlatha, wenqaba ukuhambisana nentando kaMvelingqangi. Babesheshisa futhi ukumemezela umusa nentethelelo nezibusiso zoPhezukonke: Uthando nentshisekelo nobubele bukaSomandla buyogcina buzinqobé zonke izingqinamba nezihibe zobubi.