3. Umlayezo, Julayi 29, 1945

Isithombe se-altare kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo sibuyela esikweni leTestamente Elidala. Imihlatshelo ejabulisa uNkulunkulu yayinikelwa e-altare—ephelele, engenakho ukungapheleli, efanekisela isono. Ngale mihlatshelo, uNkulunkulu wembulela abantu bakwa-Israyeli isimo sengqondo ayesilindele esintwini. Kwakungekhona nje ngemihlatshelo yezilwane, kodwa ngesintu uqobo kanye nobumsulwa benhliziyo yaso, obahumushela kuwo wonke amalungu omzimba waso.
Umvangeli uMarku ubhekisela kulesi sici esingokomoya somhlatshelo, ekhuluma ngokuphindaphindiwe ngamalungu omzimba womuntu. Ngomfanekiso ubonisa ukuthi kungcono ukuba umuntu anqume ilungu elinesono futhi angene eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu kunokuba alahlwe kanye nalo phakade.
Kuyafaneleka ukukhumbula ukuthi imihlatshelo eyayinikelwa kuNkulunkulu ngabantu bakwa-Israyeli yayingeke ibe lunyonga, iyimpumputhe, noma ibe namaphutha nganoma iyiphi indlela. Yonke ibala yayifanekisela isono futhi yenza umhlatshelo ungafaneleki. UNkulunkulu ufisa okufanayo esintwini—ukuzihlanza esonweni ngokwenza umhlatshelo wabo ongokomoya phakathi nokuphila kwabo kwasemhlabeni. Ukugcwala kwalokhu kucwengwa nokupheleliswa kwembulwa kithi ngobuntu bukaJesu Kristu—uMhlukunyezwa othokozisa uNkulunkulu, ophelele futhi ongenabala, okuphila kwakhe kuyisibonelo sokuba sisilingise. INkosikazi Yezizwe Zonke ibeka isiphambano e-altare lomhlatshelo, ngoba uKristu ungumhlatshelo wokugcina onegazi oza emhlabeni ngoMariya. Ngakho, kulesi senzo, sibona indima yeNkosazana Yezizwe Zonke emsebenzini wensindiso.
 
Abaningi bethu ngokungangabazeki bayazibuza: kusho ukuthini ukuba njengoKristu? Abaningi babheka Isiphambano noKristu futhi bayehluleka ukuqonda ukuthi sisho ukuthini ngempela. Ngakho-ke ake sizame ukuphendula umbuzo wokuthi iyini imfihlakalo yesiphambano.
Kusukela ekuqaleni, uJesu wayewazi umsebenzi wakhe. Wayeyazi ngokugcwele intando kaNkulunkulu ngaye siqu, njengoba amaVangeli ekufakazela ngokucacile. Wayazi ukuthi ukuhlupheka nesiphambano kwakumlindile—futhi akazange ahlehle kule ndlela. Wafeza intando kaBaba kwaze kwaba sekugcineni, kwaze kwaba sekufeni.
Lapho u-Adamu no-Eva bedla isithelo ababenqatshelwe, bagcwala isono. Zonke izitho zemizimba yabo—amehlo, izindlebe, izandla, izinyawo, izinhliziyo—zathintwa ukungamlaleli uNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke, kwadingeka ukuba kuhlanzwe wonke umuntu, okufanekiselwa ukusoka. U-Eva, esondela emthini wokwazi okuhle nokubi, wangcolisa izinyawo zakhe; efinyelela isithelo, izandla zakhe; ukubheka kwakhe, ukubona kwakhe; ukulalela inyoka, ukuzwa kwayo; futhi enambitha isithelo, umlomo wakhe nenhliziyo. Isono sathinta umphefumulo wakhe wonke, ngakho-ke wonke umzimba womuntu nawo udinga ukuhlanzwa.
Kufanele kugcizelelwe ukuthi ukuhlanza umzimba wonke esonweni kuwukugcwaliseka kweNtando kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu ayembule ngemihlatshelo yeTestamente Elidala. Njengaku-Adamu, ngomqondo ongokomoya, u-Eva “wabulala” u-Adamu ngokumnika isithelo sokufa; ngakho-ke, ukuze acwengwe, kufanele anikeze ukuphila. Lapha sifika enhliziyweni yemfihlakalo yensindiso: u-Eva Omusha - uMariya - wanika u-Adamu Omusha - uJesu Kristu, owafeza ngokugcwele Intando KaYise, ehlanza wonke amalungu omzimba wakhe ngokulalela Intando KaNkulunkulu, kuze kube sekufeni esiphambanweni. UKristu wasokwa enhliziyweni yakhe nakuwo wonke umzimba wakhe.
UJesu wayengaphunyuka kulokho okwakumlindile—wayengabaleka ngezinyawo zakhe, kodwa akazange, azinikele ngokuphelele eNtandweni kaBaba, ukugcwaliseka kwayo kwakuwukuzivumela ukuba abethelwe esiphambanweni ukuze sibe nesibonelo negunya lokulingisa. Wayengazivikela ngezandla zakhe—kodwa akazange. Wayengase azichaze kuPilatu futhi agweme ukufa—kodwa wathula. Wayengamlalela uSathane ogwadule—kodwa akazange avume. Wayengayisusa inhliziyo yakhe kuBaba—kodwa wahlala ethembekile kwaze kwaba sekugcineni.
Ukuzivumela ukuba abethelwe kwakungelona uphawu lobuthakathaka, kodwa amandla amakhulu—amandla omoya nomzimba okuhlanganiswe neNtando kaNkulunkulu. Wonke amalungu omzimba Wakhe ayengaphansi kukaBaba. Uma sibheka uKristu obethelwe esiphambanweni, asiboni ubuthakathaka kodwa amandla. Sibona u-Adamu Omusha owathi, naphezu kobuhlungu, ukwesaba, nokuhlupheka, wahlala ethembekile eNtandweni kaNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba sekupheleni.
Ngakho-ke ukulingisa uKristu Obethelwe kuwubizo lobumsulwa kuwo wonke amalungu emizimba yethu—izandla, amehlo, umlomo, izindlebe, nenhliziyo—ngokuvumelana nentando kaNkulunkulu. Imayelana nokuhlanzeka hhayi ngokomzimba kuphela, kodwa ngaphezu kwakho konke okungokomoya, ngoba sonke isono sinomthombo waso enhliziyweni. Ukuvumelana kwentando yethu nentando kaNkulunkulu, ikakhulukazi lapho sibhekene nesilingo noma ubuhlungu, kuwuphawu lwamandla ethu okomoya, apheleliswa enyameni yethu ebuthakathaka.
U-Adamu no-Eva babengebona ababi, kodwa bebuthakathaka emoyeni. Ngakho-ke, isilingo esincane, esiphambene nentando kaNkulunkulu, sabaholela ekufeni. Bafeza intando yenyama, efayo—ngakho-ke bafa. Nokho, ukube babeyifezile intando kaNkulunkulu, njengoba uKristu enza, babeyoba nokuphila okuphakade, ngoba uNkulunkulu akafi.
UJesu Kristu noMariya—u-Adamu Omusha kanye no-Eva Omusha—bawumfuziselo wayo yonke imiBhalo Engcwele. Kuzo, iZwi likaNkulunkulu kanye noMoya kaNkulunkulu kwabonakala futhi kwathinteka. Imfihlakalo yesiphambano inomthombo wayo kuyo yonke imiBhalo Engcwele—ijulile futhi inezinhlangothi eziningi. Kuphinde kubhekiselwe kukho eNcwadini yesiBili yamaMaccabees (2 Maccabees 7), lapho ukuhlupheka nokwethembeka kuNkulunkulu kuba umfanekiso wenkanuko kaKristu.
 
Embonweni ka-Ida Peerdeman, sibona i-altare leTestamente Elidala, lapho kwehla khona intuthu—uphawu lokuthi ama-Israyeli ayekile ukunikela imihlatshelo ukuze ahlawulele izono. Khona-ke, kuzwakala amazwi ebiza ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu. Ngezikhathi zeSivumelwano Esidala, kwakungabapristi bama-Israyeli ababehlakaza izimvu. Kodwa kusho ukuthini lokhu kuhlakazeka?
Encwadini kaGenesise, sifunda ukuthi inyoka yaholela ekwephulweni kwesivumelwano phakathi kukaNkulunkulu no-Adamu no-Eva—futhi kanjalo yaba nguye owahlakaza izimvu zikaNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke isono sinesibopho sokuhlukaniswa komuntu noNkulunkulu. Abapristi, ababephuma esizweni sakwa-Israyeli, ngenxa yokungathembeki kwabo nokungabakhathaleli abantu bakaNkulunkulu, baholela ekuwohlokeni kwabo okungokomoya. Ngenxa yalokho, abantu bamfulathela uNkulunkulu, futhi isono saqala ukwanda, okwabangela ukuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babe neziqalekiso ezilotshwe eNcwadini yoMthetho kaMose.
 
Masikhumbule ukuthi ngesikhathi sikaJoshuwa, ukuvuselelwa kwesivumelwano noNkulunkulu kwenzeka emphongolweni wesivumelwano eShekemi, phakathi kweNtaba i-Ebali neGerizimu. Maqondana nesakhiwo seThempeli LeNkosazana Yezizwe Zonke, ukuvuselelwa okufanayo kweSivumelwano kwenzeka e-altare eliphakathi, lapho iTabernakele likhona. Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi uMphongolo wesivumelwano wawusebenza njenge-altare—hhayi i-altare okwakunikelwa kulo imihlatshelo yezilwane, kodwa i-altare elingokomoya. KwakuseMphongolweni lapho ama-Israyeli avuselela khona ukuzibophezela kwawo okungokomoya ukuze ahlale ethembekile esivumelwaneni. Kanye ngonyaka, ngoSuku Lokuhlawulela (Yom Kippur), uMphongolo wawufafazwa nangegazi lemihlatshelo yokubuyisana, futhi masikhumbule ukuthi igazi lifanekisela umoya. Ngokudla iGazi likaKristu, ngokwesiko sidla uMoya waKhe. Ngalé komsebenzi wawo wokukhulekela, uMphongolo wawusebenza njengesihlalo sobukhosi nesenabelo sezinyawo zikaNkulunkulu, ngoba phezu kwawo uJehova wazibonakalisa kuMose.
Embonweni ka-Ida Peerdeman, sibona i-Lady of All Nations ibeka iSiphambano ngaphezu kwe-altare, kulokhu futhi iTabernakele. Ngale ndlela, ngokomfanekiso uba isihlalo sobukhosi iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ehlezi kuso. UKristu uyikho kokubili umPristi Ophakeme kanye noMhlatshelo—Lowo igazi lakhe eligeleza ngokomfanekiso eTabernakele. E-Yom Kippur, igazi lomhlatshelo lafafazwa esivalweni somphongolo wesivumelwano nasezimpondweni ezine ze-altare emnyango wethempeli. Ngenxa yalo mbono, iSiphambano sibonakala njengesihlalo sobukhosi ne-altare elihlangene njengento eyodwa. “Izimpondo ezine” zawo zigcotshwa ngegazi likaKristu ezindaweni lapho izipikili zazigwaze khona nasenxebeni lapho umqhele wameva wawushiya khona. Ngale ndlela, izimpawu zeTestamente Elidala zithola ukugcwaliseka kwazo eMzimbeni kaKristu, oyiZwi Eliphilayo.
U-Ida Peerdeman naye ubona intuthu yehla phezu kwe-altare. NgoSuku Lokubuyisana (Yom Kippur), umpristi omkhulu wayeletha umcengezi wamalahle nempepho egcwele isandla phambi koMphongolo Wesivumelwano, ukuze “ifu lempepho lisibekele isihlalo somusa,” noma isembozo soMphongolo.” Lentuthu yayihloselwe ukuvikela umpristi omkhulu ekufeni, okwakuyophumela ekubukeni inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu. Embonweni ka-Ida Peerdeman, intuthu yehlela phezu kwe-altare, njengokungathi yembula inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu eyenziwe ibe khona kuKristu. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, umusi wempepho awusadingeki, ngoba uNkulunkulu wazembula esintwini eMzimbeni kaJesu Kristu—ngaphandle kwesihenqo nangeNkosazana Yezizwe Zonke, obeka ngokomfanekiso isiphambano noKristu e-altare.
Ngokulandelayo, indebe eyayisembonweni ngaphambi kokuba abantu ababuthiwe ibhekisele ekudleni—uMzimba neGazi likaKristu—kanye nemana elaligcinwe eMphongolweni Wesivumelwano, uNkulunkulu awondla ngawo ama-Israyeli ohambweni lwawo lokuya eZweni Lesithembiso. Ngale ndlela, umbhalo womlayezo obonakala ulula wembula incazelo yawo ejulile kanye nokunotha kwezimpawu ezisekelwe emiBhalweni Engcwele.
 
I-Yom Kippur futhi kwakuwusuku lokubuyisana okuphelele noNkulunkulu, lapho wonke umsebenzi nomsebenzi, kanye nobulili bomshado, kwakungavunyelwe. Emlayezweni, kuzwakala izwi elimema abathembekile. Nokho, abantu bema bekhotheme amakhanda, befulathele iSiphambano. Lesi sithombe esinamandla siqonde ngqo emfanekisweni kaKristu wokumemela abantu bakaNkulunkulu edilini—lapha oqondwa ngokuthi ukuhlanganyela uMzimba neGazi likaKristu. Abaningi kwabamenyiwe, nokho, bayalulahla ubizo lukaNkulunkulu, izinhliziyo zabo ziboshwe kakhulu kulomhlaba kunoNkulunkulu. Emfanekisweni, abanye bathethelela izibopho zabo zomshado—ezenqatshelwe eYom Kippur—abanye bacaphuna umsebenzi, nawo owawunqatshelwe ngalolo suku.