“Xa niyibona iYerusalem ingqongwe yimikhosi emise iintente, yazini ukuba kusondele ukuphanziswa kwayo. Mabandule abo bakwelakwaYuda basabele ezintabeni, nabo baphakathi kuyo mabemke.” (Luka 21:20, 21) UYesu wanika abafundi bakhe loo miyalelo ngokuphathelele ukutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem. Ngaba bukho ubungqina bokuba basithobela isilumkiso sikaYesu?

Kumashumi eminyaka awalandelayo emva kokufa kukaYesu, umkhosi wamaRoma owawukhokelwa nguCestius Gallus wangena ePalestina uze kuphelisa imvukelo. Olu hlaselo luqinisekiswa ngumbhali mbali wamaYuda uJosephus, owayephila ngaloo mihla. Amajoni amaRoma ayirhangqa iYerusalem kwaye ayebonakala eza kuyithimba. Engabhungisanga, uGallus warhoxa. Ngokutsho kombhali mbali wecawa uEusebius, amaYuda angamaKristu asebenzisa eloo thuba ukuze abalekele ePella, ummandla osezintabeni eDekapoli.

Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo, ngo-70 C.E., omnye umkhosi wamaRoma, owawukhokelwa nguNjengele Titus, wabuya waza walingqinga ikomkhulu lakwaYuda. Ngesi sihlandlo amajoni asitshabalalisa eso sixeko uGallus wayengasitshabalalisanga. Amakhulu amawaka avaleleka aza afela apho eYerusalem.

Iingxelo zeBhayibhile eziphathelele abaprofeti uSamuweli, uEliya, noElisha xa zithetha ngabo zithi “ngoonyana babaprofeti.” Ngokomzekelo xa uElisha wamisela uYehu njengokumkani wakwaSirayeli wathumela “omnye woonyana babaprofeti” ukuba amthambise.—2 Kumkani 9:1-4.

Abaphengululi bakholelwa ukuba eli binzana libhekisela kwisikolo ekwakufundiswa kuso okanye kubantu ababehlala nababesebenza kunye kungekhona kwinzala yabaprofeti. IJournal of Biblical Literature, ithi kusenokwenzeka ukuba amalungu ala maqela yayingabantu “abazinikele enkonzweni kaYehova ngaphantsi komprofeti othile . . . onguYise wabo wokomoya.” (2 Kumkani 2:12) Ingxelo yokuthanjiswa kukaYehu, ibhekisela kumntu owayehamba noElisha ‘njengomlindi womprofeti.’—2 Kumkani 9:4.

Kubonakala ngathi “oonyana babaprofeti” babephila ubomi obulula. Elinye lamaqela awayekho ngomhla kaElisha lichazwa njengelakha indawo yokuhlala ngezembe elibolekiweyo. (2 Kumkani 6:1-5) Isibakala sokuba abanye kula maqela babetshatile siboniswa yingxelo ebhekisela kumhlolokazi “woonyana babaprofeti.” (2 Kumkani 4:1) AmaSirayeli athembekileyo ayebaxabisa aba nyana babaprofeti, enye ingxelo ibonisa ukuba, babebapha nokutya.—2 Kumkani 4:38, 42.