“Lapho uKoresi enquma ukuhlasela iBhabhiloni, kakade lase lingumuzi ohlonishwa kakhulu kweyaseMpumalanga Ephakathi—cishe ukwedlula yonke imizi eyayikhona emhlabeni,” kusho incwadi ethi Ancient World Leaders—Cyrus the Great. UMfula i-Ewufrathe wawudabula eBhabhiloni ubuye ugcwalise nemiselekazi eyayizungeze izindonga ezinkulu ezibiyele lo muzi—isivikelo esiyinhlanganisela esasenza lo muzi ubonakale ungenakunqobeka.

Enhla neBhabhiloni, ibutho likaKoresi laphambukisa umfula i-Ewufrathe okwenza amanzi abohla kulo muzi. Amasosha abe esenqamula emanzini eqonde emasangweni omuzi ayeshiywe evulekile futhi alinqoba kalula iBhabhiloni. Ngokwezazimlando ezingamaGreki uHerodotus noXenophon, abaseBhabhiloni babezizwa belondekile ngaphakathi kwezivikelo zomuzi kangangokuba ngobusuku abahlaselwa ngabo, abaningi babesedilini, kuhlanganise nenkosi! (Bheka ibhokisi elithi  “Umbhalo Wesandla Usodongeni.”) Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukunqoba kukaKoresi kwagcwalisa ezinye zeziprofetho zeBhayibheli ezimangalisayo.

Iziprofetho zika-Isaya ziphawuleka ngokukhethekile ngoba zalotshwa kusasele iminyaka engu-200 zigcwaliseke—mhlawumbe kusasele ngisho iminyaka engu-150 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKoresi! Cabanga ngalokhu:

• Indoda okuthiwa uKoresi yayiyonqoba iBhabhiloni futhi ikhulule amaJuda.—Isaya 44:28; 45:1.
• UMfula i-Ewufrathe wawuyokusha, uvulele ibutho likaKoresi indlela.—Isaya 44:27.
• Amasango omuzi ayeyoshiywa evulekile.—Isaya 45:1.
▪ Ibutho laseBhabhiloni ‘laliyoyeka ukulwa.’—Jeremiya 51:30; Isaya 13:1, 7.

Ngaphambili, ngo-607 B.C.E., amabutho aseBhabhiloni abhubhisa iJerusalema futhi athumba abaningi ababesindile abayisa ekudingisweni. Ayeyodingiswa isikhathi esingakanani amaJuda? UNkulunkulu wathi: ‘Lapho isigcwalisekile iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa ngiyofuna ukuba ilandise inkosi yaseBhabhiloni naleso sizwe, ngiyolenza libe amahlane ayincithakalo kuze kube nini nanini.’—Jeremiya 25:12.

Njengoba sekuchaziwe, uKoresi wanqoba iBhabhiloni ngo-539 B.C.E. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, wakhulula amaJuda, aqala ukubuyela ezweli lawo ngo-537 B.C.E.—khona kanye emva kweminyaka engu-70 edingisiwe. (Ezra 1:1-4) Ngokuqondene neBhabhiloni, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi laba “amahlane ayincithakalo”—lifakazela kona futhi ukunemba kwesiprofetho seBhayibheli.

Cabanga ngalokhu: IBhayibheli labikezela (1) iminyaka engu-70 yokudingiswa kwamaJuda, (2) ukunqoba kukaKoresi iBhabhiloni nezici eziyinhloko zendlela yakhe yokuhlasela, (3) nokuthi iBhabhiloni laliyogcina liyincithakalo. Ulwazi olunjalo ngento engakenzeki lwalungenakuvela kumuntu nje! Isiphetho esinengqondo kakhudlwana yilesi: “Isiprofetho asikaze silethwe ngentando yomuntu, kodwa abantu bakhuluma okuvela kuNkulunkulu.” (2 Petru 1:21) Ngokuqinisekile, iBhayibheli liyakufanelekela ukuba silihlole.