NGEZINSUKU zamakhosi akwa-Israyeli noJuda, kwavela iqembu elikhethekile lamadoda—abaprofethi. La madoda ayenokholo nesibindi esingajwayelekile sokudlulisela kwabanye izimemezelo zikaNkulunkulu. Cabanga ngamaphuzu amane avezwa abaprofethi bakaNkulunkulu.

1. Ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema. Kusasele isikhathi eside, abaprofethi bakaNkulunkulu—ikakhulukazi u-Isaya noJeremiya—baqala ukuxwayisa ngokuthi iJerusalema lalizobhujiswa futhi lishiywe linjalo. Bachaza ngokucacile ukuthi kungani uNkulunkulu ayewuthukuthelele lo muzi. Imikhuba yenkolo yamanga, ukonakala kanye nobudlova kwafakazela ukuthi linamanga uma lithi limelela uJehova.—2 AmaKhosi 21:10-15; Isaya 3:1-8, 16-26; Jeremiya 2:1–3:13.

2. Ukuvuselelwa kokukhulekela okumsulwa. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-70 bethunjiwe, abantu bakaNkulunkulu babeyokhululwa eBhabhiloni. Babeyobuyela ezweni lakubo eliyincithakalo futhi bakhe kabusha ithempeli likaJehova eJerusalema. (Jeremiya 46:27; Amose 9:13-15) Kusasele iminyaka engaba ngu-200, u-Isaya walisho igama lomnqobi—uKoresi—owayeyonqoba iBhabhiloni futhi avumele abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuba bavuselele ukukhulekela okumsulwa. U-Isaya waze walichaza ngemininingwane iqhinga lempi elingajwayelekile likaKoresi.—Isaya 44:24–45:3.

3. Ukufika kukaMesiya nalokho okwamehlela. UMesiya wayezozalelwa emzini waseBhetlehema. (Mika 5:2) Wayeyozehlisa, angene eJerusalema egibele imbongolo. (Zakariya 9:9) Nakuba ayemnene futhi enomusa wayengeke athandeke, futhi abaningi babeyomenqaba. (Isaya 42:1-3; 53:1, 3) Wayezobulawa ngonya. Ingabe lokho kwakuyokusho ukuthi sekuphelile ngaye? Cha, ngoba umhlatshelo wakhe wawuyokwenza ukuba kuxolelwe izono zabaningi. (Isaya 53:4, 5, 9-12) Uvuko lwakhe kuphela olwalungafeza lokho.

4. Ukubusa kukaMesiya emhlabeni. Abantu abangaphelele abakwazi ngempela ukuzibusa ngokuthula, kodwa iNkosi enguMesiya yayiyobizwa ngokuthi iSikhulu Sokuthula. (Isaya 9:6, 7; Jeremiya 10:23) Ngaphansi kokubusa kwayo, sonke isintu siyohlalisana ngokuthula, sihlalisane ngokuthula ngisho nanazo zonke izilwane. (Isaya 11:3-7) Ukugula kuyophela. (Isaya 33:24) Ngisho nokufa imbala kuyogwinywa phakade. (Isaya 25:8) Phakathi nesikhathi sokubusa kukaMesiya, abantu abafile bayovuselwa ekuphileni emhlabeni.—Daniyeli 12:13.

—Isekelwe encwadini ka-Isaya, Jeremiya, Daniyeli, Amose, Mika nekaZakariya.