Singaphila Isikhathi Eside Kangakanani?
“ABANTU abaningi abaphilayo namuhla bayoba nethuba lesilinganiso sokuphila eside kakhulu. Ngisho nokungafi manje kubonakala kungenzeka.”
“Izigidi Eziphilayo Manje Zingase Zingafi.”
Uyini umehluko phakathi kwalezinkulumo ezimbili? Inkulumo yokuqala ekaDkt. Lawrence E. Lamb, ongumhleli wephephandaba lezokwelapha nonguprofesa, encwadini yakhe ethi Get Ready for Immortality, eyakhishwa ngo-1975. Eyesibili iyisihloko senkulumo yeningi nencwadi eyakhishwa ilandela leyonkulumo eyayinikezwa uJ. F. Rutherford, umongameli wesibili weWatch Tower Society. Lenkulumo yeningi yanikezwa okokuqala eLos Angeles, eCalifornia, ngo-1918.
Nokho, lezinkulumo ezimbili ezibonakala zifana, zahluka kakhulu emcabangweni nasekucwaningeni okwaholela kuzo. Amazwi kaDkt. Lamb ayefana nawabantu abaningi okuthiwa izazi zesayensi yokungafi (immortalists). Labantu banomuzwa wokuthi intuthuko eyenziwe kwezesayensi yokwelapha, kuhlanganise nokucwaninga ngokuguga, ngokushesha kuzoyixazulula imfihlakalo yokuthi kungani siguga futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kuyonqoba ukufa ngokwakho. Nokho, naphezu kwezinto eziye zafezwa isayensi yanamuhla ekunwebeni isilinganiso esilindelekile sokuphila nasekusizeni abaningi ukuba bajabulele ukuphila okungcono, izibikezelo zokungafi zihlala zinjalo—izibikezelo zokulindela imiphumela emihle.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uJ. F. Rutherford wayengenzi izibikezelo ezisekelwe kuyisayensi noma imithi. Ingxoxo yakhe yayisekelwe eBhayibhelini. Wabonisa ngeziprofetho zeBhayibheli ezigcwalisekile ukuthi izwe lesintu lase lingenile ‘esikhathini salo sokugcina.’ (Daniyeli 12:4) Khona-ke wabe esebhekisela ethembeni elisekelwe eBhayibhelini lokuthi njengoba uNowa nomkhaya wakhe basinda isiphelo sezwe sangesikhathi sabo, izigidi ziyosinda ekubhujisweni kwalelizwe futhi zingene ziphila ezweni elisha lokulunga ukuze zijabulele ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi.—Mathewu 24:37-39; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.
Kwabaningi ababesezilalelini zakhe, inkulumo kaRutherford yayishaqisa. Ngisho nanamuhla, abantu abaningi bathola inkulumo enjalo ephathelene nokuphila phakade emhlabeni ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu ingeyona engokoqobo futhi kunzima ukuyikholelwa. (IHubo 37:10, 11, 29) Kodwa ingabe lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngokuthi kungani siguga futhi sifa akukholakali kangako ngempela? Eqinisweni, lithini ngalendaba?
Senzelwa Ukuba Siphile, Hhayi Ukuba Sife
Ngokunengqondo, iBhayibheli liqala ngokulandisa kokuqalisa kokuphila komuntu. Esahlukweni sokuqala sikaGenesise, sifunda ukuthi ngemva kokudala umbhangqwana wokuqala wabantu, “uNkulunkulu wababusisa; uNkulunkulu wathi kubo: Zalani, nande, nigcwalise umhlaba, niwunqobe, nibuse phezu kwezinhlanzi zolwandle, nezinyoni zezulu, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni.”—Genesise 1:28.
Ngombhangqwana wokuqala wabantu, uAdamu noEva, ukuze ufeze lesosabelo, kwakuyosho ukuthi kwakudingekile ukuba uphile isikhathi eside kakhulu, futhi kube ngokufanayo nenzalo yabo. Kodwa isikhathi eside kangakanani? Uma siqhubeka sifunda incwadi yeBhayibheli kaGenesise, asikutholi ukuphawulwa kwesilinganiso sokuphila esiqondile esasimiselwe uAdamu noEva. Nokho, kwakunemfuneko eyodwa okwakuyodingeka ukuba bahlangabezane nayo uma babezoqhubeka bephila. UNkulunkulu wathi kuAdamu: “Kepha ungadli kuwo umuthi wokwazi okuhle nokubi, ngokuba mhla udla kuwo uyakufa nokufa.”—Genesise 2:17.
Ngakho, ukufa kwakuyoza phezu kwabo kuphela uma babengalaleli umyalo kaNkulunkulu. Ngalé kwalokho, babenethemba lokuqhubeka bephila ngokungenasiphelo kuleloPharadesi lasemhlabeni okwakuthiwa iEdene. Ngokusobala, abantu benzelwa ukuba baphile, hhayi ukuba bafe.
Nokho, ukulandisa kukaGenesise kuyaqhubeka kulandisa ukuthi umbhangqwana wokuqala wabantu wakhetha ukungawunaki umyalo kaNkulunkulu oshiwo ngokucacile futhi ngaleyondlela wona. Inkambo yabo yokungalaleli yaletha phezu kwabo, futhi ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho naphezu kwenzalo yabo, ukulahlwa kokufa. Emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva, umphostoli uPawulu wachaza: “Isono sangena ezweni ngamuntu munye nangesono kwangena ukufa, ngokunjalo ukufa kwafikela abantu bonke, lokhu bonke bonile.”—Roma 5:12.
Ngokuvumelana nomthetho wofuzo uAdamu noEva babengadlulisela kuphela enzalweni yabo lokho bona ngokwabo ababenakho. Njengoba badalwa, babekwazi ukudlulisela ezizukulwaneni zabo zesikhathi esizayo ukuphila okuphelele nokungapheli. Kodwa njengoba manje ukuphila kwabo siqu kwase konakaliswe isono nokufa, babengasenakukwazi ukudlulisela lelofa elihle. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi, isono, ukungapheleli, nokufa kuye kwaba sesintwini sonke, naphezu kwemizamo yokwandisa isilinganiso seminyaka yokuphila komuntu.
Ngandlela-thize, lokhu kungafaniswa nesimiso secomputer esinephutha. Ngaphandle kokuba leliphutha litholwe futhi lilungiswe, lesimiso asinakusebenza kahle, futhi imiphumela ingase ibe ngeyonakalisa kakhulu. Umuntu akakwazanga ukuthola, kungasaphathwa ukulungisa, iphutha elizuzwe ngefa eliyimbangela yokuhluleka kokusebenza kwemizimba yethu yobuntu, okuphumela ekugugeni nasekufeni. Nokho, uMdali womuntu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, uye wenza amalungiselelo okulilungisa. Liyini ikhambi lakhe?
UNkulunkulu uye walungiselela ukuphila okuphelele kweNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, “uAdamu wokugcina,” lowo empeleni othathela uAdamu wokuqala indawo njengoBaba wethu nomniki-kuphila. Ngakho, esikhundleni sokuba balahlwe ukuba bafe njengabantwana besoni uAdamu, abantu abalalelayo bangase bathiwe bafanelwe ukwamukela ukuphila okuphakade njengabantwana ‘bakaYise wabo ongunaphakade,’ uJesu Kristu. UJesu ngokwakhe wachaza: “Ngokuba lokhu kuyintando kaBaba ukuba yilowo nalowo obona iNdodana, akholwe yiyo, abe-nokuphila okuphakade.”—1 Korinte 15:45; Isaya 9:6; Johane 3:16; 6:40.
Ekupheleni kwenkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni, emthandazweni kuYise wasezulwini, uJesu Kristu wakhuluma ngemfuneko eyinhloko yokufinyelela lomvuzo omuhle wokuphila ngokuthi: “Ukuphila okuphakade yilokhu ukuba bazi wena-Nkulunkulu wedwa oqinisileyo, nomthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.”—Johane 17:3.
“Njengezinsuku Zomuthi”
Ake uzicabange utshala imbewu yesihlahla esikhula sibe sikhulu kakhulu kunezinye okuthiwa isequoia futhi usibukele sikhula cishe amakhulu amamitha emoyeni, ujabulele ukukhula kwaso kukho konke ukuphila kwaso. Khona-ke ake uzicabange uphila uze usidlule bese utshala esinye eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane kamuva futhi ujabulela ukukhula kwaso nobuhle.
Ingabe umqondo onjalo ungokoqobo? Ngempela ungokoqobo, ngoba usekelwe esithembisweni soMdali womuntu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, othi: “Ngokuba izinsuku zabantu bami ziyakuba-njengezinsuku zomuthi.” (Isaya 65:22) Lesithembiso siyasiza ekuphenduleni lombuzo, Umuntu angaphila isikhathi eside kangakanani? Impendulo iwukuthi: aqhubekele ekusaseni elingenasiphelo, yebo, eqinisweni phakade.—IHubo 133:3.
Manje kudluliselwa isimemo, esithi: “Woza! Nozwayo makathi: Woza! Nowomileyo makeze; othandayo makathabathe amanzi okuphila ngesihle.” (IsAmbulo 22:17) Lesi isimemo uJehova uNkulunkulu enza sidluliselwe kubo bonke abanezinhliziyo eziqotho. Isimemo siwukuba samukele ngokwenzuzo yethu amalungiselelo kaNkulunkulu angokomoya okuphila phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi.
Ingabe uyokhetha ukusamukela lesimemo? Amathemba akho okuphila isikhathi eside, ukuphila okuphakade, axhomeke ekukhetheni kwakho manje!
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 7]
IMINYAKA YOKUPHILA ELINDELEKILE
Umuntu owazalwa ekupheleni kwekhulu le-18 leminyaka eNyakatho Melika noma eNtshonalanga Yurophu angase alindele ukuphila iminyaka engu-35 noma engu-40 ubudala. Namuhla, amadoda nabesifazane eUnited States bangalindela ukuphila iminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-71 noma engu-78 ngokulandelana, futhi intuthuko efanayo iye yenziwa kwamanye amazwe. Siqaphela amandla ethu engeziwe ngokuphathelene nokuphila kade. Kodwa ingabe kunesilinganiso sokuthi iminyaka yokuphila elindelekile ingandiswa kangakanani?
Akukho namunye umuntu emlandweni wamuva oye waphila noma walindela ukuphila iminyaka engu-500, 300, noma ngisho engu-200 ubudala. Naphezu kwentuthuko eye yenziwa kuyisayensi yokwelapha, iminyaka yokuphila elindelekile namuhla isengaphansi kwengu-80. Nokho kunemibiko yabantu abaphila baze bafike eminyakeni engu-140 noma ngisho engu-150 ubudala. Futhi ezikhathini zeBhayibheli, abantu babephila amakhulu eminyaka ubudala. Ingabe lokho kumane kuyinganekwane nje?
Ngokuthakazelisayo, iNew Encyclopædia Britannica iphawula ukuthi “ubude bangempela bokuphila komuntu abaziwa.” Njengoba lesihloko sichaza, uma ukwamukela ukuthi omunye umuntu waphila iminyaka engu-150, “asikho isizathu esiphathekayo sokwenqaba ukuba nokwenzeka kokuthi omunye umuntu angase aphile iminyaka engu-150 nomzuzu owodwa. Futhi uma iminyaka engu-150 nomzuzu owodwa kwamukelwa, kungani kungenakuba iminyaka engu-150 nemizuzu emibili, kuqhubeke kanjalo?” Lesihloko siyaqhubeka: “Ngokusekelwe olwazini olutholakalayo lokuphila isikhathi eside, inani eliqondile leminyaka yokuphila komuntu alinakunikezwa.”
Singaphetha ngokuthini kulokhu? Kalula nje ngokuthi lokho isayensi yezokwelapha eye yakufunda ngokuguga nokufa kusekelwe esimweni somuntu njengoba sisibona namuhla. Umbuzo obalulekile uwukuthi kazi isimo somuntu besilokhu ngaso sonke isikhathi sifana yini noma siyohlala ngaso sonke isikhathi sifana. Isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu siwukuthi: “Bheka, ngenza konke kube-kusha.” Ezweni elisha elisondela ngokushesha, ‘uyokwesula izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikuba-khona; nokudabuka, nokukhala, nobuhlungu akusayikuba-khona; ngokuba okokuqala kudlulile.’—IsAmbulo 21:4, 5.
[Isithombe ekhasini 8, 9]
‘Umfula wamanzi okuphila, ucwebezela njengekristalu, wawugeleza uvela esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu.’—IsAmbulo 22:1