Ingabe Kunengqondo Ukukholelwa Emhlabeni Oyipharadesi?

BAMBALWA abantu abakholelwa ukuthi umhlaba uyoke ube ipharadesi. Abaningi bacabanga ukuthi ngeke uqhubeke ukhona. Ngokwencwadi ethi The Sacred Earth kaBrian Leigh Molyneaux, le mbulunga yaba khona ngenxa ‘yokuqhuma okukhulu okwenzeka endaweni yonke’ eminyakeni eyizigidi edlule. Futhi uma umuntu engawubhubhisi yena ngokwakhe umhlaba, abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi wona namazulu kungagcina “ngokufinyela kube yibhola eliwumlilo.”

Imbongi yangekhulu le-17 eyiNgisi, uJohn Milton, yayingenayo imibono engenathemba njengale. Enkondlweni yayo yobuciko ethi Paradise Lost, yabhala ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala umhlaba ukuze ube yikhaya labantu eliyipharadesi. Lelo Pharadesi lasekuqaleni lalahleka. Nokho, uMilton wayekholelwa ukuthi lalizobuyiselwa—ukuthi ngelinye ilanga uJesu Kristu njengomsindisi “wayezonikeza abantu bakhe abathembekile umvuzo, bese ebangenisa enjabulweni . . . eZulwini noma eMhlabeni.” UMilton washo ngokuqiniseka: “Ngoba ngaleso sikhathi uMhlaba wonke uyoba yiPharadesi.”

IPharadesi—Ezulwini Noma Emhlabeni?

Abantu abaningi abasontayo banombono onjengokaMilton wokuthi ekugcineni bayothola umvuzo othile ngenxa yezinto ezibuhlungu nokuhlupheka okuye kwadingeka bakukhuthazelele lapha emhlabeni. Kodwa bayowuthola kuphi lowo mvuzo? “EZulwini noma eMhlabeni”? Kwabanye, indaba yomhlaba ayingeni nhlobo ezingqondweni zabo. Bathi abantu bayothola “injabulo” kuphela uma sebewushiyile umhlaba sebehlala endaweni yomoya ezulwini.

Encwadini ethi Heaven—A History, abalobi bayo oC. McDannell noB. Lang bathi ngekhulu lesibili isazi sezenkolo u-Irenaeus sasikholelwa ukuthi ukuphila epharadesi elibuyiselwe “kwakungeke kube sendaweni ethile eqhelile esezulwini, kodwa kwakuyoba semhlabeni.” Ngokwaleyo ncwadi, nakuba abaholi bamasonto abanjengoJohn Calvin noMartin Luther babenethemba lokuya ezulwini, babekholelwa futhi ukuthi “uNkulunkulu wayezowuvuselela umhlaba.” Amalungu ezinye izinkolo nawo ayenezinkolelo ezinjalo. UMcDannell noLang bathi futhi amanye amaJuda ayekholelwa ukuthi ngesikhathi sikaNkulunkulu esifanele, zonke izinkathazo zesintu “ziyosuswa bese kuba nokuphila okwanelisayo.” I-Encyclopaedia of Middle Eastern Mythology and Religion ithi ngokwenkolelo yamaPheresiya asendulo, “isimo somhlaba sasekuqaleni siyobuyiselwa abantu baphinde bahlale ngokuthula.”

Kwenzekani ngethemba lokuphila emhlabeni oyipharadesi? Ingabe ukuphila kwethu emhlabeni kwakuhloselwe ukuba kube isigcawu nje sesikhashana? Ingabe kunjengoba isazi sefilosofi sangekhulu lokuqala esingumJuda uPhilo sasikholelwa, ukuthi kumane nje “kuyisenzakalo sesikhashana, ngokuvamile esibi,” esikwehlela ohambweni lokuya endaweni yomoya? Noma, ingabe uNkulunkulu wayehlose okunye ngesikhathi edala umhlaba futhi ebeka abantu ukuba baphile emhlabeni oyipharadesi? Isintu singaba nakho yini ukwaneliseka kwangempela okungokomoya nenjabulo khona lapha emhlabeni? Kunganjani uhlole lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngale ndaba? Ungase uphethe ngokuthi kunengqondo ngempela ukukholelwa ukuthi umhlaba oyipharadesi uzobuyiselwa, njengoba izigidi zabantu ziye zaphetha kanjalo.

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Imbongi uJohn Milton yayikholelwa ukuthi iPharadesi lalizobuyiselwa

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COVER: Earth: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C./NASA

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Earth: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C./NASA; John Milton: Leslie’s