Ingabe Abantu BaseBhayibhelini Babephila Iminyaka Eminingi Ngempela?

UJEANNE LOUISE CALMENT washona ngo-August 4, 1997, edolobheni lakubo eningizimu-mpumalanga yeFrance. Wayeneminyaka engu-122 ubudala!

Intuthuko kwezesayensi, ekunakekelweni kwempilo nakweminye imikhakha isiza abantu namuhla ukuba baphile isikhathi eside. Noma kunjalo, ababaningi abafika eminyakeni eyikhulu noma bayeqe. Yingakho kuba undabamlonyeni uma kutholakala umuntu ophile isikhathi eside, njengalona wesifazane wakwaCalment.

IBhayibheli lithi endulo abantu babephila iminyaka eminingi nakakhulu, abanye bacishe bahlanganise eyinkulungwane. Ingabe lokho kuyiqiniso? Ingabe ngempela abantu bangezikhathi zeBhayibheli babephila isikhathi eside kangako? Kuyasithinta yini lokhu namuhla?

Abantu Abaphila Isikhathi Eside

Incwadi yeBhayibheli, uGenesise, ikhuluma ngamadoda angu-7 aphila iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-900, futhi wonke azalwa ngaphambi kukaZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa. Lawo madoda kwakungu-Adamu, uSeti, u-Enoshe, uKhenani, uJarede, uMethusela noNowa. (Genesise 5:5-27; 9:29) Cishe abantu abaningi abawazi wonke la madoda, kodwa wonke ayephakathi kwezizukulwane zokuqala eziyishumi emlandweni wabantu. UMethusela udume ngokuthi waqopha umlando ngokuphila iminyaka eminingi ukubadlula bonke—iminyaka engu-969!

IBhayibheli likhuluma nangabanye abangaba ngu-25 abaphila iminyaka eminingi ngokungavamile uma kuqhathaniswa nephilwa abantu namuhla. Abanye babo baphila iminyaka engu-300, engu-400, ngisho nengu-700 noma ngaphezulu. (Genesise 5:28-31; 11:10-25) Nokho, abantu abaningi bazibheka njengenganekwane izindaba eziseBhayibhelini zabantu abaphila leyo minyaka eminingi. Ingabe ziyizinganekwane ngempela?

Ziyizinganekwane Noma Ziwumlando Esingawethemba?

Incwadi eyanyatheliswa yi-Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research eJalimane ithi abacwaningi bayifakazela iminyaka yowesifazane wakwaCalment, esikhulume ngaye ekuqaleni ngokusekelwe “ezinkulumweni azisho nezatholakala ziyiqiniso.” Wakhuluma ngaye nangezihlobo zakhe ngesikhathi sezenzakalo ezithile. Lokho akusho kwabe sekuqhathaniswa nomlando wendawo nezincwadi kanye nemibhalo yesonto egciniwe, kuhlanganise nezihloko zamaphephandaba nemininingwane yokubalwa kwabantu. Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi nakuba kwakungenakwenzeka ukuqinisekisa yonke imininingwane, ubufakazi obucacile nobufihlekile obabukhona basiza ekufakazeleni ukuthi ngempela wayiphila leyo minyaka.

Kuthiwani ngezindaba eziseBhayibhelini? Ingabe bukhona ubufakazi bokuthi singazethemba? Yebo! Nakuba kungeyona yonke imininingwane eye yaqinisekiswa imithombo yezwe, kunobufakazi obuye babonisa kaninginingi ukuthi singazethemba izinto ezibhalwe eBhayibhelini ngokusekelwe emaqinisweni omlando, esayensi nohlelo lokulandelana kwezikhathi.a Lokho akufanele kusimangaze ngoba lona kanye iBhayibheli lithi: “UNkulunkulu uqinisile‚ wonke umuntu ungumqambimanga.” (Roma 3:4, IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile) Yebo, njengoba iBhayibheli liyincwadi ‘ephefumulelwe uNkulunkulu,’ alinawo namancane amanga.—2 Thimothewu 3:16.

UMose, owaqondiswa uJehova uNkulunkulu ukuba abhale izincwadi ze-Pentateuch, noma izincwadi zeBhayibheli zokuqala ezinhlanu, uphakathi kwabantu abanethonya elikhulu kakhulu nabahlonishwa kakhulu emlandweni. AmaJuda ambheka njengomfundisi wawo omkhulu kunabo bonke. AmaSulumane ambheka njengomunye wabaprofethi abakhulu. AmaKristu wona ambheka njengomanduleli kaJesu Kristu. Kungaba nengqondo yini ukuphetha ngokuthi azinakwethenjwa izincwadi zomuntu obaluleke kangako emlandweni?

Ingabe Endulo Kwakungabalwa Njenganamuhla?

Abanye bathi endulo iminyaka yayibalwa ngendlela ehlukile kweyanamuhla futhi bathi lokho thina esithi unyaka kwakuyinyanga. Nokho, ukuhlolisiswa kokulandisa kukaGenesise, kubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi abantu bangaleso sikhathi babebheka isikhathi ngendlela esisibheka ngayo namuhla. Cabangela lezi zibonelo ezimbili. Endabeni kaZamcolo, sifunda ukuthi uZamcolo waqala lapho uNowa eneminyaka engu-600 ubudala, “ngenyanga yesibili, ngosuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga.” Ibe isithi amanzi asibekela umhlaba izinsuku ezingu-150 nokuthi “ngenyanga yesikhombisa, ngosuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga, umkhumbi wahlala ezintabeni zase-Ararati.” (Genesise 7:11, 24; 8:4) Ngakho, izinyanga ezinhlanu—kusukela ngomhla ka-17 enyangeni yesibili kuya kumhla ka-17 enyangeni yesikhombisa kulowo nyaka—zaziyizinsuku ezingu-150. Ngokusobala, inkolelo yokuthi unyaka wawuyinyanga ayisekelwe ndawo.

Manje cabangela isibonelo sesibili. KuGenesise 5:15-18, kuthiwa uMahalalele wazala indodana lapho eneminyaka engu-65 ubudala, ngemva kwalokho waphila iminyaka engu-830, wabe esefa enengu-895. Umzukulu wakhe, u-Enoke naye waba nendodana lapho eneminyaka engu-65. (Genesise 5:21) Uma unyaka wawuyinyanga eyodwa, lokho kungasho ukuthi la madoda amabili aba nezingane lapho eneminyaka emihlanu ubudala! Kunengqondo yini lokho?

Imivubukulo nayo inobufakazi obuvumelana neBhayibheli ngokuqondene nabantu abaphila iminyaka eminingi. IBhayibheli lithi u-Abrahama inzalamizi wayevela emzini wase-Uri futhi kamuva wahlala emzini waseHarana. Ngemva kwalokho wathuthela esifundeni saseKhanani. Lithi walwa noKedorlawomere, inkosi yase-Elamu, wamehlula. (Genesise 11:31; 12:5; 14:13-17) Imivubukulo iye yafakazela ukuthi lezo zindawo zake zaba khona kuhlanganise nabantu. Iye yasisiza nokuba sazi amazwe namasiko abantu u-Abrahama ayephila nabo. Njengoba le mininingwane yeBhayibheli ekhuluma ngo-Abrahama inembile, singangabazelani-ke ukuthi wayiphila iminyaka engu-175?—Genesise 25:7.

Ngakho-ke, asikho isizathu sokungabaza okushiwo yiBhayibheli ngokuqondene nabantu abathile endulo abaphila iminyaka eminingi ngokungavamile. Kodwa mhlawumbe uyazibuza, ‘Kuyangithinta yini mina ukuthi labo bantu baphila iminyaka eminingi?’

Nawe Ungayiphila Iminyaka Eminingi!

Iminyaka eminingi ngokumangalisayo eyaphilwa abantu bangaphambi kukaZamcolo ifakazela ukuthi umzimba womuntu ungakwazi ukuphila iminyaka ngeminyaka. Ubuchwepheshe banamuhla buye basiza ososayensi ukuba batadishisise umzimba womuntu nendlela emangalisayo oklanywe ngayo, kuhlanganise nekhono lawo elimangalisayo lokuzivuselela nokuphola ngemva kokugula noma ukulimala. Baye bafika kusiphi isiphetho? Umzimba womuntu ungakwazi ukuphila phakade. UProfesa Wezokwelapha, uTom Kirkwood, uthi: “Kuze kube manje, ukuguga komuntu kuseyimpicabadala emkhakheni wesayensi yezokwelapha.”

Kodwa kuJehova uNkulunkulu lokhu akuyona neze impicabadala noma inkinga engenasixazululo. Lapho edala umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, wamenza waphelela futhi injongo yakhe yayiwukuba abantu baphile phakade. Ngokudabukisayo, u-Adamu wanquma ukuhlubuka kuNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yalokho, wona futhi walahlekelwa ukuphelela. Ilapha-ke incazelo yempicabadala osekuyisikhathi eside ososayensi beyifuna: “Ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.” (Roma 5:12) Isono nokungapheleli yikhona okusenza sigule, siguge futhi sife.

Nokho, injongo yoMdali wethu onothando ayikaze ishintshe. Ukuze afakazele lokho, wenza isenzo esimangalisayo. Wenza ilungiselelo lomhlatshelo wesihlengo weNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, elasinika elinye ithuba lokuphelela nokuphila phakade. IBhayibheli lithi: “Njengoba nje bonke befa ku-Adamu, kanjalo nakuKristu bonke bayokwenziwa baphile.” (1 Korinte 15:22) Abantu bangaphambi kukaZamcolo babeseduze nokuphelela kunathi, futhi yileso isizathu esasenza baphile iminyaka eminingi kakhulu kunaleyo esiyiphila manje. Kodwa thina namuhla sesiseduze nesikhathi sokugcwaliseka kwesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu. Maduze yonke iminonjana yesono nokungapheleli kuzoqedwa futhi abantu ngeke besawohloka futhi bafe.—Isaya 33:24; Thithu 1:2.

Ungazithola kanjani lezi zibusiso? Kugweme ukucabanga ukuthi izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu azilona iqiniso. UJesu wathi: “Lowo ozwa izwi lami futhi akholwe yilowo ongithumileyo, unokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 5:24) Ngakho, funda iBhayibheli, wenze elikushoyo. Uma wenza kanjalo, uyobe ulingisa isibonelo salabo umphostoli uPawulu athi “[bazibekelela] ngokulondekile isisekelo esihle sesikhathi esizayo, ukuze babambisise ukuphila kwangempela.” (1 Thimothewu 6:19) Ungaqiniseka ngokuthi uNkulunkulu owénza ukuba abantu baseBhayibhelini baphile isikhathi eside, angenza nokuba nawe uphile phakade!

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