Bakuphi Manje Abathandekayo Bethu Abafile?

“UKUPHI umfanyana manje?” Umama olusizi (okukhulunywe ngaye esihlokweni esandulelayo) waqhubeka ezibuza ukuthi kazi ingane yakhe efile yayiyephi. Ingabe yayisezulwini noma kwenye indawo ethile?

Unina ka-Andrew wanikezwa impendulo ngokushesha. Lapho lizwa ngalesosehlakalo esizumayo, izibulo lakhe, nalo elingumRoma Katolika, laphendula: “UAndrew useLimbo.” Kodwa ingabe wayelapho?

Ikuphi Noma Iyini ILimbo?

IThe Concise Oxford Dictionary ithi iLimbo “indawo esemngceleni wesihogo, ecatshangelwa njengendawo yabantu abalungile abangakabi amaKristu neyezinsana ezingakabhapathizwa; . . . isimo sokunganakwa nokungakhunjulwa ngokuphelele.” Ngokuqondene neLimbo, iNew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Namuhla leligama lisetshenziswa abefundisi lapho bechaza isimo nendawo yaleyomiphefumulo engafanelwanga isihogo nezijeziso zaso zaphakade kodwa eyayingenakungena ezulwini ngaphambi kokuHlengwa (iLimbo yobaba) noma yaleyomiphefumulo ehlukanisiwe phakade nokwazi uNkulunkulu okujatshulelwa ezulwini ngenxa nje yesono sokuqala kuphela (iLimbo yabantwana).”

Nokho, iencyclopedia efanayo ithi futhi: “Ukunqunyelwa kwezinsana ezifa zingaBhapathiziwe ngempela kuyinkinga eyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu. . . . Umbuzo weLimbo usengaphansi kwemibuzo yesayensi yenkolo engaphenduliwe. Ukuvunyelwa okungokomthetho kokuba khona kweLimbo yiSonto akutholakali.” Iqinisekisa lokhu, iThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Ngenxa yokuthi iSonto lamaRoma Katolika alizange liyivumele ngokomthetho imfundiso yelimbo njengesimo noma indawo ekhona, umqondo welimbo uselokhu uwumbuzo ongaphenduliwe.”

Naphezu kwalokhu, amaKatolika amaningi ashisekayo ayawamukela umqondo weLimbo. Kodwa siza ucabangele leliphuzu ngokunakekela: Kungani kumelwe izingane zilahlwe ukuba zibe sendaweni eyimfihlakalo, engaqondakali phakade ngenxa nje yokuba bezingabhapathiziwe?

Ingabe iBhayibheli liyakhuluma ngeLimbo? Cha, iZwi likaNkulunkulu alikhulumi neze ngayo. Ngakho lokhu kuphakamisa umbuzo obalulekile: Abantu, kuhlanganise nezingane, bayaphi lapho befa?

Bayaphi Abantu Lapho Befa?

Umbono othandwa abantu abasontayo beLobukholwa uwukuthi abantu lapho befa baya ezulwini noma esihogweni. Kodwa iBhayibheli lithini ngalokhu? Lithi: “Ngokuba abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa, kepha abafileyo abazi-lutho.” (UmShumayeli 9:5; bheka futhi iThe Holy Scriptures, According to the Masoretic Text.) Ngakho abafileyo abazi lutho. Abaphili kwenye indawo kodwa bafe ngokoqobo nangokuphelele. Abazi lutho.

Leliqiniso liqiniswa yilezinkulumo ezisencwadini yeBhayibheli yamaHubo: “Abafi-leyo abamdumisi uJehova, qha, noyedwa kwabehlelayo ekuthuleni.” (IHubo 115:17) “Ningethembi ezikhulwini nasendodaneni yomuntu okungekho kuyo ukusiza. Umoya wakhe uyaphuma, yena abuyele emhlabathini wakhe; ngalona lolosuku amacebo akhe ayaphela.”—IHubo 146:3, 4.

Kodwa kuthiwani ngomphefumulo? Ingabe awuwona ongafi? Cha. Ngokuphambene nalokho abantu abaningi abakukholelwayo,umphefumulo awuwona ongafi. Leliqiniso lishiwo ngokucacile eBhayibhelini, elithi: “Umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.” (Hezekeli 18:4, 20) Ukuqiniswa okuqhubekayo kwalokhu kutholakala kuzEnzo 3:23, (NW) ezithi: “Ngempela, noma imuphi umphefumulo ongamlaleli lowomProfethi [uJesu] uyobhujiswa ngokuphelele.”

Ingabe Ukufa Kuwukuphela Kwakho Konke?

Ukufa akukhona ngempela ukuphela kwakho konke. Ukuvuswa kwabafile kufundiswa ngokucacile emiBhalweni. UJesu wathi: “Ningamangali ngalokho, ngokuba isikhathi siyeza, lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyakulizwa izwi layo, abenzé ukulunga baphumele ekuvukeni kokuphila, abenze okubi ekuvukeni kokulahlwa.” (Johane 5:28, 29) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJesu wabavusa ngokoqobo abantu abathile phakathi nenkonzo yakhe emhlabeni. Indaba emangalisa kunazo zonke kwakuyileyo yomngane kaJesu uLazaru. Wayefe izinsuku ezine. Kodwa lapho uJesu ememeza: ‘Lazaru, phuma!’ leyondoda efile yasabela, iphuma ethuneni. Yeka ukuthi isixuku esibukele savuka amadlingozi kanjani! Futhi yeka ukuthi kwakuyisenzakalo esijabulisa kanjani ngoMariya noMarta, odadewabo bakaLazaru!—Johane 11:38-45.

Wayekuphi uLazaru phakathi nalezozinsuku ezine? Ezulwini? ELimbo? Cha. lBhayibheli alikusho lokhu noma alikubonisi. Ukuba uLazaru wayephila kwenye indawo, ngokuqinisekile wayezobatshela abanye ngalokhu. Kodwa kunjengoba iBhayibheli lisho: “Abafileyo abazi-lutho.”—UmShumayeli 9:5; bheka futhi iThe Jerusalem Bible.

Esinye isenzakalo esifudumeza inhliziyo senzeka emzini waseNayini. Njengoba uJesu ayesondela esangweni lomuzi, wahlangana nomngcwabo. Owayefile ‘kwakuyindodana eyodwa kunina,’ owayengumfelokazi. Ngokufanelekile, wayelila kamunyu. Lokhu kwathinta inhliziyo kaJesu enomusa nothando. Wasondela, wawumisa umngcwabo, wayesethi: “Nsizwa, ngithi kuwe: Vuka!” Futhi lowomuntu ofile wavuka! Ungacabanga yini ngenjabulo kanina nokumangala kwababebukele?—Luka 7:11-17.

Ingabe lensizwa yakhuluma okuthile ngokuba sezulwini, noma eLimbo? Cha. Yayingakhuluma ngakho kanjani? “Abafileyo abazi-lutho.” IBhayibheli lifanisa futhi ukufa nobuthongo obukhulu. UDavide wathi: “Ungiphendule, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami; khanyisa amehlo ami, ngize ngingalali ubuthongo bokufa.” (IHubo 13:3) Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngaphambi nje kokuba avuse uLazaru, uJesu wafanisa ukufa nokulala.—Johane 11:11-14.

Manje, kuphakama omunye umbuzo.

Ingabe Bakhona Abantu Abalungile Abaya Ezulwini?

Yebo, abanye abantu abalungile bayaya ezulwini. Iqiniso elithakazelisa kakhulu ngabantu abalungile, noma amaKristu eqiniso, elingaziwa abantu abaningi abasontayo liwukuthi kunamaqembu amabili. Iqembu elincane liya ezulwini ukuyobusa noJesu Kristu, kuyilapho iqembu elikhulu liyojabulela ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni. Mhlawumbe lokhu kuyakumangaza. Ngakho-ke, masicabangele lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngalendaba ethakazelisayo.

Yayiyini injongo kaNkulunkulu yakuqala ngesintu? Lapho edala uAdamu noEva, ingabe wayehlose ukuba bajabulele ukuphila okwesikhashana ensimini yase-Edene bese befa futhi baye ezulwini? Cha. UNkulunkulu wabanikeza isabelo esikhethekile ngokuqondene nomhlaba, ethi: “Zalani, nande, nigcwalise umhlaba, niwunqobe, nibuse phezu kwezinhlanzi zolwandle, nezinyoni zezulu, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni.” (Genesise 1:28) Futhi uJehova akayiguquli injongo yakhe ayimisile. KuyiHubo 89:34, uthi: “Nokuphumileyo ezindebeni zami angiyikukuguqula.” Ngakho iPharadesi elinjengelase-Edene kumelwe libuyiselwe futhi lijatshulelwe izinceku ezithembekile zikaJehova—iqembu elikhulu okukhulunywe ngalo ngenhla.

Iqembu elincane linikezwa ilungelo elikhetheke kakhulu, elokubusa noKristu ezulwini. Ngamanye amazwi, liyohlanganyela noJesu ekubuseni abaphila emhlabeni. Lona uhulumeni woMbuso amaKristu awuthandazelayo emthandazweni weNkosi. Ngokuthakazelisayo, kulowomthandazo ofanayo, sithi: “Mayenziwe intando yakho emhlabeni njengasezulwini.”—Mathewu 6:9, 10.

Ingabe iBhayibheli liyakuveza ukuthi bangaki abayojabulela ilungelo elikhulu kunawo wonke lokubusa noKristu ezulwini? Yebo, liyakuveza. IsAmbulo isahluko 14, ivesi 1 sithi: “Ngase ngibona; bheka, iWundlu limi entabeni yaseSiyoni, kumi kanye nalo abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amane nane, benegama lalo negama likaYise lilotshwé emabunzini abo.” Khumbula ukuthi isAmbulo sisebenzisa imifanekiso eminingi, noma ‘izibonakaliso,’ njengoba kushiwo evesini lokuqala, isAmbulo 1:1. “IWundlu” linguJesu Kristu. (Qhathanisa noJohane 1:29.) Futhi iNtaba yaseSiyoni ayibhekiseli enhloko-dolobha engokombangazwe yakwaIsrayeli kodwa ‘eJerusalema lasezulwini.’—Heberu 12:22.

IsAmbulo isahluko 7 sisinikeza ukwaziswa ngakho kokubili iqembu lasezulwini neqembu lasemhlabeni esikhulume ngawo. Amavesi 4-8 akhuluma ngezi-144 000 ‘ezibekwe uphawu ezizweni zonke zabantwana bakwaIsrayeli.’ Lena ingenye indaba engokomfanekiso futhi esho u-Israyeli ongokomoya, noma ‘uIsrayeli kaNkulunkulu.’ (Galathiya 6:16) AmaRoma 2:29 athi: “UmJuda yilowo onguye ngaphakathi, nokusoka kungokwenhliziyo, ngomoya.” Ngokulandelayo isAmbulo 7:9 sichaza iqembu lasemhlabeni, sithi: “Bheka-ke, isixuku esikhulu ebesingenakubalwa-muntu, sivela kuzo zonke izizwe, nemindeni, nabantu, nezilimi.”

Abantu Abalungile Bayophila Emhlabeni

Izigidigidi zabantu abalungile ziyophila emhlabeni oyipharadesi. (Luka 23:43) Ungathanda yini ukuba phakathi kwazo? Yebo ubungathanda. Yeka ilungelo okuyoba yilo ukuhlala emhlabeni ohlanziwe ongenakungcola, indlala, ubugebengu, ukugula, ukuhlupheka, nesici esisabisayo sempi yenuzi! Ingabe ngempela iBhayibheli liyayibikezela into enjalo? Yebo, ngempela. Lithi: “Ababi bazakuchithwa, kepha abalindela uJehova bazakudla ifa lomhlaba. . . . Abathobekileyo bazakulidla ifa lomhlaba, bathokoze ngokuthula okukhulu. Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.”—IHubo 37:9, 11, 29; qhathanisa noMathewu 5:5.

Khona-ke, kuthiwani ngezingane eziye zafa? Ingabe nazo ziyobakhona emhlabeni oyiPharadesi? Aziyi eLimbo, engekho. Kodwa abantwana abasenkumbulweni kaNkulunkulu bayokhunjulwa ekuvukeni kwabafileyo—esinye sezithembiso ezimangalisayo eziseZwini likaNkulunkulu, njengoba kakade sesiphawulile. (Johane 5:28, 29; IzEnzo 24:15) Mhlawumbe ulahlekelwe abantu obathandayo ngokufa futhi ngokuvamile uzibuza ukuthi bakuphi manje. Ngokuvela emiBhalweni kusobala ukuthi balele, balinde uvuko. Ungathanda yini ukuthola ukwaziswa okwengeziwe ngalelithemba elimangalisayo lokuphila emhlabeni oyipharadesi? Uma kunjalo, kungani ungaxoxi noFakazi BakaJehova ngalezindaba lapho bevakashela kwakho ngokulandelayo?

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

Abanye abantu balungile bayaya ezulwini. Bangobani?

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

Wayekuphi uLazaru lapho efile?

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 7]

Photo taken at Brooklyn Botanic Garden