Ukuphila Okusha Kokhokho Bethu

INGABE iZwi likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli, lifundisa ukuthi abantu bonke njengokuvamile badlulela ekuphileni okuqhubekayo endaweni yemimoya lapho befa? Cha, alikufundisi. IBhayibheli linikeza ithemba elimangalisayo lokuphila ngemva kokufa, kodwa hhayi ngendlela abaningi abacabanga ukuthi lenza ngayo.

Cabangela lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngokhokho wethu wokuqala, u-Adamu. UJehova wambumba “ngomhlabathi.” (Genesise 2:7) U-Adamu wayenethuba lokuphila phakade ngenjabulo emhlabeni. (Genesise 2:16, 17) Nokho, wahlubuka kuMdali wakhe onothando, futhi umphumela waba ukufa.

U-Adamu wayaphi lapho efa? UNkulunkulu wathi kuye: “[Uyakubuyela] emhlabathini, lokhu wathathwa kuwo; ngokuba ungumhlabathi, uyakuphenduka umhlabathi.”—Genesise 3:19.

Wayekuphi u-Adamu ngaphambi kokuba uJehova amdale ngothuli? Wayengekho. Wayengaphili. Ngakho lapho uJehova ethi u-Adamu ‘wayeyobuyela emhlabathini,’ kumelwe ukuba wayemane nje esho ukuthi u-Adamu wayeyophinde abe ongaphili, njengothuli. U-Adamu akazange ‘awelele ngaphesheya’ ukuyoba umsunguli wezwe lemimoya yokhokho. Akazange adlulele ekuphileni kwenjabulo ephelele ezulwini noma ekuhluphekeni okuphakade endaweni yokuhlushwa. Okuwukuphela kokuguquka akwenza kwakuwukusuka esimweni sokuphila kuya kwesokungaphili, ukusuka esimweni sokuba khona kuya esimweni sokungabibikho.

Kuthiwani ngesintu sisonke? Ingabe inzalo ka-Adamu nayo iyapheza ukuphila lapho ifa? IBhayibheli liyaphendula: “Konke [abantu nezilwane] kuya endaweni inye; konke kuvela othulini, konke kubuyela othulini.”—UmShumayeli 3:19, 20.

Isimo Sabafile

Yebo, abafile abaphili, abakwazi ukuzwa, ukubona, ukukhuluma, noma ukucabanga. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli lithi: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa, kepha abafileyo abazi-lutho . . . Uthando lwabo, nokuzonda kwabo, nomhawu wabo sekuphelile.” IBhayibheli libuye lithi: “Akukho-msebenzi, namcabango, nakwazi, nakuhlakanipha endaweni yabafileyo [ithuna], lapho uya khona.”—UmShumayeli 9:5, 6, 10.

Ngakho-ke, ngokweZwi likaNkulunkulu, lapho besaphila, abantu bayazi ngokufa. Nokho, lapho befa abazi lutho. Abami eceleni kwezidumbu zabo, bebheke okwenziwa kuzo. Esimweni sokungabibikho akunanjabulo noma ubuhlungu, ukwenama noma usizi. Labo abafile abazi lutho ngokudlula kwesikhathi. Isimo sabo esokungazi esingaphezu kwanoma ikuphi ukulala.

UJobe, inceku kaNkulunkulu ezikhathini zasendulo, wayazi ukuthi abantu babengaqhubeki bephila ngemva kokufa. Wayeqonda futhi ukuthi ngaphandle kokungenela kukaNkulunkulu, lalingenakuba khona ithemba lokubuyela ekuphileni. UJobe wathi: ‘Umuntu ofileyo uphelile; umuntu ogqabukileyo uphi na? Ulala phansi, angabe esavuka.’ (Jobe 14:10, 12) Ngokuqinisekile uJobe akazange alindele ukuthi lapho efa wayeyohlangana nokhokho bakhe ezweni lemimoya.

Ithemba Lovuko

Njengoba abaphilayo bepheza ukuba khona lapho befa, umbuzo obalulekile yilowo uJobe awuphakamisa lapho eqhubeka ebuza: “Uma umuntu efa, uyakubuye aphile na?” UJobe ngokwakhe wanikeza lempendulo: “Bengiyakulinda zonke izinsuku zomshikashika [isikhathi ngisethuneni] wami, kuze kufike ukumuka kwami. Ubuyakubiza [Jehova], mina ngiphendule; ubuyakulangazelela umsebenzi wezandla zakho.”—Jobe 14:14, 15.

Ngamanye amazwi, nakuba uJobe ayeyodlulela esimweni sokungabibikho, uNkulunkulu wayengenakumkhohlwa. UJobe wayenokholo lokuthi kwakuyofika isikhathi lapho uJehova uNkulunkulu ‘eyombizela’ ekuphileni ngovuko.

UJesu Kristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wabonisa ukuthi ithemba likaJobe ovukweni lalingokoqobo. UJesu wabonisa ukuthi abafile bangavuswa. Kanjani? Ngokuthi abavuse! Wayengezelanga ukuzovusa uJobe, kodwa lapho esemhlabeni uJesu wavusa indodana yomfelokazi wasemzini waseNayini. UJesu wabuye wavusela ekuphileni indodakazi yomuntu okuthiwa uJayiru eneminyaka engu-12 ubudala. Futhi wavusa umngane wakhe uLazaru, owayesefe izinsuku ezine.—Luka 7:11-15; 8:41, 42, 49-56; Johane 11:38-44.

Ngaphezu kokwenza lezizimangaliso, uJesu wakhuluma ngovuko olukhulu lwesikhathi esizayo. Wathi: “Ihora liyeza lapho bonke abasemathuneni ayisikhumbuzo beyozwa khona izwi layo futhi baphume.” (Johane 5:28, 29) Kamuva, umphostoli uPawulu, lowo uJehova amsebenzisa ukuvusa insizwa ethile, naye wazwakalisa ukukholelwa ovukweni lwesikhathi esizayo. Wathi: “Nginethemba kuNkulunkulu . . . lokuthi luyoba khona uvuko kokubili olwabalungileyo nabangalungile.”—IzEnzo 20:7-12; 24:15.

Lezizikhombo ezingokomBhalo ezikhuluma ngovuko lwesikhathi esizayo azibhekiseli ekuphileni okuqhubekayo endaweni yemimoya. Zibhekisela esikhathini lapho izigidi zabafile ziyobuyela ekuphileni ngemizimba yenyama khona lapha emhlabeni. Laba abavusiwe abanakuba abantu abangenankumbulo yokuphila kwabo kwangaphambili emhlabeni. Ngeke bazalwe kabusha njengezinsana. Kunalokho, bayoba abantu ababeyibo lapho befa, benenkumbulo nobuntu obufanayo. Bayozibona futhi babonwe nangabanye. Yeka injabulo okuyoba yiyo njengoba lababantu bephinda behlangana nabangane nemikhaya yabo! Futhi yeka ukuthi kuyojabulisa kanjani ukuhlangana nokhokho bethu!

Ukuvuselwa Ekuphileni Kwasezulwini

Akashongo yini uJesu ukuthi abathile babeyokuya ezulwini? Yebo, washo. Ngobusuku bangaphambi kokubulawa kwakhe, wathi: “Endlini kaBaba kukhona izindawo zokuhlala eziningi. . . . Ngiyahamba ngiyonilungisela indawo. Futhi, uma ngihamba nginilungisela indawo, ngiyobuye ngize futhi ngizonamukela ekhaya kimi, ukuze kuthi lapho ngikhona nani nibe khona.” (Johane 14:2, 3) UJesu wayekhuluma nabaphostoli bakhe abathembekile, kodwa amazwi akhe awasho ukuthi bonke abantu abalungile baya ezulwini.

UJesu wabonisa ukuthi labo abavuselwa ezulwini kumelwe bahlangabezane nezimfuneko kunokumane nje baphile ukuphila okuhle. Enye imfuneko iwukuba nolwazi olunembile ngoJehova nezinjongo zakhe. (Johane 17:3) Ezinye izimfuneko ziwukuba nokholo emhlatshelweni kaJesu Kristu wesihlengo nokulalela uNkulunkulu. (Johane 3:16; 1 Johane 5:3) Ngaphezu kwalokho, enye imfuneko ‘iwukuphindukuzalwa’ njengomKristu obhapathiziwe ozelwe ngomoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu. (Johane 1:12, 13; 3:3-6) Enye imfuneko yokuphila kwasezulwini iwukukhuthazela njengoba kwenza uJesu, uzibonakalisa uthembekile kuNkulunkulu kuze kube sekufeni.—Luka 22:29; IsAmbulo 2:10.

Kunesizathu sezimfuneko ezinjalo eziphakeme. Labo abavuselwa ezulwini banomsebenzi obalulekile abayowenza. UJehova wayazi ukuthi ohulumeni babantu babengasoze bazisingatha ngokuphumelelayo izindaba emhlabeni. Ngakho walungiselela uhulumeni wasezulwini, noma uMbuso, oyobusa phezu kwesintu. (Mathewu 6:9, 10) UJesu wayeyoba iNkosi yalowoMbuso. (Daniyeli 7:13, 14) Abathile abakhethwe emhlabeni futhi bavuselwa ezulwini babeyobusa naye. IBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi laba abavusiwe babeyoba “umbuso nabapristi kuNkulunkulu wethu, futhi [babeyobusa] njengamakhosi phezu komhlaba.”—IsAmbulo 5:10.

Ingabe inani elikhulu labantu laliyohlangabezana nalezizimfuneko zokuvuselwa ezulwini? Cha. Ngenxa yamaphutha okungewona awabo, abaningi balabo abalele ekufeni abafaneleki. Abaningi baye baba nethuba elincane lokufunda iqiniso ngoJehova nezinjongo zakhe noma abazange babe nalo nhlobo. Baphila futhi bafa bengenalwazi ngoJesu Kristu noma ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.

UJesu wababiza ngokuthi ‘umhlambi omncane’ labo ababeyokuya ezulwini. (Luka 12:32) Kamuva kwembulwa ukuthi inani lalabo “abathengwe emhlabeni” ukuba bayobusa noKristu ezulwini laliyoba ngu-144 000. (IsAmbulo 14:1-3; 20:6) Nakuba inani elingu-144 000 lilikhulu ngokwanele ukungena ‘kulezizindawo zokuhlala eziningi’ uJesu abhekisela kuzo, lincane uma liqhathaniswa nezinkulungwane zezigidi zabantu abavela ku-Adamu.—Johane 14:2.

Izenzakalo Zangaphambi Kovuko Lwasemhlabeni

Ake sibukeze lokho esesixoxe ngakho kuze kube manje. NgokweBhayibheli, abafayo abaphili ekufeni kuze kube yilapho bevuswa uJehova uNkulunkulu. Abanye bavuselwa ekuphileni kwasezulwini, lapho beyobusa khona noJesu Kristu kuhulumeni woMbuso. Abantu abaningi bayovuselwa emhlabeni, ukuze babe izikhonzi zalowoMbuso.

Ngokwengxenye, esebenzisa uvuko lwasemhlabeni, uJehova uyofeza injongo yakhe ngomhlaba. UJehova wawudala “ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo.” (Isaya 45:18) Kwakufanele ube yikhaya lesintu elihlala njalo. Ngenxa yalokho, umhubi wahlabelela: “Izulu liyizulu likaJehova, kepha umhlaba wawunika abantwana babantu.”—IHubo 115:16.

Ngaphambi kokuba ukuvuselwa ekuphileni kwasemhlabeni kuqale, kumelwe kwenzeke ushintsho olukhulu. Cishe uzovuma ukuthi kwakungeyona injongo kaNkulunkulu ukuba umhlaba ugcwaliswe yimpi, ukungcola, ubugebengu, nobudlova. Lezizinkinga zibangelwa abantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu nemithetho yakhe yokulunga. Ngakho-ke, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ‘uyochitha labo abachitha umhlaba’—isinyathelo esikhulu sokwenza ukuba intando yakhe yenziwe emhlabeni. (IsAmbulo 11:18) UMbuso uyobhubhisa bonke abantu ababi, ushiye abalungile ukuba baphile emhlabeni phakade.—IHubo 37:9, 29.

Ipharadesi Emhlabeni

Labo abavuselwa emhlabeni ohlanziwe kuyoba abantu abanomoya omnene, abakhathalelayo abenza okulungile. (Qhathanisa noMathewu 5:5.) Ngaphansi kokuqondisa kothando koMbuso kaNkulunkulu, bayophila ukuphila okujabulisayo belondekile. IBhayibheli linikeza lamazwi ayisandulela esimangalisayo sezimo eziyoba khona ngalesosikhathi: “[UNkulunkulu] uyosula zonke izinyembezi emehlweni aso, futhi ukufa ngeke kusaba khona, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu ngeke kusaba khona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlulile.”—IsAmbulo 21:4.

Yebo, umhlaba uyoguqulwa ube ipharadesi. (Luka 23:43) Cabanga ukuthi lokho kuyosho ukuthini! Izibhedlela nezindawo zokunakekela abagugile nababuthakathaka kuyobe kungasenalusizo. EPharadesi, labo manje abahlushwa imiphumela yokuguga bayophinde babe namandla nempilo enhle. (Jobe 33:25; Isaya 35:5, 6) Ngeke zisaba khona izindawo zokugcina izidumbu, amangcwaba, namatshe amathuna. NgoMbuso wakhe, uJehova “uyakugwinya ukufa kuze kube-phakade.” (Isaya 25:8) Izibusiso ezinjalo ngokuqinisekile zingasho ukuphila okusha kithi nakokhokho bethu.

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Labo abayovuswa emhlabeni bayoba izikhonzi zoMbuso