Ingabe Umhlaba Wethu Uyoke Ubhujiswe?

INGABE wake wazibuza, ‘Liyini ikusasa lomhlaba wethu?’ Ngenxa yalokho abakubona kwehlela unozungezilanga wethu omuhle, abantu abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi umhlaba ngeke usinde.

Empeleni, namuhla umhlaba wonakaliswa ngokusetshenziswa kabi kwengcebo yawo, njengamanzi, amahlathi nomkhathi. Abanye ososayensi baxwayisa ngokuthi umhlaba nakho konke okuphila kuwo kusongelwa yizinto ezinjengetshe elikhulu eliwa emkhathini, inkanyezi ezoqhuma, noma ukuphela kwamandla e-hydrogen avela elangeni.

Ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi kancane kancane—mhlawumbe ngemva kwezigidi zeminyaka—umhlaba uyophelelwa amandla okusekela ukuphila. I-Encyclopædia Britannica ichaza lokhu ngokuthi “ukuthambekela esiyaluyalwini okungenakushintshwa.”

Ngokujabulisayo, iBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa ngokuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu ngeke avumele ukuba umhlaba wethu ubhujiswe noma ungahlalwa muntu. NjengoMdali, ‘unamandla ashukumisayo’ angenakulinganiswa, ngakho angayigcina ikhona phakade indawo yonke. (Isaya 40:26) Ngakho, ungathembela kula mazwi: “[UNkulunkulu] usekelé umhlaba phezu kwezindawo zawo ezimisiweyo; ngeke untengantengiswe kuze kube nini nanini, noma kuze kube phakade.” “Mdumiseni, nina langa nenyanga. Mdumiseni, nonke nina zinkanyezi zokukhanya. . . . Ngoba yena wayala, kwadalwa. Ukugcina kumi phakade.”—IHubo 104:5; 148:3-6.

Injongo KaNkulunkulu Ngomhlaba

Kwakungeyona neze injongo kaNkulunkulu ukuba umhlaba uphathwe kabi futhi ungcoliswe ngendlela ongayo namuhla. Kunalokho, uNkulunkulu wadala indoda nowesifazane bokuqala, u-Adamu no-Eva, futhi wababeka ensimini enhle. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ikhaya labo eliyiPharadesi lalingeke lihlale lilihle ngokuzenzekelayo. UNkulunkulu wabayala ukuba ‘balilime futhi balinakekele.’ (Genesise 2:8, 9, 15) Yeka umsebenzi ojabulisayo nowanelisayo uNkulunkulu awunika abazali bethu ababephelele!

Kodwa injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba yayihlanganisa okungaphezu nje kokunakekela insimu yokuqala. Wayefuna wonke umhlaba ukuba uguqulwe ube ipharadesi. Yingakho uNkulunkulu anika u-Adamu no-Eva lo myalo: “Zalani nande nigcwalise umhlaba niwunqobe, nithotshelwe yizinhlanzi zolwandle nezidalwa ezindizayo zamazulu nazo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezihamba phezu komhlaba.”—Genesise 1:28.

Ngokudabukisayo, injongo kaNkulunkulu yaphikiswa yingelosi eqhoshayo eyagcina yaziwa ngokuthi uSathane. Yayifuna ukukhulekelwa u-Adamu no-Eva. Ekhuluma ngenyoka, uSathane wabenza bavukela ukubusa kukaNkulunkulu. (Genesise 3:1-6; IsAmbulo 12:9) Kumelwe ukuba ukuntula kwabo ukwazisa ngendlela enobugovu kwamzwisa ubuhlungu obukhulu uMdali wabo! Kodwa into ukuvukela kwabo okungazange kuyishintshe kwakuyinjongo kaJehova uNkulunkulu ngomhlaba. Uthi: ‘Izwi lami eliphuma emlonyeni wami ngeke libuyele kimi lingabanga namiphumela, kodwa ngokuqinisekile liyokwenza lokho engikujabulelayo, futhi liyophumelela ngokuqinisekile kulokho engilithumele kona.’—Isaya 55:11.

Ngesizathu esihle, uJehova uye wavumela ukuvukela kukaSathane ukuba kuqhubeke kuze kube namuhla. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, isintu siye sazama izinhlobo ezihlukene zokuzibusa, futhi imiphumela iye yafakazela ukuthi ukuzibusa ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu, okwakhuthazwa nguSathane, kuhluleke ngokuphelele.a—Jeremiya 10:23.

Okuhle ukuthi phakathi nezinkulungwane zeminyaka edlule, uNkulunkulu uye wababusisa abantu abaqotho. Ugcine naseBhayibhelini umlando wemiphumela yokulalela uNkulunkulu noma ukwenqaba ukubusa kwakhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJehova wenze izinto ezimangalisayo ezizosizuzisa esikhathini esizayo. Ngothando, unike isintu uMsindisi ngokuthumela iNdodana yakhe ethandekayo, uJesu Kristu, ukuba azosifundisa indlela engcono kakhulu yokuphila futhi anikele ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yethu. (Johane 3:16) Ngenxa yokuthi uJesu wayengakufanelekele ukufa, uNkulunkulu uye wasebenzisa ukufa kwakhe njengesisekelo esifanele sokuthenga lokho u-Adamu no-Eva abakulahla, okuwukuthi, ithemba lokuphila phakade epharadesi lomhlaba wonke.b Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova uNkulunkulu umise uhulumeni wasezulwini ozobusa sonke isintu, futhi umise iNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu ovusiwe, njengeNkosi yalowo Mbuso. Leli lungiselelo elimangalisayo liyoqinisekisa ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba iyafezeka.—Mathewu 6:9, 10.

Ngakho, ungathembela ngokuqinisekile kulezi zithembiso ezinhle ezilotshwe eBhayibhelini: “Abenzi bokubi bazonqunywa, kodwa abathemba uJehova yibo abayodla ifa lomhlaba. Abalungile bayokudla ifa lomhlaba, futhi bayohlala kuwo kuze kube phakade.” “‘Bheka! Itende likaNkulunkulu likanye nabantu, uyohlala nabo, babe ngabantu bakhe. UNkulunkulu ngokwakhe uyoba nabo. Uyosula zonke izinyembezi emehlweni abo, ukufa ngeke kusaba khona, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu ngeke kusaba khona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlulile.’ Lowo ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi wathi: ‘Bheka! Ngenza konke kube kusha.’”—IHubo 37:9, 29; IsAmbulo 21:3-5.

IBhayibheli Aliziphikisi

Kodwa abanye bangase babuze, ‘Singawavumelanisa kanjani amavesi eBhayibheli acashunwe ngenhla namanye amavesi abonakala ekhuluma ngokuphela komhlaba okuzayo?’ Ake sicabangele izibonelo ezithile. Ukuhlola okunjalo kuzobonisa ukuthi iBhayibheli aliziphikisi.

Esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba ososayensi baqaphele ukuthi zonke izinto eziphilayo ‘zithambekele esiyaluyalwini esingenakushintshwa,’ umhubi weBhayibheli wabhala: “[Nkulunkulu] wabeka izisekelo zomhlaba ngokwawo, futhi amazulu awumsebenzi wezandla zakho. Kona kuyoshabalala, kodwa wena uyoqhubeka umile; konke kuyoguga njengengubo nje. Njengengubo nje uyobeka okunye esikhundleni sako, futhi kuyophelelwa isikhathi sako. Kodwa wena ulokhu unjalo, futhi iminyaka yakho ngeke iphele.”—IHubo 102:25-27.

Lapho ebhala la magama, umhubi wayengaphikisani nenjongo kaNkulunkulu yaphakade ngomhlaba. Kunalokho, wayeqhathanisa ukuba khona phakade kukaNkulunkulu nokushabalala kwazo zonke izinto uNkulunkulu azidalile. Ngaphandle kwamandla kaNkulunkulu aphakade okuvuselela izinto, indawo yonke—kuhlanganise nesimiso sonozungezilanga esithembele kuso ukuze siphile, sithole ukukhanya namandla—yayiyoba sesiyaluyalwini esikhulu futhi ekugcineni ibhubhe. Ngakho, uma ubungashiywa wodwa, umhlaba wethu ‘ubuyoguga,’ noma uphele nyá.

Kunamanye amavesi emiBhalweni angase abonakale sengathi aphikisana nenjongo kaNkulunkulu echaziwe ngomhlaba, uma udlulisa nje amehlo. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli lithi izulu nomhlaba ‘kuyadlula.’ (IsAmbulo 21:1) Ngokuqinisekile la mazwi awaphikisani nesithembiso sikaJesu, esithi: “Bayajabula abanomoya omnene, ngoba bayokudla ifa lomhlaba.” (Mathewu 5:5) Pho, lisho ukuthini iBhayibheli lapho lithi izulu nomhlaba ‘kuzodlula’?

IBhayibheli livame ukusebenzisa inkulumo ethi “umhlaba” ngendlela engokomfanekiso, liqonde umphakathi wesintu. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela ivesi elilandelayo: “Umhlaba wonke waqhubeka unolimi olulodwa neqoqo elilodwa lamagama.” (Genesise 11:1) Ngokusobala, elithi “umhlaba” lapha libhekisela kubantu abaphila emhlabeni. Esinye isibonelo yiHubo 96:1, ngokweBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile, elifundeka kanje: “Nihlabelele kuJehova, mhlaba wonke.” Ngokusobala, kuleli vesi namanye amaningi, igama elithi “umhlaba” lisetshenziswa ngendlela engokomfanekiso ukuze libhekisele kubantu.—IHubo 96:13.

Ngezinye izikhathi iBhayibheli lifanisa imibuso ebusa emhlabeni namazulu noma izindikimba zezulu. Ngokwesibonelo, ababusi baseBhabhiloni abacindezelayo babechazwa njengezinkanyezi ngenxa yokuthi babeziphakamisa ngaphezu kwabantu ababazungezile. (Isaya 14:12-14) Njengoba kwabikezelwa, “amazulu” aseBhabhiloni angokomfanekiso, noma isigaba esibusayo, kanye “nomhlaba,” abantu abasekela lokho kubusa, kwaphela ngo-539 B.C.E. (Isaya 51:6) Lokhu kwavumela amaJuda aphendukile ukuba abuyele eJerusalema, lapho “amazulu amasha,” indikimba entsha ebusayo, abusa khona phezu “komhlaba omusha,” umphakathi wabantu olungileyo.—Isaya 65:17.

Amazwi eBhayibheli ‘ngokudlula’ kwezulu nomhlaba kubonakala ebhekisela ekupheleni kohulumeni babantu abonakele banamuhla nabasekeli babo abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu. (2 Petru 3:7) Lokho kuyovula indlela yokuba uhulumeni omusha kaNkulunkulu wasezulwini ubusise umphakathi wesintu omusha olungile, ngoba “kukhona amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha esikulindele ngokwesithembiso [sikaNkulunkulu] , futhi kukho kuyohlala ukulunga.”—2 Petru 3:13.

Ngakho, ungaba nokholo esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu sokuthi ikhaya lethu elingumhlaba liyohlala phakade. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli libonisa lokho okumelwe ukwenze ukuze ujabulele leso sikhathi esijabulisayo lapho umhlaba uyoshintshwa khona ube ipharadesi lomhlaba wonke. UJesu wathi: “Lokhu kusho ukuphila okuphakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nangalowo omthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.” (Johane 17:3) Kungani ungakwenzi umgomo wakho ukuhlola lokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo ngekusasa lomhlaba nesintu? OFakazi BakaJehova endaweni yakini bayokujabulela ukukusiza kule ndaba.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 12]

IBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi ikhaya lethu elingumhlaba liyohlala phakade

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 10]

Background globe: NASA/The Visible Earth (http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/); polar bear: © Bryan and Cherry Alexander Photography