UMhlaba
Ingcaciso: Igama elithi “umhlaba” lisetyenziswa ngeendlela eziliqela eZibhalweni. Ngokuqhelekileyo sicinga ngalo libhekisela kwisijikelezi-langa ngokwaso, uYehova athe ngobubele wasifakela izinto ukuze sizimase ubomi babantu ngenjongo yokwenza ubomi bethu banelise ngokutyebileyo. Phofu ke, mayiqondwe into yokuba “umhlaba” usenokusetyenziswa kwanangengqiqo efuziselayo, ngokomzekelo, ubhekisela kubantu abahlala kwesi sijikelezi-langa okanye kwibutho elingabantu elineempawu ezithile.
Ngaba isijikelezi-langa uMhlaba siya kutshatyalaliswa kwimfazwe yenyukliya?
IBhayibhile iyibonisa iyintoni injongo kaThixo ngomhlaba?
Mat. 6:10: “Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenziwe ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengokuba kusenziwa emazulwini.”
INdu. 37:29: “Amalungisa aya kulidla ilifa ilizwe, ahlale kulo ngonaphakade.”
Bona kwaneNtshumayeli 1:4; INdumiso 104:5.
Ngaba linokwenzeka elokuba, ekubeni iintlanga zingenaluxabiso kangako ngenjongo kaThixo, zinokuwutshabalalisa ngokupheleleyo umhlaba ukuba ungamiwa?
Isa. 55:8-11: “[Utsho uYehova ukuthi:] Njengokuba izulu liwuphakamele umhlaba, ngokunjalo iindlela zam ziziphakamele iindlela zenu, neengcinga zam ziziphakamele iingcinga zenu. . . . Ilizwi lam . . . aliyi kubuyela kum lilambatha, lingakwenzanga endikuthandayo, lingakuphumelelisanga oko ndilithumela kuko.”
Isa. 40:15, 26: “Yabona [Ngokwembono kaYehova uThixo] iintlanga zibalelwa ekubeni zinjengethontsi emphandeni, njengesuntswana esikalini. Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, nibone [ilanga, inyanga namawaka ezigidi zeenkwenkwezi]: ngubani na owadala ezi zinto? Ngulokhupha umkhosi wazo ngamaqela, uzibiza zonke ziphela ngamagama, ngenxa yobukhulu bokomelela, ekhaliphile ngamandla; akusali nanye.” (Amandla enyukliya ayilwa ziintlanga ayankwantyisa kubantu. Kodwa amawaka ezigidi zeenkwenkwezi asebenzisa amandla enyukliya ngomlinganiselo ekunganzima gqitha ukuba siwuqonde. Ngubani owadala nolawula ezi ziqu zasezulwini? Ngaba Akanakuzithintela iintlanga ekusebenziseni izixhobo zazo zenyukliya ngendlela ebingathintela injongo yakhe? Elokuba uThixo uya kwenjenjalo liboniswe kukutshabalalisa kwakhe amandla omkhosi wamaYiputa xa uFaro wayefuna ukuthintela ukuhlangulwa kukaSirayeli.—Eks. 14:5-31.)
ISityhi. 11:17, 18: “Siyabulela kuwe, Nkosi, Thixo, Somandla, wena ukhoyo, wawukho, uzayo, kuba uwathabathile amandla akho amakhulu, waba nguKumkani. Iintlanga zaqumba, yeza ingqumbo yakho, leza nexesha . . . nelokonakalisa abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba.”
Ngaba uThixo uya kutshabalalisa umhlaba ngomlilo?
Ngaba eyesi-2 kaPetros 3:7, 10 iyayixhasa loo mbono? “Ke lona izulu langoku, nawo umhlaba lo, kwangelo lizwi ezo zinto ziqwetyelwe, zigcinelwe, umlilo, kuse kwimini yomgwebo nentshabalalo [“nokulahlekelwa ngumphefumlo,” KJ] yabantu abangahloneli Thixo. Iya kufika ke imini yeNkosi njengesela ebusuku, eliya kuthi ngayo izulu lidlule liqhuqhumba, zithi ke iziqalelo zitshe, zichithakale, nomhlaba nayo imisebenzi ekuwo itshiswe kuthi tu [“iya kuthi pheselele,” TEV; “iya kwenziwa ibonakale,” NAB; “iya kubekwa elubala,” NE; “iya kubhencwa,” NW].” (Phawula: ICodex Sinaiticus neVatican MS 1209, zombini zezenkulungwane yesi-4 C.E., zifundeka ngolu hlobo “ibhencwe.” Imibhalo-ngqangi yamva, iCodex Alexandrinus yenkulungwane yesi-5 nohlaziyo lweVulgate olwenziwa nguClement ngenkulungwane ye-16, ifundeka ngolu hlobo “itshiswe kuthi tu.”)
Ngaba ISityhilelo 21:1 sibonisa ukuba umhlaba wethu uya kutshatyalaliswa? “Ndabona izulu elitsha, nomhlaba omtsha; kuba elokuqala izulu nowokuqala umhlaba udlule, nolwandle alusekho.”
Ukuze ichane, ingcaciso yezi ndinyana imele ivumelane nomongo ndawonye neBhayibhile iphela
Ukuba ezi zibhalo (eyesi-2 kaPetros 3:7, 10 neSityhilelo 21:1) zithetha ukuba uMhlaba wokoqobo uza kutshiswa ngomlilo, ngoko amazulu okoqobo (inyanga nezinye iziqu zasezulwini) nawo aza kutshatyalaliswa ngomlilo. Phofu ke, ukujonga izinto ngokoqobo ngolo hlobo kuyangqubana nesiqinisekiso esikwizibhalo ezinjengoMateyu 6:10, INdumiso 37:29 neye-104:5, kwaneMizekeliso 2:21, 22, (AP). Ukongezelela, ubuya kuba nawuphi umphumo umlilo kwilanga esele ligqatsa gqitha kakade neenkwenkwezi? Ke igama elithi “umhlaba” kwizibhalo ezikhankanywe ngasentla limele liqondwe ngokwengqiqo eyahlukileyo.
KwiGenesis 11:1, eyokuQala yooKumkani 2:1, 2, ezokuQala iziKronike 16:31, INdumiso 96:1, (AP), njl., igama elithi “umhlaba” lisetyenziswa ngokwengqiqo efuziselayo, libhekisela eluntwini, kwibutho elingabantu. Ngaba bekungebi njalo nakweyesi-2 kaPetros 3:7, 10 neSityhilelo 21:1?
Phawula ukuba, kumongo, kweyesi-2 kaPetros 3:5, 6 (kwanesesi-2:5, 9), oku kufaniswa noNogumbe womhla kaNowa, ekwatshatyalaliswa kuwo ibutho elingendawo elingabantu, kodwa uNowa nendlu yakhe, kwanomhlaba ngokwawo basindiswa. Ngokukwanjalo, eyesi-2 kaPetros 3:7 ithi abo baza kutshatyalaliswa ‘ngabangahloneli Thixo.’ Imbono yokuba “umhlaba” apha ubhekisela kwibutho elingabantu abangendawo ivumelana ngokuzeleyo neBhayibhile iphela, njengoko kuboniswa zizibhalo eziboniswe ngasentla. Nguloo “mhlaba” wokomfuziselo, okanye ibutho elingabantu abangendawo, ‘otshiswa kuthi tu,’ oko kukuthi, uYehova uya kubhenca ngokungathi kungomlilo konke ukuhanahanisa, ebhenca ubungendawo bebutho elingabantu abangahloneli Thixo yaye elibonisa likufanelekele ukutshatyalaliswa ngokupheleleyo. Elo butho lingendawo labantu likwanguwo “owokuqala umhlaba,” ekubhekiselwe kuwo kwiSityhilelo 21:1.
Ngokuvisisana noko, amazwi kaYesu kuLuka 21:33 (AP) (“kodlula izulu nomhlaba. . . . ”) amele aqondwe ekukhanyeni kwenkcazelo efanayo ekuLuka 16:17 (“ke kulula ukuba lidlule izulu nomhlaba, kunokuba . . . ”), zombini ezibethelela nje ukungabi nakwenzeka kweemeko ezichazwayo.—Bona kwanoMateyu 5:18.
Ngaba amalungisa aya kufuduselwa ezulwini andule ke abuyiselwe emhlabeni ngemva kokutshatyalaliswa kwabangendawo?
Ngaba ISityhilelo 21:2, 3 sixhasa loo mbono? Sithi: “Ndawubona umzi ongcwele, iYerusalem entsha, usihla uvela kuThixo, uphuma emazulwini, ulungisiwe njengomtshakazi ehonjiselwe indoda yakhe. Ndeva izwi elikhulu liphuma emazulwini, lisithi: Yabona, umnquba lo kaThixo unabantu; uya kuhlala nabo emnqubeni; bona babe ngabantu bakhe, yena uThixo abe nabo, enguThixo wabo.” (Ngaba isibakala sokuba uThixo esiya “kuhlala” noluntu yaye “abe nabo” sithetha ukuba uya kuba Sisiqu esiyinyama? Akunakuba njalo, kuba uYehova waxelela uMoses wathi: “Akukho mntu undibona aphile.” [Eks. 33:20] Ngoko, ngokuvisisana noko, amalungu eYerusalem Entsha akayi kubuyela emhlabeni eziziqu eziyinyama. Ke, kungayiphi ingqiqo ekunokuthiwa uThixo ‘uba’ noluntu yaye iYerusalem Entsha ‘ihla njani iphuma emazulwini’? Ngokungathandabuzekiyo ingcaciso ifumaneka kwiGenesis 21:1, ethi uThixo “wamtyelela” uSara, emsikelela ngonyana ekwaluphaleni kwakhe. IEksodus 4:31 isixelela ukuba uThixo “wamtyelela” uSirayeli ngokuthumela uMoses njengomhlanguli. ULuka 7:16 uthi ngobulungiseleli bukaYesu uThixo “wabatyelela” abantu bakhe. [Konke kuphuma kwiKJ neRS] Ezinye iinguqululelo zisebenzisa ibinzana elithi uThixo ‘uyiphethulele ingqalelo yakhe’ ebantwini bakhe [NW] okanye ‘ubonise ukubaxhalabela’ [NE]. Ke ISityhilelo 21:2, 3 simele sithethe ukuba, uThixo uya ‘kubatyelela,’ okanye uya kuba noluntu ngeYerusalem Entsha yasezulwini, eziya kuza ngayo iintsikelelo kubantu abanentobelo.)
IMize. 2:21, 22: “Ngokuba abathe tye baya kulima ilizwe [“umhlaba,” NE], basale kulo abagqibeleleyo [‘abantu abangenakubekwa tyala,’ NE], banqunyulwe ezweni abangendawo, abanginizayo bancothulwe kulo.” (Phawula ukuba ayithi abangenakubekwa tyala baya kubuyela emhlabeni kodwa ithi “basale” kuwo.)
Ngaba injongo yantlandlolo kaThixo iguquliwe?
Gen. 1:27, 28: “Wamdala ke uThixo umntu ngokomfanekiselo wakhe; wamdala ngokomfanekiselo kaThixo; wadala indoda nenkazana. Wabasikelela uThixo, wathi kubo uThixo, Qhamani, nande, niwuzalise umhlaba niweyise; nibe nobukhosi ezintlanzini zolwandle, nasezintakeni zezulu, nasezintweni zonke eziphilileyo ezinambuzelayo emhlabeni.” (Ngaloo ndlela uThixo wabonisa ukuba injongo yakhe yayikukuba umhlaba uzaliswe ngenzala ka-Adam noEva njengabagcini beparadisi yomhlaba wonke. Akuba uThixo ewuyile ngokumangalisayo lo mhlaba ukuba uhlaliwe ngabantu, ewenza obalaseleyo kuzo zonke izijikelezi-langa ezikhe zahlolwa ngumntu ngezibona-khulu nangeziphekepheke zakhe, ngaba uMdali usuke nje wayilahla kwesinomhlwa injongo yakhe, eyiyeka ingazalisekiswanga ngonaphakade ngenxa yesono sika-Adam?)
Isa. 45:18: “Utsho uYehova, uMdali wezulu (nguye uThixo), uMenzi wehlabathi, uMseki walo, yena walizinzisayo (akalidalelanga ukuba kube senyanyeni, walibumba ukuba limiwe), ukuthi, NdinguYehova, akukho wumbi.” (Bona kwanoIsaya 55:10, 11.)
Ukuba kulungelelwaniso olutsha lukaThixo akukho namnye uya kuze afe, baya kwanela njani bonke emhlabeni?
Khumbula ukuba xa uThixo wavakalisa injongo yakhe ngomhlaba wathi: “Qhamani, nande, niwuzalise umhlaba.” (Gen. 1:28) UThixo wanika umntu amandla okuzala, yaye xa injongo Yakhe emayela noko izalisekisiwe Unokubangela ukuzala kunqunyanyiswe emhlabeni.
Ngabantu abaluhlobo luni abaya kubabalwa nguThixo ngobomi obungenasiphelo emhlabeni?
Zef. 2:3: “Funani uYehova, nonke balulamileyo belizwe, bakwenzileyo okusesikweni kwakhe; funani ubulungisa, funani ululamo, mhlawumbi nositheliswa ngemini yomsindo kaYehova.”
INdu. 37:9, 11: “Abamthembayo uYehova, baya kulidla ilifa ilizwe. . . . Ke bona abalulamileyo baya kulidla ilifa ilizwe, baziyolise ngobuninzi boxolo.”