Ingxelo KaNowa—Ngaba Inentsingiselo Kuthi?

NGOXA wayenikela isiprofeto ngomqondiso wobukho bakhe nangokupheliswa kwale nkqubo yezinto, uYesu wathi: “Kanye njengokuba yayinjalo imihla kaNowa, buya kuba njalo ubukho boNyana womntu.” (Mateyu 24:3, 37) Ngokucacileyo, uYesu waxela kwangaphambili ukuba oko kwenzeka kumhla wethu kuyafana noko kwenzekayo ngexesha likaNowa. Ingxelo enokuthenjwa nechanileyo ngeziganeko zomhla kaNowa inokuba yexabiseke gqitha.

Ngaba ingxelo kaNowa ngokwenene ixabisekile? Ngaba bukho ubungqina bokuba iyingxelo yokwenene yembali? Ngaba ngokwenene sinokubona ixesha owabakho ngalo uMkhukula?

Wabakho Nini UMkhukula?

IBhayibhile inikela ingxelo ngokulandelelana kwamaxesha esenza sikwazi ukubona ixesha lokuqalisa kwembali yabantu. KwiGenesis 5:1-29, kukho umlibo wokuzalwa osusela ekudalweni komntu wokuqala, uAdam, ukusa ekuzalweni kukaNowa. UNogumbe waqalisa “kunyaka wamakhulu amathandathu wobomi bukaNowa.”—Genesis 7:11.

Ukuze sifumane ixesha lokubakho koMkhukula, sifanele siqale sifumane unyaka obalulekileyo. Oko kuthetha ukuba, sifanele siqale kunyaka owamkelekileyo kwimbali yehlabathi nohambelana nesiganeko esithile esibhalwe eBhayibhileni. Ngokusuka kuloo nyaka, sinokubala size sazi ixesha owabakho ngalo uMkhukula ngokusekelwe kwikhalenda kaGregory esetyenziswayo namhlanje.

Omnye unyaka obalulekileyo ngowama-539 B.C.E., unyaka uKumkani wasePersi uKoreshi awabhukuqa ngawo iBhabhiloni. Imbali yexesha lokulawula kwakhe iquka amacwecwe aseBhabhiloni namaxwebhu kaDiodorus, ka-Africanus, kaEusebius nakaPtolemy. Ngenxa yomyalelo kaKoreshi, intsalela yamaYuda yanduluka eBhabhiloni yaza yafika kwilizwe layo ngowama-537 B.C.E. Eso yayisisiphelo sokuphanziswa kwamaYuda iminyaka engama-70, ngokutsho kwengxelo yeBhayibhile, nto leyo eyaqala ngowama-607 B.C.E. Ngokuquka ixesha lokulawula kwabagwebi nookumkani bakwaSirayeli, sinokubona ukuba IMfuduko yamaSirayeli ukusuka eYiputa yaqala ngowe-1513 B.C.E. Ukulandelelana kwamaxesha eBhayibhile kusibuyisela emva kweminye iminyaka engama-430 yokwenziwa komnqophiso noAbraham ngowe-1943 B.C.E. Emva koko simele sibale ixesha lokuzalwa nelokuphila kukaTera, uNahore, uSerugi, uRewu, uPelege, uEbhere noShela, kwakunye noArpakhishadi, owazalwa “kwiminyaka emibini emva konogumbe.” (Genesis 11:10-32) Ngenxa yoko sinokuthi uMkhukula waqala ngonyaka wama-2370 B.C.E.a

Ukuqalisa KoMkhukula

Ngaphambi kokuba sihlolisise iziganeko zomhla kaNowa, mhlawumbi unokufunda iGenesis isahluko 7 indinyana 11 ukusa kwisahluko 8 indinyana 4. Ngokuphathelele le mvula inkulu, sixelelwa oku: “Kunyaka wamakhulu amathandathu wobomi bukaNowa [ngowama-2370 B.C.E.], kwinyanga yesibini, ngosuku lweshumi elinesixhenxe enyangeni leyo, ngalo olu suku yagqabhuka yonke imithombo emikhulu yamanzi anzongonzongo aza avuleka namasango ezikhukula asemazulwini.”—Genesis 7:11.

UNowa wawahlulahlula unyaka waba ziinyanga ezili-12 ezineentsuku ezingama-30 inye. Kumaxesha amandulo, inyanga yokuqala yayiqalisa malunga nasembindini wekhalenda yethu kwinyanga kaSeptemba. Umkhukula waqalisa “kwinyanga yesibini, ngosuku lweshumi elinesixhenxe enyangeni leyo” waza waqhubeka kangangeentsuku ezingama-40 nobusuku obungama-40 ebudeni benyanga kaNovemba noDisemba ngowama-2370 B.C.E.

Ngokuphathelele uNogumbe, kwakhona sixelelwa ukuba: “Amanzi aqhubeka ewongamele umhlaba iintsuku ezilikhulu elinamashumi amahlanu. . . . Yaye aqalisa ukuhla amanzi emhlabeni, aye esihla ngokuhla; ada aphela amanzi ekupheleni kweentsuku ezilikhulu elinamashumi amahlanu. Kwaza ke ngenyanga yesixhenxe, ngosuku lweshumi elinesixhenxe enyangeni leyo, umkhombe wema kwiintaba zeArarati.” (Genesis 7:24–8:4) Ngoko ke ixesha elisusela xa amanzi ongamele umhlaba ukusa kwixesha ehla ngawo yayiziintsuku ezili-150, okanye iinyanga ezintlanu. Ngoko ke umkhombe wama kwiintaba zeArarati ngoMatshi wama-2369 B.C.E.

Ngoku sicela ukuba ufunde iGenesis 8:5-17. Iincopho zeentaba zabonakala phantse kwiinyanga ezimbini ezinesiqingatha (iintsuku ezingama-73) kamva, “ngenyanga yeshumi [ngoJuni], ngosuku lokuqala enyangeni leyo.” (Genesis 8:5)b Kwiinyanga ezintathu (iintsuku ezingama-90) kamva—“ngonyaka wamakhulu amathandathu ananye, ngenyanga yokuqala, ngosuku lokuqala enyangeni leyo” kaNowa, okanye phakathi kukaSeptemba, ngowama-2369 B.C.E.—uNowa wasisusa isigqubuthelo somkhombe. Ngoko ke wayenokubona ukuba “komile phezu komhlaba.” (Genesis 8:13) Emva kwenyanga neentsuku ezingama-27 (iintsuku ezingama-57) kamva, “ngenyanga yesibini, ngosuku lwamashumi amabini anesixhenxe enyangeni leyo [phakathi kuNovemba, 2369 B.C.E.], umhlaba wawusele womile.” Ngoko ke uNowa nentsapho yakhe baphuma emkhombeni baza baphumela kumhlaba owomileyo. Ngenxa yoko, uNowa nabanye bachitha unyaka neentsuku ezilishumi (iintsuku ezingama-370) emkhombeni.—Genesis 8:14.

Ezi ngxelo zingqalileyo zibandakanya iziganeko, iinkcukacha namaxesha zingqina ntoni? Zingqina ukuba: Umprofeti ongumHebhere uMoses, ekubonakala ukuba wasekela incwadi yeGenesis kwiingxelo awayezifumene, wayexela into eyenzekayo, kungekhona intsomi. Ngoko ke uNogumbe unentsingiselo ebalulekileyo kuthi namhlanje.

Abanye Ababhali Beencwadi ZeBhayibhile Babewujonga Njani Umkhukula?

Ukongezelela kwingxelo yeGenesis, iBhayibhile inezinye iingxelo ezininzi ezingoNowa okanye uNogumbe. Ngokomzekelo:

(1) Umphengululi uEzra waquka uNowa noonyana bakhe (uShem, uHam, noYafete) kumlibo wokuzalwa wohlanga lwakwaSirayeli.—1 Kronike 1:4-17.

(2) Ugqirha nombhali weVangeli uLuka waquka uNowa xa wayebhala uludwe lookhokho bakaYesu Kristu.—Luka 3:36.

(3) Umpostile uPetros uthetha ngoMkhukula izihlandlo eziliqela xa ebhalela amanye amaKristu.—2 Petros 2:5; 3:5, 6.

(4) Umpostile uPawulos uthetha ngokholo olwabonakaliswa nguNowa xa wakha uMkhombe wokusindisa intsapho yakhe.—Hebhere 11:7.

Ngaba kukho isizathu sokuthandabuza ukuba aba babhali beBhayibhile baphefumlelweyo bayamkela ingxelo yeGenesis engoMkhukula? Ngokungathandabuzekiyo bayigqala njengesiganeko sokwenene.

UYesu NoMkhukula

UYesu Kristu waphila ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumntu. (IMizekeliso 8:30, 31) Wayesisidalwa sokomoya ezulwini ebudeni boMkhukula. Ngoko ke, njengengqina lokuzibonela uYesu uyasiqinisekisa ngokusuka eZibhalweni ngoNowa nangoNogumbe. UYesu wathi: “Kuba kanye njengokuba yayinjalo imihla kaNowa, buya kuba njalo ubukho boNyana womntu. Kuba njengokuba babenjalo ngaloo mihla yangaphambi komkhukula, besidla, besela, amadoda etshata namabhinqa etshatiswa, de kwaba yimini awangena ngayo uNowa emkhombeni; kwaye abazange banikele ngqalelo de wafika umkhukula waza wabatshayela bonke, nobukho boNyana womntu buya kuba njalo.”—Mateyu 24:37-39.

Ngaba uYesu wayenokusebenzisa intsomi ukusilumkisa ngesiphelo sale nkqubo yezinto esizayo? Nakanye! Sinentembelo ukuba wasebenzisa umzekelo wokwenene wokuphunyezwa komgwebo kaThixo kwabangendawo. Ewe, abantu abaninzi bafa, kodwa sinokuthuthuzeleka ukwazi ukuba uNowa nentsapho yakhe basindiswa ebudeni boMkhukula.

“Imihla kaNowa” ibaluleke gqitha kwabo baphilayo namhlanje, ebudeni ‘bobukho boNyana womntu,’ uYesu Kristu. Njengoko sifunda ingxelo eneenkcukacha ngoMkhukula owenzeka ehlabathini lonke egcinwe kwingxelo kaNowa, sinokuqiniseka ukuba leyo yingxelo yokwenene embalini. Yaye ingxelo yeGenesis engoNogumbe ephefumlelwe nguThixo inentsingiselo enkulu kuthi. Kanye njengokuba uNowa, noonyana bakhe, nabafazi babo baba nokholo ukuba uThixo uya kubasindisa, nathi namhlanje sinokukhuselwa nguYehova ngenxa yokholo lwethu kwidini likaYesu lentlawulelo. (Mateyu 20:28) Ngaphezu koko, sinokuba nethemba lokuba siya kuba phakathi kwabo baya kusinda ekupheleni kwale nkqubo yezinto ingendawo, kanye njengokuba ingxelo kaNowa ibonisa ukuba yena nentsapho yakhe, basinda kuMkhukula owazisa isiphelo kwihlabathi elingahloneli Thixo lelo xesha.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 5]

Ngaba Baphila Iminyaka Emininzi Kangako?

IBHAYIBHILE ithi: “Iyonke imihla kaNowa yaba ngamakhulu asithoba anamashumi amahlanu eminyaka waza wafa.” (Genesis 9:29) Utat’ omkhulu kaNowa uMethusela waphila iminyaka engama-969—oyena mntu owaphila ixesha elide embalini. Izizukulwana ezilishumi ukususela kuAdam ukusa kuNowa ubuncinane zaphila iminyaka engaphezu kwama-850. (Genesis 5:5-31) Kutheni abantu belo xesha babephila iminyaka emininzi kangaka?

Injongo kaThixo yantlandlolo yayikukuba abantu baphile ngonaphakade. Umntu wokuqala, uAdam, wadalwa enelungelo lokuba nobomi obungenasiphelo ukuba wayeza kuthobela uThixo. (Genesis 2:15-17) Kodwa uAdam akazange athobele waza walahlekelwa lelo lungelo. Emva kokuphila iminyaka engama-930, esifa ngokuthe ngcembe, uAdam wabuyela eluthulini apho wayethatyathwe khona. (Genesis 3:19; 5:5) Lo mntu wokuqala wadlulisela ilifa elisisono nokufa kuyo yonke inzala yakhe.—Roma 5:12.

Noko ke, abantu ababephila ngelo xesha babesondele kwimfezeko ka-Adam yaye kubonakala ukuba ngenxa yeso sizathu babephila ixesha elide kunabo bazalwe kamva. Ngenxa yoko, ngaphambi koMkhukula abantu babephila phantse iminyaka eliwaka, yaye emva koNogumbe loo minyaka yehla ngokukhawuleza. Ngokomzekelo, uAbraham waphila iminyaka eli-175 kuphela. (Genesis 25:7) Yaye malunga neminyaka engama-400 emva kokufa kwaloo solusapho, umprofeti uMoses wabhala: “Imihla yeminyaka yethu yiminyaka engamashumi asixhenxe; yaye ukuba ithe ngenxa yamandla akhethekileyo yangamashumi asibhozo, ukuzingisa kwayo kusenkathazweni nakwizinto ezenzakalisayo.” (INdumiso 90:10) Phantse imeko iyafana nanamhlanje.

[Isicangca/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 6, 7]

Ukubala Ukuya Emva Ekuphumeni Komyalelo KaKoreshi Wokukhulula AmaYuda Ekuthinjweni Ukusa Kumkhukula Womhla KaNowa

537 Umyalelo kaKoreshic

Iminyaka engama-68

1513 IMfuduko ukusuka eYiputa

1943 Ukusebenza komnqophiso ka-Abraham

Iminyaka engama-205

2148 Ukuzalwa kukaTera

Iminyaka engama-222

2370 Ukuqalisa koMkhukula

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]