Ubomi Obungunaphakade Emhlabeni—Ithemba Eliphinde Lafunyanwa
“Wena ke, Daniyeli, wagcine eyimfihlelo la mazwi, uyitywine incwadi leyo, kude kube lixesha lesiphelo. Abaninzi baya kuphengulula, yaye ulwazi lokwenyaniso luya kuba luninzi.”—DAN. 12:4.
1, 2. Yiyiphi imibuzo eza kuphendulwa kweli nqaku?
IZIGIDI zabantu namhlanje ziliqonda kakuhle ithemba eliseZibhalweni lokuphila ngonaphakade kumhlaba oyiparadesi. (ISityhi. 7:9, 17) Ekuqaleni kwembali yoluntu uThixo wathi umntu wayengadalelwanga ukuba aphile nje iminyaka embalwa aze afe, kodwa wayedalelwe ukuphila ngonaphakade.—Gen. 1:26-28.
2 Phakathi kwezinto amaSirayeli ayenethemba lazo, yayikukubuyiselwa kwabantu kwimfezeko abaphulukana nayo ngenxa ka-Adam. IZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike zichaza into eyayiza kwenziwa nguThixo ukuze abantu baphile ngonaphakade kwiParadesi esemhlabeni. Noko ke, kwakutheni ukuze kufuneke ukuba kutyhilwe ithemba loluntu? Latyhilwa njani ukuze laziwe zizigidi zabantu?
Ithemba Lifihlakele
3. Kutheni ingamangalisi into yokuba ithemba loluntu lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni lalifihlakele?
3 UYesu waxela kwangaphambili ukuba abaprofeti bobuxoki babeza kugqwetha iimfundiso zakhe baze balahlekise abantu abaninzi. (Mat. 24:11) Umpostile uPetros walumkisa amaKristu wathi: “Naphakathi kwenu kuya kubakho abafundisi bobuxoki.” (2 Pet. 2:1) Umpostile uPawulos wathetha ‘ngexesha laxa abantu bengayi kuyinyamezela imfundiso ephilileyo, kodwa basuke ngokweminqweno yabo baziqwebele abafundisi bokubanyumbaza iindlebe.’ (2 Tim. 4:3, 4) USathana uyabalahlekisa abantu yaye usebenzisa amaKristu awexukileyo ukuba afihle inyaniso echulumancisayo ephathelele injongo kaThixo ngabantu nomhlaba.—Funda eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 4:3, 4.
4. Liliphi ithemba loluntu eliye lagatywa ziinkokeli zonqulo eziwexukileyo?
4 IZibhalo zithi uBukumkani bukaThixo ngurhulumente wasezulwini oya kutyumza aze aphelise ulawulo lwabantu. (Dan. 2:44) Xa uKristu elawula iminyaka eliwaka, uSathana uya kuphoswa enzonzobileni, abafileyo baya kuvuswa, luze uluntu lufezeke emhlabeni. (ISityhi. 20:1-3, 6, 12; 21:1-4) Sekunjalo, iinkokeli zonqulo lweNgqobhoko eziwexukileyo ziye zafundisa iimfundiso ezahlukileyo. Ngokomzekelo, uMseki weCawa uOrigen waseAlexandria wayebagxeka abo babekholelwa ukuba uLawulo Lwewaka Leminyaka luza kuzisa iintsikelelo emhlabeni. IThe Catholic Encyclopedia ithi, umfundisi wezakwalizwi ongumKatolika uAugustine waseHippo (354-430 C.E.) “wayexhasa ingcamango yokuba ulawulo lweminyaka eliwaka aluyi kubakho.”a
5, 6. Kwakutheni ukuze uOrigen noAugustine bayigatye imfundiso yolawulo lwewaka leminyaka?
5 Kwakutheni ukuze uOrigen noAugustine bayigatye ingcamango yolawulo lweminyaka eliwaka? UOrigen wafundiswa nguClement waseAlexandria, owayekholelwa kwingcamango yamaGrike yokungafi komphefumlo. Umfundisi wezakwalizwi uWerner Jaeger uthi, ekubeni wayephenjelelwe ziingcamango zikaPlato ngomphefumlo, uOrigen “wafaka ezi nkolelo zikaPlato zomphefumlo kwiimfundiso zobuKristu.” Ngenxa yoko, uOrigen wafundisa ukuba iintsikelelo eziya kubakho kuLawulo Lwewaka Leminyaka ziya kufunyanwa kummandla wokomoya.
6 Xa wayeneminyaka engama-33 ubudala ngaphambi kokuba aguqukele “kubuKristu,” uAugustine waba ngumlandeli ophambili weemfundiso zikaPlato Ezihlaziyiweyo ezazisungulwe nguPlotinus ngenkulungwane yesithathu. Nasemva kokuba uAugustine eguqukile, akazange ahlukane neemfundiso zikaPlato. IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Engqondweni yakhe kwakudibene iimfundiso ezikwiTestamente Entsha nezikaPlato zentanda-bulumko yamaGrike.” UAugustine wathi uLawulo Lwewaka Leminyaka oluchazwe kwiSityhilelo isahluko 20 “ngumfuziselo nje,” itsho njalo iThe Catholic Encyclopedia. Ihlabela mgama yenjenje: “Le ngcaciso . . . yasetyenziswa nangabefundisi bezakwalizwi baseNtshona abangena ezihlangwini zakhe yaye imfundiso yokuba kuza kubakho ulawulo lweminyaka eliwaka emhlabeni yaphelela emoyeni.”
7. Yiyiphi imfundiso yobuxoki eye yasingela phantsi ithemba loluntu lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni, yaye kwenzeka njani oku?
7 Ithemba lokuba abantu baza kuphila emhlabeni ngonaphakade lasingelwa phantsi ngenxa yengcamango eyayixhaphakile kwiBhabhiloni yamandulo neyathi kamva yazalisa ihlabathi lonke—ingcamango yokuba emzimbeni womntu kukho umphefumlo okanye umoya. Yathi le ngcamango yakufundiswa nakwiNgqobhoko, abefundisi bezakwalizwi bagqwetha iZibhalo ukuze iindinyana ezithetha ngethemba lobomi obungunaphakade ezulwini zivakale ngokungathi zifundisa ukuba bonke abantu abalungileyo baya ezulwini. Ngokuvisisana nale ngcamango, umntu udalelwe ukuba aphile nje ixeshana elifutshane emhlabeni—ixesha lokuba azingqine ukuba uyakufanelekela kusini na ukuphila ezulwini. Kwakha kwenzeka into efanayo ngokuphathelele ithemba lamaYuda amandulo lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni. Njengoko imfundiso yamaGrike yokungafi komphefumlo yayingena ngokuthe ngcembe, ithemba awayenalo amaYuda lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni lafiphala. Oku kwahluke ngokupheleleyo kwindlela umntu achazwe ngayo eBhayibhileni! Umntu sisidalwa senyama, kungekhona esomoya. UYehova wathi ngomntu wokuqala: “Uluthuli, uya kubuyela kwaseluthulini.” (Gen. 3:19) Umntu udalelwe ukuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni, kungekhona ezulwini.—Funda INdumiso 104:5; 115:16.
Ukukhanya Kwenyaniso Ebumnyameni
8. Abaphengululi ababephila ngeminyaka yee-1600 bathini ngethemba loluntu?
8 Nangona kwinkoliso yeecawa ezithi zingamaKristu ingafundiswa into yokuba abantu baza kuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni, uSathana ubengasoloko ephumelela ekufihleni inyaniso. Ukutyhubela iminyaka, abafundi abambalwa beBhayibhile abanocoselelo bebesoloko bekubona ukukhanya kwenyaniso yaye beqonda nezinye iindlela uThixo aya kubuyisela ngazo uluntu emfezekweni. (INdu. 97:11; Mat. 7:13, 14; 13:37-39) Ngeminyaka yee-1600, iZibhalo Ezingcwele zaqalisa ukufumaneka kwabaninzi ngenxa yokuguqulelwa nokushicilelwa kweBhayibhile. Ngowe-1651, omnye umphengululi wathi ekubeni abantu “baphulukana neParadesi noBomi Obungunaphakade Emhlabeni” ngenxa ka-Adam, ngoko ngoKristu “bonke abantu baya kuphila Emhlabeni; ayikho enye indlela okunokuthelekiswa ngayo oku.” (Funda eyoku-1 yabaseKorinte 15:21, 22.) Omnye wababhali bemibongo abangamaNgesi abaziwayo ehlabathini lonke, uJohn Milton (1608-1674), wabhala incwadi ethi Paradise Lost waza emva koko wabhala ethi Paradise Regained. Kwezi ncwadi zakhe, lo kaMilton wathetha ngomvuzo oza kufunyanwa ngabantu abathembekileyo kumhlaba oyiparadesi. Nangona uMilton wachitha ixesha elininzi efunda iBhayibhile, waphawula ukuba inyaniso yeZibhalo yayiya kuqondwa ngokupheleleyo ekufikeni kukaKristu.
9, 10. (a) Wathini uIsaac Newton ngethemba loluntu? (b) Yintoni eyabangela ukuba uNewton abone ngathi ixesha lokufika kukaKristu lisekude kakhulu?
9 Ingcali yezibalo uMhlekazi uIsaac Newton (1642-1727) naye wayenomdla eBhayibhileni. Wayesazi ukuba abangcwele baya kuvuselwa kubomi basezulwini baze balawule noKristu ngokungabonakaliyo. (ISityhi. 5:9, 10) Ngokuphathelele abalawulwa boBukumkani, wathi: “Emva komhla womgwebo emhlabeni, kuya kuqhubeka kukho abantu abangayi kuphila nje iminyaka eli-1 000 kodwa abaya kuphila ngonaphakade.”
10 UNewton wayecinga ukuba uKristu uya kubonakala emva kweenkulungwane ezininzi. “Esinye sezizathu ezabangela ukuba uNewton acinge ukuba uBukumkani bukaThixo buya kufika kudala kangako kukuba wayetyhafiswa luwexuko lwabo babekholelwa kuBathathu Emnye,” watsho njalo uStephen Snobelen ongumbhali-mbali. Iindaba ezilungileyo zazisafihlakele. UNewton wayengaboni iqela elizibiza ngokuba ngamaKristu elalinokuzishumayela. Wathi: “Ezi ziprofeto zikaDaniyeli noYohane [ekuthethwa ngaye kwincwadi yeSityhilelo] azisayi kuze ziqondwe de kube lixesha lokuphela.” Lo kaNewton wacacisa wenjenje: “UDaniyeli wathi, ‘Emva koko abaninzi baya kunyuka besihla, kwandiswe ukwazi.’ Kuba iVangeli imele ishunyayelwe kuzo zonke iintlanga ngaphambi kokuba kufike imbandezelo enkulu nesiphelo sehlabathi. Asinakubakho isihlwele esikhulu esiphethe amasundu, esiphuma kule mbandezelo inkulu, esivela kuzo zonke iintlanga, ngaphandle kokuba kushunyayelwe iVangeli ngaphambi kokuba loo mbandezelo ifike.”—Dan. 12:4; Mat. 24:14; ISityhi. 7:9, 10.
11. Kwakutheni ukuze ithemba loluntu lihlale lifihlakele kubantu abaninzi ngexesha likaMilton noNewton?
11 Ngemihla kaMilton noNewton, kwakuyingozi ukufundisa ingcamango echaseneyo nemfundiso yecawa engokwasemthethweni. Ngenxa yoko, inkcazelo eninzi ngophando lweBhayibhile abalwenzayo yapapashwa emva kokufa kwabo. UHlaziyo lwenkulungwane ye-16 aluzange luyitshintshe imfundiso yomphefumlo ongafiyo, yaye iicawa eziphambili zamaProtestanti zaqhubeka zifundisa iingcamango zika-Augustine zokuba uLawulo Lwewaka Leminyaka selwadlula. Ngaba ulwazi luye lwanda ngexesha lesiphelo?
“Ulwazi Lokwenyaniso Luya Kuba Luninzi”
12. Ulwazi lokwenyaniso lwaba luninzi nini?
12 Ngokuphathelele ‘ixesha lesiphelo,’ uDaniyeli wachaza ngezinto ezintle eziya kwenzeka. (Funda uDaniyeli 12:3, 4, 9, 10.) UYesu wathi: “Aya kuthi ke amalungisa aqaqambe njengelanga ebukumkanini bukaYise.” (Mat. 13:43) Ulwazi lokwenyaniso luya kuba luninzi kanjani ngexesha lesiphelo? Cinga ngezinto eziye zenzeka kumashumi eminyaka ngaphambi kowe-1914, unyaka elaqalisa ngawo ixesha lesiphelo.
13. UCharles Taze Russell wabhala wathini emva kokuba ehlolisise umbandela wokubuyiselwa kwabantu emfezekweni?
13 Ekupheleni kweminyaka yee-1800, uninzi lwabantu abanyanisekileyo lwalufuna ukwazi ‘ngamazwi aphilileyo.’ (2 Tim. 1:13) Omnye wabo bantu yayinguCharles Taze Russell. Ngowe-1870 yena kunye nabanye abantu abambalwa ababefuna ukwazi inyaniso baseka iklasi yokufundisisa iBhayibhile. Ngowe-1872 bahlolisisa umbandela wokubuyiselwa kwabantu emfezekweni. Kamva, lo kaRussell wabhala: “Ngelo xesha sasingekawuboni umahluko omkhulu okhoyo phakathi komvuzo oza kufunyanwa ngabantu becawa abavavanywayo ngoku nomvuzo oza kufunyanwa ngabantu abathembekileyo.” Umvuzo oza kufunyanwa ngabantu abathembekileyo “kukubuyiselwa emfezekweni eyayinanditshwa ngukhokho wabo uAdam e-Eden.” URussell wavuma ukuba uncediswe ngabanye ekufundeni iBhayibhile. Yayingoobani abo?
14. (a) UHenry Dunn wawuqonda njani umbhalo weZenzo 3:21? (b) UDunn wathi ngoobani abaza kuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni?
14 Wayebhale ‘ngokubuyiselwa kwezinto zonke awathetha ngazo uThixo ngomlomo wabaprofeti bakhe abangcwele bexesha lakudala.’ (IZe. 3:21) UDunn wayesazi ukuba ukubuyiselwa kwezinto kuquka ukwenza uluntu lufezeke emhlabeni phantsi koLawulo lukaKristu Lwewaka Leminyaka. Kwakhona uDunn wahlolisisa umbuzo ababezibuza wona abaninzi othi, Ngubani oza kuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni? Wathi kuya kuvuswa izigidi, zifundiswe inyaniso zize zinikwe ithuba lokuba nokholo kuKristu.
15. Yintoni eyafunyaniswa nguGeorge Storrs ngovuko?
15 Ngowe-1870, uGeorge Storrs wafikelela kwisigqibo sokuba abantu abangengomalungisa baza kuvuswa baze banikwe ithuba lokuphila ngonaphakade. Kwakhona wafumanisa ukuba iZibhalo zithi umntu ovusiweyo ongakhange alisebenzise kakuhle elo thuba “uya kufa, kwanokuba loo ‘moni uneminyaka elikhulu ubudala.’” (Isa. 65:20) UStorrs wayehlala eBrooklyn, eNew York, waza wabhala iphephancwadi elithi Bible Examiner.
16. Yintoni eyayisahlula aBafundi beBhayibhile kwiNgqobhoko?
16 Xa wayefunda iBhayibhile, uRussell waqonda ukuba lifikile ilixa lokuba iindaba ezilungileyo zaziwe ehlabathini lonke. Ngoko ngowe-1879, waqalisa ukupapasha iZion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence, ngoku ebizwa ngokuba yiMboniselo Evakalisa UBukumkani BukaYehova. Ekuqaleni, inyaniso ethetha ngethemba loluntu yayisaziwa liqaqobana labantu, kodwa ngoku amaqela aBafundi beBhayibhile akumazwe amaninzi aye afumana IMboniselo aza ayifunda. Inkolelo yokuba liqaqobana labantu eliya ezulwini, ngoxa izigidi ziya kuphila ubomi obufezekileyo emhlabeni, yabohlula aBafundi beBhayibhile kwiNgqobhoko.
17. Ulwazi lokwenyaniso luye lwaba luninzi njani?
17 ‘Ixesha lesiphelo’ elaxelwa kwangaphambili laqalisa ngowe-1914. Ngaba lwaba luninzi ulwazi lwenyaniso ngethemba loluntu? (Dan. 12:4) Ngowe-1913 izigidimi zikaRussell zazishicilelwa kumaphephandaba angama-2 000 yaye zazifundwa ngabantu abali-15 000 000. Ekupheleni kowe-1914 abantu abangaphezu kwe-9 000 000 abasuka kumazwekazi amathathu babesele beyibonile i-“Photo-Drama of Creation”—imifanekiso eshukumayo eyayicacisa ngoLawulo LukaKristu Lweminyaka Eliwaka. Ukususela ngowe-1918 ukusa kowe-1925, abakhonzi bakaYehova abathetha iilwimi ezingaphezu kwama-30 ehlabathini lonke babenikela intetho ethi “Izigidi Eziphilayo Ngoku Azisayi Kuze Zife,” eyayithetha ngethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni. Ngowe-1934, amaNgqina kaYehova aqonda ukuba abo banethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni bafanele babhaptizwe. Oku kwabangela ukuba babe nenzondelelo engakumbi yokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani. Namhlanje ithemba lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni libangela ukuba izigidi zabantu zimbulele uYehova.
Kuza ‘Inkululeko Ezukileyo’!
18, 19. Bubomi obunjani ekwathethwa ngabo kuIsaya 65:21-25?
18 Umprofeti uIsaya waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale ngobomi obuya kunanditshwa ngabantu bakaThixo emhlabeni. (Funda uIsaya 65:21-25.) Kukho ubungqina bokuba eminye imithi eyayikho kwiminyaka engama-2 700 eyadlulayo ngoxa uIsaya wayebhala la mazwi isekho. Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wakho uphila loo minyaka mininzi kangako womelele kwaye usempilweni.
19 Kunokuba umntu aphile nje ubomi obufutshane, uya kuphila ubomi obungenasiphelo esakha, etyala yaye efunda. Khawucinge ngabahlobo oza kuba nabo. Uya kuba nabahlobo abangakumbi abakuthandayo ngonaphakade. Ngelo xesha ‘abantwana bakaThixo’ baya kunandipha ‘inkululeko ezukileyo’ emhlabeni.—Roma 8:21.
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
a UAugustine wathi uLawulo Lwewaka Leminyaka LoBukumkani BukaThixo asiyonto eza kwenzeka kwixa elizayo, kunoko lwaqalisa ekusekweni kwecawa.
Ngaba Unokuchaza?
• Lafihlakala njani ithemba loluntu lokuphila emhlabeni?
• Luluphi ulwazi olwafunyanwa ngaBafundi beBhayibhile kwiminyaka yee-1600?
• Laya licaca njani ithemba lokwenyaniso loluntu njengoko kwakusondela unyaka we-1914?
• Ulwazi ngethemba lokuphila emhlabeni lwaya lusiba luninzi njani?
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 13]
Imbongi uJohn Milton (ekhohlo) kunye negcisa lezibalo uIsaac Newton (ekunene) babesazi ngethemba lobomi obungunaphakade emhlabeni
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]
Xa babefunda iZibhalo aBafundi beBhayibhile bokuqala baqonda ukuba yayilixesha lokwazisa inyaniso yethemba loluntu emhlabeni wonke