Imibuzo Yabafundi . . .

Iphi IParadesi Ekuthethwa Ngayo EBhayibhileni?

▪ UYesu wathembisa indoda eyayisifa eyabonakalisa ukholo kuye ukuba: “Uya kuba nam eParadesi.” (Luka 23:43) Yayiza kuba phi le ndoda? Iza kuba phi iParadesi, ezulwini okanye emhlabeni, okanye apho abantu balindele ukugwetywa khona?

Ookhokho bethu bakhe bahlala eParadesi. IBhayibhile isixelela ukuba: “UYehova uThixo watyala umyezo e-Eden, ngasempuma, waza wambeka khona umntu abembumbile. . . . Wandula ke uYehova uThixo wamthabatha umntu waza wambeka emyezweni wase-Eden ukuba awulime aze awunyamekele.” (Genesis 2:8, 15) Xa kwakuguqulelwa loo mazwi kwisiGrike, igama elithi “umyezo” laguqulelwa kwathiwa ngupa·raʹdei·sos, elivela kulo igama kulo igama lesiXhosa elithi “paradesi.”

Kanye njengokuba umzi usandiswa xa lusanda usapho, abazali bethu bokuqala kwakulindeleke ukuba bawandise umyezo wase-Eden njengoko intsapho yoluntu isanda. UThixo wathi kubo: “Niwuzalise umhlaba nize niwoyise.”—Genesis 1:28.

Injongo yoMdali yayikukuba abantu baphile baze bazale abantwana kumhlaba oyiParadesi. Babeza kuphila ngonaphakade kumhlaba oyiParadesi kungekho bantu bafayo. Abantu babeza kuphila emhlabeni ngonaphakade. Ayimangalisi into yokuba izinto ezilapha emhlabeni zisonwabisa. Sasidalelwe ukuphila kumhlaba oyiparadesi.

Ngaba injongo kaThixo itshintshile? Nakanye. Kuba uYehova usiqinisekisa esithi: “Ngoko ilizwi lam eliphuma emlonyeni wam liya kuba njalo. Aliyi kubuyela kum ngaphandle kwemiphumo, kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo liya kukwenza oko ndiyoliswa kuko.” (Isaya 55:11) Kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-3 000 ngaphambi kokudalwa komntu, iBhayibhile yathi “uMyili womhlaba noMenzi wawo” ‘akawudalelanga ilize,’ kodwa ‘wawubumba ukuba umiwe.’ (Isaya 45:18) Ukuthanda kukaThixo akutshintshanga. Umhlaba useza kuba yiparadesi.

Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, iingxelo ezininzi eziseBhayibhileni ezithetha ngeParadesi ziyinxulumanisa nomhlaba. Ngokomzekelo isiprofeto sikaIsaya sithi: “Ngokuqinisekileyo baya kwakha izindlu baze bahlale; batyale izidiliya baze badle isiqhamo sazo.” (Isaya 65:21) Zakhiwa phi izindlu, zityalwa phi izidiliya? Zityiwa phi iziqhamo? Emhlabeni. IMizekeliso 2:21 ikwenza kucace oku: “Abathe tye bona baya kuhlala emhlabeni.”

NoYesu wathetha ngeparadesi esemhlabeni. Liyinyaniso elokuba, wathetha nangeparadesi esezulwini, kodwa yayiza kufunyanwa ngabambalwa. (Luka 12:32) Emva kokuba aba befile, bavuselwa kwiParadesi esezulwini ukuze balawule noKristu iParadesi esemhlabeni. (ISityhilelo 5:10; 14:1-3) Aba bantu baza kuqinisekisa ukuba iParadesi esemhlabeni ilawulwa kakuhle ngokuvisisana nemilinganiselo kaThixo.

UYesu wayesazi ukuba oku yayikukuthanda kukaThixo ngomhlaba. Ngaphezu koko, wayekunye noYise ezulwini xa kwakudalwa umyezo wase-Eden. Bonke abantu abanokholo baya kuphila kumhlaba oyiparadesi. (Yohane 3:16) UYesu ubathembisa ukuba: ‘Niya kuba nam eParadesi.’—Luka 23:43.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

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