Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe Umhlaba Uyobhujiswa Ngomlilo?

UKUQOTHULWA inuzi, ukuhangulwa ukukhukhumala kwelanga, noma ukushiswa unkulunkulu othukuthele—indlela ingase ingafani, kodwa abantu abaningi bayaqiniseka ukuthi iplanethi ewuMhlaba, ikhaya lesintu, iyobhujiswa umlilo oqothulayo, inhlekelele ebhubhisayo.

Abanye babhekisela emibhalweni yeBhayibheli ebikezela ngokushiswa komhlaba njengempindiselo yaphezulu yokona komuntu emhlabeni. Abanye benanela umbono kaPaul Davies, uprofesa wase-University of Adelaide, e-Australia, obhala ngalokho akubona njengokubhujiswa komhlaba ngomlilo okungenakugwemeka. Encwadini yakhe ethi The Last Three Minutes unikeza lenkolelo-mbono: “Njengoba ilanga liqhubeka likhukhumala, liyosibekela . . . uMhlaba ngomlilo. Iplanethi yethu iyophenduka ilahle.” Liyini iqiniso ngekusasa lomhlaba? Kufanele siyiqonde kanjani imibhalo yeBhayibheli okubonakala ibikezela ukubhujiswa ngomlilo?

Ingabe UNkulunkulu Uyakhathalela?

KuJeremiya 10:10-12, siyatshelwa: “UJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso . . . Wawenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, walimisa izwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, ngokuqonda kwakhe waleneka izulu.” UNkulunkulu wenza umhlaba futhi wawuqinisa. Ngakho ngokuhlakanipha, uthando, nokuqonda, walungiselela umhlaba ngokucophelela ukuze uhlale kuze kube phakade njengekhaya lesintu elihle.

Lapho likhuluma ngokudala kukaNkulunkulu isintu, iBhayibheli liyabika: “Wabadala owesilisa nowesifazane. UNkulunkulu wababusisa; uNkulunkulu wathi kubo: Zalani, nande, nigcwalise umhlaba, niwunqobe.” (Genesise 1:27, 28) Lapho eqeda umsebenzi wakhe wokudala, wayengasho ngokungagunci ukuthi ‘wawumuhle kakhulu.’ (Genesise 1:31) Wayefuna uhlale unjalo. Njengoba nje abazali abalindele ukuthola umntwana beklama futhi balungise igumbi lakhe, noNkulunkulu watshala insimu enhle futhi wabeka lapho umuntu u-Adamu ukuba ayilime futhi ayinakekele.—Genesise 2:15.

U-Adamu wakulahla ukuphelela kanye nomsebenzi wakhe wokunakekela umhlaba. Kodwa ingabe uMdali wayilahla injongo yaKhe? U-Isaya 45:18 ubonisa ukuthi akunjalo: “Usho kanje uJehova, owalidala izulu, . . . owawubumba umhlaba, . . . wawumisa, engawudalelanga ize, wawubumba ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo.” (Bheka no-Isaya 55:10, 11.) Nakuba umuntu awudebeselela umsebenzi wakhe wokunakekela, uNkulunkulu waqhubeka egcina isivumelwano asenza nomhlaba nabantu abakuwo. UMthetho owanikezwa isizwe sasendulo sakwa-Israyeli wenza ilungiselelo ‘lesabatha lokuphumula okuzothileyo kwezwe’ njalo ngonyaka wesikhombisa. Lalihlanganisa nemithetho enobuntu eyayinikeza izilwane isilinganiso esithile sesivikelo. (Levitikusi 25:4; Eksodusi 23:4, 5; Duteronomi 22:1, 2, 6, 7, 10; 25:4; Luka 14:5) Lezi kumane kuyizibonelo ezimbalwa eziseBhayibhelini ezibonisa ngokucacile ukuthi uNkulunkulu usikhathalela kakhulu isintu nakho konke akunikeza umuntu ukuba akunakekele.

‘Umhlaba Wangaphambili’

Ngakho siyivumelanisa kanjani imibhalo yeBhayibheli okubonakala sengathi iyaphikisana? Omunye wayo eyesi-2 Petru 3:7, ngokweBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile othi: “Izulu nomhlaba okukhona manje kubekelelwe umlilo ngalo lona lelizwi, kulindele usuku lokwahlulela nolokubhubha kwabantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu.” Omunye isAmbulo 21:1, othi: “Ngabona izulu elisha nomhlaba omusha; ngoba izulu langaphambili nomhlaba wangaphambili kwakudlulile.”

Uma amazwi kaPetru ethathwa ngokoqobo futhi iplanethi uMhlaba iqothulwa umlilo ongokoqobo, khona-ke amazulu angokoqobo—izinkanyezi nezinye izindikimba zasezulwini—nazo kumelwe zibhujiswe ngomlilo. Nokho, lombono uphikisana nesiqinisekiso esitholakala emibhalweni enjengoMathewu 6:10: “Intando yakho mayenzeke nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini,” neHubo 37:29: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, umlilo ungaba namuphi umphumela elangeni nasezinkanyezini okushisayo kakade, okukhipha ukuqhuma kwenuzi ngokuqhubekayo?

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli ngokuvamile lisebenzisa igama elithi “umhlaba” ngomqondo ongokomfanekiso. Ngokwesibonelo, uGenesise 11:1 uthi: “Umhlaba wonke wawunolimi lunye.” Lapha, igama elithi “umhlaba” libhekisela esintwini sisonke, noma umphakathi wesintu. (Bheka neyoku-1 AmaKhosi 2:1, 2; 1 IziKronike 16:31.) Umongo weyesi-2 Petru 3:5, 6 ubonisa ukusetshenziswa okufanayo okungokomfanekiso kwelithi “umhlaba.” Ubhekisela osukwini lukaNowa lapho umphakathi wesintu esibi wabhujiswa khona eSikhukhuleni kodwa uNowa nomkhaya wakhe kanye nembulunga ngokwayo basinda. (Genesise 9:11) Ngokufanayo, eyesi-2 Petru 3:7 ithi kuyobhujiswa ‘abantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu.’ Lombono uvumelana nalo lonke iBhayibheli. Umphakathi omubi ophawulelwe ukubhujiswa ‘ungumhlaba wangaphambili’ okubhekiselwe kuwo kusAmbulo 21:1, esicashunwe ngaphambili.

Ngempela, njengoba ubaba wasemhlabeni okhathalelayo ebengathatha noma yisiphi isinyathelo ukuze aqiniseke ngokulondeka komuzi wakhe, uJehova uNkulunkulu uyikhathalela kakhulu indalo yakhe. Wake waxosha abantu ababi nababeziphethe kabi esiGodini esivundile saseJordani futhi waqinisekisa abantu abasha ababezonakekela lelizwe, ababesesivumelwaneni naye, ukuthi uma begcina izimiso zakhe, ‘izwe lalingenakubahlanza nabo, nxa belingcolisa, njengalokho lahlanza isizwe esasikhona ngaphambi kwabo.’—Levitikusi 18:24-28.

‘Umhlaba Omusha’

Namuhla, umphakathi owonakele ngokobulili, onesihluku, futhi owonakele ngokwezombangazwe uye wangcolisa umhlaba. UNkulunkulu kuphela ongawophula. Uyokwenza lokho kanye. KusAmbulo 11:18, uthembisa ‘ukuchitha labo abachitha umhlaba.’ Umhlaba obuyiselwe futhi wenziwa musha uyoba nabantu abesaba uNkulunkulu futhi abathanda omakhelwane babo ngobuqotho. (Heberu 2:5; qhathanisa noLuka 10:25-28.) Izinguquko eziyokwenzeka ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu wasezulwini ziyoba nkulu kangangokuba iBhayibheli likhuluma ‘ngomhlaba omusha’—umphakathi omusha wesintu.

Lapho sifunda imibhalo enjengeHubo 37:29 bese sihlanganisa amazwi kaKristu kuMathewu 6:10, siyaqiniseka ukuthi amandla emvelo angalawuleki noma umuntu nawo wonke amandla akhe okubhubhisa ngeke kuyibhubhise iplanethi yethu. Ngeke kuyibhuntshise injongo kaNkulunkulu. (IHubo 119:90; Isaya 40:15, 26) Isintu esithembekile siyophila emhlabeni phakathi kwezimo zobuhle nenjabulo engapheli. Yilelo iqiniso ngekusasa lomhlaba, ngoba lena injongo futhi bekulokhu kuyinjongo yoMdali wesintu onothando.—Genesise 2:7-9, 15; IsAmbulo 21:1-5.