Ikhambi Lazo Zonke Izifo—Ingabe Liyiphupho Nje?
UJOHANE wayeyixhegu. Wayedingiselwe esiqhingini esincane isikhathi esithile. Kungase kubonakale sengathi wayezophila konke ukuphila kwakhe eyedwa. Kodwa kulesosimo wamukela isigijimi esasiyoba isikhuthazo esikhulu kuye—nakithi.
Embonweni omangalisayo uJohane wezwa izwi elikhulu livela ezulwini lithi: “Bheka, itabernakele likaNkulunkulu likubantu: . . . Uyakwesula izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikuba-khona; nokudabuka, nokukhala, nobuhlungu akusayikuba-khona; ngokuba okokuqala kudlulile.”
Khona-ke, wayesebona umfula unamanzi acwebezelayo acwebe njengekristalu. Emaceleni awo wabona imithi yezithelo. Amaqabunga alemithi ayengawokuphulukisa izizwe. Yeka okuhlangenwe nakho okuqabulayo!
Uma wawungezwa futhi ubone lokho okwabonwa uJohane, ingabe wawungeke ujabule ngokuzwa ukuthi ngolunye usuku bonke ubuhlungu nokugula kuyophela nokuthi zonke izifo ziyokwelashwa? Ngempela, kubonakala kungenakukholeka!
Isizathu Sokuba Kungakholeki
Okwenzeka lapho kwakuyisehlakalo esingokomlando esenzeka ngonyaka ka-96 C.E. esiqhingini sasePhatmose, eduze nogu lwaseTurkey yanamuhla. UJohane osekhulile wayengumphostoli othandekayo kaJesu Kristu, futhi akubona wakuloba eBhayibhelini eliNgcwele.—IsAmbulo 1:9; 21:3, 4; 22:1, 2.
Noma kunjalo, abantu abaningi bakuthola kunzima ukukholelwa ukuthi kuyoba nesikhathi lapho izifo zingasayikuba-khona. Ngani? Ngokwemvelo, sithambekele ekwenqabeni yonke into ebonakala iphambene nolwazi lwethu oluvamile.
Ngokuphathelene nokulwa komuntu nezifo isikhathi eside, uRichard Fiennes, udokotela oyisazi sezifo eZoological Society yaseLondon. wabhala encwadini yakhe iMan, Nature and Disease:
“Khona-ke ingabe ukuphela kwalempi kuseduze? Umuntu ulwa nesitha esimakhandakhanda (hydra). Lapho kunqunywa elinye ikhanda kuvela elinye esikhundleni salo. Ukugula kwabancane, ukugogeka, nokufa kwabo kuseyizinkinga zesintu ezixaka kakhulu; kudala, izinkinga zaziwufuba izibhobo, nokufa ubeletha, namuhla, isifo semithambo yenhliziyo, ukufa uhlangothi, ikhensa, nezinye izifo ziye zathatha indawo yazo.”
Lezizifo ezibulalayo ‘zakudala’ nazo azikaqedwa ngokuphelele. IThe Economist yaseLondon ibika ukuthi “eAsia, eAfrika naseNingizimu Melika, umuntu oyedwa kwabayishumi ukhubazekile ngandlela-thile. Iningi labampofu liyophathwa izifo ezinjengohudo olunamandla nokusha amaphaphu phakathi nesikhathi sokuphila kwabo. . . . Izigidi ezengeziwe ziyobulawa izifo ezibangelwa amagciwane ezinjengomalaleveva noma isichenene (ezibangelwa izilwanyana ezidla igazi); abanye bayoxhwaliswa uchoko.”
Ngisho nasemazweni athuthukile amanye amakhanda alesisitha, aye axaka izingcweti. “Odokotela namuhla bahlangabezana nezifo zakwamanye amazwe ezingase zibulale ngisho nangokwengeziwe kunezifo ezibulalayo ezijwayelekile ezinjengengxibongo noklilo,” kubhala uEdward Edelson kuDaily News yaseNew York.
Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, igama elithi AIDS lalingaziwa abantu abaningi. Namuhla, lesisifo esibulalayo cishe saziwa yiwo wonke umuntu, njengeLegionnaires’ disease netoxic shock syndrome. Ezinye izifo ezibulalayo ezinamandla ezilungele ukuhlasela: Umkhuhlane wase-Ebola, umkhuhlane waseLassa, umkhuhlane wokopha waseKorea, isifo esatholwa uReye, isifo saseKawasaki, isifo segazi ezinsweni, nezinye. “Into ekhona kuyo yonke lendaba yalezizifo ezingajwayelekile iwukuthi ngokuvamile zinikeza abezokwelapha izinkinga ezingaxazululeki,” kusho uEdelson.
Naphezu kwentuthuko yezokwelapha, abantu abaningi abakholelwa ukuthi ukugula nokufa kuyogcina kungenakuvinjelwa. Kunzima ngabo ukucabanga ukuthi kuyoke kube nesikhathi lapho ukufa, ubuhlungu, nezifo kungasayikuba khona.
Kuthiwani-ke, ngombono oshukumisayo uJohane awemukela? Ingabe uyogcina uyiphupho elingagcwalisekile? Sinezizathu ezinhle zokukholelwa ukuthi lokhu akunakuba njalo. Ngokushesha ngemva kokuzwa lezithembiso ezimangalisayo, uJohane wathola lesisiqinisekiso: “Loba, ngokuba lawamazwi athembekile, aqinisile.” (IsAmbulo 21:5; 22:6) Lamazwi ayogcwaliseka kanjani? Futhi ingabe siyokubona ukugcwaliseka kwawo esikhathini sokuphila kwethu?
[Umdwebo/Ibalazwe ekhasini 3]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi kumi kanjani, bheka encwadini)
Izifo ezibulalayo zakudala zisekhona ezindaweni
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Uchoko Nomalaleveva