“Nasemhlabeni, Njengasezulwini”

“Inkolo yobuKatolika ikhuluma ngeZinto Ezine Eziyisigcino: Ukufa, Ukwahlulelwa, Isihogo, Izulu.”—Catholicism, eyahlelwa uGeorge Brantl.

PHAWULA ukuthi kulezi zinto ezine ezingase zitholwe isintu, umhlaba awuphathwa. Akumangazi neze lokhu ngoba iSonto LobuKatolika, njengezinye izinkolo eziningi, linamathele enkolelweni yokuthi ngelinye ilanga imbulunga ewumhlaba iyobhujiswa. I-Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique, ikwenza kucace lokhu uma ufunda amazwi angaphansi kwenkulumo ethi “End of the World [Ukuphela Komhlaba]”: “ISonto LobuKatolika likholelwa futhi lifundisa ukuthi umhlaba okhona manje owadalwa uNkulunkulu ngeke uhlale kuze kube phakade.” Ikhathekizimu lamaKatolika lamuva nje nalo lisho okufanayo: “Umhlaba wethu . . . uzophela nakanjani.” Kodwa uma iplanethi yethu izophela, zisho ukuthini kanti izithembiso zeBhayibheli zomhlaba oyipharadesi?

IBhayibheli likhuluma ngokucacile ngomhlaba oyipharadesi ozoba khona esikhathini esizayo. Ngokwesibonelo, umprofethi u-Isaya wachaza umhlaba nabayohlala kuwo ngale ndlela: “Ngokuqinisekile bayokwakha izindlu bahlale kuzo; nakanjani bayotshala izivini badle izithelo zazo. Ngeke bakhe kuhlale omunye; ngeke batshale kudle omunye. Ngoba izinsuku zabantu bami ziyoba njengezinsuku zomuthi; nomsebenzi wezandla zabo abakhethiweyo bami bayowusebenzisa ngokugcwele.” (Isaya 65:21, 22) AmaJuda, abantu uNkulunkulu abathembisa lezi zinto, ayeqiniseka ukuthi izwe lawo—empeleni wonke umhlaba—liyoba ipharadesi lizuzise isintu kuze kube nini nanini.

IHubo 37 liqinisekisa leli themba. “Abamnene bayodla ifa lomhlaba.” (IHubo 37:11) Leli vesi alikhulumi nje ngokubuyiselwa kwesikhashana kwesizwe sakwa-Israyeli eZweni Lesithembiso. Lona leli hubo liyasho ukuthi abanjani abazodla leli fa. Lithi: “Abalungile bayokudla ifa lomhlaba, futhi bayohlala kuwo kuze kube phakade.” (IHubo 37:29)a Phawula ukuthi leli hubo lithi ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni kuzotholwa “abamnene.” EBhayibhelini lesiFulentshi, ukukhulunyelwa kwaleli vesi kuthi igama elithi “abamnene” “linomqondo obanzi kakhulu kunalowo osezinguqulweni; lihlanganisa abasezimweni ezingezinhle, abahluphekayo noma abashushiswa ngenxa kaYahweh [uJehova], lisho abathobekile abazithoba kuNkulunkulu.”

Emhlabeni Noma Ezulwini?

ENtshumayelweni YaseNtabeni, uJesu wenza isithembiso esisikhumbuza imiBhalo ecashunwe ngenhla: “Babusisiwe abamnene‚ ngokuba bayakudla ifa lomhlaba.” (Mathewu 5:5, IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile) Nalapha, kuthiwa umhlaba uyohlalwa phakade abantu abathembekile. Nokho, uJesu wakwenza kwacaca kubaphostoli bakhe ukuthi wayezobalungisela indawo “endlini [kaYise]” nokuthi babeyoba naye ezulwini. (Johane 14:1, 2; Luka 12:32; 1 Petru 1:3, 4) Kufanele siziqonde ngokuthi zisho ukuthini-ke izithembiso zezibusiso zomhlaba? Sizikhathaze yini ngazo namuhla, futhi zizotholwa obani?

Izazi zeBhayibheli ezihlukahlukene zithi “umhlaba” okukhulunywa ngawo eNtshumayelweni kaJesu yaseNtabeni ngisho nakumaHubo 37 umane nje ungokomfanekiso. Ngokwamazwi akhe kuyi-Bible de Glaire, uF. Vigouroux waqonda la mavesi ngokuthi “awumfanekiso wezulu noweSonto.” UM. Lagrange, ongumcwaningi weBhayibheli ongumFulentshi, uthi lesi sibusiso [noma isithembiso] “akusona isithembiso sokuthi abamnene bayokudla ifa lomhlaba abahlala kuwo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lokho kuzokwenzeka manje noma lapho umhlaba usulungiswe waphelela, kodwa [bayothola] indawo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ikuphi, ewumbuso wamazulu.” Omunye umcwaningi uthi “kusetshenziswa izinto zasemhlabeni ngomqondo ongokwasezulwini.” Kanti abanye bathi “izwe lesithembiso, iKhanani, libhekwa ngomqondo ongokomoya futhi limelela indawo esezulwini, umbuso kaNkulunkulu, okuthiwa nakanjani uyotholwa abamnene. Yileyo incazelo yeHubo 37 namanye amavesi.” Kodwa ingabe kufanele sisheshe siphethe ngokuthi izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu azikhulumi ngomhlaba ongokoqobo?

Injongo Yaphakade Ngomhlaba

Ekuqaleni, uNkulunkulu wayehlose ukuba umhlaba uhlalwe abantu. Umhubi wabhala: “Ngokuqondene namazulu, wona angakaJehova, kodwa umhlaba uwuniké abantwana babantu.” (IHubo 115:16) Ngakho, injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni ngesintu yayihlobene nomhlaba, hhayi nezulu. UJehova wanikeza umbhangqwana wokuqala ongabantu umsebenzi wokunweba insimu yase-Edene kuze kube yilapho wonke umhlaba uba ipharadesi. (Genesise 1:28) Lokhu kwakungeke nje kube into yesikhashana. NgeZwi lakhe, uJehova usiqinisekisa ukuthi umhlaba uyohlala kuze kube phakade: “Isizukulwane siyamuka, isizukulwane siyeza; kodwa umhlaba umi kuze kube nini nanini.”—UmShumayeli 1:4; 1 IziKronike 16:30; Isaya 45:18.

Izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu akwenzeki zingagcwaliseki, ngoba ungoPhezukonke, futhi wenza isiqiniseko sokuthi ziyagcwaliseka. Lisebenzisa umjikelezo wamanzi ongokwemvelo njengesibonelo, iBhayibheli lichaza ukuthi kuyinto engenakwenzeka ukuba izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu zingagcwaliseki: “Njengoba nje imvula ethululekayo yehla, neqhwa, kuvela emazulwini futhi kungabuyeli kuleyo ndawo kungazange empeleni kuwumatise umhlaba kuwenze ukhiqize futhi uhlume, . . . liyoba njalo nezwi lami [izwi likaNkulunkulu] eliphuma emlonyeni wami. Ngeke libuyele kimi lingabanga namiphumela, kodwa ngokuqinisekile liyokwenza lokho engikujabulelayo, futhi liyophumelela ngokuqinisekile kulokho engilithumele kona.” (Isaya 55:10, 11) UNkulunkulu uthembisa abantu, futhi kungase kudlule isikhathi esithile zingakagcwaliseki lezo zithembiso, kodwa zona ziyagcwaliseka ekugcineni. ‘Zibuyela’ kuye sezenze zonke izinto azishilo.

Ngokuqinisekile, uJehova ‘wakujabulela’ ukudala umhlaba ukuze abantu bahlale kuwo. Ngemva kosuku lwesithupha lokudala, wathi konke “kwakukuhle kakhulu.” (Genesise 1:31) Ukuguqulwa komhlaba ube ipharadesi laphakade kuyingxenye yenjongo kaNkulunkulu engakafezeki. Noma kunjalo, izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu ‘ngeke zibuyele kuye zingabanga namiphumela.’ Ziyogcwaliseka zonke izithembiso zokuphila okuphelele emhlabeni, lapho abantu beyophila phakade ngokuthula nangokulondeka.—IHubo 135:6; Isaya 46:10.

Injongo KaNkulunkulu Iyofezeka Nakanjani

Isono sabazali bethu bokuqala, u-Adamu no-Eva, sayiphazamisa okwesikhashana injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni yokwenza umhlaba ube ipharadesi. Ngemva kokungalaleli kwabo, baxoshwa ensimini. Labalahlekela kanjalo ilungelo lokuba khona lapho kugcwaliseka injongo kaNkulunkulu yokuba kuhlale abantu abaphelele emhlabeni oyipharadesi. Noma kunjalo, uNkulunkulu wahlela izinto ukuze afeze leyo njongo yakhe. Kanjani?—Genesise 3:17-19, 23.

Isimo e-Edene sasifana nesomuntu oqala ukwakha indlu esizeni esihle kakhulu. Kuthi lapho nje esabeka isisekelo kufike omunye asidibize. Kunokuwuyeka lowo msebenzi wakhe wokwakha, lo muntu uthatha izinyathelo zokuqinisekisa ukuthi indlu yakhe iyakhiwa iqedwe. Nakuba ukwenza lokho kusho izindleko ezengeziwe, akusho ukuthi sekufanele awushiye phansi umsebenzi wokwakha indlu yakhe.

Kungokufanayo nangoNkulunkulu. Wénza amalungiselelo okuqinisekisa ukuthi injongo yakhe iyafezeka. Ngemva nje kokona kwabazali bethu bokuqala, wamemezela ukuthi ‘inzalo’ yayiyolungisa umonakalo, ngakho abantwana babo babengaba nethemba. Ukuze kugcwaliseke lesi siprofetho, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uJesu, yaba ingxenye eyinhloko yenzalo futhi yeza emhlabeni yanikela ngokuphila kwayo njengomhlatshelo ukuze ihlenge isintu. (Galathiya 3:16; Mathewu 20:28) Lapho esevuselwe ezulwini, uJesu wayezoba iNkosi yoMbuso. NguJesu ngokuyinhloko omnene odla ifa lomhlaba kuhlanganise nabambalwa abakhethiwe abathembekile abavuselwa ezulwini ukuze babe ababusi kanye naye kulo Mbuso. (IHubo 2:6-9) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, lo hulumeni uyolawula izindaba zesintu ukuze kufezeke injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni futhi kuguqulwe umhlaba ube ipharadesi. Izigidi ezingenakubalwa zabamnene ‘zidla ifa lomhlaba’ ngomqondo wokuthi zizuza ekubuseni kwalo Mbuso ophethwe uJesu Kristu nalabo abusa kanye nabo.—Genesise 3:15; Daniyeli 2:44; IzEnzo 2:32, 33; IsAmbulo 20:5, 6.

“Nasemhlabeni, Njengasezulwini”

Embonweni owabonwa umphostoli uJohane, kuyakhulunywa ngalokhu kusindiswa noma amathemba asemhlabeni noma asezulwini. UJohane wabona amakhosi ayekhethwe phakathi kwabafundi bakaKristu abathembekile ehlezi ezihlalweni zobukhosi ezulwini. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngokuqondile ngalaba bangane bakaKristu, lithi “bayobusa njengamakhosi phezu komhlaba.” (IsAmbulo 5:9, 10) Phawula izici ezimbili zokugcwaliseka kwenjongo kaNkulunkulu—umhlaba obuyiselwe esimweni esifanele uqondiswa uMbuso wasezulwini owakhiwa uJesu Kristu nezindlalifa ezikanye naye. Wonke la malungiselelo kaNkulunkulu enza kube yinto engenzeka ukubuyiselwa komhlaba ube iPharadesi ngokwenjongo yaKhe yasekuqaleni.

Emthandazweni wakhe oyisibonelo, uJesu watshela abafundi bakhe ukuba bathandazele ukuba intando kaNkulunkulu yenzeke “nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.” (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Ingabe la mazwi abeyozwakala enengqondo uma kanti umhlaba uyobhujiswa noma umane nje umelela izulu? Abeyoba nengqondo yini futhi uma bonke abantu abalungile bebeya ezulwini? Intando kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba icacile emiBhalweni, kusukela ekulandiseni kokudalwa kwezinto kuya emibonweni yencwadi yesAmbulo. Umhlaba uzoba yilokho uNkulunkulu ayekuhlosile—ipharadesi. UNkulunkulu ufuna ukusifeza lesi sithembiso njengoba siyintando yakhe. Abathembekile abasemhlabeni bathandazela ukuba leyo ntando yakhe yenzeke.

UNkulunkulu, uMdali ‘ongakaze ashintshe’ wayefuna kwasekuqaleni ukuba abantu baphile phakade emhlabeni. (Malaki 3:6; Johane 17:3; Jakobe 1:17) Sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu lo magazini, INqabayokulinda, uchaza lezi zici ezimbili zokufezeka kwenjongo kaNkulunkulu. Lokhu kusenza siziqonde izithembiso ezisemiBhalweni zokubuyiselwa komhlaba esimweni sawo. Sikucela ukuba uke uyihlolisise le ndaba, kungaba ngokuxoxa noFakazi BakaJehova noma ngokuthinta abanyathelisi balo magazini.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

IBhayibheli likhuluma ngokucacile ngokulethwa kwePharadesi emhlabeni esikhathini esizayo

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Ingabe umthandazo kaJesu oyisibonelo ubuyoba nengqondo uma umhlaba uzobhujiswa?