Bakuphi Abafileyo?

“UMHLABA uyimakethe; izulu liyikhaya lethu,” kusho isisho samaYoruba aseNtshonalanga Afrika. Lomqondo ukhona ezinkolweni eziningi. Unikeza umbono wokuthi umhlaba unjengemakethe esiyivakashela isikhashana bese sihamba. Ngokwalenkolelo, uma sifa siya ezulwini, ikhaya lethu langempela.

IBhayibheli liyakufundisa ukuthi bakhona abayayo ezulwini. UJesu Kristu watshela abaphostoli bakhe abathembekile: “Ekhaya likaBaba kukhona izindlu eziningi; . . . ngiya ukunilungisela indawo. Nanxa ngiya nginilungisela indawo‚ ngobuye ngize‚ nginibuyisele kimi ukuba lapho ngikhona nibe-khona nani.”—Johane 14:2, 3.

Amazwi kaJesu awasho ukuthi bonke abantu abalungile baya ezulwini noma ukuthi izulu liyikhaya lesintu. Abanye baya ezulwini ngokuqondene nokubuswa komhlaba. UJehova uNkulunkulu wayazi ukuthi ohulumeni babantu ngeke bazisingathe ngendlela ephumelelayo izindaba zasemhlabeni. Ngakho-ke, walungiselela uhulumeni wasezulwini, noma uMbuso, owawuzogcina usulawula umhlaba futhi uwuguqule ube iPharadesi ayehlose ukuba ube yilo. (Mathewu 6:9, 10) UJesu wayezoba yiNkosi yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Daniyeli 7:13, 14) Abanye babezokhethwa esintwini ukuze bayobusa naye. IBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi labo abaya ezulwini babezoba “ngumbuso nabapristi kuNkulunkulu wethu” futhi “babuse emhlabeni.”—IsAmbulo 5:10.

Obani Abaya Ezulwini?

Uma kucatshangelwa umthwalo wemfanelo omkhulu labababusi basezulwini abazoba nawo, akumangalisi ukuthi kwakuzodingeka bahlangabezane nezimfuneko eziphakeme. Labo abaya ezulwini kumelwe babe nolwazi oluqondile ngoJehova futhi kumelwe bamlalele. (Johane 17:3; Roma 6:17, 18) Kufuneka babonise ukholo emhlatshelweni kaJesu Kristu wesihlengo. (Johane 3:16) Nokho, kuhileleke okwengeziwe. Kumelwe babizwe futhi bakhethwe uNkulunkulu ngeNdodana yakhe. (2 Thimothewu 1:9, 10; 1 Petru 2:9) Ngaphezu kwalokho, kumelwe babe amaKristu abhapathiziwe ‘azelwe ngokusha,’ azelwe ngomoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu. (Johane 1:12, 13; 3:3-6) Kudingeka futhi balondoloze ubuqotho kuNkulunkulu kuze kube sekufeni.—2 Thimothewu 2:11-13; IsAmbulo 2:10.

Izigidi zabantu ezingenakubalwa eziye zaphila azizange zihlangabezane nalezizimfuneko. Abaningi baye baba nethuba elincane lokufunda ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso. Abanye abakaze balifunde iBhayibheli futhi bazi okuncane noma abazi lutho ngoJesu Kristu. Ngisho naphakathi kwamaKristu eqiniso namuhla emhlabeni, bambalwa abaye bakhethwa uNkulunkulu ukuba bayophila ezulwini.

Ngenxa yalokho, inani lalabo abaya ezulwini lalizoba lincane ngokuqhathaniswa. UJesu wabhekisela kulaba ngokuthi ‘umhlambi omncane.’ (Luka 12:32) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kwembulelwa umphostoli uJohane ukuthi labo ‘abathengwe emhlabeni’ ukuze babuse noKristu ezulwini babezoba ngu-144 000 kuphela. (IsAmbulo 14:1, 3; 20:6) Uma liqhathaniswa nezinkulungwane zezigidi zabantu eziye zaphila emhlabeni, lelonani lincane ngempela.

Labo Abangayi Ezulwini

Kwenzekani kulabo abangayi ezulwini? Ingabe bayahlupheka endaweni ethile yokuhlushwa kwaphakade, njengoba kufundisa ezinye izinkolo? Akunjalo neze, ngoba uJehova unguNkulunkulu wothando. Abazali abanothando abaziphonsi izingane zabo emlilweni, noJehova akabahluphi abantu ngaleyondlela.—1 Johane 4:8.

Ithemba labaningi balabo abaye bafa liwukuvukela epharadesi lasemhlabeni. IBhayibheli lithi uJehova wadala umhlaba “ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo.” (Isaya 45:18) Umhubi wathi: “Izulu liyizulu likaJehova, kepha umhlaba wawunika abantwana babantu.” (IHubo 115:16) Umhlaba, hhayi izulu, oyoba ikhaya laphakade lesintu.

UJesu wabikezela: “Isikhathi siyeza‚ lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyakulizwa izwi layo [likaJesu, “iNdodana yomuntu”]‚ abenzé ukulunga baphumele ekuvukeni kokuphila‚ abenzé okubi ekuvukeni kokulahlwa.” (Johane 5:27-29) Umphostoli ongumKristu uPawulu wakuqinisekisa lokhu: “Nginethemba kuNkulunkulu . . . lokuthi kuyakuba-khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo‚ okwabalungile nokwabangalungile.” (IzEnzo 24:15) Esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa, uJesu wathembisa isoni esiphendukayo ukuphila ngokuvukela epharadesi lasemhlabeni.—Luka 23:43.

Nokho, njengamanje abafileyo abayovuselwa ekuphileni emhlabeni bakusiphi isimo? Esinye isenzakalo enkonzweni kaJesu siyasisiza ukuba siphendule lombuzo. Umngane wakhe uLazaru wayefile. Ngaphambi kokuba uJesu ayomvusa, watshela abafundi baKhe: “ULazaru umhlobo wethu ulele‚ kepha ngiyahamba ukuba ngimvuse ebuthongweni.” (Johane 11:11) Ngaleyondlela uJesu wayeqhathanisa ukufa nobuthongo, ubuthongo obujulile obungenamaphupho.

Ukulala Ekufeni

Eminye imibhalo iyahambisana nalomqondo wokulala ekufeni. Ayifundisi ukuthi abantu banomphefumulo ongafi odlulela endaweni yomoya ekufeni. Kunalokho, iBhayibheli lithi: “Abafileyo abazi-lutho, . . . Uthando lwabo, nokuzonda kwabo, nomhawu wabo sekuphelile; . . . akukho-msebenzi, namcabango, nakwazi, nakuhlakanipha endaweni yabafileyo [ithuna], lapho uya khona.” (UmShumayeli 9:5, 6, 10) Ngaphezu kwalokho, umhubi wathi umuntu ‘ubuyela emhlabathini wakhe; ngalona lolosuku amacebo akhe ayaphela.’—IHubo 146:4.

Lemibhalo ikwenza kube sobala ukuthi labo abalele ekufeni abakwazi ukusibona noma basizwe. Abakwazi ukuletha isibusiso noma ingozi. Abekho ezulwini, futhi abahlali emphakathini othile wawokhokho. Abaphili, abekho.

Ngesikhathi sikaNkulunkulu esifanele, labo abalele ekufeni njengamanje abasenkumbulweni yakhe bayovuselwa ekuphileni emhlabeni oyipharadesi. Kuyoba umhlaba ohlanziwe wasuswa ukungcola, izinkathazo, nezinkinga isintu esibhekene nazo njengamanje. Yeka ukuthi kuyoba isikhathi esijabulisa kanjani leso! KuleloPharadesi bayoba nethemba lokuphila phakade, ngoba iHubo 37:29 liyasiqinisekisa: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.”

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6, 7]

NGAYEKA UKUKHULEKELA ABAFILEYO

“Lapho ngisengumfana, ngangisiza ubaba uma enza iminikelo yakhe ayevame ukuyenzela uyise osewafa. Kwesinye isehlakalo lapho ubaba esalulama ekuguleni okunzima, isangoma samtshela ukuthi ukuze abonge ngokululama kwakhe kufanele enzele uyise osewafa umnikelo wembuzi, ama-yam, ama-kola nut, notshwala. Ubaba wayalwa futhi ukuba acele okhokho bakhe asebafa ukuba baphebeze nokunye ukugula nezingozi.

“Umama wathenga okwakudingeka kulowomsebenzi, owawuzokwenziwa ethuneni likamkhulu. Ithuna laliseduze nendlu yakithi, njengesiko lendawo.

“Kwamenywa abangane, izihlobo, nomakhelwane ukuba bazobungaza lomsebenzi. Ubaba, egqoke econsa ukuze afanelekele lesosenzakalo, wahlala esihlalweni esasibhekene nendawo yokukhuleka eyayikleliswe izingebhezi zamakhanda ezimbuzi ezazihlatshelwe iminikelo yangaphambili. Umsebenzi wami kwakuwukuthela iwayini elalisebhodleleni engilazini encane, bese ngilinikeza ubaba. Yena-ke, walithela emhlabathini enza umnikelo. Ubaba wabiza igama likayise kathathu wayesecela kuye insindiso engozini esikhathini esizayo.

“Kwanikelwa ngama-kola nut, kwase kuhlatshwa impongo, yaphekwa, yase idliwa yibo bonke ababekhona. Nami ngahlanganyela ekudleni futhi ngagiya nginanela ukuhlabelela nokushaywa kwezigubhu. Ubaba wagiya ngobugagu nangomdlandla, nakuba ukuguga kwase kuzinike amandla nje. Ngezikhawu ezithile wayekhuleka koyisemkhulu ecela ukuba babusise bonke ababekhona, kuyilapho abantu, kuhlanganise nami, babephendula ngokuthi Ise, okusho ukuthi ‘Makube njalo.’ Ubaba ngambuka ngokuthatheka okukhulu nangokumazisa futhi ngafisa lolosuku lapho nami ngiyoba mdala khona ngokwanele ukuba ngenze iminikelo kobabamkhulu asebafa.

“Naphezu kwayo yonke leminikelo eyase yenziwe, akuzange kube khona ukuthula emkhayeni wakithi. Nakuba umama ayenamadodana amathathu aphilayo, akukho neyodwa emadodakazini akhe amathathu awazala eyaphila isikhathi eside; wonke ayefa esengabantwana. Kuthe lapho umama ephinda ekhulelwa, ubaba wenza iminikelo enemicikilisho ukuze umntwana azalwe ngokuphephile.

“Umama wabeletha enye intombazane. Eminyakeni emibili kamuva lowomntwana wagula futhi wafa. Ubaba waya esangomeni, esathi kunesitha esasimbulele. Isangoma sathi ukuze ‘umphefumulo’ womntwana uziphindiselele, kwakuzodingeka umnikelo wokhuni oluvuthayo, ibhodlela lotshwala, nomdlwane wenja. Ukhuni oluvuthayo lwaluzobekwa ethuneni, ithuna lifafazwe ngotshwala, bese umdlwane ungcwatshwa uphila eduze kwethuna. Kwathiwa lokhu kuzovusa umphefumulo wentombazanyana efile ukuze iziphindiselele ngokubulawa kwayo.

“Ngathatha ibhodlela lotshwala nokhuni oluvuthayo ngakuyisa ethuneni, ubaba yena weza nomdlwane, awungcwaba njengokusho kweziyalezo zesangoma. Sonke sasikholelwa ukuthi ezinsukwini eziyisikhombisa umphefumulo wentombazanyana efile wawuzomqothula lomuntu owabangela ukufa kwayo ngaphambi kwesikhathi. Kwadlula izinyanga ezimbili, akubikwanga muntu ofile endaweni yakithi. Ngaphelelwa ithemba.

“Ngangineminyaka engu-18 ngalesosikhathi. Esikhathini esifushane ngemva kwalokho ngahlangana noFakazi BakaJehova, abangibonisa ngokwemiBhalo ukuthi abafileyo abanakwenza lutho oluhle noma olubi kwabaphilayo. Njengoba ulwazi lweZwi likaNkulunkulu lwalugxila enhliziyweni yami, ngatshela ubaba ukuthi ngangingeke ngisahamba naye ukuyokwenza iminikelo kwabafileyo. Waqale wangithukuthelela ngokumhlamuka kwami, njengoba ayekubeka kanjalo. Kodwa lapho ephawula ukuthi ngangingazimisele ukuyishiya lenkolo yami entsha, akazange amelane nokukhulekela kwami uJehova.

“Ngo-April 18, 1948, ngabonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwami ngobhapathizo lwamanzi. Kusukela lapho, ngiye ngaqhubeka ngikhonza uJehova ngenjabulo nokwaneliseka okukhulu, ngisiza abanye ukuba bagqashule ekukhulekeleni okhokho asebafa, abangeke basisize noma basilimaze.”—Inikelwe ngu-J. B. Omiegbe, waseBenin City, eNigeria.

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Kuyoba nenjabulo enkulu lapho abafileyo bevuswa emhlabeni oyipharadesi