Bonisa Ukholo Oluholela Ekuphileni Okuphakade
‘Yiba nokholo oluholela ekulondolozweni komphefumulo.’—HEBERU 10:39, “NW.”
1. Yini iencyclopedia yamaKatolika eyivumayo ngokusebenzisa kweBhayibheli igama elithi “umphefumulo”?
AKUKHO ndawo lapho iBhayibheli lisho khona ukuthi abantu banomphefumulo ongafi osindayo lapho umzimba ufa futhi uqhubeke uphila phakade endaweni yomoya. Ngisho neNew Catholic Encyclopedia iyavuma: “Umqondo wokuthi umphefumulo uyasinda ekufeni kungaba nzima ukuwuthola eBhayibhelini. . . . Umphefumulo eT[estamenteni] E[lidala] awusho ingxenye yomuntu, kodwa umuntu ewonke—umuntu njengesidalwa esiphilayo. Ngokufanayo, e[Testamenteni] E[lisha] ufanekisela ukuphila kobuntu: ukuphila komuntu siqu.” Ngakho abantu abanayo imiphefumulo, bayimiphefumulo.
2. (a) Yaqalaphi inkolelo yomphefumulo ongafi? (b) Liyini iqiniso ngesimo somuntu ngemva kokufa?
2 Njengoba isihloko esandulelayo sibonisile, inkolelo yomphefumulo ongafi iwumqondo wobuqaba ongathungathwa kuhlehlelwe emuva ezikhathini zakuqala zomlando. Umsunguli wawo yilowo owaphikisa amazwi kaNkulunkulu acacile okuthi umuntu ‘wayeyokufa nokufa’ uma engalaleli. (Genesise 2:17) Kwakuwumphikisi, uSathane uDeveli, owathi: “Aniyikufa nokufa.” (Genesise 3:4) Futhi lokho kwakungamanga. (Johane 8:44) Kamuva, uSathane wayithuthukisa lemfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo womuntu. Kodwa iqiniso ngesimo somuntu ngemva kokufa linjengoba liphawulwe eZwini likaNkulunkulu eliphefumlelwe kumShumayeli 9:5: “Abafileyo abazi-lutho.”—Bheka futhi neyabaseRoma 5:12.
Ithemba Lokuphila Okuphakade
3. Yiliphi ithemba iBhayibheli elikhuluma kakhulu ngalo?
3 Nakuba iBhayibheli likubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi ayikho into enjengomphefumulo ongafi, kunokuningi elikushoyo ngokuphila okuphakade. Ithemba lokuphila okungenakuphela laliyimfundiso kaJesu eyisisekelo. Wathi: “Ukuphila okuphakade yilokhu ukuba bazi wena-Nkulunkulu wedwa oqinisileyo, nomthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.” (Johane 17:3) Ngokuqondene nalabo ababonisa ukholo kuNkulunkulu noKristu, uJesu wathi: “Ngi[ba]nika ukuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 10:28) Eqiniseka ngokugcwele, wathi: “Okholwayo unokuphila okuphakade. . . . Uyakuphila phakade.” (Johane 6:47, 51) Wathi futhi: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 3:16.
4. UJesu wathini ngethemba lesikhathi esizayo?
4 Njengoba kungekho mphefumulo ongafi osindayo ekufeni, isithembiso seBhayibheli sokuphila okuphakade siyogcwaliseka kanjani? UJesu wanikeza ukwaziswa okwengeziwe ngalokhu lapho evakashela uMarta noMariya ngemva kokuba uLazaru umfowabo eshonile. Wathi kuMarta: “Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila; okholwa yimi, noma efa, wophila.” Wabuza uMarta: “Uyakholwa yilokho na?” Waphendula: “Yebo, Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi wena unguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”—Johane 11:25-27.
5, 6. Ukuvusa kukaJesu uLazaru embuyisela ekuphileni kwakubonisani?
5 Ukuze abonise ukuthi yena, njengeNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wayenikezwe amandla okuvusa abafileyo babuyele ekuphileni, uJesu waya ethuneni likaLazaru. ULazaru wayesefe izinsuku ezine, futhi umzimba wakhe wawusuqale ukubola. Nokho, “[uJesu] wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: Lazaru, phuma. Waphuma ofileyo eboshwé izinyawo nezandla ngezindwangu, ubuso bakhe bumboziwe ngeduku. UJesu wathi kubo: Mthukululeni, nimyeke ahambe.” (Johane 11:43, 44) ULazaru ofile wayebuyiselwe ekuphileni!
6 ULazaru akalandwanga evela ezulwini noma kwenye indawo endaweni yomoya. Wayengazange aye endaweni yomoya lapho efa kodwa wayengazi lutho ethuneni, lapho bonke abafile bekhona. (IHubo 146:4; Johane 3:13; IzEnzo 2:34) Bekungayikuba nengqondo ukucabanga ukuthi umphefumulo ongafi kaLazaru wawujabulela intokozo yasezulwini kwase kuthi kusenjalo lowomphefumulo wahlwithwa ezulwini ukuze uhlanganiswe kabusha nomzimba ongaphelele emhlabeni ukuze uphinde uphile ezweni eligcwele ukuhlupheka, ukugula, nokufa. Kodwa njengoba ayengekho ezulwini, ukubuyiselwa kwakhe ekuphileni kwajatshulelwa, ngoba kwasho ukuphila eminye iminyaka eyengeziwe nokuphinde abe nabathandekayo bakhe. Kamuva, wayeyophinde afe.
7, 8. (a) Kukuziphi ezinye izehlakalo lapho uJesu avusa khona abafileyo? (b) Kungani uJesu enza lezozimangaliso zokubuyisela abantu ekuphileni?
7 Lapho uJesu evusa intombazanyana eyayifile, abazali bayo “abakwazanga ukuzibamba ngenxa yenjabulo.” (Marku 5:42, NW) Nokho, leyontombazanyana ekugcineni nayo yafa futhi. Lapho uJesu evusa indodana efile yomfelokazi waseNayini, “bafikelwa ngukwesaba bonke, bamdumisa uNkulunkulu.” (Luka 7:16) Kodwa nalowomuntu ekugcineni wafa. Ngokuqondene nalezimangaliso, iNew International Dictionary of New Testament Theology iyavuma: “Labo abavuswa uKristu enkonzweni yakhe yasemhlabeni kwakumelwe bafe, njengoba lokhu kuvuswa kwakungabaniki ukungafi.”
8 Kungani uJesu abavusa laba kwabafileyo? Wayengabavusi ngenjongo yokubanika ukuphila okuphakade ngalesosikhathi, kodwa ukuze abonakalise ukuthi wayenguMesiya futhi abonise lokho uNkulunkulu ayemnike amandla okukwenza. Kwakha ukholo ethembeni lovuko nokuphila okuphakade ngaphansi kokubusa kwesikhathi esizayo koMbuso kaNkulunkulu wasezulwini ezandleni zikaKristu.—Mathewu 6:9, 10; Johane 11:41, 42.
9. OMarta noPawulu bayiqonda ngokufanele kanjani imfundiso kaJesu ngethemba lovuko?
9 UMarta wayazi ngalelothemba ngenxa yokusondelana kwakhe noJesu, ngoba ngaphambili wayethe kuye ngoLazaru: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakuvuka ekuvukeni ngosuku lokugcina.” (Johane 11:24) Wayazi ukuthi uvuko lwalungayikuba sosukwini lwakhe, (uLazaru) lokugcina kodwa esikhathini esizayo, “ngosuku lokugcina”—uSuku Lokwahlulela, lapho abafileyo beyovuswa khona ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Umphostoli uPawulu naye wayekwazi lokho, ngoba wathi: “[UNkulunkulu] umisile usuku azakwahlulela ngalo izwe ngokulunga.” (IzEnzo 17:31) UPawulu wathi futhi: “Kuyakuba-khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungile nokwabangalungile.” (IzEnzo 24:15) Akashongo ukuthi uvuko lwase lwenzeka kakade kodwa wathi “[l]uyakuba-khona” esikhathini esizayo—ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso.
10. Uprofesa waseFrance uthini ngezinkolelo zeLobukholwa ngovuko uma ziqhathaniswa nemfundiso ecacile yeBhayibheli?
10 Encwadini ethi Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead? uprofesa ongumProthestani waseFrance uOscar Cullmann uyabhala: “Kunomehluko omkhulu phakathi kwethemba lamaKristu lovuko lwabafileyo nenkolelo yamaGreki yokungafi komphefumulo. . . . Nakuba ubuKristu kamuva bazixhumanisa lezinkolelo ezimbili, futhi namuhla iningi lamaKristu liziphambanisa ngokuphelele, angisiboni isizathu sokufihla lokho mina neningi lezazi esikucabangela njengokuyiqiniso. . . . Ukuphila nomcabango okuseTestamenteni Elisha kubuswa ngokuphelele ukholo ovukweni. . . . Umuntu ewonke, ofe ngempela, ubuyiselwa ekuphileni ngesenzo esisha sikaNkulunkulu sokudala.”
Uvuko—Bavuselwaphi?
11, 12. (a) Iyini injongo kaNkulunkulu ngabantu nangalomhlaba? (b) UJesu wabonisa kanjani ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba ayikashintshi?
11 Lapho uNkulunkulu edala abantu, wabanika umhlaba njengekhaya labo laphakade futhi wayehlose ukugcwalisa lonozungezilanga ngohlanga lwabantu abalungile. (Genesise 1:26-28; IHubo 115:16) IBhayibheli likhuluma ngoJehova “[njengowawubumba] umhlaba, wawenza, wawumisa, engawudalelanga ize, wawubumba ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo.”—Isaya 45:18.
12 Naphezu kwezinkulungwane zeminyaka zokungapheleli nokufa kusukela ekuhlubukeni komuntu, kuseyinjongo kaNkulunkulu ukuba umhlaba ube yikhaya lomuntu laphakade: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.” (IHubo 37:29) “Babusisiwe abamnene, ngokuba bayakudla ifa lomhlaba.” (Mathewu 5:5) Ngakho, ngenkathi uJesu ebuyisela abafileyo ekuphileni, wabavusela khona lapha emhlabeni, futhi abanye basheshe babazi ukuthi bangabantu ababekade befile. Lokhu kwaqinisekisa ukuthi ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso abafileyo bayobuyiselwa ekuphileni emhlabeni ukuze babe nethuba lokuphila phakade kuwo. (IsAmbulo 20:12, 13) Lokho kuyogcwalisa injongo kaNkulunkulu ngabantu nangomhlaba.—Isaya 46:9-11; 55:11; Thithu 1:1, 2.
13. Iyiphi inkinga amasonto eLobukholwa abhekene nayo, futhi azama ukuyixazulula kanjani?
13 Nokho, njengoba amasonto eLobukholwa ekholelwa ekungafini komphefumulo, lokhu kuwalethela inkinga: Angakuvumelanisa kanjani ukuvuswa ‘komuntu ewonke,’ njengoba kwaboniswa uJesu, nenkolelo yawo yokungafi komphefumulo osusezulwini noma esihogweni kakade? ICatholic Encyclopedia iyavuma: “UMkhandlu Wesine Wesonto Ofundisayo ufundisa ukuthi bonke abantu, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bakhethiwe noma balahliwe, ‘bayophinde bavuke nemizimba yabo abahamba nayo njengamanje.’” Iyenezela: “Njengoba umzimba ungumhlanganyeli wamacala omphefumulo, nomngane wezici zawo ezinhle, ukwahlulela ngokulunga kukaNkulunkulu kubonakala kuphoqelela ukuba umzimba ube umhlanganyeli wesijeziso somphefumulo nomvuzo wawo.” Ngokwalenkolelo, umzimba uyohlanganiswa futhi nomphefumulo ezulwini noma esihogweni. Isikhathi eside kangakanani? “Imizimba evusiwe yakho kokubili osanta nezoni iyonikwa ukungafi,” kusho leyoncwadi.
14. Umbhali ongumJesuit ukuzama kanjani ukucacisa umbono weLobukholwa wokuvuswa komzimba?
14 Encwadini ethi The Future Life, kaJ. C. Sasia ongumJesuit, siyafunda: “Ngakho-ke ukuphila kwasezulwini kuyoba enye yezinjabulo futhi eziyojatshulelwa ngezinzwa ezikhazinyulisiwe [zomzimba obuye wahlanganiswa nomphefumulo].” Ngokuqondene nemizimba ebuye yahlanganiswa nemiphefumulo yayo esihogweni, leyoncwadi ithi: “Esihogweni, ngemva kokuvuka [komzimba], ngayinye yezinzwa zomzimba womuntu iyothola isijeziso sayo yodwa . . . Izinzwa zokuthinta ziyohlushwa kakhulu, ngoba kungenxa yezono zenyama ikakhulukazi ukuba abalahliwe baye bathukuthelisa uNkulunkulu. . . . Kuzona ukuhlangana kwazo nemizimba yazo kuyoba imbangela yokuhlushwa okwengeziwe nezinsizi.”
15. Kungani kuwukuhlambalaza ukufundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uhlupha abantu esihogweni phakade?
15 Kanjalo, ukwamukela umqondo wobuqaba wokungafi komphefumulo kwacabela eLobukholwa indlela yokuba lamukele nalomqondo wobuqaba wokuhlushwa okubuhlungu kwemiphefumulo—ngisho nemizimba—esihogweni phakade. Kanti, ngokuqondene nemikhuba yasendulo yokushisa abantwana njengemihlatshelo konkulunkulu bamanga, uJehova wathi: “[Ba]shisa amadodana abo ngomlilo, abe-yiminikelo yokushiswa kuBali, engingakuyalanga, nengingakukhulumanga, nokungangenanga enhliziyweni yami.” (Jeremiya 19:5) Ngakho kuwukuhlambalaza ukufundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uhlupha abantu phakade, kuyilapho iZwi lakhe likubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi abenzi bobubi abangaphenduki bayobhujiswa, bangaphinde babe khona. “Kuyakuthi wonke umuntu [umphefumulo, NW] ongayikumlalela lowomprofethi [uJesu] uyakuchithwa kubantu.”—IzEnzo 3:23; bheka futhi noMathewu 10:28; Luka 17:27; Johane 3:16; 2 Petru 2:12; Juda 5.
Ukungafi
16. IBhayibheli lifundisani ngokungafi?
16 Nokho, ingabe iBhayibheli alifundisi yini ukuthi abantu bayoyiswa ezulwini ukuze baphile ukuphila okungenakufa lapho? Yebo, liyakufundisa. Kodwa lokhu akuhlangene ngalutho nemiphefumulo yabantu engafi. Ukungafi kuwumphumela wokuvuswa komuntu njengesidalwa somoya (njengoJesu) akuwona owokuba kwakhe nomphefumulo osinde ekufeni. Umvuzo wesikhathi esizayo wokungafi wathenjiswa abantu abathile abathembekile, abanjengoKristu futhi wawuzokwamukelwa kuphela lapho uKristu engena emandleni oMbuso ezulwini, hhayi ngokushesha ngemva kokwenyukela kwakhe ezulwini ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka.—IHubo 110:1; 1 Korinte 15:53, 54.
17. Bangaki abayothola ukungafi, futhi iyiphi indima abayifezayo enjongweni kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba?
17 Ngaphezu kwalokho, lelothemba lanikezwa abambalwa ngokuqhathaniswa emkhayeni wesintu. UJesu wabiza laba ngokuthi “[u]mhlambi omncane.” (Luka 12:32) Leliqembu, labangu-144 000 ngenani, livuselwa ekuphileni kwasezulwini njengezidalwa zomoya ezingenakufa ukuze libuse phezu komhlaba noKristu eMbusweni wakhe wasezulwini. (2 Petru 3:13; IsAmbulo 7:4; 14:1, 4; 20:4) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, umhlaba abawubusayo uyohlalwa abantu abaphelele, ngokungangabazeki izinkulungwane zezigidi zabo. Abaningi balabobantu bayoba ababuyela emhlabeni ‘ngovuko lwabalungileyo nolwabangalungile.’ (IzEnzo 24:15) Nokho, kuyoba nabanye abayozuza ukuphila ezweni elisha ngaphandle kwalabo abavuswe kwabafileyo. Bangobani?
“Kasoze Afa Naphakade”
18. Ngaphezu kwethemba lovuko lwabafileyo, iyiphi enye into emangalisayo uJesu ayibikezela?
18 Nakuba ithemba eliqinisekile labantu abafile kuwuvuko, kunelinye ithemba elimangalisayo esikhathini sethu. Lihlobene nalokho uJesu aqhubeka wakutshela uMarta. Ngemva kokuthi: “Okholwa yimi, noma efa, wophila [ovukweni],” uJesu wanezela, “nalowo ophila, akholwe yimi, kasoze afa naphakade.” (Johane 11:25, 26) Kulenkulumo yakhe yokugcina, uJesu wabikezela into emangalisayo: Kwakuyofika isikhathi lapho abantu abaphilayo kwakungasenakudingeka ukuba bafe! Kodwa kuyokwenzeka nini lokho?
19. (a) Kuphakathi nasiphi isikhathi lapho ithemba lokungafi nhlobo liyogcwaliseka khona? (b) IBhayibheli libachaza kanjani labo abanethemba lokungafi nhlobo?
19 Manje—usuku lwethu—yisikhathi sokuba lesosithembiso sigcwaliseke! Bonke ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi sisondele kakhulu esiphelweni salelizwe elibi. (Mathewu 24:3-14; 2 Thimothewu 3:1-5, 13) Ngakho, abantu namuhla ababonisa ukholo kuNkulunkulu naseNdodaneni yakhe banethemba elijabulisayo lokusinda ekupheleni kwalesimiso futhi baqhubekele ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu bephila—bengazange bafe! Laba kukhulunywa ngabo kusAmbulo 7:9, 14 ngokuthi “isixuku esikhulu ebesingenakubalwa-muntu, sivela kuzo zonke izizwe, nemindeni, nabantu, nezilimi . . . abaphuma osizini olukhulu,” belondolozwe uNkulunkulu ngenxa yokuba kwabo nokholo. UJesu wakhuluma ngokuqedwa okuzayo kwalesimiso esibi ‘esikhona manje ngokuthi “usizi olukhulu olungazange lube-khona kwasekuqaleni kwezwe kuze kube-manje nolungasayikuba-khona.”—Mathewu 24:21; bheka futhi izAga 2:21, 22; IHubo 37:10, 11, 34.
20, 21. Izigidi namuhla zilubonisa kanjani ukholo kuNkulunkulu nakuKristu, futhi yini iningi lazo elingeke liyidinge?
20 Ezweni lonke, izigidi zesixuku esikhulu ezifuna ukuphila phakade emhlabeni kakade zibonisa ukholo ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu nakulowo amgunyaze ukuba abe “ukuvuka nokuphila,” uJesu Kristu. Futhi ziye zazinikezela kuNkulunkulu, zibonakalisa lokhu ngokubhapathizwa emanzini. (Mathewu 28:19, 20) Ziyavuma ukuthi insindiso ngokuphelele “ngekaNkulunkulu . . . ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi neyeWundlu,” uJesu Kristu.—IsAmbulo 7:10.
21 Labo besixuku esikhulu abayosinda ekupheleni kwalelizwe ngeke badinge ukuvuswa kwabafileyo ngoba ‘kabasoze bafa naphakade’! Ingabe uthatha izinyathelo zokuba omunye waleliqembu? Uma kunjalo, yeka ilungelo elimangalisayo neliyingqayizivele elikuvulekele—lelo lokusinda ekupheleni kwalesimiso esibi sikaSathane nokungeniswa enkathini entsha yokulunga eyokulethela impilo ephelele nokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi! (Luka 23:43; IsAmbulo 21:4, 5) Ngokufunda ukuthi intando kaNkulunkulu iyini nangokukhuthazela ekuyenzeni, ungabonisa ukuthi ‘awuyena owohlobo oluhlehlela emuva ekubhujisweni.’ Nawe ‘ungaba nokholo oluholela ekulondolozweni komphefumulo.’—Heberu 10:39; 1 Johane 2:15-17; IsAmbulo 7:15.
Imibuzo Yokubukeza
◻ Liyini ithemba langempela ngabafileyo?
◻ Kungani inkolelo yeLobukholwa ngokuvuswa komzimba iyinhlamba kuNkulunkulu?
◻ IBhayibheli lifundisani ngokungafi?
◻ Yiliphi ithemba elimangalisayo abantu abangaba nalo namuhla?