Kwenzekani Ngomphefumulo Ekufeni Komuntu?
“Imfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo womuntu awufi futhi uyoqhubeka ukhona ngemva kokufa komuntu nokubola komzimba wakhe ingesinye sezisekelo zefilosofi nemfundiso yenkolo yobuKristu.”—“NEW CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA.”
1. Yini evunywa i-New Catholic Encyclopedia maqondana nokusinda komphefumulo ekufeni?
NOKHO, le ncwadi ecashunwe ngenhla iyavuma ukuthi “umqondo womphefumulo osindayo ngemva kokufa awutholakali eBhayibhelini.” Pho, yini iBhayibheli eliyifundisayo ngempela mayelana nokuthi kwenzekani ngomphefumulo ekufeni komuntu?
Abafileyo Abazi Lutho
2, 3. Siyini isimo sabafileyo, futhi yimiphi imibhalo eyembula lokhu?
2 Isimo sabafileyo sicacisiwe kumShumayeli 9:5, 10, lapho sifunda khona ukuthi: “Abafileyo abazi-lutho, . . . Akukho msebenzi, nacebo, nalwazi noma ukuhlakanipha, ethuneni.” (Moffatt) Khona-ke, ukufa kuyisimo sokungabibikho. Umhubi waloba ukuthi lapho umuntu efa, “ubuyela emhlabathini wakhe; ngalona lolosuku amacebo akhe ayaphela.”—IHubo 146:4.
3 Ngakho-ke abafileyo abazi lutho, abenzi lutho. Lapho egweba u-Adamu, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Ungumhlabathi, uyakuphenduka umhlabathi.” (Genesise 3:19) Ngaphambi kokuba uNkulunkulu ambumbe ngothuli lomhlabathi futhi amnike ukuphila, u-Adamu wayengekho. Lapho efa, u-Adamu wabuyela kuleso simo. Isijeziso sakhe kwaba ngukufa—akadluliselwanga kwenye indawo.
Umphefumulo Ungafa
4, 5. Nikeza izibonelo eziseBhayibhelini ezibonisa ukuthi umphefumulo ungafa.
4 Lapho u-Adamu efa, kwenzekani emphefumulweni wakhe? Khumbula phela ukuthi eBhayibhelini igama elithi “umphefumulo” ngokuvamile lisho umuntu nje. Ngakho uma sithi u-Adamu wafa, sisuke sithi umphefumulo ogama lawo lingu-Adamu wafa. Lokhu kungase kuzwakale kungajwayelekile kumuntu okholelwa ukuthi umphefumulo awufi. Nokho, iBhayibheli lithi: “Umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.” (Hezekeli 18:4) ULevitikusi 21:1 (NW) ukhuluma “ngomphefumulo ofileyo” (“isidumbu,” Jerusalem Bible). Futhi amaNaziri ayeyalwe ukuba angasondeli ‘emphefumulweni ofileyo’ (“esidunjini,” Lamsa).—Numeri 6:6.
5 Kukhulunywa ngendlela efanayo ngomphefumulo kweyoku-1 AmaKhosi 19:4. U-Eliya owayecindezeleke kakhulu “wacela enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba [umphefumulo wakhe ufe, NW].” Ngokufanayo, uJona “wazicelela ukuba [umphefumulo wakhe ufe, NW], wathi: ‘Kungcono kimi ukufa kunokuphila.’” (Jona 4:8) Futhi uJesu wasebenzisa inkulumo ethi “ukubulala umphefumulo,” leyo i-Bible in Basic English eliyihumusha ngokuthi “ukubulala.” (Marku 3:4) Ngakho ukufa komphefumulo kumane nje kusho ukufa komuntu.
‘Ukuphuma Nokubuyela’
6. Lisho ukuthini iBhayibheli uma lithi umphefumulo kaRaheli ‘wawusuzophuma’?
6 Kodwa kuthiwani ngenhlekelele yokufa kukaRaheli, eyenzeka lapho ebeletha indodana yakhe yesibili? KuGenesise 35:18, sifunda ukuthi: “Usuzakuphuma umphefumulo wakhe, ngokuba wafa, waqamba igama lakhe ngokuthi uBenoni; kepha uyise wamqamba ngokuthi uBenjamini.” Ingabe leli vesi lisho ukuthi uRaheli wayenento engaphakathi eyaphuma lapho efa? Lutho neze. Khumbula, igama elithi “umphefumulo” lingasho nokuphila umuntu anakho. Ngakho kule ndaba, uma kuthiwa “umphefumulo” kaRaheli kumane kushiwo “ukuphila” kwakhe. Yingakho amanye amaBhayibheli ehumusha le nkulumo ethi “usuzakuphuma umphefumulo wakhe” ngokuthi “ukuphila kwakhe sekuncipha” (Knox), “esephefumula okokugcina” (Jerusalem Bible), nokuthi “ukuphila kwakhe sekusuka kuye” (Bible in Basic English). Akukho okubonisa ukuthi ingxenye ethile kaRaheli engaqondakali yasinda lapho efa.
7. Umphefumulo wendodana yomfelokazi evusiwe “wabuyela kuyo” ngayiphi indlela?
7 Kungashiwo okufanayo nangokuvuswa kwendodana yomfelokazi, okulotshwe kweyoku-1 AmaKhosi isahluko 17. Evesini 22, sifunda ukuthi lapho u-Eliya ethandaza phezu komfana, “uJehova walizwa izwi likaEliya; umphefumulo womntwana wabuyela kuye, waphila.” Nalapha, igama elithi “umphefumulo” lisho “ukuphila.” Ngakho, i-New American Standard Bible ifundeka kanje: “Ukuphila kwengane kwabuyela kuyo futhi yaphila.” Yebo, ukuphila okwabuyela kumfana, hhayi into ethile esasithunzi. Lokhu kuvumelana nalokho u-Eliya akutshela unina womfana: “Bheka, indodana yakho [umuntu ewonke] isiyaphila.”—1 AmaKhosi 17:23.
Impicabadala ‘Yesimo Esiphakathi Naphakathi’
8. Abaningi abathi bangamaKristu bakholelwa ukuthi kuyokwenzekani ngesikhathi sovuko?
8 Abaningi abathi bangamaKristu bakholelwa ukuthi kuyoba khona uvuko esikhathini esizayo lapho izidumbu ziyohlanganiswa khona nemiphefumulo engafi. Khona-ke, abavusiwe bayodluliselwa esabelweni sabo sokugcina—kungaba umvuzo kulabo ababephila ukuphila okuhle noma impindiselo kwababi.
9. Isho ukuthini inkulumo ethi “isimo esiphakathi naphakathi,” futhi abanye bathi kwenzekani ngomphefumulo ngale nkathi?
9 Le mfundiso izwakala ilula. Kodwa labo ababambelele enkolelweni yokungafi komphefumulo baba nenkinga yokuchaza ukuthi kwenzekani ngomphefumulo phakathi nesikhathi sokufa nesikhathi sovuko. Empeleni, sekungamakhulu eminyaka lesi “simo esiphakathi naphakathi,” njengoba sivame ukubizwa kanjalo, sidala ukudideka. Abanye bathi phakathi nale nkathi umphefumulo uya esihlanzweni, lapho uhlanzwa khona ezonweni ezingathetheleleka ukuze ulungele izulu.a
10. Kungani kungekhona okungokomBhalo ukukholelwa ukuthi imiphefumulo iyalinda esihlanzweni ngemva kokufa, futhi indaba kaLazaru ikuqinisekisa kanjani lokhu?
10 Nokho, njengoba sesibonile, umphefumulo ungumuntu nje. Lapho umuntu efa, umphefumulo uyafa. Ngakho, akukho ukuphila ngemva kokufa. Angithi nangesikhathi uLazaru efile, uJesu Kristu akashongo ukuthi usesihlanzweni, eLimbo, noma kunoma yisiphi esinye “isimo esiphakathi naphakathi.” Kunalokho, uJesu wamane wathi: “ULazaru ulele.” (Johane 11:11, New English Bible) Ngokusobala, uJesu, owayelazi iqiniso ngokuthi kwenzekani ngomphefumulo ekufeni komuntu, wayekholelwa ukuthi uLazaru wayengezwa lutho, engekho.
Uyini Umoya?
11. Kungani igama elithi “umoya” lingenakubhekisela engxenyeni ethile yomuntu ehlukene nomzimba esindayo ekufeni?
11 IBhayibheli lithi lapho umuntu efa, “umoya wakhe uyaphuma, yena abuyele emhlabathini wakhe.” (IHubo 146:4) Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi umoya ohlukene nomzimba uphuma ngokoqobo bese uyaqhubeka uphila ngemva kokufa komuntu? Akunakuba njalo ngoba ngemva kwalokho umhubi uthi: “Ngalolo lusuku imicabango yakhe iyaphela” (“konke ukucabanga kwakhe kuyama,” NEB). Khona-ke, uyini umoya, futhi ‘uphuma’ kanjani kumuntu lapho efa?
12. Lisho ukuthini igama lesiHeberu nelesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “umoya” eBhayibhelini?
12 EBhayibhelini amagama ahunyushwe ngokuthi “umoya” (elesiHeberu lithi ruʹach; elesiGreki lithi pneuʹma) ngokuyisisekelo asho “umoya ophefumulwayo.” Ngakho, esikhundleni sokuthi “umoya wakhe uyaphuma,” inguqulo kaR. A. Knox isebenzisa inkulumo ethi “umoya ophefumulwayo uyawushiya umzimba.” (IHubo 145:4, Knox) Kodwa igama elithi “umoya” lisho okungaphezulu kakhulu kwesenzo sokuphefumula. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho echaza ngokubhujiswa kwabantu nezilwane ngesikhathi sikaZamcolo wembulunga yonke, uGenesise 7:22 uthi: ‘Konke okunomoya wokuphila [noma umoya; ngesiHeberu ruʹach] emakhaleni akho, konke okusemhlabathini owomileyo, kwafa.’ Ngakho elithi “umoya” lingasho amandla okuphila asebenza kuzo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezisekelwa ukuphefumula, abantu nezilwane.
13. Umoya ungafaniswa kanjani namandla kagesi?
13 Ngokwesibonelo: Amandla kagesi enza umshini othile usebenze. Uma ugesi unqamuka, lowo mshini uyayeka ukusebenza. La mandla kagesi awabi into eziphilela yodwa. Ngokufanayo, lapho umuntu efa, umoya wakhe uyayeka ukuphilisa amangqamuzana omzimba. Awuwushiyi umzimba uye kwenye indawo.—IHubo 104:29.
14, 15. Umoya ubuyela kanjani kuNkulunkulu ekufeni komuntu?
14 Pho, kungani umShumayeli 12:7 ethi lapho umuntu efa, “umoya [ubuyela] kuNkulunkulu owawunikayo”? Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi umoya unqamula emkhathini uye lapho kukhona khona uNkulunkulu? Lutho neze. Khumbula, umoya ungamandla okuphila. Uma lawo mandla okuphila engasekho, uNkulunkulu kuphela ongawabuyisela. Ngakho umoya ‘ubuyela kuNkulunkulu’ ngomqondo wokuthi noma yiliphi ithemba lokuphila kwesikhathi esizayo lalo muntu selikuNkulunkulu kuphela.
15 UNkulunkulu kuphela ongabuyisela umoya, noma amandla okuphila, enze umuntu aphinde aphile. (IHubo 104:30) Kodwa ingabe uNkulunkulu uhlose ukwenza kanjalo?
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ngokwe-New Catholic Encyclopedia, “ngokuvamile oFata [beSonto] abaligudl’ iguma lapho bevuma ukuthi isihlanzo sikhona.” Nakuba kunjalo, le ncwadi iyavuma nokuthi “imfundiso yamaKatolika yesihlanzo isekelwe esikweni elithile, hhayi emBhalweni oNgcwele.”
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 23]
Izinkumbulo Zokuphila Kwangaphambili
UMA kungekho lutho olusindayo lapho umzimba ufa, kuthiwani-ke ngezinkumbulo zokuphila kwangaphambili abanye abathi banazo?
Isazi esingumHindu uNikhilananda sithi ‘izigigaba zangemva kokufa azinakufakazelwa ngokuzwakalayo.’ Enkulumweni ethi “Izibonelo Zokukholelwa Ukuthi Izinkolo Ziyoba Khona Phakade,” isazi sezenkolo uHans Küng sithi: “Kulezi zindaba zokukhumbula ukuphila kwangaphambili—ngokuvamile ezivela ezinganeni noma emazweni akholelwa ukuthi kunokuphind’ ukuzalwa—ayikho neyodwa engase ifakazelwe ukuthi iyiqiniso.” Siyanezela: “Iningi [labacwaningi abasebenza ngenkuthalo kulo mkhakha futhi besebenzisa isayensi] liyavuma ukuthi izindaba abazitholayo azibanikezi isisekelo sobufakazi obugculisa ngempela bokuthi umuntu uphinde aphile emhlabeni.”
Kuthiwani uma unomuzwa wokuthi unezinkumbulo zokuphila kwangaphambili? Imizwa enjalo ingabangelwa izici ezihlukahlukene. Ukwaziswa okuningi esikutholayo kugcineka ehontshi elithile engqondweni yethu ngoba sisuke singeke sikusebenzise ngokuqondile noma ngaleso sikhathi. Lapho izinkumbulo esase sizikhohliwe zibuya, abanye abantu bathi ziwubufakazi bokuphila kwangaphambili. Nakuba kunjalo, iqiniso liwukuthi asikaze siphile okunye ukuphila ngaphandle kwalokhu esikuphila manje. Abantu abaningi abaphila emhlabeni abazikhumbuli neze bephila ngaphambili; abacabangi nanokuthi bake baphila ngaphambili.