Umhlaba “Unemfiva”—Ingabe Likhona Ikhambi?

IZIMPAWU zisobala—izinga lokushisa liyakhuphuka. Isibonelo salokhu umuzi wase-Alaska iNewtok, eseningizimu ye-Arctic. Inhlabathi eyayiyiqhwa—eyaziwa ngokuthi i-permafrost—okwakhiwe kuyo iNewtok iyancibilika. Isakhamuzi okuthiwa uFrank sathi: “Angisafuni ukuhlala kule nhlabathi eyiqhwa. Inodaka.” Ucwaningo luthi phakathi nale minyaka eyishumi ezayo, lo muzi osogwini uzokhukhuleka.

I-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) yaphetha ngokuthi “ngokuqinisekile isimo sezulu siyafudumala.” Ukwenyuka kwamazinga okushisa embulungeni yonke kuyakufakazela lokhu. Lokho ososayensi abakubiza ngokuthi ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu kuye kwabangela isimo esibi sezulu, kuhlanganise isomiso, ukuhwamuka kwamanzi okukhulu, ishisandlu neziphepho emhlabeni wonke. Kuyokwenzekani ngeplanethi yethu? Ingabe likhona ikhambi?

Ukuhlonza Ukugula Komhlaba

Njengesiguli esisesibhedlela, ososayensi besimo sezulu bazigade ngabomvu izimpawu eziyinhloko zomhlaba. Kuneziphuphutheki ezibheke ukuncibilika kwezinguzunga zeqhwa, izikhungo zesimo sezulu ezigcina imininingwane yokuna kwemvula, amashubhu antanta olwandle (buoy) akala izinga lokubanda ekujuleni kolwandle, nezindiza ezigade izinga lamagesi emkhathini. Lokhu kwaziswa okuhlukahlukene kufakwa kuma-computer anamandla. Kube sekusetshenziswa isimo sezulu sokwenziwa ukuze kubikezelwe okuzokwenzeka ngemva kwamashumi, noma amakhulu eminyaka kusukela manje.

Ube yini umphumela? Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi umkhathi ugcwele amagesi abamba ukushisa. Umagazini i-Time uthi ngo-2006 kuphela, izinga lesikhutha emhlabeni lalilinganiselwa “emathanini angaba yizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-32.” Njengezindonga zengilazi zendawo yokugcina izimila, la magesi abamba ukushisa komhlaba kungaphumeli emkhathini, kanjalo andise ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke. Liyoba njani ikusasa? Ngokwe-IPCC, ukusakazeka kwamagesi okuqhubeka manje kuyobangela “izinguquko eziningi esimweni sezulu sembulunga yonke,” cishe okuyoba kubi kunalokho esesike sabhekana nakho kakade. Abaningi manje bayavuma ukuthi ikhambi liwukunciphisa isikhutha esiphumela emoyeni. Kodwa ngisho noma bekungancishiswa ukusakazeka kwala magesi, isimo sezulu esenziwa nge-computer sibonisa ukuthi cishe “ukufudumala nokwenyuka kwamazinga olwandle [okuwumphumela] bekuyoqhubeka amakhulu eminyaka.”

Lapho Singathola Khona Amakhambi

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ukubikezela isimo sezulu kuwumsebenzi wesayensi oyinkimbinkimbi. Incwadi etholakala kuyi-Internet, i-Earth Observatory, iyabuza: “Ngokwesibonelo, kuyokwenzekani ngamafu njengoba uMhlaba ufudumala? Ingabe amafu aphezulu, abamba ukushisa abengabangela ukushisa okwengeziwe ayovama kakhulu kunamafu awugqinsi, avimba ukukhanya kwelanga?” Ithini impendulo? “Kuze kube manje, ososayensi abakwazi ukuphendula le mibuzo.”

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu ‘unguMenzi wezulu nomhlaba,’ kuhlanganise ‘nongqimba lwamafu ngaphezulu.’ (Genesise 14:19; IzAga 8:28) Wazichaza ngolimi olusankondlo ethi ‘ubeke ukuhlakanipha ezingqimbeni zamafu.’ Yebo, uJehova ukuqonda ngokugcwele lokho ososayensi abangenakukuqonda.—Jobe 38:36.

Phawula lokho uNkulunkulu akusho lapho ekhuluma ngomkhathi womhlaba, njengoba kwalotshwa eBhayibhelini eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 700 edlule: ‘Imvula ethululekayo yehla ivela emazulwini futhi ingabuyeli kuleyo ndawo ingazange empeleni iwumatise umhlaba.’ (Isaya 55:10) Yeka indlela lokho okuwuchaza kahle ngayo umjikelezo wamanzi! Umhwamuko osemafwini uphenduka imvula, ‘ematisa umhlaba.’ Ukushisa kwelanga kwenza umswakama uhwamuke bese ‘ubuyela kuleyo ndawo,’ noma emkhathini, ukuze kuqhubeke umjikelezo. IZwi likaJehova lembula le mininingwane emangalisayo ngesimo sezulu somhlaba emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba izincwadi ezingasekelwe eBhayibhelini zenze kanjalo. Ingabe lokho akukwenzi umethembe kakhudlwana uMdali nalokho anamandla okukwenza? Ngakho uma kuziwa emphumeleni wesimo sezulu esibi njengamanje, ingabe akunangqondo ukuba sithembele ‘kuMdali womoya,’ ‘uyise wemvula,’ owazi indlela le mbulunga esebenza ngayo?—Amose 4:13; Jobe 38:28.

Umhlaba Wadalwa Ngenjongo

Nakuba kunemibono ehlukahlukene ngekusasa lembulunga yethu, kunento eyodwa eqinisekile: Umhlaba uyingqayizivele. Ngokungafani namanye amaplanethi, unezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo. Yini ebangela lokhu? Ososayensi baveza izinto eziningana. Ngokukhethekile, umhlaba unenqwaba yamanzi; usendaweni efanele ukusuka elangeni; futhi unengxube efanele yamagesi asemkhathini, kuhlanganise nomoya-mpilo omningi.

Kungase kukumangaze ukwazi ukuthi incwadi yeBhayibheli kaGenesise ibhekisela kulezi zinto ekulandiseni kwayo ngokudala. Ngokwesibonelo, uGenesise 1:10 uchaza ukuqoqela kukaNkulunkulu ‘amanzi ndawonye wawabiza ngokuthi iziLwandle’—okubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi kukhulunywa ngenqwaba yamanzi. KuGenesise 1:3, siyafunda: “UNkulunkulu wabe esethi: ‘Makube khona ukukhanya.’” Umhlaba wethu usondele ngokwanele elangeni okwenza amanzi amaningi kuwo ahlale ewuketshezi, kodwa awusondele kakhulu elangeni kangangokuba wonke amanzi aze ahwamuke.

UGenesise 1:6 uthi uNkulunkulu wadala “umkhathi.” Khona-ke, amavesi 11 no-12 achaza ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala utshani, izimila nemithi. Konke lokhu kufakazela ukuba khona komoya-mpilo, kamuva owawuyokwenza ukuba abantu nezilwane baqhubeke bephila ngokuphefumula.

Khona-ke, singaphetha ngokuthini? Lapho uNkulunkulu edala umhlaba—onenqwaba yamanzi, osebangeni elifanele ukusuka elangeni futhi onengxube efanele yamagesi—kumelwe ukuba wayenesizathu, injongo ethile. IBhayibheli liyasitshela: ‘[UNkulunkulu] akawudalelanga ize nje [umhlaba], wawubumba ukuze uhlalwe ngisho nokuhlalwa.’ (Isaya 45:18) IHubo 115:16 lithi: “Ngokuqondene namazulu, wona angakaJehova, kodwa umhlaba uwuniké abantwana babantu.” Yebo, umhlaba wadalelwa ukuba uhlalwe abantu.

ImiBhalo ibonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala abantu bokuqala ababili wababeka ensimini yase-Edene, ipharadesi elihle. Kwakufanele ‘bayilime futhi bayinakekele.’ (Genesise 2:15) UNkulunkulu wabuye wathi kubo: “Zalani nande nigcwalise umhlaba niwunqobe.” (Genesise 1:28) Ake ucabange ngethemba elimangalisayo elalibekwe phambi kwabo! Kwakufanele banwebe iPharadesi emhlabeni wonke futhi bahlale kulo phakade. Yeka ikusasa elimangalisayo!

Ngokudabukisayo, esikhundleni sokulalela uNkulunkulu ngokuthobeka, abantu bokuqala ababili bakhetha inkambo yokuzibusa ngokweyisa, eye yalandelwa yiningi lesintu kuze kube namuhla. (Genesise 3:1-6) Uye waba yini umphumela? Esikhundleni sokulima nokunakekela umhlaba, umuntu ‘uchitha umhlaba’ ngezinga elingakaze licatshangwe ngaphambili. (IsAmbulo 11:18) Kodwa singaduduzeka ngeqiniso lokuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba ayikashintshi. IBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa: “[UNkulunkulu] usekelé umhlaba phezu kwezindawo zawo ezimisiweyo; ngeke untengantengiswe kuze kube nini nanini, noma kuze kube phakade.” (IHubo 104:5) NoJesu ngokwakhe wathembisa eNtshumayelweni YaseNtabeni: “Bayajabula abanomoya omnene, ngoba bayokudla ifa lomhlaba.” (Mathewu 5:5) Lokhu kuyofezwa kanjani?

Silindelwe Ikusasa Eliqhakazile

“Ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu kuyinkinga yembulunga yonke,” kusho owayengumongameli wase-United States. Ubungeke yini uvume ukuthi kudingeka ikhambi lembulunga yonke? UJesu Kristu waliveza lelo khambi—uMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Wayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandaze: “Umbuso wakho mawuze.” (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Ngokwesiprofetho seBhayibheli, lo Mbuso wasezulwini uwuhulumeni womhlaba wonke ‘ozochoboza uqede yonke le mibuso [ohulumeni banamuhla]’ maduzane. (Daniyeli 2:44) Ngaphezu kwalokho, ‘uyochitha abachitha umhlaba.’ (IsAmbulo 11:18) Ngokusobala, labo abachitha umhlaba futhi basaphaze imithombo yawo yengcebo bayolandisa futhi babhujiswe.

Kodwa kuyokwenzekani emhlabeni wethu ongcolisiwe? Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi lapho esemhlabeni uJesu wabonisa amandla ayisimangaliso okulawula izinto zemvelo, ezinjengomoya nolwandle. Wathulisa isiphepho esinamandla ngamazwi nje ambalwa. (Marku 4:35-41) Ebusa emazulwini ‘njengeNkosi yamakhosi noMbusi wababusi,’ uJesu uyosebenzisa amandla amakhulu nangokwengeziwe phezu komhlaba nesimo sezulu. (IsAmbulo 17:14) Empeleni, uJesu wachaza ukubusa kwakhe ngokuthi “ukudalwa kabusha.” (Mathewu 19:28) Enye inguqulo isebenzisa amazwi athi “ukuvuselelwa kwazo zonke izinto.” (New International Version) UJesu uyodala kabusha, noma avuselele izimo emhlabeni, azenze zifane nalezo ezazikhona ensimini yase-Edene. IPharadesi liyobuyiselwa. (Luka 23:43) Umhlaba uyophulukiswa “emfiveni” yawo ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.

Ngisho kwamanje, ungazuza ekubuseni koMbuso. Kanjani? UJesu wabikezela: “Lezi zindaba ezinhle zombuso ziyoshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke owakhiwe ngenjongo yobufakazi ezizweni zonke.” (Mathewu 24:14) Ngenxa yalokho, izigidi zamukela izindaba ezinhle. Ukuphila kwabantu kuyaguqulwa. Abantu banqoba izinto eziluthayo ezibulalayo. Ukuphila komkhaya kuyathuthuka. Inzondo phakathi kwezinhlanga ithathelwa indawo uthando. Empeleni, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu wenza lokho okungenakwenziwa ohulumeni babantu. Uye wahlanganisa abantu abangaba yizigidi ezingu-7 emazweni angu-235 baba nobuzalwane bangempela bomhlaba wonke! Yebo, njengezikhonzi zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, balungiselelwa ukuphila okuphakade ePharadesi kulo mhlaba.

Ikusasa lomhlaba lilondekile. Kwangathi kungaba njalo nangekusasa lakho!

[Isithombe ekhasini 27]

IBhayibheli lachaza umjikelezo wamanzi womhlaba emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba izincwadi ezingezona ezeBhayibheli zenze kanjalo

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

UJesu “wawukhuza umoya futhi wathi kulo ulwandle: ‘Shh! Thula!’ Umoya wanqamuka, kwaba nokuzola okukhulu”

[Isithombe ekhasini 29]

Lapho kubuyiselwa iPharadesi, umhlaba uyophulukiswa “emfiveni” yawo

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

Godo-Foto