Umhlaba

Incazelo: Igama elithi “umhlaba” lisetshenziswa ngemiqondo engaphezu kowodwa emiBhalweni. Ngokuvamile sicabanga ngalo njengelibhekisela embulungeni ngokwayo, leyo uJehova aye wayilungiselela ngokuphana ukuze isekele ukuphila kwabantu ngombono wokwenza ukuphila kwethu kwanelise ngokucebile. Nokho, kumelwe kuqashelwe ukuthi, elithi “umhlaba” lingase lisetshenziswe futhi ngomqondo ongokomfanekiso, ngokwesibonelo, libhekisele kubantu abaphila kulembulunga noma emphakathini wabantu onezici ezithile.

Ingabe iplanethi enguMhlaba iyobhujiswa empini yenuzi?

IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi iyini injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba?

Math. 6:10: “Mawufike umbuso wakho; mayenziwe intando yakho emhlabeni njengasezulwini.”

IHu. 37:29: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.”

Bheka futhi umShumayeli 1:4; IHubo 104:5.

Kungenzeka yini ukuthi, njengoba izizwe zibonisa ukungayikhathaleli injongo kaNkulunkulu, zingase ziwubhubhise ngokuphelele umhlaba ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo?

Isaya 55:8-11: “[Usho kanje uJehova, uthi:] Njengamazulu ephakeme kunomhlaba, kanjalo izindlela zami ziphakeme kunezindlela zenu, nemicabango yami kunemicabango yenu. . . . Izwi lami . . . aliyikubuyela-ze kimi, lingakafezi lokhu engikufunayo, liphumelele kulokhu engilithumele kukho.”

Isaya 40:15, 26: “Bheka, [ngokombono kaJehova uNkulunkulu] izizwe zinjengethonsi kwasesitsheni, zibalwa njengothuli lwesilinganiso; bheka, iziqhingi uyaziphakamisa njengothuli olucolekileyo. Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, nibone [ilanga, inyanga, nezigidi zezigidi zezinkanyezi]. Ngubani odalile lezozinto na? Nguye okhipha ibandla lazo ngezibalo, abize zonke ngamagama; ngobuningi bamandla akhe, nangobukhulu bezikhwepha zakhe ayisilali neyodwa.” (Amandla enuzi aye akhiwa izizwe ayesabeka kubantu. Kodwa izigidi zezigidi zezinkanyezi zisebenzisa amandla enuzi ngesilinganiso esingenakukwazi ukusicabanga. Ubani owadala nolawula lezindikimba zasezulwini? Akanakuzivimbela yini izizwe ekusebenziseni izikhali zazo zenuzi ngendlela eyophazamisa injongo yakhe? Ukuthi uNkulunkulu angakwenza lokhu kuboniswa ukubhubhisa kwakhe amabutho aseGibithe lapho uFaro efuna ukuvimbela ukukhululwa kwamaIsrayeli.—Eks. 14:5-31.)

IsAm. 11:17, 18: “Siyakubonga, [Jehova] Nkulunkulu, Mninimandla onke, okhona nowawukhona, ngokuba uthabathé amandla akho amakhulu, wabusa; nezizwe zazinolaka, kepha kwafika ulaka lwakho, nesikhathi . . . [sokubhubhisa] ababhubhisa umhlaba.”

Ingabe uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe uyobhubhisa umhlaba ngomlilo?

Ingabe eyesi-2 Petru 3:7, 10 iyawusekela lowombono? “Izulu nomhlaba okukhona manje kubekelelwe umlilo ngalo lona lelizwi, kulindele usuku lokwahlulela nolokubhubha kwabantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu. . . . Usuku lweNkosi luyakufika njengesela mhla amazulu eyakudlula ngokuhlokoma; kuyakusha konke, kubhidlike; nomhlaba nemisebenzi yawo kuyakusha [“kuyokusha,” RS, JB, KJ; “kuyonyamalala,” TEV; “kuyobonakaliswa,” NAB; “kuyobekwa obala,” NE; “kuyovubukulwa,” NW].” (Phawula: ICodex Sinaiticus neVatican MS 1209, zombili ezingezekhulu lesi-4 C.E., zifundeka ngokuthi “ukuvubukulwa.” Imibhalo yamuva yesandla, iCodex Alexandrinus yekhulu lesi-5 nokubukeza kukaClementine iVulgate kwekhulu le-16, afundeka ngokuthi “kushe.”)

Ingabe isAmbulo 21:1 sibonisa ukuthi lembulunga yethu iyobhujiswa? “Ngase ngibona izulu elisha nomhlaba omusha; ngokuba izulu lokuqala nomhlaba wokuqala kudlulile, nolwandle alusekho.”

Ukuze ibe ngeqondile, incazelo yalamavesi kumelwe ivumelane nomongo kanye nalo lonke iBhayibheli

Uma lemibhalo (2 Petru 3:7, 10 nesAmbulo 21:1) isho ukuthi imbulunga engokoqobo uMhlaba iyoshiswa ngomlilo, khona-ke amazulu angokoqobo (izinkanyezi nezinye izindikimba zasezulwini) nakho kumelwe kubhujiswe ngomlilo. Nokho, umbono onjalo, uyangqubuzana nesiqinisekiso esiqukethwe emibhalweni enjengoMathewu 6:10, iHubo 37:29 no-104:5, kanye nezAga 2:21, 22. Ngokungaphezulu, imuphi umphumela umlilo obungaba nawo elangeni nasezinkanyezini kakade ezishisa ngokwesabekayo? Ngakho-ke igama elithi “umhlaba” emibhalweni ecashunwe ngenhla kumelwe liqondakale ngomqondo ohlukile.

KuGenesise 11:1, amaKhosi okuQala 2:1, 2, iziKronike zokuQala 16:31, iHubo 96:1, njll., igama elithi “umhlaba” lisetshenziswe ngomqondo ongokomfanekiso, libhekisela esintwini, umphakathi wesintu. Kungenzeka yini kube njalo kweyesi-2 Petru 3:7, 10 nesAmbulo 21:1?

Phawula ukuthi, ngokomongo, kweyesi-2 Petru 3:5, 6 (no-2:5, 9), kwenziwa ukuqhathanisa noZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa, lapho umphakathi wabantu ababi wabhujiswa khona, kodwa uNowa nomkhaya wakhe, kanye nembulunga ngokwayo, balondolozwa. Ngokufanayo, kweyesi-2 Petru 3:7 kuthi labo abayobhujiswa “abantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu.” Umbono wokuthi “umhlaba” lapha ubhekisela emphakathini wabantu ababi uvumelana ngokugcwele nalo lonke iBhayibheli, njengoba kuboniswe imibhalo ekhonjwe ngenhla. ‘Yilowomhlaba’ ongokomfanekiso, noma umphakathi wabantu ababi, ‘ovubukulwayo’; okungukuthi uJehova uyoshisa njengokungathi ngomlilo konke okusithileyo, eveza obala ububi bomphakathi wabantu abangamesabi futhi ewubonisa njengofanelwe ukubhujiswa okuphelele. Lowomphakathi wabantu ababi futhi ‘ungumhlaba wokuqala,’ okubhekiselwe kuwo kusAmbulo 21:1.

Ngokuvumelanayo, inkulumo kaJesu ekuLuka 21:33 (“kuyakudlula izulu nomhlaba, kepha . . . ”) kumelwe iqondwe ngokombono wenkulumo efanayo kuLuka 16:17 (“kulula ukuba kudlule izulu nomhlaba kunokuba . . . ”), zombili ezimane zigcizelela ukungabi nakwenzeka kwesimo esikhulunyelwayo.—Bheka futhi uMathewu 5:18.

Ingabe abalungileyo bayoyiswa ezulwini bese bebuyiselwa emhlabeni ngemva kokubhujiswa kwababi?

Ingabe isAmbulo 21:2, 3 siyawusekela lowombono? Sithi: “Ngabona umuzi ongcwele, iJerusalema elisha, wehla uvela ezulwini kuNkulunkulu, ulungisiwe njengomlobokazi ohlotshiselwe umyeni wakhe. Ngase ngizwa izwi elikhulu livela esihlalweni sobukhosi, lithi: Bheka, itabernakele likaNkulunkulu likubantu; uyakuhlala nabo, babe-ngabantu bakhe, yena uNkulunkulu abe-nabo.” (Ingabe iqiniso lokuthi uNkulunkulu ‘uyohlala’ nabantu “abe-nabo” lisho ukuthi uyoba uMuntu wenyama? Lokho akunakwenzeka, ngoba uJehova watshela uMose: “Akukho-muntu ongangibona, aphile.” [Eks. 33:20] Khona-ke, ngokuvumelanayo, amalungu eJerusalema Elisha ngeke abuyele emhlabeni njengabantu benyama. Kungayiphi-ke ingqondo uNkulunkulu ‘ayoba’ nesintu ngayo futhi iJerusalema Elisha ‘liyokwehla’ kanjani ezulwini? Ngokungangabazeki umqondo utholakala kuGenesise 21:1, othi uNkulunkulu “wamhambela” uSara, wambusisa ngendodana esegugile. UEksodusi 4:31 usitshela ukuthi uNkulunkulu ‘wahambela’ uIsrayeli ngokuthumela uMose njengomkhululi. ULuka 7:16 uthi ngenkonzo kaJesu uNkulunkulu ‘wahambela’ abantu bakhe. Ezinye izinguqulo zisebenzisa inkulumo ethi uNkulunkulu “waphendulela ukunakekela kwakhe” kubantu bakhe [NW] noma ‘wabonisa ukukhathalela’ ngenxa yabo [NE]. Ngakho isAmbulo 21:2, 3 kumelwe sisho ukuthi uNkulunkulu ‘uyohambela,’ noma abe nesintu ngeJerusalema Elisha lasezulwini, okuyokuza ngalo izibusiso kubantu abalalelayo.)

IzAga 2:21, 22: “Abaqotho bayakuhlala ezweni, [“emhlabeni,” NE] abapheleleyo [“abantu abangenacala,” NE] basale kulo. Kepha ababi bayakunqunywa ezweni, nabambuluzayo bayakusishulwa kulo.” (Phawula ukuthi ayisho ukuthi abangenacala bayobuyela emhlabeni kodwa ithi “basale kulo.”)

Ingabe injongo kaNkulunkulu yokuqala ngomhlaba isishintshile?

Gen. 1:27, 28: “UNkulunkulu wamdala umuntu ngomfanekiso wakhe; wamdala ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu; wabadala owesilisa nowesifazane. UNkulunkulu wababusisa; uNkulunkulu wathi kubo: Zalani, nande, nigcwalise umhlaba, niwunqobe, nibuse phezu kwezinhlanzi zolwandle, nezinyoni zezulu, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni.” (Ngaleyondlela uNkulunkulu wabonisa injongo yakhe yokuba umhlaba ugcwale inzalo ka-Adamu noEva njengabanakekeli bepharadesi lembulunga yonke. Ngemva kokuba uNkulunkulu eseklame lomhlaba ngokumangalisayo ukuze uhlalwe ngabantu, ewenza ohlukile kuwo wonke amaplanethi umuntu aye wawahlola ngezibona-kude zakhe nemikhumbi-mkhathi, ingabe uMdali wamane wayilahla injongo yakhe, eyiyeka ihlale ingagcwalisekile phakade ngenxa yesono sika-Adamu?)

Isaya 45:18: “Usho kanje uJehova, owalidala izulu, onguNkulunkulu, owawubumba umhlaba, wawenza, wawumisa, engawudalelanga ize, wawubumba ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo, uthi: NginguJehova, akakho omunye.” (Bheka futhi uIsaya 55:10, 11.)

Uma engekho oyophinde afe oHlelweni Olusha lukaNkulunkulu, bayokwanela kanjani bonke abantu emhlabeni?

Khumbula ukuthi lapho uNkulunkulu eveza injongo yakhe ngomhlaba wathi: “Zalani, nande, nigcwalise umhlaba.” (Gen. 1:28) UNkulunkulu wanikeza umuntu amandla okuzala, futhi uma injongo yaKhe isigcwalisekile ngokuqondene nalokho angase abangele ukuzala kunqamuke emhlabeni.

Luhlobo luni lwabantu uNkulunkulu ayolunika ukuphila okungapheli emhlabeni?

Zef. 2:3: “Funani uJehova nina nonke-bathobekileyo bomhlaba enisebenzile ukwahlulela kwakhe; funani ukulunga; funani ukuthobeka; mhlawumbe niyakusitshekelwa ngosuku lolaka lukaJehova.”

IHu. 37:9, 11: “Abalindela uJehova bazakudla ifa lomhlaba. . . . Abathobekileyo bazakulidla ifa lomhlaba, bathokoze ngokuthula okukhulu.”