Izwe Elisha—Ingabe Uyoba Khona Kulo?

“Akukho okuhle kubo kunokuba bathokoze, bazenzele okumnandi besekhona. Kepha futhi ukuba abantu bonke badle, baphuze, babone okuhle kuwo wonke umshikashika wabo kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu nalokho.”—UMSHUMAYELI 3:12, 13.

 1. Kungani singaba namathemba amahle ngekusasa?

ABANTU abaningi bacabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke unesandla esiqinile nokhahlo. Nokho, lo mbhalo ongenhla uyiqiniso ongalithola eZwini lakhe eliphefumulelwe. Liyahambisana nokuthi ‘unguNkulunkulu ojabulayo’ nanokuthi wabeka abazali bethu bokuqala epharadesi lasemhlabeni. (1 Thimothewu 1:11; Genesise 2:7-9) Lapho sifuna ukuqonda ikusasa uNkulunkulu alithembisa abantu bakhe, akufanele simangale lapho sifunda ngezimo eziyosilethela injabulo ehlala njalo.

 2. Yiziphi ezinye zezinto ozilangazelelayo?

² Esihlokweni esandulele, sihlole izindawo ezintathu kwezine lapho iBhayibheli libikezela khona “amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha.” (Isaya 65:17) Esinye salezo zibikezelo ezinokwethenjelwa sikusAmbulo 21:1. Amavesi alandelayo akhuluma ngesikhathi lapho uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke eyozishintsha ngokuphelele izimo zasemhlabeni zibe ngcono. Uyosula izinyembezi zosizi. Abantu ngeke besabulawa ukuguga, ukugula, noma izingozi. Ukulila, ukukhala nobuhlungu kuyobe kungasaphushwa. Yeka ubuhle bethemba! Kodwa singaqiniseka yini ukuthi liyofezeka, futhi leli themba lingaba naliphi ithonya kithi manje?

Izizathu Zokuqiniseka

 3. Kungani singazethemba izithembiso zeBhayibheli mayelana nekusasa?

³ Phawula ukuthi isAmbulo 21:5 siqhubeka sithini. Sicaphuna uNkulunkulu, ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi sasezulwini, ethi: “Bheka! Ngenza zonke izinto zibe zintsha.” Leso sithembiso saphezulu sidlula noma yisiphi isimemezelo sezwe elithile sikazibuse, noma yiliphi iqoqo lanamuhla lamalungelo obuntu nanoma yisiphi isifiso sabantu sesikhathi esizayo. Siyisimemezelo esinokwethenjelwa ngokuphelele esenziwa yiLowo iBhayibheli elithi ‘akanakuwaqamba amanga.’ (Thithu 1:2) Kuyaqondakala ukuthi ungase ube nomuzwa wokuthi singama khona lapha, sizindle ngenjabulo ngaleli themba elimangalisayo futhi sithembele kuNkulunkulu. Kodwa akudingekile ukuba sime. Kusenokwengeziwe okufanele sikwazi ngekusasa lethu.

 4, 5. Yiziphi iziprofetho zeBhayibheli esesizicabangele ezingaqinisa ithemba lethu mayelana nalokho okuseza?

⁴ Cabanga ngalokho isihloko esandulele esikuvezile ngezithembiso zeBhayibheli zamazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha. U-Isaya wabikezela isimiso esisha esinjalo, futhi isiprofetho sakhe sagcwaliseka lapho amaJuda ebuyela ezweni lawo futhi emisa ukukhulekela kweqiniso kabusha. (Ezra 1:1-3; 2:1, 2; 3:12, 13) Nokho, ingabe yilokho kuphela okwakushiwo yisiprofetho sika-Isaya? Lutho neze! Izinto azibikezela zaziyogcwaliseka ngezinga elikhulu esikhathini esizayo esasisekude. Kungani siphetha kanjalo? Ngenxa yalokho esikufunda kweyesi-2 Petru 3:13 nakusAmbulo 21:1-5. Lezo zindima zikhomba phambili ‘emazulwini amasha nasemhlabeni omusha’ oyolethela amaKristu izinzuzo embulungeni yonke.

⁵ Njengoba kuphawuliwe ngaphambili, iBhayibheli lisebenzisa inkulumo ethi “amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha” izikhathi ezine. Sicabangelé ezintathu zazo safinyelela eziphethweni ezikhuthazayo. Ngokuqondile, iBhayibheli libikezela ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzosusa ububi nezinye izimbangela zokuhlupheka nokuthi uyobe eseqhubeka ebusisa isintu esimisweni sakhe esisha esithenjisiwe.

 6. Sibikezelani isiprofetho sesine esikhuluma ‘ngamazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha’?

⁶ Manje ake sihlole indawo eyodwa esele okuvela kuyo le nkulumo ethi “amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha,” ku-Isaya 66:22-24: “‘Njengokuba izulu elisha nomhlaba omusha engiyakukwenza kuyakuma phambi kwami,’ usho uJehova, ‘kanjalo kuyakuma inzalo yakho negama lakho. Kusukela ekwethwaseni kwenyanga kuye kwenye, kusukela kwelinye isabatha kuye kwelinye yonke inyama iyakufika ukukhuleka phambi kwami,’ usho uJehova. ‘Bayakuphuma, babone izidumbu zabantu abaphambukile kimi, ngokuba impethu yabo ayiyikufa nomlilo wabo awuyikucima, babe yisinengiso kuyo yonke inyama.’”

 7. Kungani kufanele siphethe ngokuthi u-Isaya 66:22-24 uzogcwaliseka esikhathini esizayo?

⁷ Lesi siprofetho sasebenza kumaJuda ayesebuyele ezweni lawo, kodwa sasiyophinde sigcwaliseke futhi. Kumelwe ukuba lokho kwakuzoba sesikhathini esisukela ngemva kokuba kulotshwe incwadi yesibili kaPetru nesAmbulo, ngoba zikhuluma ‘ngezulu elisha nomhlaba omusha’ okuzayo. Singalindela lokho kugcwaliseka okuhle kakhulu nokuphelele esimisweni esisha. Cabanga ngezinye zezimo esingalangazela ukuzijabulela.

 8, 9. (a) Abantu bakaNkulunkulu ‘bayakuma’ ngamuphi umqondo? (b) Sisho ukuthini isiprofetho esithi izinceku zikaJehova ziyokhulekela “kusukela ekwethwaseni kwenyanga kuye kwenye, kusukela kwelinye isabatha kuye kwelinye”?

⁸ IsAmbulo 21:4 sibonise ukuthi ukufa kuyobe kungasekho. Indima eku-Isaya isahluko 66 iyavumelana nalokhu. Singabona evesini 22 ukuthi uJehova uyazi ukuthi la mazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha ngeke abe awesikhashana, adlulayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abantu bakhe bayohlala njalo; ‘bayokuma’ phambi kwakhe. Lokho uNkulunkulu asebenzele khona kakade abantu bakhe abakhethiwe kusinikeza isizathu sokuqiniseka. AmaKristu eqiniso aye abhekana nokushushiswa okunonya, ngisho nanemizamo enendluzula yokuwaqothula. (Johane 16:2; IzEnzo 8:1) Nokho, ngisho nezitha zabantu bakaNkulunkulu ezinamandla kakhulu, njengombusi wamaRoma uNero no-Adolf Hitler, azikwazanga ukubaqeda abaqotho bakaNkulunkulu, ababizwa ngegama lakhe. UJehova uye walilondoloza ibandla labantu bakhe, futhi singaqiniseka ukuthi uzoqhubeka eligcina limile.

⁹ Ngokufanayo, labo abathembekile kuNkulunkulu njengengxenye yomhlaba omusha, umphakathi wabakhulekeli beqiniso ezweni elisha, bayoqhubeka bemile ngokuhlukana kwabo ngoba bayobe benikeza uMdali wazo zonke izinto ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile. Lokho kukhulekela ngeke kube okokwethukela noma okungahleliwe. UMthetho kaNkulunkulu, owanikwa ama-Israyeli ngoMose, wawufuna ukuba kwenziwe ukukhulekela okuthile inyanga ngayinye, ngesikhathi sokwethwasa kwenyanga, nesonto ngalinye ngosuku lweSabatha. (Levitikusi 24:5-9; Numeri 10:10; 28:9, 10; 2 IziKronike 2:4) Ngakho u-Isaya 66:23 ubikezela ukukhulekelwa kukaNkulunkulu okwenziwa njalo nokuqhubekayo, isonto nesonto nenyanga nenyanga. Ukungakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu nobuzenzisi benkolo ngeke kube khona ngaleso sikhathi. “Yonke inyama iyakufika ukukhuleka phambi” kukaJehova.

10. Kungani ungaqiniseka ukuthi izwe elisha ngeke lonakaliswe phakade abantu ababi?

¹⁰ U-Isaya 66:24 usiqinisekisa ngokuthi ukuthula nokulunga kwasemhlabeni omusha akusoze kwaba sengozini. Abantu ababi ngeke bakonakalise. Khumbula ukuthi eyesi-2 Petru 3:7 ithi phambi kwethu kuza ‘usuku lokwahlulelwa nolokubhujiswa kwabantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu.’ Labo abayobhujiswa kuyoba “abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu.” Abangenacala ngeke bavelelwe yingozi, njengoba kuvame kangaka ukwenzeka ezimpini zabantu, lapho inani lezinkubela zabantu abavamile lidlula elamasosha. UMahluleli Omkhulu usiqinisekisa ngokuthi usuku lwakhe luyoba olokubhujiswa kwabangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu.

11. U-Isaya ubonisa ukuthi liyoba yini ikusasa lanoma yibaphi abaphendukela uNkulunkulu nokukhulekela kwakhe?

¹¹ Abalungileyo abayosinda bayobona ukuthi izwi likaNkulunkulu lesiprofetho liyiqiniso. Isa 66 Ivesi 24 libikezela ukuthi “izidumbu zabantu abaphambukile” kuJehova ziyoba ubufakazi besahlulelo sakhe. Ulimi olungafihli u-Isaya alusebenzisayo lungase luzwakale lushaqisa. Kodwa luhambisana namaqiniso omlando. Ngaphandle kwezindonga zeJerusalema lasendulo kwakukhona izindawo zokulahla imfucumfucu, ngezinye izikhathi nezidumbu zezelelesi ezibulewe ezazingakufanelekeli ukungcwatshwa ngesizotha.a Izibungu kanye nomlilo oqothulayo kwakukuqeda ngokushesha kokubili imfucumfucu nalezo zidumbu. Kusobala ukuthi le nkulumo-mfanekiso ka-Isaya ibonisa ukuthi leso sahlulelo sikaJehova sasiyobe singesokugcina kulabo abayizaphuli-mthetho.

Lokho Akuthembisile

12. Yiziphi izinkomba ezengeziwe u-Isaya azinikezayo ngokuqondene nokuphila ezweni elisha?

¹² IsAmbulo 21:4 sisitshela ngezinye zezinto ezingeke zibe khona esimisweni esisha esizayo. Nokho, yini eyoba khona ngaleso sikhathi? Kuyoba njani ukuphila? Singazithola yini izinkomba ezithembekile? Yebo. U-Isaya isahluko 65 uchaza ngokwesiprofetho izimo esiyozijabulela uma uJehova esivumela ukuba siphile lapho edala, ngomqondo wokugcina, la mazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha. Labo ababusiswa ngokuba nendawo ehlala njalo emhlabeni omusha ngeke baguge bese befa nakanjani. U-Isaya 65:20 uyasiqinisekisa: “Akusayikuba khona ingane yezinsuku nje nexhegu elingazigcwalisanga izinsuku zalo, ngokuba omusha uyakufa eneminyaka eyikhulu yobudala, isoni siqalekiswe sineminyaka eyikhulu.”

13. U-Isaya 65:20 usiqinisekisa kanjani ukuthi abantu bakaNkulunkulu bayojabulela ukulondeka?

¹³ Lapho lokhu kugcwaliseka okokuqala kubantu bakubo ka-Isaya, kwakusho ukuthi abantwana ezweni babephephile. Akukho zitha ezazifika, njengoba kwakuke kwafika abaseBabiloni, zizothumba ngisho nabancelayo noma zizobulala amadoda aseyizingqabavu. (2 IziKronike 36:17, 20) Ezweni elisha elizayo, abantu bayophepha, balondeke, bakwazi ukujabulela ukuphila. Uma umuntu ekhetha ukuhlubuka kuNkulunkulu, ngeke avunyelwe ukuba aqhubeke ephila. UNkulunkulu uyomsusa. Kuthiwani uma leso soni esihlubukayo sineminyaka eyikhulu ubudala? Siyokufa ‘singomusha’ uma kuqhathaniswa nokujabulela ukuphila okungapheli.—1 Thimothewu 1:19, 20; 2 Thimothewu 2:16-19.

14, 15. Ngokusekelwe ku-Isaya 65:21, 22, yimiphi imisebenzi evuzayo ongayilangazelela?

¹⁴ Esikhundleni sokugxila ekutheni isoni esona ngamabomu siyosuswa kanjani, u-Isaya uchaza izimo zokuphila eziyoba khona ezweni elisha. Zama ukuzicabanga ukulesi simo. Ongase ukubone kuqala ngeso lakho lengqondo yizinto ezikuthinta kakhulu. U-Isaya ukhuluma ngalokho emavesini 21 no-22: “Bayakwakha izindlu, bahlale kuzo; bayakutshala izivini, badle izithelo zazo. Abayikwakha, kuhlale omunye; abayikutshala, kudle omunye, ngokuba izinsuku zabantu bami ziyakuba njengezinsuku zomuthi, nomsebenzi wezandla zabakhethiweyo bami uyakugugela kubo.”

¹⁵ Uma ungakabi nolwazi lokwakha noma ungakaze usebenze engadini, isiprofetho sika-Isaya sisikisela ukuthi ulindelwe yimfundo. Nokho, ingabe uyokujabulela ukufunda usizwa abafundisi abanekhono, mhlawumbe omakhelwane abanomusa abayokujabulela ukufaka isandla? U-Isaya akasho noma indlu yakho iyoba namafasitela amakhulu avalwa ngehele ukuze ujabulele umoya opholile, noma iyoba namafasitela avalwa ngezingilazi ongabukela ngawo ukuguquka kwezinkathi zonyaka. Ingabe indlu yakho uyoyiklama ibe nophahla olutshekile ukuze lungayikhangezi imvula neqhwa? Noma ingabe isimo sezulu sendawo oyobe uhlala kuyo siyosikisela ukuba ibe nophahla oluyisicaba—njengezinye zaseMpumalanga Ephakathi—uphahla eningabuthanela kulo wena nomkhaya wakho nijabulele izidlo nezingxoxo ezimnandi?—Duteronomi 22:8; Nehemiya 8:16.

16. Kungani ungase ulindele ukuba izwe elisha lanelise phakade?

¹⁶ Okubaluleke kakhulu kunokwazi imininingwane enjalo ukwazi ukuthi uyoba nomuzi othi wena. Uyoba ngowakho—hhayi njenganamuhla lapho ungase ugqilazeke wakha kodwa kuzuze omunye umuntu. U-Isaya 65:21 uthi futhi uyotshala udle izithelo. Kusobala ukuthi lokho kubeka ngamafuphi isimo sisonke. Uyothola ukwaneliseka okujulile emizamweni yakho, ezithelweni zemisebenzi yakho siqu. Lokho uyokwenza phakathi nesikhathi eside sokuphila—“njengezinsuku zomuthi.” Ngokuqinisekile lokho kuyayifanela incazelo ethi “zonke izinto zibe zintsha”!—IHubo 92:12-14.

17. Yisiphi isithembiso abazali abazosithola sikhuthaza ngokukhethekile?

¹⁷ Uma ungumzali, la mazwi azoyithinta inhliziyo yakho: “Abayikushikashikela ize, bazalele izinhlupheko, ngokuba bayinzalo yababusisiweyo bakaJehova, nabantwana babo bayakuba nabo. Kuyakuthi bengakangibizi, mina ngiphendule; besakhuluma, mina ngiyakuzwa.” (Isaya 65:23, 24) Ingabe uyabazi ubuhlungu ‘bokuzalela izinhlupheko’? Akudingeki ukuba sizibale zonke izinhlobo zezinkinga izingane ezingaba nazo ezibangela izinhlupheko kubazali nakwabanye. Okuhlobene nalokho, sonke siye sababona abazali abamatasa kakhulu ngemisebenzi yabo yokuziphilisa, injabulo noma ezinye izinto kangangokuthi abanasikhathi esitheni sezingane zabo. Ngokuphambene, uJehova usiqinisekisa ngokuthi uyosizwa futhi asinike lokho esikudingayo, aze akubone kusengaphambili imbala.

18. Kungani ungalindela ukujabulela izilwane ezweni elisha?

¹⁸ Usacabanga ngalokho ongase ukujabulele ezweni elisha, bona ngeso lengqondo isimo izwi likaNkulunkulu lesiprofetho elisichazayo: “‘Impisi iyakudla ndawonye newundlu, ingonyama idle utshani njengenkomo, uthuli lube ngukudla kwenyoka; aziyikulimaza, zingachithi kuyo yonke intaba yami engcwele,’ usho uJehova.” (Isaya 65:25) Abadwebi abangabantu baye bazama ukusidweba lesi simo, kodwa lokhu akuwona nje umkhiqizo womdwebi osebenzise inkululeko yakhe. Lesi simo siyoba ngokoqobo. Ukuthula kuyovama phakathi kwabantu futhi kuyohambisana nokuthula abayoba nakho nezilwane. Izazi eziningi zesayensi yezinto eziphilayo nabathandi bezilwane bachitha ingxenye enkulu yokuphila kwabo befunda ngezinhlobo ezimbalwa zezilwane noma mhlawumbe ngohlobo olulodwa nje kuphela. Ngokuphambene, cabanga ngalokho oyokwazi ukukufunda lapho izilwane zingasabuswa ukwesaba abantu. Ngaleso sikhathi uyokwazi ukusondela ngisho nasezinyonini nasezilwaneni ezincane ezihlala emahlathini amancane noma kodukathole—yebo, uzibuke, ufunde kuzo futhi uzijabulele. (Jobe 12:7-9) Uyokwazi ukwenza kanjalo ngokuphepha, kungekho ngozi engabangelwa umuntu noma isilwane. UJehova uthi: “Aziyikulimaza, zingachithi kuyo yonke intaba yami engcwele.” Yeka ushintsho lolo okuyoba yilo kulokho esikubonayo nesihlangabezana nakho namuhla!

19, 20. Kungani abantu bakaNkulunkulu behluke kakhulu eningini labantu namuhla?

¹⁹ Njengoba kuphawuliwe ngaphambili, abantu abakwazi ukubikezela ikusasa ngokunembile, naphezu kokukhathazeka okwandile ngale nkulungwane yeminyaka entsha. Lokho kushiya abaningi bekhungathekile, bedidekile noma bengenathemba. UPeter Emberley, umqondisi eyunivesithi ethile yaseCanada, wabhala: “Abantu abaningi [abadala] manje ekugcineni sebebhekana nemibuzo ebalulekile ngokuphila. Ngingubani? Yini engilwela ukuyifinyelela ngempela? Lifa lini engilishiyela isizukulwane esilandelayo? Maphakathi nokuphila kwabo balwela ukuthola ukuhleleka nenjongo ekuphileni kwabo.”

²⁰ Ungaqonda ukuthi kungani kunjalo ngabaningi. Bangase bafune ukujabulela ukuphila ngemisebenzi eseceleni noma ngokuzilibazisa okumnandi. Nokho, abazi ukuthi ikusasa liphetheni, ngakho ukuphila kungase kuntule ukuhleleka nenjongo yangempela. Manje qhathanisa lokho nombono wakho ngokuphila, ucabangela lokhu esesikuhlolile. Uyazi ukuthi emazulwini amasha nasemhlabeni omusha kaJehova othenjisiwe, siyokwazi ukuqalaza nxazonke sisho kugcwale umlomo sithi, ‘Ngempela uNkulunkulu wenze zonke izinto zaba zintsha!’ Yeka indlela esiyokujabulela ngayo lokho!

21. Yisiphi isici esisithola kokubili ku-Isaya 65:25 naku-Isaya 11:9?

²¹ Akukhona ukugabadela ukuzibona ngeso lengqondo siphila ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu. Uyasimema, uze asinxuse, ukuba simkhulekele ngeqiniso manje futhi sifanelekele ukuphila lapho ‘bengasayikulimaza, bangachithi kuyo yonke intaba yakhe engcwele.’ (Isaya 65:25) Nokho, ingabe ubuqaphela ukuthi ekuqaleni u-Isaya ukhulume ngendlela ethi ayifane, futhi wafaka isici esibalulekile ukuze silijabulele ngempela izwe elisha? U-Isaya 11:9 uthi: “Abayikwenza okubi, bangachithi entabeni yonke yami engcwele, ngokuba umhlaba uyakugcwala ukumazi uJehova njengamanzi asibekela ulwandle.”

22. Ukuhlola kwethu iziprofetho ezine zeBhayibheli kufanele kugxilise ukuzimisela kwethu ukwenzani?

²² “Ukumazi uJehova.” Lapho uNkulunkulu enza zonke izinto zibe zintsha, abakhileyo emhlabeni bayoba nolwazi olunembile ngaye nangentando yakhe. Lokho kuyohilela okungaphezulu kakhulu kokufunda endalweni eyizilwane. Kuhileleke neZwi lakhe eliphefumulelwe. Ngokwesibonelo, khumbula ukuthi kuningi kanjani esesikubonile ngokuhlola iziprofetho ezine nje kuphela ezikhuluma ‘ngamazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha.’ (Isaya 65:17; 66:22; 2 Petru 3:13; IsAmbulo 21:1) Unesizathu esihle sokufunda iBhayibheli nsuku zonke. Ingabe lokho ukwenza njalo? Uma kungenjalo, yikuphi ukulungisa ongakwenza ukuze usuku ngalunye ufunde ingxenye yalokho uNkulunkulu akushoyo? Uyothola ukuthi ngaphezu kokubheka phambili ekujabuleleni izwe elisha, uba nenjabulo khona manje, njengoba nje kwenzeka nakumhubi.—IHubo 1:1, 2.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

Ungaphendula Kanjani?

• Kungani singaphetha ngokuthi u-Isaya 66:22-24 ubikezela izinto eziseza?

• Yini oyilangazelela ngokukhethekile phakathi kwezinto ezishiwo eziprofethweni eziku-Isaya 66:22-24 naku-Isaya 65:20-25?

• Unaziphi izizathu zokuqiniseka ngekusasa lakho?

[Izithombe ekhasini 15]

U-Isaya, uPetru noJohane babikezela izici ezithile ‘zamazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha’