Ngaba Uyakholelwa Ukuba Umhlaba Uya Kuba Yiparadesi?

BAMBALWA abantu abakholelwayo ukuba umhlaba uya kuze ube yiparadesi. Abaninzi bacinga ukuba umhlaba awuyi kuqhubeka ukho kwaphela. Ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi The Sacred Earth, ebhalwe nguBrian Leigh Molyneaux, lo mhlaba wabakho ngenxa ‘yogqabhuko-dubulo olukhulu olwenzeka’ kwizigidi zeminyaka eyadlulayo. Yaye ukuba umntu akawutshabalalisi ngokwakhe umhlaba, abaninzi bakholelwa ukuba ekugqibeleni “uya kunyamalala ngokunyibilika ungabikho.”

Imbongi eliNgesi yenkulungwane ye-17 uJohn Milton wayeneengcamango ezahlukileyo. Kumbongo wakhe odumileyo othi Paradise Lost, wabhala wathi uThixo wadala umhlaba ukuze ube likhaya labantu eliyiparadesi. Abantu baphulukana naloo Paradesi. Noko ke, uMilton wayekholelwa ukuba yayiza kubuyiselwa—ngokuthi ngenye imini uYesu Kristu njengomhlawuleli “avuze abathembekileyo bakhe, aze abamkele kulonwabo . . . eZulwini okanye eMhlabeni.” Eqinisekile uMilton wathi: “Ngelo xesha wonke uMhlaba uya kuba yiParadesi.”

Iparadesi—Ngaba Iza Kuba Sezulwini Okanye Emhlabeni?

Abantu bonqulo abaninzi banembono efana nekaMilton yokuba ekugqibeleni baza kufumana umvuzo ngenxa yeenkxwaleko neentlungu ekuye kwafuneka bazinyamezele apha emhlabeni. Kodwa baza kuwunandipha phi loo mvuzo? Ngaba baza kuwunandipha “eZulwini okanye eMhlabeni”? Bambi abacingi ukuba oko kuya kwenzeka emhlabeni. Bathi abantu baza kunandipha “ulonwabo” kuphela emva kokuba beshiye umhlaba baze baye kuphila kummandla wokomoya ezulwini.

Incwadi ethi Heaven—A History, ebhalwe nguC. McDannell noB. Lang ithi umfundi wezakwalizwi wenkulungwane yesibini uIrenaeus wayekholelwa ukuba ukuphila kwiparadesi ebuyiselweyo “akuyi kwenzeka kummandla okude wasezulwini, kodwa kuya kwenzeka emhlabeni.” Ngokutsho kwaloo ncwadi, nangona iinkokeli zonqulo ezinjengoJohn Calvin noMartin Luther zazinethemba lokuya ezulwini, zazikwakholelwa ukuba “uThixo uya kuwuhlaziya umhlaba.” Amalungu ezinye iinkonzo ebekholelwa ngendlela efanayo. UMcDannell noLang bakwathi amaYuda athile ayekholelwa ukuba ngexesha likaThixo elifanelekileyo, zonke iinkxwaleko zoluntu “ziya kushenxiswa kuze kuphilwe ubomi obanelisayo emhlabeni.” IThe Encyclopaedia of Middle Eastern Mythology and Religion ithi, ngokwenkolelo yamaPersi amandulo,“umhlaba uya kubuyiselwa kwimeko yawo yantlandlolo baze abantu bahlale ngoxolo kwakhona.”

Kwenzeke ntoni kwithemba lomhlaba oyiparadesi? Ngaba sasenzelwe ukuphila nje ithutyana emhlabeni? Njengokutsho kwengcamango yesithandi sobulumko senkulungwane yokuqala esingumYuda uPhilo, ngaba ukuphila emhlabeni “yimeko nje yokwexeshana, ezaliswe ziintlekele” ngaphambi kokuba uye kufika kummandla wokomoya? Okanye ngaba uThixo wayenenjongo eyahlukileyo xa wadala umhlaba waza wabeka abantu kuwo ukwimeko eyiparadesi? Ngaba uluntu lunokufumana ulwaneliseko lokwenene kwizinto zokomoya nolonwabo apha emhlabeni? Kutheni ungahlolisisi oko iBhayibhile ikuthethayo ngalo mbandela? Njengezinye izigidi zabantu, usenokugqiba ngendlela efanayo ukuba ngokwenene kusengqiqweni ukuba nethemba lomhlaba oyiparadesi ebuyiselweyo.

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Imbongi uJohn Milton wayekholelwa ukuba iParadesi iya kubuyiselwa

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COVER: Earth: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C./NASA

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Earth: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C./NASA; John Milton: Leslie’s