Iinkwenkwezi Nabantu—Ngaba Lukho Unxibelelwano?

UQHELISELO lokujonga iinkwenkwezi kudala lukho. Ngokutsho kweThe World Book Encyclopedia, kwiminyaka engamawaka eyadlulayo abalimi “babejonga iinkwenkwezi ukuze bazi ixesha lokutyala izityalo zabo. Abahambi bafunda ukusebenzisa iinkwenkwezi ukuze baqonde icala abaya ngakulo.” Kwananamhlanje xa kusiyiwa emajukujukwini, kusasetyenziswa iinkwenkwezi njengezalathiso. Abantu bamandulo nabo baqweba iintsomi ngabantu nezilwanyana ababevakalelwa kukuba amaqela eenkwenkwezi ayefanekisela zona. Ekuhambeni kwexesha abantu bavakalelwa kukuba iinkwenkwezi zingabuphembelela ubomi babo.

Iinkwenkwezi Ezininzi Ezahlukahlukeneyo

Inani leenkwenkwezi nobungakanani bazo buyoyikisa. Kuthelekelelwa ukuba kukho iminyele emalunga ne-100 lamawaka ezigidi, okanye amaqela amakhulu eenkwenkwezi, esibhakabhakeni! IThe International Encyclopedia of Astronomy ithi: “Elo linani leenkozo zerayisi ezinokugalelwa kwisakhiwo esikhulu secawa.” UMnyele Wezulu, ummandla wethu wendalo oyinxalenye yawo, kuthelekelelwa ukuba ubuncinane uneenkwenkwezi ezininzi ngolo hlobo. Eyona nkwenkwezi ikufutshane noMhlaba wethu (ngaphandle kweLanga), enye yeqela leAlpha Centauri, ikumgama ongathabatha iminyaka emalunga nesi-4,3 uhamba ngesantya esihanjwa kukukhanya ngonyaka. Unyaka wokukhanya ungumgama ukukhanya okukuhambayo ngonyaka omnye. Oko kuthetha ukuba xa sijonga kuloo nkwenkwezi, ukukhanya okungena elisweni lethu kwashiya loo nkwenkwezi iminyaka esisi-4,3 ngaphambilana yaye ebudeni balo lonke elo xesha bekuhamba emajukujukwini ngesantya esiziikhilomitha ezingama-299 792 ngomzuzwana. Kungaphaya kwamandla engqondo yethu ukuthelekelela loo mgama ubandakanyekileyo. Sekunjalo, kuphela kwenkwenkwezi eyeyona ikufutshane leyo. Ezinye iinkwenkwezi zingamawaka ezigidi kwiminyaka yokukhanya ukusuka kumnyele wethu. Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba umprofeti kaThixo wavakalisa oku: “Yabona, iintlanga zibalelwa ekubeni zinjengethontsi emphandeni, njengesuntswana esikalini. Yabona, iziqithi zinjengothuli oluqhaphukayo.” (Isaya 40:15) Ngubani okhathalele isuntswana lothuli?

Eyona nto yasezulwini ikufutshane emhlabeni yinyanga, enempembelelo engqalileyo kumhlaba wethu, umxhuzulane wayo ude ubangele amaza olwandle anyuke ngaphezu kweemitha ezili-15 kwezinye iindawo. Ngokutsho kwezazinzulu ezintathu ezingamaFrentshi, umxhuzulane wenyanga ngoku kukholelwa kwelokuba nguwo ogcina iasi yomhlaba ikekelele kwiqondo elingama-23, ngaloo ndlela oko kuqinisekisa ukutshintsha kwamaxesha onyaka rhoqo. (Nature, February 18, 1993) Ekubeni inyanga inamandla angako okoqobo kwisijikelezi-langa sethu, kusengqiqweni ukubuza oku, Kuthekani ngamawaka ezigidi eenkwenkwezi? Kodwa kuqala, imithombo yethu yamandulo, enjengeBhayibhile, isixelela ntoni ngeenkwenkwezi?

Iinkwenkwezi EZibhalweni

IBhayibhile ithetha kakhulu ngeenkwenkwezi, ngokoqobo nangokufuziselayo. Ngokomzekelo, ngokutsho komnye umdumisi, uMdali wenza “inyanga neenkwenkwezi zilawule ebusuku” ukuze iinkwenkwezi zincede ekukhanyiseni umhlaba. (INdumiso 136:9) Kamva, xa wayesenza umnqophiso noAbraham othembekileyo, uThixo wathi: “Khawubheke phezulu ezulwini, uzibale iinkwenkwezi, ukuba unokuzibala; wathi kuye, Iya kuba njalo ke imbewu yakho.” (Genesis 15:5) Umpostile uPawulos uchaza ukuba iinkwenkwezi zahlukile, esithi: “Bubodwa ubuqaqawuli belanga, bubodwa ubuqaqawuli benyanga, bubodwa ubuqaqawuli beenkwenkwezi; kuba inkwenkwezi iyahluka kwenye inkwenkwezi ngobuqaqawuli.”a (1 Korinte 15:41) Kwangaxeshanye, inani elikhulu leenkwenkwezi nobuqaqawuli bazo alenzi uMdali wazo angakwazi kuzilawula: “Ulobala inani leenkwenkwezi, ezibiza zonke ngamagama.”—INdumiso 147:4.

Kwelinye icala, eZibhalweni sifumanisa ukuba iinkwenkwezi ngokufuthi zisetyenziswa ukubhekisela ebantwini, kubalawuli nakwizithunywa zezulu. Unyana kaYakobi uYosefu unephupha apho abazali bakhe ebabona ‘belilanga nenyanga’ abantakwabo ‘beziinkwenkwezi.’ Izithunywa zezulu kubhekiselwa kuzo ‘njengamakhwezi okusa.’ Kuthethwa ngokumkani waseBhabhiloni njengalowo wayefuna ukuba ngaphezu “kweenkwenkwezi zikaThixo,” abalawuli bomnombo kaDavide bohlanga lwakwaSirayeli. Amadoda angazinzanga kwibandla lobuKristu afaniswa ‘neenkwenkwezi eziphalaphalayo,’ ngoxa amaqumrhu athembekileyo abadala bebandla kusithiwa ‘ziinkwenkwezi’ ezisesandleni sokunene sikaKristu.—Genesis 37:9, 10; Yobhi 38:7; Isaya 14:13; Yuda 13; ISityhilelo 1:16.

Enye ingxelo eseBhayibhileni ichaza ukuba ‘zalwa iinkwenkwezi emendweni yazo noSisera,’ umphathi-mkhosi kaKumkani uYabhin wakwaKanan, owayecinezele uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli kangangeminyaka engama-20. UYehova wanika uMgwebi uBharaki wakwaSirayeli isabelo sokusindisa uSirayeli ebukhobokeni waza wamnika uloyiso olukhulu kuSisera, nangona uSisera wayeneenqwelo zesinyithi ezingamakhulu asithoba. Kwingoma yoloyiso, amaSirayeli acula enjenje: “Zalwa ezulwini, zalwa iinkwenkwezi emendweni yazo noSisera.” Akunikelwa nkcazelo ngendlela kanye iinkwenkwezi ezalwa ngayo. Kunokuthelekelela ukuba iinkwenkwezi zaba nempembelelo ngokungqalileyo kweli dabi, kusengqiqweni ngakumbi ukukholelwa kwelokuba eli binzana libonisa ukuba uThixo wangenelela ngandlel’ ithile enceda amaSirayeli.—AbaGwebi 5:20.

“Inkwenkwezi” YaseBhetelehem

Mhlawumbi enye yezona nkwenkwezi zaziwayo ekhankanywe eBhayibhileni ‘yinkwenkwezi’ yaseBhetelehem eyakhokelela izazi ezivela “empumalanga” kwindlu uYesu awayesiwe kuyo ngabazali bakhe emva kokuzalelwa kwakhe esitalini. Yayiyintoni loo nkwenkwezi? Ngokuqinisekileyo yayingeyonkwenkwezi iqhelekileyo, ekubeni yayisezantsi ngokwaneleyo ukuba izazi ziyilandele malunga neekhilomitha ezili-1 600. Kuqala le “nkwenkwezi” yazikhokelela eYerusalem. Esiva oku, uKumkani uHerode wazibuza waza wagqiba kwelokuba abulale usana olunguYesu. Yandula le “nkwenkwezi” yakhokelela izazi kuloo ndlu kanye uYesu wayehlala kuyo. Ngokuqinisekileyo akukho nkwenkwezi iqhelekileyo inokwenza oko. Ngaba le nto ifana nenkwenkwezi yayivela kuThixo? Ekubeni utyelelo lwezazi ngokungangqalanga lwakhokelela ekubulaweni kwabo ‘bonke abantwana baseBhetelehem nakuyo yonke imida yayo, abaminyaka mibini bezelwe, nangaphantsi,’ ngaba akukho ngqiqweni ukugqiba kwelokuba le “nkwenkwezi” yayiyinto eyayisetyenziswa nguMchasi kaThixo, uSathana, kwilinge lokutshabalalisa uNyana kaThixo?—Mateyu 2:1-11, 16.

Kwakhona kufanele kukhunjulwe ukuba izazi zazivela eMpuma, mhlawumbi eBhabhiloni, eyayisisazulu somlingo, ubugqwirha nokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi. Iqela lezinto zasezulwini zazithiywa ngamagama oothixo baseBhabhiloni. Ngemihla kaKumkani uNebhukadenetsare, ukuvumisa kwakusetyenziswa ukumnceda agqibe ngendlela amakahambe ngayo kuhlaselo lwakhe lwasedabini.—Hezekile 21:20-22.

Umprofeti uIsaya wacela umngeni abacebisi baseBhabhiloni, esithi: “Udiniwe bubuninzi bamaqhinga akho; mabamise kaloku, bakusindise oonocanda bezulu, oojongiinkwenkwezi, abakwazisayo ekuthwaseni kwenyanga ngenyanga izinto ezikuzelayo. Yabona, basuke baba njengeendiza; umlilo ubatshisile; abanakuwuhlangula umphefumlo wabo . . . kungabikho ukusindisayo.” Ngokungqinelana nesiprofeto sikaIsaya, iBhabhiloni enamandla yawela kuKoreshi Omkhulu ngowe-539 B.C.E. Ukhokelo loo maBhabhiloni abanga ukuba lwaziswa ziinkwenkwezi lwaphumela kwintlekele kubo bonke ababebandakanyekile.—Isaya 47:13-15.

Ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba asinakufunda nto kwiinkwenkwezi?

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Okuye Kwathethwa Ngabanye

UKUVUMISA NGEENKWENKWEZI: “kuyinto exokonyezelelwe yaza yamanyaniswa nenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi.”—UJohannes Kepler (1571-1630) isazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi saseJamani.

“Ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kusisifo, kungekhona inzululwazi. . . . Kungumthi eziphumla emthunzini wawo zonke iintlobo zeenkolo.”—UMoses Maimonides (1135-1204), umphengululi ongumYuda wamaXesha Aphakathi.

“Kuyinzululwazi esadla ngendeb’ endala ezibanga ikwazi ukuchaza ubuntu nesimilo sabantu nokuxela kwangaphambili intsingiselo neziganeko zekamva ngezikhundla zezijikelezi-langa zasemazulwini. . . . Mhlawumbi malunga nenkulungwane yesi-6 BC—amaKhaledi kumzantsi Iraq kucingelwa ukuba ngawo aqalisa i-horoscope yomntu siqu. Yona yayiphathelele impembelelo yeenkwenkwezi ezazibonakala zingahambi, kwakunye neyeLanga, iNyanga nezijikelezi-langa ezintlanu ezazisiba nayo ngexesha lokuzalwa. . . . Iinkqubo zokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi nokutolikwa kwe-horoscope kuxhomekeke kwiingcamango izazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi nenkoliso yezinye izazinzulu ezizifumanisa zingasekelwanga kwizibakala yaye zingamkelekanga.”—UC. A. Ronan, umlungelelanisi womsebenzi, we-East Asian History of Science Trust, eCambridge, eNgilani, nofake isandla kwiThe International Encyclopedia of Astronomy ekuthatyathwe kuyo le ngcaphulo.

Xa esenza umzekelo wokungasekelwa kwizibakala kwazo, lo kaRonan ucacisa ngelithi ngoxa kwiingqondo zabantu baseNtshona, isijikelezi-langa esibomvu, uMars, sinxulunyaniswa nemfazwe nokuthanda ukulwa, kumaTshayina, umbala obomvu mhle, ibe uMars ugqalwa njengonempembelelo yobubele. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, iintsomi zaseNtshona zinxulumanisa uVenus nombala omhlophe nobuhle. KumaTshayina “umbala omhlophe . . . ugqalwa njengombala wokufa, ukubola nentshabalalo; ngoko ke uVenus kwakubhekiselwa kuye ‘njengesijikelezi-langa esimnyama semfazwe.’”

Lo kaRonan uhlabela mgama esithi: “Nangona kuyinzululwazi esadla ngendeb’ endala, ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kumaxesha angaphambili kwakunendima ebalulekileyo ekukhuthazeni uphando lwenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi nasekuveliseni imali yokulwenza.”

Abalishumi elinesithoba abaphumelela ibhaso likaNobel, kunye nezinye izazinzulu, ngowe-1975 bakhupha impapasho enomxholo othi “Objections to Astrology—A Statement by 192 Leading Scientists.” Yavakalisa oku: “Kumaxesha amandulo abantu . . . babengenalo nofifana lomgama omkhulu ophakathi komhlaba nezijikelezi-langa neenkwenkwezi. Ngoku ekubeni le migama inako ibe sele ibaliwe, sinokubona indlela emincinane kakhulu ngayo imiphumo yomxhuzulane neyezinye izijikelezi-langa ezikude nezona nkwenkwezi zikude ngakumbi. Kuyimpazamo ukuthelekelela ukuba amandla eenkwenkwezi nezijikelezi-langa ngexesha lokuzalwa angachaza ikamva lethu nangayiphi na indlela.”b

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