Chapter 1

Kuza Kwenzeka Ntoni Kulo Mhlaba?

1. Luhlobo olunjani lwekamva olulindeleyo, ibe ngoba?

LIKUFUMBATHELE ntoni ikamva njengomnye wabantu abangamawaka ezigidi ngoku abaphilayo kulo Mhlaba? Ngaba ubungathanda ukuba libe bubomi boxolo nonqabiseko, uphakathi kwabantu abathandana ngokwenene? Oko nokunye okuninzi ngakumbi kunokuba kokwakho. Kodwa abantu abaninzi abalindelanga kamva. Kutheni kunjalo nje?

2, 3. Isisongelo semfazwe yenyukliya siyiphembelela njani indlela abantu abaninzi abalijonga ngayo ikamva?

² Isisongelo semfazwe yenyukliya sibangele amathandabuzo anzulu enoba kuya kubakho naliphi na ikamva kwinxalenye enkulu yesizwe sabantu. Xa ibhombu yeathom yasetyenziswa okokuqala kwimfazwe yowe-1945, amadoda, abafazi nabantwana abangaphezu kwama-70 000 babulawa ngoko nangoko. Amawaka amaninzi ngakumbi eva ukufa okungcungcuthekisayo ebudeni beentsuku neminyaka eyalandela oko. Kodwa namhlanje ibhombu enye eqhelekileyo nethwalwa yintolo-mlilo inamandla okudubula azo zonke iibhombu ezaphoswa ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Kukho amashumi amawaka ezixhobo zenyukliya ezimiswa kwiindawo ngeendawo ukuze zisetyenziswe ngokukhawuleza. Sekunjalo eli hlabathi lichitha malunga nama-2 000 000 000 zeerandi ngosuku kukhuphiswano lwezixhobo olushiya abantu abaninzi begubha luloyiko.

³ Kodwa kuthekani ukuba kuphela kukho “imfazwe yenyukliya elinganiselweyo”? Imiphumo ibisaya koyikisa. Ngokokutsho kukaCarl Sagan, isazinzulu esidumileyo, ukuba amazwe ebenokusebenzisa kwaneqhezu lamandla awo enyukliya, “kusenokwenzeka ukuba inkcubeko yethu yomhlaba ibiya kutshatyalaliswa. . . . Ibe ukutshabalala kweendidi zabantu kubonakala kuyinto enokwenzeka ngokwenene.” Abantu abaninzi bazama ukuziphosa kwelokulibala izinto ezinjalo, kodwa oko akuyisusi ingozi. Abanye abalinani elanda ngokukhawuleza bayile imibutho yokusinda. Benethemba lokuba bambi baya kusinda, baye bakha iindawo zokusaba kwimimandla ekwanti baza ezi ndawo bazifumba ngokutya nangamayeza, kwanangemipu yokugxotha abagxuphuleki abangabafuniyo.

4. Kutheni ukuphathwa kakubi kwemekobume kujongwa njengesisongelo esiqatha?

⁴ Ngaphandle kwemfazwe yenyukliya, izazinzulu zilumkisa ngentlekele yomhlaba esenokwenzeka ngenxa yokubona indlela imekobume esetyenziswa ngayo kakubi. Ukungcoliswa komoya esiwuphefumlayo kungumthombo wenkxalabo enzulu. Amahlathi atshatyalaliswa ngomlinganiselo owoyikekayo; kanti abalulekile kwioksijini yomhlaba, ekubangeleni imvula nasekulondolozweni komhlaba. Ngenxa yokungazi nokubawa, konakaliswa umhlaba ofunekayo wokulima ukutya. Amanzi ayonakaliswa, ngokufuthi kusetyenziswa amachiza abulalayo. Kanti obu buncwane buyimfuneko ekulondolozeni ubomi babantu.

5, 6. Ziziphi ezinye iimeko ezithintela abantu ekulindeleni ubomi bube bobunqabisekileyo nobonwabisayo?

⁵ Usenokuba noluvo lokuba, eyona nto ixhalatyelwe ngokungakumbi nangokonakona, sisibakala sokuba ulwaphulo-mthetho lobundlobongela lwenza abantu babe ngamabanjwa emakhayeni abo. Iziphendu zobupolitika nezentlalo zenza ubomi bube yingozi. Ukungaqeshwa kwabantu okwandileyo nokunyuka kwamaxabiso okwandayo konke oku kuphumela kusizi nodano. Ubomi basekhaya babantu abaninzi abanelisi ngokugqithiseleyo; iintambo zothando ezimele zibophe intsapho kunye zidla ngokuqhawuka. Kuzo zonke iindawo isimo sengqondo sabantu sesokuthi “Ndim phambili!”

⁶ Ngoko, abantu banokusifumana phi isiseko esiphilileyo sokulindela ukunandipha ubomi bokunqabiseka? Ukuba ikamva lethu njengabemi bomhlaba lixhomekeke kuphela koko abantu neentlanga ezibekek’ ityala ngezi ngxaki zikuvumayo nezikwaziyo ukukwenza, imbonakalo ibiya kuba mfiliba ngokwenyaniso. Kodwa ngaba kunjalo?

IZIBAKALA EZINGAMELE ZITYESHELWE

7. (a) Bubuphi ubungqina obubonisa ukuba iBhayibhile iliLizwi likaThixo? (b) Kutheni le nto kubalulekile ukuba abantu bakwazi okuthethwa yiBhayibhile?

⁷ Xa beqwalasela imicimbi, bonke abantu badla ngokumshiya uMdali womhlaba nowoluntu. Kodwa sinokwazi njani oko injongo Yakhe ikuko? IBhayibhile iyasixelela. Ngokuphindaphindiweyo le Ncwadi ithi ekuquletheyo kunemvelaphi yobuthixo, kuphefumlelwe nguThixo. Ngaba eli bango liyinyaniso? Ukuba kunjalo, ubomi bakho buxhomekeke ngokwenza ngokuvisisana nayo. Ngenxa yokubaluleka kwalo mcimbi, siyakubongoza ukuba uyihlolisise ngokobuqu iBhayibhile. Iziprofeto zayo ezininzi ezibonakalisa ukwaziwa kwekamva ngokweenkcukacha uya kuzifumanisa zibalasele. Ubulumko bayo abunakuthelekiswa nanto xa ixubusha ngemicimbi ebaluleke kunene yokukwenza wonwabe ngonaphakade. Siziva sinentembelo yokuba, ukuba uthi ngengqondo ephangaleleyo uqwalasele ubungqina, uya kuqonda ukuba iBhayibhile inokuba yevela kuphela kumthombo ongaphaya kwemvelo, kuThixo oluthanda ngokwenyaniso uluntu.a IBhayibhile iqulethe inkcazelo ebalulekileyo ekusindeni kwethu kweli xesha lomngcipheko kwimbali yabantu. Ngokufanelekileyo, iyeyona ncwadi isasazwa ngokubanzi emhlabeni.—Bona eyesi-2 kaPetros 1:20, 21; 3:11-14; 2 Timoti 3:1-5, 14-17.

8. IBhayibhile imchaza ngaliphi igama uMdali woMhlaba?

⁸ Indinyana yokuqala yeBhayibhile njengenyaniso esisiseko ithi “uThixo wadala amazulu nehlabathi.” (Genesis 1:1)b Nangona abanye abantu bekhetha ukumshiya engenagama uThixo, iBhayibhile ayenjinjalo. Ichaza uMdali ngegama, iGenesis 2:4 isixelela ukuba “wenza uYehova uThixo ihlabathi namazulu.” (Bona kwaneGenesis 14:22; Eksodus 6:3; 20:11.) Inxalenye enkulu yeBhayibhile ekuqaleni yabhalwa ngesiHebhere, ibe kwinxalenye yeBhayibhile eyabhalwa ngesiHebhere igama likaThixo libonakala phantse izihlandlo ezingama-7 000 njengamaqabane (consonants) amane angcwele (יהוה). Bambi abaguquleli balichaza ngokuthi Yahweh, kodwa esiXhoseni eyona ndlela isetyenziswa ngokuqhelekileyo yeli gama yethi Yehova.

9. (a) Ngubani owayila elo gama likaThixo? (b) Libaluleke kangakanani igama likaThixo kuthi? (Yoweli 2:32; Mika 4:5)

⁹ Eli gama alizange liyilwe ngabantu bonqulo. Lakhethwa nguMdali ngokwakhe. (Eksodus 3:13-15; Isaya 42:8) Asilogama elimele lisetyenziswe njengelisisifanokuthi nelithi Buddha, Brahma, Allah okanye Yesu. Ngokufanelekileyo umprofeti uMoses wakhumbuza uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli wamandulo ngokuthi: “Yazi ke namhla, ukunyamekele ngentliziyo yakho, ukuba uYehova [ngesiHebhere: יהוה] nguye uThixo emazulwini phezulu, nasehlabathini phantsi; akukho wumbi.” (Duteronomi 4:39) Lo nguThixo uYesu Kristu awathandaza kuye, Lowo wambiza ngokuthi “ukuphela koThixo oyinyaniso.” Namhlanje uThixo unqulwa ngabantu abanolwazi abavela kuzo zonke iintlanga zomhlaba.—Yohane 17:3; Mateyu 4:8-10; 26:39; Roma 3:29.

10. Kutheni isisongelo semfazwe yenyukliya nomonakalo owenziwa lungcoliso zingayi kuyithintela injongo kaThixo ngomhlaba?

¹⁰ Ngenxa yesibakala sokuba uYehova enguMdali womhlaba, lonke ihlabathi lelakhe, ibe ikamva lalo lisezandleni zakhe. (Duteronomi 10:14; INdumiso 89:11) Iingxaki zoluntu azikho ngaphaya kwamandla kaThixo kangangokuba akanakuzisingatha. Ukulindela kwabantu imfazwe yenyukliya kubenza boyike. Kodwa yimithetho kabani elawula iinkqubo zamandla enyukliya ezenzeka ngomlinganiselo owoyikekayo kumawaka ezigidi zeenkwenkwezi ezingenakubaleka? Ngaba uThixo akanalo ulwazi namandla afunekayo ukulondoloza ubomi eMhlabeni? Ngokukwanjalo, iingxaki eziye zavela ngenxa yokuba abantu baye bathi ngokungazi nangokuzingca bonakalisa imekobume yabo aziyi kuyithintela injongo kaThixo uSomandla. Lowo wayenobulumko namandla awayefuneka ukuze kudalwe umhlaba neentlobo zobomi obunomtsalane ezikuwo ukwanokubanika isiqalo esicocekileyo ukuba oko kukuthanda kwakhe. (Isaya 40:26; INdumiso 104:24) Ngoko, iyintoni injongo kaYehova ngokunxibelelene nekhaya lethu elingumhlaba?

UMHLABA UYA KUHLALA ITHUBA ELINGAKANANI?

11. (a) Ezinye izazinzulu zikholelwa ukuba ekugqibeleni kuya kwenzeka ntoni kumhlaba? (b) Ngubani owazi ngokungakumbi ngale micimbi kunokuba zisazi, yaye ngoba?

¹¹ Ngaba kuyinjongo kaThixo ukutshabalalisa umhlaba nazo zonke izinto eziphilileyo ezikuwo? Ezinye izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zinengcamango yokuba ekugqibeleni ilanga lethu liya kuba likhulu lize lidubule yaye liya kugubungela umhlaba. Kukho abo baqiqa ngelithi, ngenxa yendlela emi ngayo indalo ebonakalayo, limele lifike ixesha laxa ilanga lingasayi kukhanyisa nomhlaba ungasayi kukwazi ukulondoloza ubomi. Kodwa ngaba bachanile? Uthini uMdali—Lowo wabangela kubekho amandla nolutho, Lowo wayila imithetho ubukho bethu obuxhomekeke kuyo?—Yobhi 38:1-6, 21; INdumiso 146:3-6.

12. Amazwi eNtshumayeli 1:4 angqineke eyinyaniso njani?

¹² UYehova waphefumlela uKumkani uSolomon osisilumko ukuba abhale ngobude bobomi bomntu xa buthelekiswa nethuba lobude bomhlaba. KwiNtshumayeli 1:4 uSolomon wabhala la mazwi: “Kumka esinye isizukulwana, kulandele esinye isizukulwana; ke lona ihlabathi limi ngonaphakade [ixesha elingasikelwe mda, NW].” Imbali yabantu ingqinela ubunyaniso boku. Nangona esinye isizukulwana soluntu siye sathatyathelw’ indawo sesinye, umhlaba, ingqukuva esiphila kuyo, uhlala uhleli. Kodwa uhlala ithuba elide kangakanani? Ngokwamazwi ayinguqulelo yokoqobo yeNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, uya kuhlala “ixesha elingasikelwe mda.” Kuthetha ntoni oko?

13. (a) “Ixesha elingasikelwe mda” linokuthetha ntoni? (b) Ngoko, sinokuqiniseka njani ukuba umhlaba uya kuhlala ngonaphakade?

¹³ Igama lesiHebhere elithi ‘oh·lamʹ, apha eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “ixesha elingasikelwe mda,” ngokusisiseko lithetha isihlandlo sexesha, ngokwendlela esijongwa ngayo ngoku, esingasikelwe mda okanye esingenakubonwa kodwa esilithuba elide. Oko kunokuthetha unaphakade. Ngaba kunjalo kule meko? Okanye ngaba eli binzana libonisa ukuba mhlawumbi kwixesha elithile elikwikamva nelingasikelwe mda, ngoku elingabonakaliyo kuthi, umhlaba uya kufikelela kwisiphelo sawo? Zimbi izinto iBhayibhile ethi zaziya kuqhubeka “ixesha elingasikelwe mda” zaphela ekugqibeleni. (Thelekisa iNumeri 25:13, NW; Hebhere 7:12.) Kodwa iZibhalo zikwanxulumanisa eli gama lithi ‘oh·lamʹ nento engunaphakade—ngokomzekelo, uMdali ngokwakhe. (Thelekisa INdumiso 90:2, NW, neyoku-1 kuTimoti 1:17.) Ngokubhekisele kwinto ethethwa leli binzana ngokunxibelelene nomhlaba, asishiywa sithandabuza. KwiNdumiso 104:5 sixelelwa oku: “Waliseka ihlabathi phezu kwemimiso yalo, ukuba lingashukunyiswa naphakade kanaphakade [kwixesha elingasikelwe mda, okanye naphakade, NW.]”c—Bona kwaneNdumiso 119:90.

14. Sazi njani ukuba ihlabathi aliyi kuthi ngamhla uthile libe yinkangala ebharhileyo?

¹⁴ Into eya kuhlala ngonaphakade asingomhlaba nje obharhileyo nongenamveliso. KuYeremiya 10:10-12 sichazelwa oku: “UYehova nguThixo, inyaniso, . . . ngulo wenza ihlabathi ngamandla akhe; ulozinzisa elimiweyo [umhlaba onemveliso, NW] ngobulumko bakhe; waneka izulu ngengqondo yakhe.” Phawula ukuba akazange enze nje “ihlabathi” kodwa kwakhona wawuzinzisa ngokuqinileyo “umhlaba onemveliso.” Endaweni yeli binzana lokugqibela, abaguquleli abaninzi igama lesiHebhere elithi te·velʹ baliguqulela nje ngokuthi “ihlabathi.” Noko ke, ngokokutsho kweOld Testament Word Studies ebhalwe nguWilliam Wilson, igama elithi te·velʹ lithetha “umhlaba, njengotyebileyo nomiweyo, ihlabathi elinokumiwa ngabantu.” Ngokubhekisele kwinjongo kaYehova ngalo mhlaba otyebileyo nomiwe ngabantu, INdumiso 96:10 ngeliqinisekisayo ithi: “UYehova ngukumkani, liya kuzinza ngoko elimiweyo [umhlaba onemveliso, NW], lingashukumi.”—Bona kwanoIsaya 45:18.

15. Ezi zibakala zivumelana njani nomthandazo uYesu awawufundisa abalandeli bakhe?

¹⁵ Ngaloo ndlela kungokubhekisele kulo Mhlaba esiphila kuwo awathi uYesu Kristu wafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuthandaza kuThixo bathi: “Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenziwe ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengokuba kusenziwa emazulwini.”—Mateyu 6:9, 10.

16. (a) Luhlobo olunjani lwabantu oluya kuphila emhlabeni ngoko? (b) Uyintoni ‘umhlaba omtsha’ iBhayibhile ethetha ngawo?

¹⁶ Ukuthanda kukaYehova asikokokuba umhlaba umiwe ngabantu abangamkhathalele uMnini wawo nabangathandaniyo. Kude kudala wathembisa oku: “Abenzi bobubi baya kunqunyulwa; ke bona abamthembayo uYehova, baya kulidla ilifa ilizwe. Amalungisa aya kulidla ilifa ilizwe, ahlale kulo ngonaphakade.” (INdumiso 37:9, 29) “Elimiweyo eliza kubakho,” iBhayibhile ethetha ngalo, liya kumiwa ngabantu aboyika uThixo nabanothando olunyanisekileyo ngabantu abangoowabo. (Hebhere 2:5; thelekisa uLuka 10:25-28.) Ngoko ziya kuba nkulu iinguqulelo eziya kwenzeka phantsi koBukumkani basezulwini bukaThixo kangangokuba iBhayibhile ithetha ‘ngomhlaba omtsha’—kungekhona ngomhlaba owahlukileyo, kodwa ibutho elitsha labantu eliya kuphila phakathi kweemeko zeparadisi uMdali woluntu awayeneenjongo zazo ukususela ngexesha awaqalisa ngalo ukudala kwakhe umhlaba.—ISityhilelo 21:1-5; Genesis 2:7-9, 15.

17. Kutheni kubalulekile nje ukufunda ngeemfuneko zikaThixo zokusinda ngoku?

¹⁷ Ukusekwa kwaloo ‘mhlaba mtsha,’ ngokuyimfuneko, kuya kwandulelwa yintshabalalo enkulu—egqwesa nantoni na uluntu olwakha lwayibona. Ukuze kungenelwe umhlaba ngokwawo nabo bonke abanombulelo ngokwenyaniso kuMdali wawo, uya “konakalisa abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba.” (ISityhilelo 11:17, 18) Ixesha likaThixo lokwenza oku lisondele gqitha! Xa oku sele kugqityiwe, ngaba uya kufunyanwa phakathi kwabasindi?—1 Yohane 2:17; IMizekeliso 2:21, 22.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso ozalise iphepha, kwiphepha 5]