Isahluko 4
Intshabalalo Yehlabathi Kuqala—Lwandule Ke Uxolo Lwehlabathi
1-3. (a) Iyintoni intshabalalo yehlabathi ezilumkisa ngayo iinkokeli ezingabantu? (b) Kungani oko kungekuko oko iBhayibhile isingisele kuko njengentshabalalo yehlabathi neya kuvulel’ indlela uxolo nonqabiseko olusisigxina?
NGOKUTSHO kwesiprofeto seBhayibhile, ngaphambi kokuba uluntu lube lungaze lunandiphe uxolo olusisigxina, kumele kubekho intshabalalo yehlabathi kuqala. (2 Petros 3:5-7) Kodwa kutheni le nto oko kuyimfuneko nje? Ivela phi intshabalalo? Ibe ithetha ntoni kubantu abakulo mhlaba?
2 Kuqala sifanele siqonde ukuba intshabalalo yehlabathi exelwa kwangaphambili yiBhayibhile ayifani neshwangusha lomhlaba wonke ezilumkisa ngalo iinkokeli zehlabathi ezininzi, izazinzulu nabanye abantu. Intlekele abathetha ngayo ibingafika ikwimo yeshwangusha elithile elenziwe ngumntu eliziswa zizinto ezinjengongcoliso okanye lukhuphiswano lwezixhobo zenyukliya, okanye zombini ezo zinto. Kakade ke, ishwangusha elinjalo belingayi kushiya themba lokuzuzwa koxolo nonqabiseko olusisigxina kulo mhlaba.
3 Umhlaba ubuya konakaliswa kuze kube nzima kwizidalwa eziphilileyo. Ngokomzekelo, ityhefu ekhutshwa yiathom okanye “ubusika benyukliya” obuqikelelwayo bebuya kushiya abasindileyo bengekho kwimeko entle—ukuba abayi kuba kweyona imbi—kunabo bafileyo. Ukusinda ngokukakhulu bekuya kuba ngumcimbi wamabona-ndenzile, nangona abangamahlwempu kusenokwenzeka ukuba bebeya kuba phakathi kwabokuqala ukuva ubunzima. Liliphi ithemba wena obunokuba nalo lokuba phakathi kwabasindi bentlekele enjalo? Ibe nokuba ubunokusinda, liliphi ithemba ebelinokubakho lokuba ubomi bebungebuyeli kwinto efanayo yokuzaliswa ngumlo nokungaqiniseki okwesameleyo ngoku?
Okuxelwa Kwangaphambili YiBhayibhile Kunika Ithemba
4. Ngoobani abamele batshatyalaliswe kwintshabalalo yehlabathi iBhayibhile ethetha ngayo?
4 Okwenza intshabalalo yehlabathi iBhayibhile eyixela kwangaphambili yahluke kukuba yona iza kukhetha, ibe nenjongo. Ayiyi kuba yintlekele ethile efika ngokufikelela encotsheni kweempazamo ezenziwe ngumntu. Kunokuba ibulale nje nabani na ngokungakhethiyo, iya kushenxisa emhlabeni abo bakufanelekele ngokwenene ukutshatyalaliswa. Olu hlobo lwentshabalalo yehlabathi luvisisana nomgaqo ongokobuthixo okwiMizekeliso 2:21, 22: “Ngokuba abathe tye baya kulima ilizwe, basale kulo abagqibeleleyo, banqunyulwe ezweni abangendawo, abanginizayo bancothulwe kulo.”
5, 6. (a) Kuya kwenzeka ntoni kumhlaba ngokwawo ebudeni baloo ntshabalalo yehlabathi? (b) Ngokubhekisele koku, kuya kwenzeka njani ukuba kube “njengokuba ibinjalo imihla kaNowa”?
5 Ngoko, yintoni eya kutshatyalaliswa? Abantu abaninzi bacinga ukuba iBhayibhile ithetha ngokutshiswa ngokupheleleyo koMhlaba nento yonke ekuwo. Kodwa oku akunjalo. UYesu Kristu wathi: “Banoyolo abanobulali; ngokuba umhlaba baya kuwudla ilifa bona.” (Mateyu 5:5) Ngokuqinisekileyo elo ‘lifa’ alinakuba luthuthu olutshileyo nolungenabomi! IBhayibhile ikwanikela isiqinisekiso sikaThixo sokuba umhlaba uya kuhlala ngonaphakade njengendawo yokuphila kwabantu.—INdumiso 104:5; Isaya 45:18; Mateyu 6:9, 10.
6 Ngokuvisisana noku, iBhayibhile ithetha ngabasindi abaya kuhlala emhlabeni emva kokuba loo “mbandezelo enkulu” idlulile. UYesu Kristu wathi “njengokuba ibinjalo imihla kaNowa, koba njalo nokufika koNyana woMntu.” Xa intshabalalo yehlabathi yafikayo ngexesha likaNowa babakho nabantu abasindayo.—Mateyu 24:21, 37; 2 Petros 2:5, 9; ISityhilelo 7:9, 10, 13, 14.
7. Yintoni eya kufikelela esiphelweni sayo ngelo xesha?
7 Yintoni eza kutshatyalaliswa? Yinkqubo yezinto yehlabathi lazwenibanzi eyakhiwe ngabantu emhlabeni—ndawonye nabo bonke abayixhasayo kunokuba bajonge kuThixo nakulawulo lwakhe lomhlaba aluthembisileyo. (INdumiso 73:27, 28) Kungoko ibinzana elithi “ukuphela kwehlabathi,” elifumaneka kwiinguqulelo ezithile zeBhayibhile, liguqulelwa ngokuchane ngakumbi kwezinye iiBhayibhile ngokuthi “isiphelo sesizukulwana” (NE), “ukuqosheliswa kwesizukulwana” (Ro), “ukupheliswa kwenkqubo yezinto” (NW).—Mateyu 24:3.
8. (a) Iya kuphuma kuwuphi umthombo intshabalalo? (b) Oku kumele kwenzeke ngaphambi kokuba inkqubo yehlabathi ekhoyo ifikelele kweyiphi imeko?
8 Umthombo wentshabalalo yehlabathi ezayo uya kuba nguYehova uThixo—kungengobantu. Amanqam akalokunje ongcoliso, indlala, ukoyikwa kwenyukliya kwanezinto ezinjengezo eziye zabangelwa kukungabi nalwazi kwabantu, ziimpazamo zabo nokonakala kwabo akayi kuba ngunobangela wentshabalalo. Endaweni yoko, la manqam abubungqina bokuzingca nokusilela ngokupheleleyo kwenkqubo yehlabathi ekhoyo. Anikela nje unobangela wokuba uYehova uThixo ayiphelise ngokupheleleyo le nkqubo. Uthembisa ngokuthabatha inyathelo elinjalo ngaphambi kokuba inkqubo yehlabathi ekhoyo ifikelele kwimeko yokuwohloka okanye izitshabalalise ngokwayo. (ISityhilelo 11:17, 18) Kodwa ngaba inyathelo elinamandla ngolo hlobo ngokwenene kuphela kwendlela ekhoyo?
Isizathu Sokuba Le Nkqubo Imele Iphele Ukuze Kufike Uxolo Lokwenyaniso
9, 10. Imbali yabantu ibonisa njani ukuba kufuneka into eqatha ngakumbi kunokuhlaziywa nje kwehlabathi elikhoyo?
9 Bambi basenokuba noluvo lokuba uThixo umele enze nje iinguqulelo ezithile kwinkqubo ekhoyo, kunokuyitshabalalisa. Kodwa iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba uThixo ngokwenene uyaqonda ukuba le nkqubo ayinakuhlaziywa.
10 Zibonele ngokwakho iinguqulelo ezininzi ezenziwe ngabantu ukuhla ukutyhubela iinkulungwane. Khawucinge ngazo zonke iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zoorhulumente eziye zayilwa ngabantu. Kuye kwakho ulawulo lwezixeko, izikumkani, ulawulo-melo, oorhulumente bobukomanisi nabobusoshiyali kwanobuzwilakhe. Khumbula indlela umlawuli okhoyo okanye urhulumente aye wathatyathelw’ indawo ngayo ngokufuthi ngomtsha—ngokwenziwa konyulo, ngokubhukuqwa, okanye ngemvukelo. Kanti akubangakho sicombululo sihlala sihleli kwiingxaki zoluntu. Kwanamadoda anenjongo entle azama ukuphucula imeko yomntu afumana imigudu yawo ikatyiswa yinkqubo yezinto abambiseke kuyo. Njengoko umlawuli osisilumko wakudala wathi wafumanisa, ngemigudu yabantu kuphela “into egoso ayinakolulwa.”—INtshumayeli 1:14, 15.
11-13. (a) Yintoni ethintela abantu ekwenzeni iinguqulelo kule nkqubo ikhoyo ukuze kulungelwe lonke uluntu? (b) Ke, umkhamo wenguqulelo efunekayo unokuzekeliswa njani?
11 Ngokomzekelo, izixeko zehlabathi zithwaxwa ziingxaki. Kodwa abantu abanakuzicombulula baze baqale ekuqaleni. Kukwanjalo nangazo zonke iinkqubo zoqoqosho nezoshishino zehlabathi. Ukuba nomdla komntu kwisiqu sakhe nobuhlanga kusingela phantsi kuze kuthintele nayiphi na inguqulelo yokwenene yokulungelwa koluntu luphela.
12 Ngaloo ndlela inkqubo yezinto iphela ifana nendlu eyakhelwe kwisiseko esibi, ngeeplani ezimbi yaza yakhiwa ngezinto zokwakha ezingekho mgangathweni. Kuya kunceda ntoni na ukuyicwangcisa ngokutsha impahla yendlu okanye ukuyila indlu ngokutsha? Lo gama isemiyo, iingxaki ziya kuqhubeka nendlu iya konakala ngokonakala. Ekuphela kwento ebhadlileyo enokwenziwa kukuyidiliza le ndlu kuze kwakhiwe enye, kwisiseko esilungileyo.
13 UYesu Kristu wasebenzisa umzekeliso obufana noku ngokuthi abantu ‘iwayini entsha abayifaki ezintsubeni ezindala.’ Intsuba endala ibingagqajuzwa yiwayini entsha. (Mateyu 9:17) Ngoko ke akazange azame ukuhlaziya inkqubo yezinto yamaYuda awayephila kuyo. Kunoko, washumayela uBukumkani bukaThixo njengobukuphela kwethemba loxolo nonqabiseko. (Luka 8:1; 11:2; 12:31) Ngoko, nangomhla wethu uYehova uThixo akayi kusuka nje ahlengahlengise le nkqubo yezinto ikhoyo, kuba oko akunakuzisa ngenelo isisigxina.
14. Ngaba ukuqingqwa kwemithetho emitsha bekungabenza abantu babuthande ubulungisa?
14 ILizwi likaThixo libethelela inyaniso yokuba akunakwenzeka ukufaka ubulungisa ezintliziyweni zabantu. Ukuba abakuthandi okulungileyo, akukho mthetho wenziweyo oya kuze ubangele ukuba bakuthande. KuIsaya 26:10 sifunda oku: “Nokuba uthe wababalwa ongendawo, akafundi bulungisa; nasezweni labathe gca uyagqwetha; akabuboni ubungangamsha bukaYehova.”—Thelekisa IMizekeliso 29:1.
15, 16. Ukungathandwa ngokwenyaniso kobulungisa ngabantu abaninzi kuboniswa njani kwindlela abasabela ngayo ekuthandeni kukaThixo?
15 Isibakala sokwenyaniso sesokuba abantu abaninzi bakhetha ukuhlala kule nkqubo ikhoyo phezu kwako nje ukusilela nobubi bayo. Abafuni kuphethukela kubulungisa baze bazithobe kulawulo lukaThixo. Basenokukubona ukonakala kwezi nkqubo zobupolitika zehlabathi, ukungabi nto kweemfazwe zalo, uhanahaniso lonqulo lwalo nobungqina obucacileyo bokuba ubugcisa balo bude badala iingxaki ezinkulu ngakumbi kunezo buzicombululeyo. Kodwa phezu kwako nje konke oku, abaninzi baye bakhetha ukukhohliswa yimvakalelo yobuxoki yonqabiseko edalwa ziinkokeli zonqulo nezobupolitika ezinomdla wokulondoloza imeko ekhoyo. Bafana namaSirayeli uThixo awathi ngawo: “Abaprofeti baprofeta ngobuxoki, ababingeleli banobukhosi ngezandla zabo; abantu bam ke bathanda ukuba kube njalo. Niya kuthini na ke ekupheleni kwako oko?”—Yeremiya 5:31; Isaya 30:12, 13.
16 Mhlawumbi wazi abantu abanemikhwa eyenzakalisa impilo nonqabiseko lwabo nolo lweentsapho zabo. Kanti bachasa yonk’ imigudu yokubanceda baguquke. Kodwa xa abantu bechasa isiluleko nolwalathiso lukaThixo, oku kuba kubi ngakumbi. Abo bakwenzayo oko babonisa ukuba ngokwenene abayithandi inyaniso nobulungisa. Ethetha ngabanjalo uYesu wathi: “Kuba intliziyo yaba bantu ithe fithi kukutyeba, beva ngeendlebe ezithe nkqi, bayawacima namehlo abo; hleze babone ngamehlo, beve ngeendlebe, baqonde ngentliziyo, bajike, [mna Thixo] ndibaphilise.”—Mateyu 13:15.
17. Ukuba liyinyaniso elokuba uThixo akayoliswa kukutshabalalisa uluntu, kungani eza kwenjenjalo nje?
17 Ngokufanelekileyo, umonde nenceba kaThixo zinemida yazo. Ukuba akunjalo, belungaphi uthando lwakhe ngamalungisa? Akanakuba sisithulu kwizibongozo zawo zokucela ukukhululeka ekubandezelekeni okuziswa bubungendawo phezu kwalo mhlaba. (Luka 18:7, 8; IMizekeliso 29:2, 16) Ngoko, iimeko zifuna ukuba ihlabathi litshatyalaliswe. Zinyanzelisa uThixo ukuba athabathe inyathelo ukuba uza kunyaniseka kokulungileyo yaye ukuba uza kusikwa yimfesane ngabo bakwathanda okulungileyo. Lo asingomcimbi wokuziyolisa kukaThixo ngokutshabalalisa uluntu. “Kumnandi na kanene kum ukufa kongendawo? Itsho iNkosi uYehova. Okumnandi kum asikuko na ukuthi abuye ezindleleni zakhe, aphile? . . . Zibuyiseni ke niphile.”—Hezekile 18:23, 32.
18. Liyintoni ixabiso elimele kukuhlawulwa ukukhulula abantu abathanda okulungileyo kwimeko yokunganqabiseki?
18 Ngoko, ukutshatyalaliswa kwabo bakhetha le nkqubo yezinto ikhoyo lixabiso abamele balihlawule ukukhulula abo bathanda okulungileyo kwimeko yokunganqabiseki nokubandezeleka. Oku kuvisisana nomgaqo weBhayibhile othi: “Ongendawo lucamagusho ngenxa yelungisa.”—IMizekeliso 21:18; thelekisa uIsaya 43:1, 3, 4.
Imiphumo Eyingenelo
19. Yiyiphi imiqobo ethintela uxolo lwehlabathi eya kushenxiswa ngokutshatyalaliswa kwale nkqubo yezinto?
19 Ukutshatyalaliswa kwale nkqubo ikhoyo nabaxhasi bayo kuya kubangela kubekho inkqubo entsha yobulungisa emhlabeni ngokubanzi ekuya kuthi kuyo abasindi bakwazi ukusebenza kunye ngokumanyeneyo, bengakhuphisani ngendlela yokuzingca. Iya kupheliswa imivalo eyahlukanisayo yobuhlanga nemida yobupolitika. Uya kuba ungekho umthwalo ocinezelayo wemali echithelwa emkhosini. Ibe iya kuba ingekho nemiqobo engokwasentlalweni ebangela uluntu lungabi yintsapho emanyeneyo. Into ebalulekileyo kuko konke oku iya kuba kukuba wonk’ ubani oya kuba ephila ngoko uya kuthetha ‘intetho enyulu’ yenyaniso omnye komnye, benqula uMdali wabo “ngoMoya nangenyaniso.” Oku kuya kubenza bangachatshazelwa ziinkolo nezithethe zonqulo ezahlukanisayo nazizivumo zokholo ezenziwe ngumntu.—Zefaniya 3:8, 9; Yohane 4:23, 24.
20. Njengoko kuboniswa yiNdumiso 72, yiyiphi imeko eya kubakho emhlabeni ngokubanzi?
20 Xa urhulumente kaThixo ngoNyana wakhe uKristu Yesu elawula ngokupheleleyo kuwo wonke umhlaba, INdumiso yamandulo yeBhayibhile iya kuzaliseka: “Malityatyambe ngemihla yakhe ilungisa, nobuninzi boxolo, ide ingabi sabakho inyanga. Makaphathe ubukhosi ethabathela elwandle ase elwandle, ethabathela kuwo uMlambo ase eziphelweni zehlabathi.”—INdumiso 72:7, 8.
21. Umhlaba uya kungenelwa njani kwintshabalalo yehlabathi ezayo?
21 Umhlaba uya kungenelwa kwintshabalalo ezayo yehlabathi. Awusayi konakaliswa ngabangcolisi ababawayo nangabatshabalalisi abangenanceba. Amadike, imilambo, iilwandle kwanemekobume ziya kuphumla kwinkunkuma egalelwa kuzo yaye kungekudala ziya kuzihlambulula. Ngaloo ndlela uThixo uya kubonakalisa ukuba akayityeshelanga injongo yakhe yokuba nomhlaba ococekileyo nonjengomyezo ozaliswe ngabantu ababonakalisa iimpawu ezizukileyo zoMdali wabo.—Genesis 1:26-28; Isaya 45:18; 55:10, 11.
22. Ukufika kwentshabalalo enjalo kuvisisana njani nokuba ‘nguThixo woxolo’ kukaThixo?
22 Ngoko, ukuzisa kukaThixo intshabalalo yehlabathi akuchasene nokuba ‘nguThixo woxolo’ kwakhe. Ibe akuchasananga nokuba ‘nguMthetheli Woxolo’ kukaYesu. Kungenxa yokuthanda kwabo uxolo nokusesikweni le nto bethabatha eli nyathelo lokubuyisela umhlaba kwimeko ecocekileyo neyobulungisa.—1 Korinte 14:33; Isaya 9:6, 7.
23, 24. Ukuba siza kunandipha ikamva loxolo nonqabiseko, yintoni ebalulekileyo emele yenziwe nguye ngamnye wethu ngoku?
23 Ngoko, njengabantu ngabanye, yintoni esimele siyenze? UYesu wabonisa ukuba abo bayigatyayo imiyalelo kaThixo babesakhela ithemba labo lekamva “entlabathini,” nokuba ukwakha okunjalo kwakungenakuze kuzinyamezele izikhukula ezizayo nezitshabalalisayo. Wabonisa imfuneko ebalulekileyo yokwakhela ithemba lethu ekuthobeleni iLizwi likaThixo ukuba siza kuba nekamva loxolo nonqabiseko.—Mateyu 7:24-27.
24 Kodwa kutheni uThixo elinde ithuba elide kangaka ukuphelisa ubungendawo nokubandezeleka? IBhayibhile iyawuphendula nalo mbuzo, ibe ibonisa obekusenziwa nguThixo ebudeni bazo zonke iinkulungwane ezidluleyo ekuphumezeni injongo yakhe.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 37]
Kanye njengokuba abantu basindayo ngoMkhukula, kuya kubakho abasindayo ‘kwimbandezelo enkulu’