Ukubhencwa Kwenyoka

“Kwathi ngamhla uthile, oonyana bakaThixo beza kuzimisa phambi koYehova, weza noSathana phakathi kwabo.”—YOBHI 1:6.

1. (a) Livela phi yaye lithetha ntoni igama elithi Sathana? (b) Igama elithi “Sathana” libonakala izihlandlo ezingaphi eZibhalweni, ibe kuphakama yiphi imibuzo?

LIVELA phi igama elithi Sathana? Lithetha ntoni? NgokweBhayibhile, libunjwe ngoonobumba abathathu besiHebhere abangaba ש (Sin), ט (Tehth), נ (Nun). Xa benamachaphaza azizikhamiso, aba nobumba bakha igama elithi “Sathana,” elithi ngokutsho komphengululi uEdward Langton, “livele kwigama lantlandlolo elithetha ‘ukuchasa,’ okanye ‘ukuba lutshaba okanye ukwenza njengotshaba.’” (Thelekisa eyoku-1 kaPetros 5:8.) Nangona igama elithi Sathana libonakala ngaphezu kwezihlandlo ezingama-50 eBhayibhileni, libonakala izihlandlo ezili-18 kuphela kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere ibe libonakala kuphela kwincwadi yoku-1 yeziKronike, kaYobhi nekaZekariya. Ngoko kuphakama le mibuzo, Umntu waqala nini ukuyiqonda imvukelo nokusebenza kukaSathana? Kunini apho uSathana achazwa ngokucacileyo okwesihlandlo sokuqala kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere?

2. Nguwuphi umbuzo owawungazange uphendulwe emva kwemvukelo ka-Adam noEva?

² IBhayibhile iyicacisa ngamabinzana alula kodwa anzulu indlela esabakho ngayo isono nemvukelo emhlabeni, kwindawo eyayingumyezo oyiparadisi eMbindi Mpuma. (Bona iGenesis, isahluko 2 nesesi-3.) Nangona lowo wakhuthaza ukungathobeli kuka-Adam noEva echazwa njengenyoka, akukho bungqina obabakho ngokukhawuleza mayela namandla okwenene nengqondo yokwenene eyaphembelela ilizwi elakhutshwa yinyoka. Sekunjalo, uAdam wayenexesha elide lokucinga ngeziganeko zase-Eden ezakhokelela ekugxothweni kwakhe kumyezo oyiparadisi.—Genesis 3:17, 18, 23; 5:5.

3. Nangona engazange akhohliswe, uAdam wona njani, ibe oko kwabangela ntoni kuluntu?

³ Ngokucacileyo, uAdam wayesazi ukuba izilwanyana azithethi nomntu onengqondo ekrelekrele. Kwakhona wayesazi ukuba uThixo wayengasebenzisi nasiphi na isilwanyana ekuthetheni naye ngaphambi kwethuba lokuhendwa kukaEva. Ngoko ngubani owayexelele umfazi wakhe ukuba angamthobeli uThixo? UPawulos uthi nakubeni umfazi walukuhlwa ngokupheleleyo, uAdam akazange alukuhlwe. (Genesis 3:11-13, 17; 1 Timoti 2:14) Mhlawumbi uAdam waqonda ukuba isidalwa esithile esingabonakaliyo sasisithi makuthotyelwe okuthile kunokuthobela uThixo. Kanti, nangona inyoka ingazange ithethe naye ngokuthe ngqo, wakhetha ukuhamba ngekhondo lokungathobeli lomfazi wakhe. Isenzo sika-Adam sangabom nesokwenza unothanda sokungathobeli sayiphelisa loo meko yokufezeka, sivelisa isiphako sesono, saza sakhokelela kwisigwebo sokufa esasixelwe kwangaphambili. Ibe ngaloo ndlela, esebenzisa inyoka njengommeli, uSathana waba sisibulala-mntu kwasekuqaleni.—Yohane 8:44; Roma 5:12, 14.

4, 5. (a) Kwanikelwa siphi isiprofeto somgwebo nxamnye nenyoka? (b) Ziziphi iimfihlelo ezaqukwa seso siprofeto?

⁴ Loo mvukelo yase-Eden yabangela ukuba kubekho isiprofeto somgwebo ovela kuThixo. Loo mgwebo waquka ‘imfihlelo engcwele’ ekwakuya kuthabatha amawaka eminyaka ukuze ityhilwe ngokupheleleyo. UThixo wathi kuloo nyoka: “Ndiya kumisa ubutshaba phakathi kwakho nomfazi, naphakathi kwembewu yakho nembewu yakhe; yona iya kukutyumza intloko, wena uya kuyityumza isithende.”—Efese 5:32, NW; Genesis 3:15.

⁵ Esi siprofeto sibalulekileyo siquka iimfihlelo eziliqela. Wayengubani ngokwenene ‘umfazi’? Ngaba wayenguEva, okanye wayengumfazi wokomfuziselo obaluleke kakhulu kunoEva? Kwakhona, lalisingisele enini ibinzana elithi ‘imbewu yomfazi’ nelithi ‘imbewu yenyoka’? Ngenene yayingubani le nyoka eyayiya kuthi imbewu yayo ibe nobutshaba nembewu yomfazi? Njengoko oku siza kukuxubusha ngamazwi ambalwa, kuyabonakala ukuba uYehova wazimisela ukuba le mibuzo ibe yayiya kuphendulwa ngokupheleleyo ngexesha lakhe elifanelekileyo.—Thelekisa uDaniyeli 12:4 nabaseKolose 1:25, 26.

Ubungqina Obungakumbi Bemvukelo Yasemazulwini

6. Iyintoni imbonakaliso yemvukelo eyabonwa emazulwini ngaphambi nje koMkhukula?

⁶ Njengoko imbali yeBhayibhile iqhubeka, enye imbonakaliso yemvukelo eyenziwa ngabantu abakumlinganiselo ophakamileyo wobomi kunalowo wabantu ityhilwa nje ngaphambi koMkhukula, kwiminyaka enokuba li-1 500 emva kokuba umntu ewele esonweni. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile isixelela ukuba “bazibona oonyana bakaThixo iintombi zabantu ukuba zintle, bazeka abafazi kuzo zonke abazinyulayo.” Inzala engamabhastile yale mitshato engeyiyo eyokwemvelo yaziwa ‘njengeengxilimbela,’ ‘amagorha ababekho kwasephakadeni, amadoda adumileyo.’ (Genesis 6:1-4; thelekisa uYobhi 1:6 ngendlela abachazwa ngayo “oonyana bakaThixo.”) Kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-2 400 kamva, uYuda wagqabaza ngokufutshane ngesi siganeko xa wabhala wathi: “Kananjalo izithunywa zezulu, ezo . . . zesuka zalishiya ikhaya lazo, izigcinele umgwebo womhla omkhulu ngemixokelwane engunaphakade, phantsi kwesithokothoko.”—Yuda 6; 2 Petros 2:4, 5.

7. Phezu kwabo nje ububi babantu, ngubani esinomdla wokumazi esimfumana engachazwa kwiincwadi zembali yeBhayibhile?

⁷ Ngeli thuba langaphambi koMkhukula ‘ububi babantu babandile ehlabathini, konke ukuyila kweengcinga zentliziyo yabo kubububi bodwa imihla yonke.’ Noko ke, uSathana wayengachazwanga ngokungqalileyo encwadini ephefumlelweyo yeGenesis njengempembelelo enamandla eyabangela imvukelo yezithunywa zezulu nobungendawo babantu. (Genesis 6:5) Eneneni, ngalo lonke ixesha ukutyhubela imbali yeentlanga zikaSirayeli noYuda, nokubuyela kwazo ngokufuthi ekunquleni izithixo nakunqulo lobuxoki, uSathana akachazwa ngegama kwiincwadi eziphefumlelweyo zeBhayibhile zaBagwebi, uSamuweli, neZikumkani njengomphembeleli ongabonakaliyo wezi ziganeko—oku kwakunjalo phezu kwako nje ukwenza kukaSathana ukuthanda kwakhe njengoko ‘wayetyhutyhatyhutyha ehlabathini.’—Yobhi 1:7; 2:2.

8. Ngaba uYobhi wayiqonda kwasekuqaleni indima eyaphunyezwa nguSathana ekubandezelekeni kwakhe? Sazi njani?

⁸ Naxa siqwalasela ingxelo ebalulekileyo kaYobhi neemvavanyo awayekuzo, siyabona ukuba uYobhi akazange azinxibelelanise iimvavanyo zakhe notshaba, uSathana. Kuyacaca ukuba, ngelo xesha wayengayiqondi imbambano eyayixhomekeke kumphumo wehambo yakhe. (Yobhi 1:6-12) Akazange aqonde ukuba uSathana wayezise imeko yamanqam ngokucel’ umngeni ingqibelelo kaYobhi phambi koYehova. Ngaloo ndlela, xa umfazi kaYobhi wamkhalimelayo ngala mazwi: “Usabambelele na ekugqibeleleni kwakho? Mlahle uThixo ufe,” wesuka waphendula wathi: “Siya kwamkela okulungileyo kuThixo, singamkeli nokubi, yini na?” Ekubeni wayengawazi umthombo wokwenene weemvavanyo awayekuzo, kuyabonakala ukuba wazigqala njengezivela kuThixo yaye ke ngoko zazimele zamkelwe. Ngaloo ndlela, oku kwaba luvavanyo oluqatha kwingqibelelo kaYobhi.—Yobhi 1:21; 2:9, 10.

9. Kunokuphakanyiswa wuphi umbuzo osengqiqweni mayela noMoses?

⁹ Ngoku kuphakama umbuzo. Ukuba, njengoko sikukholelwa oko, uMoses wabhala incwadi kaYobhi ibe ke ngoko wayesazi ukuba uSathana wayetyhutyhatyhutyha emhlabeni, kutheni engambizi ngegama kuyo nayiphi na incwadi yeeNcwadi Zokuqala Ezintlanu zeBhayibhile, nazo ezabhalwa nguye? Ewe, kutheni le nto uSathana engakhankanywa kangako kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere?a

Ukubhencwa Okulinganiselweyo KukaSathana

10. USathana wachazwa njani kuphela ngokulinganiselweyo kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere?

¹⁰ Nakubeni ezigweba izinto eziphefumlelwe ziidemon, kuyabonakala ukuba ngobulumko bakhe uYehova wayenezizathu eziphilileyo zokuqinisekisa ukuba uTshaba lwakhe, uSathana, lwalufanele nje lubhencwe ngokulinganiselweyo kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere. (Levitikus 17:7; Duteronomi 18:10-13; 32:16, 17; 2 Kronike 11:15) Ngaloo ndlela, nangona ababhali abangamaHebhere kumele ukuba babenolwazi oluthile ngoSathana nangezenzo zakhe zemvukelo emazulwini, baphefumlelwa kuphela ukuba bachaze baze babhence izono zabantu bakaThixo nezeentlanga ezazibangqongile baze babaluleke ngezenzo zabo ezingendawo. (Eksodus 20:1-17; Duteronomi 18:9-13) Igama likaSathana lalingafane likhankanywe.

11, 12. Sazi njani ukuba ababhali beBhayibhile abangamaHebhere babemazi uSathana nempembelelo yakhe?

¹¹ Ngenxa yeziganeko ezenzeka e-Eden, ukuhlazwa ‘koonyana bakaThixo’ nengxelo esencwadini kaYobhi, ababhali abaphefumlelweyo beBhayibhile abangamaHebhere babebazi ubungendawo, impembelelo kaSathana engaphezu kwamandla emvelo. Umprofeti uZekariya, owabhala ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesithandathu Ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, wabona embonweni umbingeleli omkhulu uYoshuwa “uSathana emi ngasekunene kwakhe, ukuze amchase. Wathi uYehova [isithunywa sikaYehova, NW] kuSathana, uYehova makakukhalimele, Sathana.” (Zekariya 3:1, 2) Kwakhona, umbhali uEzra, ebhala ngembali kaSirayeli noYuda kwinkulungwane yesihlanu Ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, wathi “uSathana wesukela phezulu kumaSirayeli, waxhokonxa uDavide ukuba awabale amaSirayeli.”—1 Kronike 21:1.

¹² Ngaloo ndlela, ngexesha likaZekariya, umoya oyingcwele wenza ukuba indima kaSathana iye icaca eZibhalweni. Kodwa kwakuza kudlula ezinye iinkulungwane ezintlanu ngaphambi kokuba esi sidalwa singendawo sibhencwe ngokupheleleyo eLizwini likaThixo. Ngokusekelwe eBhayibhileni, sinokugqiba ekubeni siyintoni isizathu sokuba kudlule ixesha elithile ngaphambi kokubhencwa ngokupheleleyo kukaSathana?

Isikhokelo Ekuqondeni Imfihlelo

13-15. (a) Ziziphi iinyaniso ezisisiseko ezisisikhokelo ekuqondeni isizathu sokuba uSathana abe wabhencwa ngokulinganiselweyo kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere? (b) Ngokuza kukaYesu, uSathana watyhilwa njani?

¹³ KumKristu onokholo eLizwini likaThixo, isikhokelo esisisiseko kule mibuzo nakweminye engaphambili esiye sayiphakamisa asinakufumaneka ngokuhlalutya ngokuqatha, ngokungathi iBhayibhile iyincwadi ebhalwe nje ngobuchule obuthile, into ngokupheleleyo eyimveliso yabantu abaziingqondi. Isikhokelo sityhilwa kwiinyaniso ezimbini zeBhayibhile ezisisiseko. Eyokuqala, njengoko uKumkani uSolomon wabhalayo: “Umendo wamalungisa unjengokukhanya komso, okuya kuba mhlophe ngokuba mhlophe, kude kube semini enkulu.” (IMizekeliso 4:18; thelekisa uDaniyeli 12:4; 2 Petros 1:19-21.) Inyaniso ityhilwa ngokuthe ngcembe eLizwini likaThixo ngexesha likaThixo, ngokuvisisana nemfuneko namandla abakhonzi bakhe okuzondla ngolwazi lokuqonda ngenyaniso enjalo.—Yohane 16:12, 13; thelekisa isahluko Yoh 6:48-69.

¹⁴ Inyaniso yesibini esisiseko iqulethwe koko umpostile uPawulos wakubhalela uTimoti umfundi ongumKristu: “Sonke isibhalo, siphefumlelwe nguThixo nje, sikwancedela ukufundisa, . . . ukuze umntu kaThixo afaneleke, exhobele wonke umsebenzi olungileyo.” (2 Timoti 3:16, 17) UNyana kaThixo, uYesu, wayeza kumbhenca uSathana, ibe oku kwakuza kubhalwa eSibhalweni, ngaloo ndlela kuxhotyiswa ibandla lamaKristu ukuba limxhathise ngokuqinileyo uSathana lixhasa ulongamo lukaYehova.—Yohane 12:28-31; 14:30.

¹⁵ Ngokwezi zibakala iimfihlelo zeGenesis 3:15 ziye zatyhilwa ngokuthe ngcembe. Phantsi kolwalathiso lomoya oyingcwele, okanye amandla kaThixo asebenzayo, iZibhalo zesiHebhere zanikela ukukhanya okuncinane ngokuza kukaMesiya, okanye iMbewu. (Isaya 9:6, 7; 53:1-12) Ngokuvisisana noku, ziye zaqulatha ukukhanya okunelitha elingafikeleli kude ngendima kaSathana njengoTshaba lukaThixo notshaba loluntu. Kodwa ngokuza kukaYesu, uSathana wabhencwa ngokupheleleyo njengoko wathabatha inyathelo elicacileyo nelingqalileyo nxamnye neMbewu ethenjisiweyo, uYesu Kristu. Njengoko iziganeko zazisenzeka kuloo nkulungwane yokuqala yexesha lamaKristu, indima ‘yomfazi,’ intlangano kaYehova yokomoya yasezulwini, ‘neyembewu,’ uYesu Kristu, zacaciswa kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Kwangaxeshanye, indima kaSathana, “inyoka yakudala,” yatyhilwa ngokuphelele ngakumbi.—ISityhilelo 12:1-9; Mateyu 4:1-11; Galati 3:16; 4:26.

Imfihlelo Engcwele Iyatyhilwa

16, 17. ‘Imfihlelo engcwele kaKristu’ yaquka ntoni?

¹⁶ Umpostile uPawulos wabhala kakhulu ‘ngemfihlelo engcwele kaKristu.’ (Efese 3:2-4, NW; Roma 11:25; 16:25) Le mfihlelo ingcwele yayinokuthanani ‘nembewu’ yokwenyaniso eyayiza kuthi ekugqibeleni itshabalise inyoka yakudala, uSathana uMtyholi. (ISityhilelo 20:1-3, 10) Le mfihlelo yabandakanya isibakala sokuba uYesu wayelilungu lokuqala neliyintloko laloo “mbewu” kodwa wayeza kuthelelwa ngabanye, ‘iindlalifa ezikunye naye,’ kuqala ezaziza kuthatyathwa kumaYuda kuze kulandele amaSamariya nabeeNtlanga, ukuze kupheleliswe inani laloo “mbewu.”—Roma 8:17; Galati 3:16, 19, 26-29; ISityhilelo 7:4; 14:1.

¹⁷ UPawulos uyacacisa: “Ababengathanga kuzimbi izizukulwana bayaziswe oonyana babantu, njengoko bayityhilelweyo ngoku abapostile bakhe abangcwele, nabaprofeti bakhe, ngaye uMoya.” Ibe yayiyintoni le mfihlelo? “Eyokuba iintlanga ziziindlalifa nathi, zikwamzimba mnye nathi, zingamahlulelana nathi ngedinga lakhe, sikuye nje uKristu ngazo iindaba ezilungileyo.”—Efese 3:5, 6; Kolose 1:25-27.

18. (a) UPawulos ubonisa njani ukuba kwakufuneka ixesha ukuze kutyhilwe intsingiselo ‘yemfihlelo engcwele’? (b) Oku kutyhilwa kwakuza kukuchaphazela njani ukuqondwa ‘kwenyoka yakudala’?

¹⁸ UPawulos wachukunyiswa yinto yokuba wonke umntu wayefanele asetyenziselwe ukuvakalisa ‘iindaba ezilungileyo zobutyebi obungalandekiyo bukaKristu; akhanyisele bonke, bayibone into obuyiyo ubudlelane bemfihlelo ebifihliwe kwasemaphakadeni, ikuye uThixo owazidalayo zonke izinto.’ Okanye njengoko ekuchaza oku kwabaseKolose: “Kwaimfihlelo [engcwele, NW], leyo ke ibifihliwe kwasemaphakadeni asezizukulwaneni; kukalokunje ibonakalalisiweyo kubo abangcwele bakhe.” Ngokusengqiqweni, ukuba le mfihlelo inokuthanani ‘nembewu’ yayiza kutyhilwa ekugqibeleni, kwakhona oku kwakuza kubandakanya ukubhencwa okupheleleyo koTshaba olukhulu, “inyoka yakudala.” Kuyacaca ukuba, uYehova akazange akhethe ukwenza imbambano enkulu noSathana de kwaba lithuba lokufika kukaMesiya. Ibe ngubani onokubhenca kakuhle uSathana kuneMbewu, uKristu Yesu?—Efese 3:8, 9; Kolose 1:26.

UYesu Ubhenca UTshaba

19. UYesu walubhenca njani uTshaba?

¹⁹ Ekuqaliseni ubulungiseleli bakhe, uYesu washwankathela ukuchasa kwakhe loo Mhendi ngala mazwi: “Suka umke, Sathana; kuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa, YiNkosi uThixo wakho oya kuqubuda kuyo, ukhonze yona yodwa.” (Mateyu 4:3, 10) Ngesinye isihlandlo esahlukileyo, uYesu wabhenca iintshaba zakhe zonqulo ezingabahlebi ezaziceba ukumbulala ngokugxeka lowo wayezikhuthaza yaye embhenca njengamandla awayephembelela inyoka e-Eden, esithi: “Nina ningaboyihlo uMtyholi, neenkanuko zoyihlo niyathanda ukuzenza. Yena waye esisibulala-mntu kwasekuqaleni; akemi enyanisweni, ngokuba akukho nyaniso kuye. Xa sukuba ethetha ubuxoki, uthetha okukokwakhe; ngokuba ulixoki, noyise wawo.”—Yohane 8:44.

20. UYesu wayenasiphi isizathu sokubhenca uSathana?

²⁰ UYesu wayenokuqiniseka njani ekugxekeni kwakhe uSathana? Kwakunokwenzeka njani ukuba amazi kakuhle ngale ndlela? Oku wakwenza ngenxa yokuba wayehlala noSathana emazulwini! UYesu, njengoLizwi, wayemazi lowo kwanangaphambi kokuba athi ngekratshi avukele iNkosi enguMongami uYehova. (Yohane 1:1-3; Kolose 1:15, 16) Wayezibonile izenzo zakhe zobuqhetseba awazisebenzisa enyokeni e-Eden. Wayeyibonile impembelelo yakhe echuliweyo kuKayin owabulala umntakwabo. (Genesis 4:3-8; 1 Yohane 3:12) Kamva, uYesu wayekho kwinkundla yasezulwini kaYehova ‘xa kweza oonyana bakaThixo, weza noSathana phakathi kwabo.’ (Yobhi 1:6; 2:1) Ewe, uYesu wayemazi ngokupheleleyo ibe wayelungele ukumbhenca emchaza oko wayekuko—ixoki, umbulali, umhlebi notshaba lukaThixo!—IMizekeliso 8:22-31; Yohane 8:58.

21. Yiyiphi imibuzo eseleyo ekufuneka iphendulwe?

²¹ Ekubeni utshaba olunjalo ukuba namandla luphembelela uluntu nembali yalo, ngoku kuphakama le mibuzo: USathana ubhencwa ngakumbi ukusa kuwuphi umlinganiselo kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike? Ibe sinokuwaxhathisa njani amaqhinga akhe obuqhetseba size sigcine ingqibelelo yethu yobuKristu?—Efese 6:11.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

Uyakhumbula Na?

◻ Ziziphi iimfihlelo ezihlobene neGenesis 3:15 ekufuneka zicacisiwe?

◻ Bubuphi ubungqina obukhoyo kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere obungemvukelo eyayiqhubeka emazulwini?

◻ Ziziphi iinyaniso ezimbini ezisinceda siqonde isizathu sokuba uSathana engafane akhankanywe kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere?

◻ ‘Imfihlelo engcwele kaKristu’ inokuthanani njani nokutyhilwa kukaSathana nendima yakhe?

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 9]

Impembelelo kaSathana yayibonakala ngokucacileyo phakathi koluntu kwihlabathi langaphambi koMkhukula

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]

YayinguSathana—umntu wokwenene—owacel’ umngeni uThixo mayela nengqibelelo kaYobhi