IZulu

Ingcaciso: Yindawo ehlala uYehova uThixo nezidalwa ezithembekileyo eziyimimoya; ngummandla ongabonakaliyo emehlweni abantu. IBhayibhile ikwasebenzisa igama elithi “Izulu/amazulu” ngokwezinye iintsingiselo ezahlukahlukeneyo; ngokomzekelo: ukumela uThixo ngokwakhe, intlangano yakhe yezidalwa ezithembekileyo eziyimimoya, inkoliseko yobuthixo, indalo ebonakalayo eyahlukileyo emhlabeni, isibhakabhaka esingqonge uMhlaba, oorhulumente babantu abaphantsi kolawulo lukaSathana norhulumente wobulungisa wezulu elitsha apho uYesu Kristu kwakunye neendlalifa ezingamadlelane naye banikwa nguYehova amandla okulawula.

Ngaba sonke sasikhe sakummandla womoya ngaphambi kokuzalwa kwethu njengabantu

Yoh. 8:23: “[UYesu Kristu wathi:] Nina ningabangaphantsi, mna ndingowangaphezulu; nina ningabeli hlabathi, mna andingoweli hlabathi.” (UYesu wayevela kummandla wokomoya. Kodwa, njengoko uYesu watshoyo, abanye abantu babengaphumi apho.)

Roma 9:10-12: “Kwathi nakuRebheka, akubon’ ukuba ukhawule . . . nakuba abantwana babengekazalwa, bengekenzi nto nelungileyo nembi, ukuze ingqiqo kaThixo ngokonyulo ihlale ihleli, ingengokwasemisebenzini, ingokwalowo ubizayo: kwathiwa kuye, Omkhulu uya kukhonza komnci.” (Kakade ke, ukuba amawele uYakobi noEsawu babekhe baphila ngaphambili kummandla womoya ngokuqinisekileyo ngebabezakhele ingxelo esekelwe kwihambo yabo apho, akunjalo na? Kodwa abazange babe nengxelo enjalo de kwaba semva kokuzalwa kwabo njengabantu.)

Ngaba bonke abantu abalungileyo baya ezulwini?

Ize. 2:34: “Kuba uDavide [iBhayibhile ebhekisela kuye ‘njengendoda enentliziyo evisisana noYehova’], engenyukanga waya emazulwini.”

Mat. 11:11: “Inene ndithi kuni, Phakathi kwabo bazelweyo ngabafazi, akuvelanga mkhulu kunoYohane umbhaptizi; kanti ke nomncinane kwabanye ebukumkanini bamazulu mkhulu kunaye.” (Ngoko uYohane akazange aye ezulwini xa wafayo.)

INdu. 37:9, 11, 29: “Abenzi bobubi baya kunqunyulwa; ke bona abamthembayo uYehova, baya kulidla ilifa ilizwe. . . . Abalulamileyo baya kulidla ilifa ilizwe, baziyolise ngobuninzi boxolo. Amalungisa aya kulidla ilifa ilizwe, ahlale kulo ngonaphakade.”

Ukuba uAdam wayengonanga, ngaba ekugqibeleni ngewaya ezulwini?

Gen. 1:26: “Wathi uThixo, Masenze umntu ngokomfanekiselo wethu ngokufana nathi. Mababe nobukhosi ezintlanzini zolwandle, nasezintakeni zezulu, nasezintweni ezizitho zine, nasemhlabeni wonke, nasezinambuzaneni zonke ezinambuzela emhlabeni.” (Ngoko, injongo kaThixo ngoAdam yayikukuba anyamekele umhlaba nobomi bezilwanyana apho. Akukho nto ithethwayo ngokuya kwakhe ezulwini.)

Gen. 2:16, 17: “UYehova uThixo wamwisela umthetho umntu, esithi, Yonke imithi yomyezo ungayidla uyidle; ke wona umthi wokwazi okulungileyo nokubi uze ungawudli; kuba mhlana uthe wawudla, uya kufa.” (Yayingeyonjongo kaThixo yangaphambili ukuba umntu ngamhla uthile afe. Umyalelo kaThixo ocatshulwe apha ubonisa ukuba wamlumkisa ngekhondo elaliya kukhokelela ekufeni. Ukufa kwakuza kuba sisohlwayo sokungathobeli, kungekhona indlela yokuya kubomi obulunge ngakumbi ezulwini. Ngokuthobela babeya kuvuzwa ngobomi obuhlala buhleli, ubomi obungunaphakade, kwiParadisi uThixo awayeyinike umntu. Bona kwanoIsaya 45:18.)

Ngaba umntu umele aye ezulwini ukuze abe nekamva elonwabisa ngokwenyaniso?

INdu. 37:11: “Ke bona abalulamileyo baya kulidla ilifa ilizwe, baziyolise ngobuninzi boxolo.”

ISityhi. 21:1-4: “Ndabona izulu elitsha, nomhlaba omtsha; . . . Ndeva izwi elikhulu liphuma emazulwini, lisithi: Yabona, umnquba lo kaThixo unabantu; uya kuhlala nabo emnqubeni, bona babe ngabantu bakhe, yena uThixo abe nabo, enguThixo wabo; azisule uThixo zonke iinyembezi emehlweni abo, kungabi sabakho kufa, kungabi sabakho nasijwili, nakukhala, nantlungu; ngokuba izinto zokuqala zigqithile.”

Mika 4:3, 4: “Uhlanga aluyi kuphakamisela kuhlanga ikrele lalo, bangabi safunda ukulwa. Baya kuhlala elowo phantsi komdiliya wakhe, naphantsi komkhiwane wakhe, kungabikho uboyikisayo; kuba umlomo kaYehova wemikhosi uthethile.”

Ngaba uYesu wayivula indlela yokuya ezulwini kwabo babefe ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe?

Itheth’ ukuthini eyoku-1 kaPetros 3:19, 20? “Awathi ekuwo [ekumoya, emva kovuko lwakhe] waya [uYesu] washumayela koomoya abasekukhonxweni, ababefudula bengeva, xenikweni ukuzeka kade umsindo kukaThixo kwakulindile ngemihla kaNowa, kwakubon’ ukuba kulungiswa umkhombe, ekwasindiselwa kuwo imiphefumlo [“imiphefumlo,” AP, KJ, Dy; “abantu,” TE, TEV, JB] embalwa, oko kukuthi esibhozo, ngamanzi.” (Ngaba abo ‘moya basekukhonxweni’ yimiphefumlo yabantu abangazange bavume ukuphulaphula ukushumayela kukaNowa ngaphambi koMkhukula, ibe ngoku indlela babeyivulelwe ukuba baye ezulwini? Ngokuthelekisa eyesi-2 kaPetros 2:4 noYuda 6 neGenesis 6:2-4 kubonisa ukuba aba moya babengoonyana bakaThixo abazizithunywa zezulu ababezambathise imizimba yenyama baza batshata ngomhla kaNowa. Kweyoku-1 kaPetros 3:19, 20 igama lesiGrike eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “oomoya” lelithi pneuʹma·sin, ngoxa igama eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “imiphefumlo” ilelithi psy·khaiʹ. “Oomoya” babengeyomiphefumlo ephume emizimbeni kodwa babezizithunywa zezulu ezazingazange zathobela; “imiphefumlo” ekubhekiselwe kuyo apha yayingabantu abaphilileyo, abantu, uNowa nendlu yakhe. Ngoko ke okwakushunyayelwa ‘koomoya abasekukhonxweni’ kumele ukuba yayisisigidimi somgwebo.)

Iyintoni intsingiselo yoku-1 kaPetros 4:6? “Kuba ngenxa yoku zashunyayelwa iindaba ezilungileyo nakwabafileyo, ukuze bagwetywe okunene ngokwabantu abasenyameni, kodwa badle ubomi ngokukaThixo, bekuwo umoya.” (Ngaba aba “bafileyo” babe ngabantu ababefe ngaphambi kokufa kukaKristu? Njengoko sele kubonisiwe, abafileyo ‘asingoomoya abakhonxiweyo.’ Abo moya babezizithunywa zezulu ezingathobeliyo. Ibe ukushumayela ngekungazange kwaba yingenelo kubantu abafe ngokwenyama kuba, njengoko INtshumayeli 9:5 isitsho, “abazi lutho,” yaye INdumiso 146:4 yongezelela ngelithi ekufeni ‘amabhongo omntu ayatshitsha.’ Kodwa amaEfese 2:1-7, 17 abhekisela ebantwini ababefe ngokomoya nababuyela ebomini ngokomoya ngenxa yokwamkela iindaba ezilungileyo.)

Ngaba ubomi basezulwini obuchazwa ‘kwiTestamente Entsha’ bulithemba lawo onke amaKristu?

Yoh. 14:2, 3: “Endlwini kaBawo zininzi iindawo zokuhlala; ukuba bekungenjalo, ngendanixelelayo. Ndiyemka, ndiya kunilungiselela indawo; ukuba ke ndimkile ndaya kunilungiselela indawo, ndiya kubuya ndize, ndinamkelele kum ngokwam; ukuze apho ndikhona mna, nibe khona nani.” (UYesu apha ubonisa ukuba abapostile bakhe abathembekileyo, awayethetha nabo, ekuhambeni kwexesha, babeya kuba ‘sendlwini’ kaYise, ezulwini, noYesu. Kodwa akachazi ukuba bangaphi na abanye ababeya kuthi nabo baye ezulwini.)

Yoh. 1:12, 13: “Ke bonke abamamkelayo [uYesu] wabanika igunya lokuba babe ngabantwana bakaThixo, abo ke bakholwayo kwigama lakhe; abangazalwanga ngagazi, nangakuthanda kwanyama, nangakuthanda kwandoda; bazalwa nguThixo.” (Phawula ukuba umongo, kwindinyana 11, ubhekisela ‘kubantu’ bakaYesu, amaYuda. Bonke abamamkelayo xa weza kubo kwinkulungwane yokuqala baba ngabantwana bakaThixo, benethemba lobomi basezulwini. Izenzi ezikwesi sibhalo zikwixesha elidluleyo, ngoko esi sicatshulwa asibhekiseli kubo bonke abantu abaye baba ngamaKristu ukususela ngoko.)

Roma 8:14, 16, 17: “Bonke abakhokelwa nguMoya kaThixo, bangoonyana bakaThixo abo. UMoya ngokwakhe ungqinelana nomoya wethu, ukuba singabantwana bakaThixo. Ukuba ke singabantwana, sikwaziindlalifa; iindlalifa zikaThixo, iindlalifa ke kunye noKristu; ukuba okunene siva ubunzima kunye naye, ukuze sizukiswe nokuzukiswa kunye naye.” (Ngexesha lokubhalwa koku kwakuyinyaniso ukuba bonke ababekhokelwa ngumoya babe ngoonyana bakaThixo ababenethemba lokuba baza kuzukiswa noKristu. Kodwa oku kwakungasoloko kunjalo. ULuka 1:15 uthi uYohane uMbhaptizi wayeya kuzaliswa ngomoya oyingcwele, kodwa uMateyu 11:11 ukwenza kucace ukuba akayi kuba nasabelo kuzuko loBukumkani basezulwini. Ngoko, kwakhona, emva kokuhlanganiswa kweendlalifa zoBukumkani basezulwini, kwakuya kubakho abanye ababeya kukhonza uThixo njengabalandeli boNyana wakhe ukanti bangalufumani uzuko lwasezulwini.)

Ziziphi iimbekiselo ezingqalileyo ‘ezikwiTestamente Entsha’ ezingelungiselelo lamaKristu lokuvuzwa ngobomi obungunaphakade emhlabeni?

Mat. 5:5: “Banoyolo abanobulali; ngokuba umhlaba baya kuwudla ilifa bona.”

Mat. 6:9, 10: “Bawo wethu osemazulwini, malingcwaliswe igama lakho. Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenziwe ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengokuba kusenziwa emazulwini.” (Kuyintoni ukuthanda kukaThixo ngomhlaba? Ibonisa ntoni iGenesis 1:28 noIsaya 45:18?)

Mat. 25:31-33, 40, 46: “Xa ke athe wafika uNyana woMntu esebuqaqawulini bakhe, enazo zonke izithunywa ezingcwele, ngelo xa uya kuhlala phezu kwetrone yobuqaqawuli bakhe; zihlanganiswe phambi kwakhe zonke iintlanga, abahlule abanye kwabanye, njengokuba umalusi ezahlula izimvu ezibhokhweni; athi zona izimvu azimise ngasekunene kwakhe, athi kodwa zona iibhokhwe azimise ngasekhohlo. . . . Ukumkani athi kuwo [izimvu], Inene ndithi kuni, Ekubeni nenjenjalo nakumnye waba bazalwana bam bangabona bancinane, nenjenjalo nakum. Baya kumka aba [iibhokhwe] baye elubethweni olungunaphakade; ke wona amalungisa [izimvu] aya kuya ebomini obungunaphakade.” (Phawula ukuba ezi “zimvu” azifani nabazalwana bakaKumkani, ‘abangamadlelane ngobizo lwasezulwini.’ [Heb. 2:10–3:1] Kodwa aba babumvu babeya kube besaphila ebudeni bexesha laxa uKristu wayesetroneni yakhe nasebudeni bexesha laxa abathile ‘babazalwana’ bakhe babeya kuba besadibana nobunzima emhlabeni.)

Yoh. 10:16: “Ndinazo nezinye izimvu, ezingezizo ezobu buhlanti; nazo ezo ndimelwe kukuza nazo; zaye ziya kuliva izwi lam, zibe mhlambi mnye, nomalusi abe mnye.” (Ngoobani ezi ‘zimvu zizezinye’? Ngabalandeli boMalusi Olungileyo, uYesu Kristu, kodwa abakho kubuhlanti bezimvu ‘bomnqophiso omtsha,’ benethemba lobomi basezulwini. Kanti banxulumene ngokusondeleyo nabo bakobo buhlanti bezimvu.)

2 Pet. 3:13: “Thina ke ngokwedinga lakhe silinde elitsha izulu, nomtsha umhlaba, apho kumi ubulungisa.” (KwaneSityhilelo 21:1-4)

ISityhi. 7:9, 10: “Emva koko [emva kokuba umpostile uYohane wabona inani elipheleleyo ‘labatywiniweyo’ ‘ababethengiwe emhlabeni’ bekunye noKristu kwiNtaba yeZiyon yasezulwini; bona ISityhilelo 7:3, 4; 14:1-3] ndabona, naso isihlwele esikhulu, ebekungekho namnye unako ukusibala, siphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga, nezizwe, nabantu, neelwimi, simi phambi kwetrone naphambi kweMvana, bethiwe wambu ngeengubo ezinde ezimhlophe, benamasundu ezandleni zabo, bedanduluka ngezwi elikhulu, besithi: Usindiso kuye uThixo wethu, lowo uhleli phezu kwetrone, nakuyo iMvana!”

Bangaphi abantu iBhayibhile ethi banethemba lobomi basezulwini?

Luka 12:32: “Musani ukoyika, mhlambi mncinane; ngokuba kukholekile kuYihlo ukuninika ubukumkani.”

ISityhi. 14:1-3: “Ndabona, nantso iMvana [uYesu Kristu] imi phezu kwentaba yeZiyon [ezulwini; bona amaHebhere 12:22-24], kumi nayo ikhulu elinamanci mane anesine lamawaka, benalo igama loYise libhaliwe emabunzini abo. . . . Bevuma ingoma engathi intsha, . . . kwaye kungekho namnye unako ukuyifunda ingoma leyo, lingelilo ikhulu elinamanci mane anesine lamawaka, ababethengiwe emhlabeni.”

Ngaba i-144 000 ngamaYuda okwemvelo kuphela?

ISityhi. 7:4-8: “Ndaliva inani labo babetywiniwe: kwatywinwa ikhulu elinamanci mane anesine lamawaka, kuzo zonke izizwe zoonyana bakaSirayeli. Esizweni sakwaYuda . . . sakwaRubhen . . . sakwaGadi . . . sakwa-Ashere . . . sakwaNafetali . . . sakwaManase . . . sakwaSimon . . . sakwaLevi . . . sakwaIsakare . . . sakwaZebhulon . . . sakwaYosefu . . . sakwaBhenjamin.” (Ezi azinakuba zizizwe zoSirayeli wokwemvelo kuba akuzange kwabakho sizwe sakwaYosefu, isizwe sakwaEfrayim nesakwaDan aziqukwanga kuludwe olulapha, yaye abaLevi babebekelwe bucala inkonzo enxibelelene netempile kodwa babengabalwa njengesinye sezizwe ezili-12. Bona iNumeri 1:4-16.)

Roma 2:28, 29: “UmYuda asingulowo unguye ngokwangaphandle, nolwaluko asilulo olo lwangaphandle enyameni; umYuda ngulowo wasemfihlekweni, nolwaluko lolwentliziyo ngomoya, kungengantetho.”

Gal. 3:26-29: “Nina nonke ningoonyana bakaThixo ngako ukukholwa, nikuKristu Yesu; . . . akusekho mYuda namGrike; akusekho khoboka nakhululekileyo; akusekho ndoda nankazana; kuba nina nonke nimntu mnye, nikuKristu Yesu. Ukuba ke nina ningabakaKristu, niyimbewu ka-Abraham ngoko, neendlalifa ngokwedinga.”

Ngaba inani elili-144 000 lingumfuziselo nje?

Impendulo iboniswe sisibakala sokuba, emva kokukhankanywa kwenani eliqinisekileyo elili-144 000, ISityhilelo 7:9 sibhekisela ‘kwisihlwele esikhulu ekungekho namnye unako ukusibala.’ Ukuba inani elili-144 000 belingelilo elokoqobo belingayi kuba nantsingiselo xa lithelekiswa ‘nesihlwele esikhulu.’ Ukujonga eli nani lilelokoqobo kuyavisisana namazwi kaYesu akuMateyu 22:14 angoBukumkani bamazulu: “Baninzi ababiziweyo, bambalwa abanyuliweyo.”

Ngaba abo ‘besihlwele esikhulu’ kuthethwa ngabo kwiSityhilelo 7:9, 10 nabo baya ezulwini?

ISityhilelo asithi, ‘bathengwe emhlabeni’ ukuze babe kunye noKristu kwiNtaba yeZiyon esezulwini, njengoko sisitsho nge-144 000.—ISityhi. 14:1-3.

Ukuchazwa kwabo ‘njengabami phambi kwetrone naphambi kweMvana’ ngokuyimfuneko akubonisi ndawo, kodwa kubonisa imeko ekholekileyo. (Thelekisa ISityhilelo 6:17; Luka 21:36.) Ibinzana elithi “phambi kwetrone” (e·noʹpi·on tou throʹnou ngesiGrike; ngokoqobo lithetha oku, “emehlweni etrone”) alithethi ukuba kumele babesezulwini. Isigxina sabo ‘siyabonakala’ nje kuThixo, osixelela ukuba esezulwini ubona oonyana babantu.—INdu. 11:4; thelekisa uMateyu 25:31-33; Luka 1:74, 75; IZenzo 10:33.

‘Isihlwele esikhulu esisezulwini’ ekuthethwa ngaso kwiSityhilelo 19:1, 6 asidibananga ‘nesihlwele esikhulu’ seSityhilelo 7:9. Esisezulwini asichazwa ‘njengesiphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga’ okanye njengesibhekisa usindiso lwaso kwiMvana; esi sesezithunywa zezulu. Ibinzana elithi ‘isihlwele esikhulu’ lisetyenziswa kwiindidi ezahlukahlukeneyo zomongo eBhayibhileni.—Marko 5:24; 6:34; 12:37.

Baza kwenza ntoni apho abo baya ezulwini?

ISityhi. 20:6: “Baya kusuka babe ngababingeleli bakaThixo nabakaKristu, babe ngookumkani kunye naye iminyaka eliwaka.” (KwanoDaniyeli 7:27)

1 Kor. 6:2: “Anazi na, ukuba abangcwele aba baya kuligweba ihlabathi?”

ISityhi. 5:10: “Wasenza ookumkani nababingeleli kuye uThixo wethu; sasiya kuba ngookumkani phezu komhlaba [“emhlabeni,” AP, RS, KJ, Dy; “phezu,” AT, Da, Kx, CC].” (Igama lesiGrike elifana neli nelikumgaqo-ntetho ofanayo lifumaneka kwiSityhilelo 11:6. Apho iBX, RS, KJ, Dy, njl., zonke ziliguqulela ngokuthi “phezu.”)

Ngubani okhetha abo baya ezulwini?

2 Tes. 2:13, 14: “Thina simelwe kukuhlala sibulela kuye uThixo ngenxa yenu, bazalwana bathandiweyo yiNkosi, ukuba uThixo kwasekuqalekeni waninyulela ukusindiswa, ngokungcwaliswa koMoya nokukholwa yinyaniso; awanibizela kuko oko ngazo iindaba ezilungileyo zethu, ukuba nizuze uzuko lweNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.”

Roma 9:6, 16: “Asingabo bonke abaphuma kuSirayeli abangamaSirayeli; . . . asikokothandayo, kanjalo asikokobalekayo; kokukaThixo onenceba.”