Chapter 1

Kuyokwenzekani Ngembulunga EnguMhlaba?

1. Luhlobo luni lwekusasa olulindele, futhi ngani?

YINI ikusasa elikuphathele yona njengomunye wezinkulungwane zezigidi zabantu manje eziphila kulembulunga enguMhlaba? Ubungathanda kube ukuphila kokuthula nokulondeka, phakathi kwabantu abathandana ngempela? Lokho nokuningi okwengeziwe kungaba ngokwakho. Kodwa akulona ikusasa elilindelwe ngabaningi. Ngani?

2, 3. Ukusongela kwempi yenyukliya kuyithonya kanjani indlela abantu abaningi ababheka ngayo ikusasa?

² Ukusongela kwempi yenyukliya kuye kwabangela ukungabaza okungathi sína ngokuthi liyoba khona yini ikusasa ngeningi lesintu. Lapho ibhomu yeathomu isetshenziswa okokuqala empini ngo-1945, kwabulawa ngaphezu kwezi-70 000 zamadoda, abesifazane nabantwana ngokuphazima kweso. Ezinye izinkulungwane eziningi zafa ukufa okwesabisayo ezinsukwini naseminyakeni eyalandela. Kodwa namuhla isiqhumane sempi esisodwa esicitshwayo sinamandla okuqhuma alingana nawo wonke amabhomu asetshenziswa ngeMpi Yezwe II. Kunamashumi ezinkulungwane ezikhali zenyukliya ezicushelwe ukusetshenziswa ngokuphuthumayo. Noma kunjalo izwe lichitha kungaba izi-R2 000 000 000 ngosuku emncintiswaneni wezikhali oshiya abantu abaningi bebakaza ngokwesaba.

³ Kodwa kuthiwani uma “kunempi encane yenyukliya”? Imiphumela ingaba ngeshaqisayo nalapho. NgokukaCarl Sagan, isazi sesayensi esaziwayo, uma izizwe bezingasebenzisa ngisho nengxenye encane yamandla azo enyukliya, “akukho kungabaza ngokuthi impucuko yethu yembulunga yonke ibiyobhujiswa. . . . Kubonakala kungenzeka ngempela ukuba abantu ngezinhlobo zabo baphele nya.” Abantu abaningi bazama ukukususa ezingqondweni zabo ukuba nokwenzeka kwento enjalo, kodwa lokho akuyisusi ingozi. Inani elikhula ngokushesha labanye liye lakha izinhlangano zabayosinda. Ngethemba lokuthi abanye bayosinda, baye bakha izindawo zesiphephelo ezindaweni ezingazodwa bazigcwalisa ngokudla nemithi yokwelapha nangezibhamu ukuze baxoshe abangena khona bengafuneki.

4. Kungani ukusetshenziswa kabi kwendawo esizungezile kubhekwa njengosongo olungathi sína?

⁴ Ngaphandle kwempi yenyukliya, izazi zesayensi zixwayisa ngokwenzeka kwenhlekelele yembulunga yonke ngenxa yendlela okusizungezile okusetshenziswa ngayo kabi. Ukungcoliswa komoya esiwuphefumulayo kuyisizathu sokukhathazeka okukhulu. Amahlathi acekelwa phansi ngezinga elithusayo; kodwa lamahlathi abalulekile ekukhiqizweni komoya-mpilo womhlaba, ukuna kwemvula nokulondolozwa kwenhlabathi. Ngenxa yokungazi nobugovu, indawo ebalulekile yokulima iyonakaliswa. Amanzi ngokuvamile angcoliswa amakhemikhali abulalayo. Kodwa yonke lemithombo iyizidingo zokuphasa ukuphila kwesintu.

5, 6. Iziphi ezinye izimo ezivimbela abantu ekulindeleni ukuphila ukuba kube okulondekile nokujabulisayo?

⁵ Ungase ube nomuzwa wokuthi, okuyikhona okusithinta kakhulu, iqiniso lokuthi ubugebengu bobudlova benza abantu bazivalele njengeziboshwa emakhaya abo. Iziyaluyalu zezombangazwe nezenhlalo zenza ukuphila kube sengozini. Ukuntuleka komsebenzi okwandile nokukhuphuka kwamanani okwesabekayo kuphumela ekusweleni nasekukhungathekeni. Ukuphila kwasekhaya kwabaningi akwanelisi neze; izibopho zothando okumelwe zigcine umkhaya undawonye ziyantuleka. Yonke indawo isimo sabantu siwukuthi “Yimi yimi!”

⁶ Kukuphi-ke, lapho noma ubani engathola isisekelo esinengqondo sokulindela ukujabulela ukuphila kokulondeka? Uma ikusasa lethu njengezakhamuzi zomhlaba lixhomeke kuphela kulokho abantu nezizwe abazimisele nabakwazi ukukwenza, kanti yibona abanengxenye ekubangeleni lezinkinga, umbono ubungaba ongenathemba neze. Kodwa ingabe kunjalo?

AMAQINISO OKUNGAMELWE ANGANAKWA

7. (a) Yibuphi ubufakazi obubonisa ukuthi iBhayibheli liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu? (b) Kungani kubalulekile ngabantu ukuba bazi ukuthi iBhayibheli lithini?

⁷ Ezintweni abazicebayo, abantu ngokuvamile bamshiya ngaphandle uMdali womhlaba nesintu. Kodwa singazi kanjani ukuthi injongo yaKhe iyini? IBhayibheli liyasitshela. Ngokuphindaphindiwe leNcwadi iyaphawula ukuthi ekuqukethe kuvela phezulu, kuphefumlelwe uNkulunkulu. Ingabe lokho kuyiqiniso? Kuyilo, ukuphila kwakho kuxhomeke ekwenzeni ngokuvumelana nalo. Ngenxa yokubaluleka kwalendaba, sikunxusa ukuba uzihlolele ngokwakho iBhayibheli. Iziprofetho zalo eziningi ezibonisa ulwazi oluningiliziwe lwekusasa uyozithola zingezivelele. Ukuhlakanipha kwalo uma likhulumela izinto ezibaluleke kakhulu ngenjabulo yakho ehlala njalo kungokungenakuqhathaniswa. Sizizwa siqinisekile ukuthi, uma ucabangela ubufakazi ngengqondo evulekile, uyoqaphela ukuthi iBhayibheli kumelwe ukuba lavela emthonjeni ongaphezu kowemvelo, kuNkulunkulu osithanda ngempela isintu.a IBhayibheli liqukethe ukwaziswa okubalulekile mayelana nokusinda kwethu kulesikhathi esibucayi emlandweni wesintu. Ngokufanelekile, liyincwadi esakazwa ngaphezu kwazo zonke emhlabeni.—Bheka u-2 Petru 1:20, 21; 3:11-14; 2 Thimothewu 3:1-5, 14-17.

8. Iliphi igama iBhayibheli elimchaza ngalo uMdali walembulunga enguMhlaba?

⁸ Ivesi lokuqala leBhayibheli liphawula iqiniso eliyisisekelo lokuthi “UNkulunkulu wadala izulu nomhlaba.” (Genesise 1:1)b Nakuba abanye abantu bekhetha ukuba uNkulunkulu angabi nagama, iBhayibheli alikwenzi lokho. Echaza uMdali ngegama, uGenesise 2:4 usitshela ukuthi ‘uJehova uNkulunkulu wenza umhlaba nezulu.’ (Bheka futhi uGenesise 14:22; Eksodusi 6:3; 20:11.) Ingxenye enkulu yeBhayibheli yalotshwa ngesiHeberu ekuqaleni, futhi embhalweni wesiHeberu weBhayibheli igama likaNkulunkulu loqobo livela cishe izikhathi eziyizi-7 000 njenge-tetragrammaton engcwele (יהוה). Abanye abahumushi balihumusha njengoYahweh, kodwa ngesiZulu indlela ejwayeleke kakhulu esetshenziswayo yaleligama eyokuthi Jehova.

9. (a) Lelogama likaNkulunkulu laqanjwa ngubani? (b) Libaluleke kangakanani igama likaNkulunkulu kithina? (Joweli 2:32; Mika 4:5)

⁹ Leligama alizange liqanjwe ngabantu abazinikele. Lakhethwa uMdali ngokwakhe. (Eksodusi 3:13-15; Isaya 42:8) Akulona igama okungathi uma uthanda usebenzise elithi Buddha, Brahma, Allah noma Jesu esikhundleni salo. Ngokufanelekile umprofethi uMose wakhumbuza isizwe sasendulo samaIsrayeli: “Yazi namuhla, ukungenise enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi uJehova [ngesiHeberu: יהוה] unguNkulunkulu ezulwini phezulu nasemhlabeni phansi; akakho omunye.” (Duteronomi 4:39) Lona unguNkulunkulu uJesu Kristu athandaza kuye, Lowo abhekisela kuye ngokuthi “Nkulunkulu wedwa oqinisileyo.” Namuhla ukhulekelwa abantu abahlakaniphile bazo zonke izizwe emhlabeni.—Johane 17:3; Mathewu 4:8-10; 26:39; Roma 3:29.

10. Kungani ukusongela kwempi yenyukliya nengozi eyenziwa ukungcola kungeke kuyehlulekise injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba?

¹⁰ Ngegunya lokuthi uJehova unguMdali womhlaba, yonke imbulunga ingeyakhe, futhi ikusasa layo lixhomeke kuye. (Duteronomi 10:14; IHubo 89:11) Izinkinga zesintu azikho ngaphezu kwamandla kaNkulunkulu ukuba azisingathe. Ukuba nokwenzeka kwempi yenyukliya kwethusa abantu. Kodwa imithetho kabani elawula ukunyakaza kwenyukliya okwenzeka ngesilinganiso esesabekayo ezigidini zezigidi zezinkanyezi ezingenakubalwa? Ingabe uNkulunkulu akanalo ulwazi namandla adingekayo okuvikela ukuphila kulembulunga enguMhlaba? Ngokufanayo, izinkinga eziye zaba khona ngenxa yokuthi isintu ngokungazi nangobugovu siye sangcolisa indawo yaso ngeke zivimbele injongo yoMninimandla onke uNkulunkulu. Lowo owayenokuhlakanipha namandla adingekayo okudala umhlaba nezinhlobo zezidalwa ezikhangayo phezu kwawo angakwazi futhi ukuziqalisa kabusha uma lokho kuyintando yakhe. (Isaya 40:26; IHubo 104:24) Khona-ke, iyini injongo kaJehova ngokuqondene nekhaya lethu eliyilembulunga?

UMHLABA UYOHLALA ISIKHATHI ESIDE KANGAKANANI?

11. (a) Ezinye izazi zesayensi zikholelwa ukuthi yini eyokwenzeka ekugcineni ngomhlaba? (b) Ubani owazi okwengeziwe ngalokhu kunazo, futhi ngani?

¹¹ Ingabe kuyinjongo kaNkulunkulu ukungcolisa umhlaba nazo zonke izinto eziphilayo kuwo? Ezinye izazi zezinkanyezi zicabangela ukuthi ekugcineni ilanga lethu liyoqhuma libe likhulu limboze umhlaba. Kunabanye abanombono wokuthi, ngenxa yesimo sendawo yonke ebonakalayo, kumelwe kufike isikhathi lapho ilanga lingeke lisakhanya nomhlaba ungeke usakwazi ukuxhasa ukuphila. Kodwa ingabe baqinisile? Uthini uMdali—Lowo owenza kwaba khona amandla nezinto, Lowo owasungula imithetho ukuba khona kwethu okuncike kuyo?—Jobe 38:1-6, 21; IHubo 146:3-6.

12. Amazwi omShumayeli 1:4 aye aba yiqiniso kanjani?

¹² UJehova waphefumlela iNkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni ukuba ibhale ngesikhathi sokuphila komuntu uma siqhathaniswa nesikhathi sokuba khona komhlaba. KumShumayeli 1:4 uSolomoni wabhala lamazwi: “Isizukulwane siyamuka, isizukulwane siyeza, kepha umhlaba umi phakade.” Umlando wesintu uyabufakazela ubuqiniso balokhu. Nakuba isizukulwane sesintu siye sasuka kwangena esinye, umhlaba, imbulunga esihlala kuyo, ulokhu umile. Kodwa isikhathi eside kangakanani? Ngokwenguqulo yezwi nezwi yeNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, kuyoba “isikhathi esinganqunyiwe.” Kusho ukuthini lokhu?

13. (a) Angasho ukuthini amazwi athi “isikhathi esinganqunyiwe”? (b) Khona-ke, singaqiniseka kanjani ukuthi umhlaba uyohlala phakade?

¹³ Igama lesiHeberu elithi ‘oh·lamʹ, lapha elihunyushwe ngokuthi “isikhathi esinganqunyiwe,” ngokuyisisekelo lisho inkathi yesikhathi, ngokombono wangaleso sikhathi, esinganqunyiwe noma esifihlekile ukuba sibonwe kodwa eyisikhathi eside. Lokho kungasho ukuthi phakade. Ingabe-ke kunjalo kulokhu? Noma ingabe lamazwi abonisa ukuthi mhlawumbe ngesikhathi esithile esinganqunyiwe esizayo, okwamanje esifihliwe kithi, umhlaba uyofika ekupheleni kwawo? Ezinye izinto iBhayibheli elithi zaziyoqhubeka kuze kube “isikhathi esinganqunyiwe” ekugcineni zaphela. (Qhathanisa noNumeri 25:13; Heberu 7:12.) Kodwa futhi imiBhalo ihlanganisa elithi ‘oh·lamʹ nalokho okuphakade—ngokwesibonelo, uMdali ngokwakhe. (Qhathanisa neHubo 90:2 no-1 Thimothewu 1:17.) Ngokuqondene nokushiwo ilenkulumo mayelana nomhlaba, asishiywa sisebumnyameni. KumaHubo 104:5 siyatshelwa: “Umisile umhlaba phezu kwezisekelo zawo, ukuze ungazanyazanyiswa kuze kube-phakade naphakade.”c—Bheka futhi iHubo 119:90.

14. Sazi kanjani ukuthi lembulunga ngeke ngelinye ilanga ibe yincithakalo engenalutho?

¹⁴ Okuyohlala phakade akuyona nje imbulunga engenalutho, engakhiqizi. KuJeremiya 10:10-12 siyatshelwa: “UJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso. . . . Wawenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, walimisa izwe [elikhiqizayo, NW] ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, ngokuqonda kwakhe waleneka izulu.” Phawula ukuthi akazange nje kuphela enze “umhlaba” kodwa futhi wamisa “izwe [elikhiqizayo].” Esikhundleni salamazwi okugcina, izinguqulo eziningi zihumusha igama lesiHeberu elithi te·velʹ ngokuthi nje “izwe.” Nokho, ngokweOld Testament Word Studies kaWilliam Wilson, elithi te·velʹ lisho “umhlaba, njengovundile nowakhiweyo, imbulunga okungase kuhlalwe kuyo, izwe.” Ngokuqondene nenjongo kaJehova mayelana nalomhlaba ovundile, nowakhiwe, iHubo 96:10 lithi ngokuqinisekisayo: “UJehova uyiNkosi; izwe [elikhiqizayo] lihlala liqinile, lingenakushukunyiswa.”—Bheka futhi uIsaya 45:18.

15. Lamaqiniso avumelana kanjani nomthandazo uJesu awufundisa abalandeli bakhe?

¹⁵ Kanjalo kungokuqondene nalembulunga enguMhlaba esihlala kuyo uJesu Kristu afundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandaze kuNkulunkulu: “Mawufike umbuso wakho; mayenziwe intando yakho emhlabeni njengasezulwini.”—Mathewu 6:9, 10.

16. (a) Luhlobo luni lwabantu oluyohlala emhlabeni ngalesosikhathi? (b) Uyini “umhlaba omusha” iBhayibheli elikhuluma ngawo?

¹⁶ Intando kaJehova akuyona eyokuba umhlaba uhlalwe abantu abangenandaba noMnikazi wawo nabangenaluthando ngomunye nomunye. Esikhathini eside esidlule wathembisa: “Ngokuba ababi bazakuchithwa, kepha abalindela uJehova bazakudla ifa lomhlaba. Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.” (IHubo 37:9, 29) “Izwe [elakhiwe] elizayo,” iBhayibheli elikhuluma ngalo, liyohlalwa ngabantu abesaba uNkulunkulu nababathanda ngempela abanye abantu. (Heberu 2:5; qhathanisa noLuka 10:25-28.) Ziyoba zinkulu izinguquko eziyokwenzeka ngaphansi koMbuso wasezulwini kaNkulunkulu kangangokuthi iBhayibheli likhuluma “ngomhlaba omusha”—hhayi imbulunga ehlukile, kodwa umphakathi omusha wesintu oyohlala ngaphansi kwezimo zepharadesi uMdali wesintu ayezihlose kusukela esikhathini eqala indalo yakhe yasemhlabeni.—IsAmbulo 21:1-5; Genesise 2:7-9, 15.

17. Kungani kubalulekile ukufunda izimfuneko zikaNkulunkulu zokusinda manje?

¹⁷ Ukumiswa ‘kwalowomhlaba omusha’ kuyodingeka ukuba kwandulelwe imbubhiso enkulu—edlula noma iyiphi isintu esake sayibona. Ngenzuzo yomhlaba ngokwawo nabo bonke ababonga ngempela kuMdali wawo, ‘uyobhubhisa ababhubhisa umhlaba.’ (IsAmbulo 11:17, 18) Isikhathi sikaNkulunkulu sokwenza lokhu sesiseduze kakhulu! Uma sekwenziwe, ingabe uyotholakala phakathi kwabayosinda?—1 Johane 2:17; IzAga 2:21, 22.

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