Ingabe IBhayibheli Libikezela Ukuphela Komhlaba?
UKUPHELA KWEZWE—amagama amabili aye afaka ingebhe ezinhliziyweni zabaningi kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka omlando womuntu. Namuhla aselahlekelwe amandla awo amakhulu, njengoba ukukholelwa enkolweni kuyawohloka. Kodwa izibikezelo zengozi yezwe azilinganiselwe enkolweni kuphela. Ososayensi emagatsheni amaningi emfundo yabantu baxwayisa ngenhlekelele yesizwe sesintu.
UKWESABA OKUNGOKWESAYENSI
Izazi zezinkanyezi ziye zahlela ukusongela okungengaphansi kokune ekuphileni okuqhubekayo emhlabeni. Ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “Izinhlekelele Ezine Esibhakabhakeni Ezisongela Umhlaba,” umagazini wesiFulentshi wesayensi iScience et Vie wabhala lezi njengokuqhuma kwenkanyezi enkulu, ilangabi elikhulu lelanga, ukuwa kwesigaxa esikhulu sensimbi esibhakabhakeni noma ukungena kokukhanya efwini lothuli lwesibhakabhaka okungamunca okuningi ukushisa kwelanga kangangokuba umhlaba ungaba iqeqeba lamakhaza.
Ngesikhathi esifanayo, izazi zezinto eziphilayo ziyaqhubeka zimemezela isixwayiso ngokuqondene nezingozi zokungcolisa ngokusebenzisa nangokusetshenziswa kabi kwezinto ezingezona ezemvelo okulimaza impilo futhi ngisho nokuphila kwesintu nokwezinto eziphilayo zasendle. Yebo ukungcola kufaka ushevu emoyeni esiwuphefumulayo, enhlabathini nasekudleni ekuvezayo, ezilwandle nasezinhlanzini esizidlayo. Okuwubuwula nokobugovu ukugawula amahlathi kuye kwaletha kokubili izikhukhula eziyingozi nezingwadule ezenziwe ngabantu.
Uma sithatha ngakunye, lokho kusongela okusizungezile ngokungangabazeki akuyikuba okwanele ukuba kulethe ukuphela ekuphileni komhlaba. Kodwa uma kuhlanganiswa, kwenezela engozini eshayisa uvalo. Engxoxweni ephepheni lamasonto onke laseParis iL’Express, uMaurice Strong, unobhala-jikelele wangaphambili woMhlangano Wezwe Wezenhlalo, muva nje wathi: “Uma umuntu eqhubeka nokwamukela isimo sokuzidla esinjalo ngokuqondene nemvelo, nakuba ngikuzonda ukukusho, ekugcineni uyophela.”
Nokho, ukusongela okuseduze nokuphila emhlabeni—yilokhu okuye kwabhekiselwa kukho njenge“Mbubhiso Yokugcina Noma YesAmbulo” futhi ibizwa kabi ngokuthi i“Armagedoni”—iyinto okunokwenzeka ngempela ibangele impi yenyukliya. Izizwe ezihlonyisiwe zezwe ziye zanqwabelanisa izikhali zenyukliya ezinamandla aqhumayo alingana namathani amaningi eTNT ngendoda ngayinye owesifazane nomntwana abasemhlabeni. Akumangalisi ukuthi ukusongela kwenyukliya kuyathintwa emazwini okuphela kwezwe!
AMASONTO AFUNDISANI?
Amakhulu ezigidi zamaKatolika namaProtestani amaningi akhuluma lamazwi “Usuku Lwembubhiso,” “Usuku Lokwahlulela” noma “ukuphela kwezwe” kwabacabangisa bona njengokwahlulela kokugcina noma ukubhujiswa komhlaba. Ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “Ukuphela Kwezwe,” iDictionnaire de Théologie Catholique egunyaziwe ithi: “ISonto lamaKatolika likholelwa futhi lifundisa ukuthi lelizwe elikhona, njengoba uNkulunkulu alenza futhi njengoba linjalo, alinakuhlala kuze kube phakade. Zonke izidalwa ezibonakalayo ezenziwa uNkulunkulu kuyo yonke iminyaka . . . ziyopheza ukuba khona futhi ziyoshintshela endalweni entsha.”
Amasonto eLobukholwa afundisa ukuthi ikusasa lokugcina lomuntu liwukuba aye enjabulweni yasezulwini engapheli noma ekujezisweni kwaphakade “esihogweni.” Ngokwawo, umhlaba awunayo indima ephakade enjongweni kaNkulunkulu. Kodwa izazi zenkolo zamaKatolika namaProtestani zazi kahle ukuthi iBhayibheli likhuluma ngokuza kombuso kaNkulunkulu ngokwelungiselelo lentando kaNkulunkulu ukuba yenziwe ‘emhlabeni njengasezulwini.’ (Mathewu 6:10) Ziyazi ukuthi lena kungenye yezinto ezibalulekile amaKristu okumelwe ayithandazele. Futhi zijwayelene kakhulu nesithembiso seBhayibheli so“mhlaba omusha” okukhona kuwo ukulunga. (2 Petru 3:13; IsAmbulo 21:1-4) Kodwa ulwazi lwezenkolo lwamaKatolika namaProtestani kulemibhalo nakweminye eminingi ekhuluma ngomhlaba enjongweni kaNkulunkulu lungamanga, futhi aluqondile.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ngemva kokuyisa bonke abalungileyo ezulwini nababi “esihogweni,” eziningi zezazi zenkolo zeLobukholwa ziyashesha ukucaphuna imibhalo enjengalena “kuyakudlula izulu nomhlaba” (Mathewu 24:35) ukuze ‘zibonise’ ukuthi umhlaba uyobhujiswa. Zijabulela nje kuphela ukuba zizisuse emhlabeni, ezingawutholeli ndawo esayensini yazo yezenkolo. Zichaza ngendlela evumelana nazo lokho ezinye izinguqulo zeBhayibheli ezikubiza ngokuthi “ukuphela kwezwe” njengokusho ukuphela komhlaba.—Mathewu 24:3.
UMBONO WEBHAYIBHELI
Lisho ukuthini-ke iBhayibheli ngoku“phela kwezwe”? Okokuqala kumelwe kuqashelwe ukuthi lokho ezinye izinguqulo ezikuhumusha ngokuthi “ukuphela kwezwe,” ezinye zikuhumusha ngokuthi “ukugcina kwesikhathi” (Revised Standard Version, zombili izincwadi zobuProtestani nobuKatolika), “ukuqedwa kwenkathi” (Marshall—The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament) noma “isiphelo sesimiso sezinto” (New World Translation). Amazwi athi “ukugcina,” “ukuqedwa” noma “isiphelo” ayizinguqulo eziqonde kakhulu zegama lesiGreki synteʹleia, njengoba lihlukile kwelithi telos (ukuphela noma ukuphela okuphelele; qhathanisa noMathewu 24:6, 14). Futhi, “isikhathi” ne“simiso sezinto,” izinguqulo eziqonde kakhulu zelithi ai·onʹ, njengoba lihlukile kwelithi koʹsmos, lelo ngokuvamile elichaza izwe lesintu.
Ngokuthakazelisayo, izwi elithi koʹsmos, aliveli nakowodwa wemibhalo equkethe amazwi ngesinye isikhathi ahunyushwa ngokungaqondile ngokuthi “ukuphela kwezwe.” Ngakho-ke lamazwi awasho ukuphela kwesintu. Abhekisela esiphelweni sesimiso esibi sezinto, ukuphela kwenkathi (ai·onʹ) ephawuleka ngezenzo ezimbi “zabantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu.”—Qhathanisa no-2 Petru 3:7.
Kude kakhulu nokubikezela ukuphela komhlaba, iBhayibheli liveza isithembiso sesikhathi esizayo esimangalisayo ngomhlaba wethu omuhle. Kodwa kuqala umhlaba kumelwe ushanelwe uhlanzwe isimiso esikhona esibi. Ukuphela kwalesisimiso ngakho-ke kuyinto okumelwe siyethembe, njengoba isihloko esilandelayo sizobonisa.