Ukungafi Okuzuzwe Njengefa Noma Uvuko—Ikuphi?
Sikumema ukuba uhlole ngokunakekela uchungechunge lwezihloko ezine oluqala kulelikhasi. Lunikeza umbono weBhayibheli ngalokho okwenzekayo emphefumlweni ekufeni, uvuko, usuku lukaNkulunkulu lokwahlulela nosizi lokugcina, lokhu kuhlanganiswa nesihloko soMbuso seZwi likaNkulunkulu.
NGOMARCH noma ngoApril abangaphezu kwekwata babakhileyo emhlabeni bagubha uIsta, obizwa ngokuthi “umkhosi wokuvuka kukaKristu.” Ngakho-ke, lokhu kusho ukuthi izigidi zabakhumbula ukuvuka kukaKristu ngeSonto likaIsta eqinisweni babonisa ithemba lokuvuswa kwabo kwabafileyo ekugcineni. Kodwa, kuyamangalisa ukuthi, abaningi balabantu abakholelwa ukuthi ukuphila ngemva kokufa kuxhomeke ovukweni, kodwa, kunalokho, ekusindeni ‘kwemiphefumulo yabo engafi.’
Amakhulu ezigidi zabanye abantu, abangawugubhi ulsta, nabo bakholelwa ukuthi ithemba labo lokuphila ngemva kokufa lixhomeke, hhayi ovukweni, kodwa ekusindeni ko“mphefumulo” wabo. Bonke lababantu, abangaphakathi nabangaphandle kweLobukholwa, ngokusobala banomuzwa wokuthi kumelwe kube khona okuthile ngemva kwesikhathi esifushane sokuphila kwabo emhlabeni. Baba nomuzwa wokukhungatheka uma becabanga ukuthi umuntu uphila futhi afe njengesilwane. Isifiso sabo sokuphila kwesikhathi esizayo singokwemvelo ngempela. Mhlawumbe unaso lesosifiso. Kodwa kungenzeka kanjani ukuphila ngemva kokufa?
Ukuphila Ngemva Kokufa—Kanjani?
“Izincwadi ezingcwele” zezinkolo ezahlukene ezimweni eziningi zinikeza izincazelo ezimbili kulenkinga. Ezinye zalezincwadi zikhuluma ngokuzisindela ko“mphefumulo,” noma “umoya,” womuntu ofile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi abafileyo babuyiselwa ekuphileni ngovuko.—Heberu 11:17-19; Luka 20:37, 38; Joh. 5:28, 29; 11:24.
Ukuthi izinkolo zaseMpumalanga kumelwe zifundise ukuzisindela ko“mphefumulo,” noma “umoya,” akumangalisi, ngoba umlando onokwethenjwa ubonisa ukuthi lenkolelo yavela eMpumalanga. AbaseBabiloni lasendulo bakholelwa ezweni elingaphansi elihlala imiphefumulo yabafile ngaphansi kukankulunkulu uNergal nonkulunkulukazi uEresh-kigal. AbaseGibithe lasendulo bakholelwa futhi ekungafini komphefumulo, futhi babenelabo siqu “izwe elingaphansi.” Bakhulekela uOsiris njengo“nkulunkulu wabafileyo.” NjengabaseGibithe, abasePheresiya lasendulo bakholelwa ‘ekulinganisweni kwemiphefumulo’ ngemva kokufa. Izazi eziningi zefilosofi zamaGreki zasendulo zamukela lomqondo waseMpumalanga wokungafi komphefumulo, ekugcineni wachachiswa uPlato ekhulwini lesine B.C.E.
Okumangalisayo ukuthi inkolo yobuJuda nezinkolo zeLobukholwa kumelwe ukuba zamukela umqondo wokuthi ukuphila esikhathini esizayo kuxhomeke ekubeni nomphefumulo ongafiyo. Lokhu ngokusobala akuyona imfundiso yeBhayibheli, njengoba iThe Concise Jewish Encyclopedia (1980) yembula: “IBhayibheli alikhulumi ngemfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo, futhi lokhu akuveli ngokukhanyayo ezincwadini zakuqala [zamaJuda] zabefundisi bamaJuda. . . . Ekugcineni inkolelo yokuthi ingxenye ethile yobuntu bomuntu ayinakuphela futhi ayinakubhujiswa yaba ingxenye yesivumo sokholo sabefundisi bamaJuda futhi cishe yamukelwa abantu bonke enkolweni yamaJuda yamuva.”
Izazi zeLobukholwa zalandela isibonelo sabefundisi bobuJuda ekwamukeleni umqondo wabaseBabiloni, abaseGibithe, amaPheresiya, namaGreki wokuthi umuntu unomphefumulo ongafi. Kodwa, ngoba amasonto eLobukholwa athi amukela iBhayibheli, azidalela ingxaki ngokwamukela imfundiso engeyona eyobuKristu. Ingxaki yilena: Amasonto angabambelela kanjani emfundisweni yeBhayibheli yovuko futhi, ngesikhathi esifanayo, afundise ukuthi umuntu uyasinda ekufeni ngomphefumulo ongafi?
Amasonto eLobukholwa aphuma kanjani kulengxaki? ICatholic Encyclopedia iyasitshela ukuthi kanjani, ithi: “IFourth Lateran Council ifundisa ukuthi bonke abantu, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bakhethiwe noma balahlwe ezonweni, ‘bayovuka nemizimba yabo siqu abanayo manje.’ Ngolimi lwezivumo zokholo lokhu kubuyela ekuphileni kubizwa ngokuthi ukuvuka komzimba.” (Omalukeke abethu) Ngamanye amazwi, kanjalo kuthiwa uvuko lwabafile lumane luwukwembathiswa futhi komphefumulo ongafi ngomzimba wenyama. Kodwa lokhu akusikho okufundiswa iBhayibheli.
Ithemba Leqiniso Lovuko
Izazi eziningi zeBhayibheli ziyavuma ukuthi izimfundiso zokungafi komphefumulo okuzuzwe njengefa no“kuvuswa komzimba” akufundiswa eBhayibhelini. UGeorges Auzou, uprofesa ongumFulentshi oyiKatolika wemiBhalo eNgcwele, uyabhala: “Umqondo wo‘mphefumulo,’ osho into ekhona engcwele engokomoya, engabonakali, ehlukene no‘mzimba,’ . . . awukho eBhayibhelini.” ITestamente Elisha alikhulumi ngo‘vuko lomzimba,’ kodwa ngo‘vuko lwabafileyo.’”
Ngokufanayo, encwadini yakhe Ukungafi Komphefumulo noma Uvuko Lwabafileyo?, uProfesa ongumFulentshi oyiProtestani uOscar Cullmann uyabhala: “Kunomehluko omkhulu phakathi kokulindela komKristu uvuko lwabafileyo nenkolelo yamaGreki yokungafi komphefumulo. . . . Nakuba ubuKristu kamuva bamisa isihlanganiso phakathi kwalezimfundiso ezimbili, futhi namuhla umKristu ovamile ezididanisa ngokuphelele, angisiboni isizathu sokufihla lokho mina nezazi eziningi esikucabangela ukuthi kuyiqiniso. . . . ukuphila nomqondo weTestamente Elisha kubuswa ngokuphelele ukholo lokuvuka. . . . wonke umuntu, ofile ngempela, ubuyiselwa ekuphileni ngesenzo esisha sokudala sikaNkulunkulu.”—(Kuhunyushwe enguqulweni yokuqala yesiFulentshi.)
Yebo, ithemba leqiniso elingokweBhayibheli lokuphila kwesikhathi esizayo lixhomeke ovukweni, noma ‘ekuvukeni futhi kwabafileyo,’ hhayi ekuzisindeleni komphefumulo ongafi. IBhayibheli likubeka ngokukhanyayo impela: “Kuyakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwa balungile nokwabangalungile.” (IzEnzo 24:15) Indlela okwenzeka ngayo ukudideka okukhulu kangaka okungokwenkolo izocatshangelwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.