Ukuphila Ngemva Kokufa—Kanjani, Kuphi, Nini?

UMDALI womuntu noMniki-kuphila unikeza isiqinisekiso sokuthi ukufa komuntu akusho ukuphela kokuphila phakade ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uNkulunkulu usiqinisekisa ngokuthi kungenzeka ukuba singagcini nje ngokuphinde siphile ukuphila okwengeziwe okulinganiselwe kodwa ukuba siphile sinethemba lokungaphinde sibhekane nokufa! Umphostoli uPawulu wakubeka kalula, kodwa ngokuqiniseka: “[UNkulunkulu] unikeze isiqinisekiso kubo bonke abantu njengoba eye wamvusa [uKristu Jesu] kwabafileyo.”—IzEnzo 17:31.

Yebo, lokhu kusashiya imibuzo emithathu eyisisekelo ingaphenduliwe: Umuntu ofile angabuyela kanjani ekuphileni? Kuyokwenzeka nini lokhu? Kuba khona kuphi lokho kuphila okusha? Emhlabeni wonke, kuye kwanikezwa izimpendulo ezihlukene kulemibuzo, kodwa isihluthulelo esibalulekile sokuthola iqiniso kulendaba siwukuqonda ngokunembile ukuthi kwenzekani kubantu lapho befa.

Ingabe Impendulo Iwukungafi?

Inkolelo esakazekile eyokuthi bonke abantu banengxenye engafi nokuthi kufa imizimba yabo kuphela. Ngokuqinisekile uye wakuzwa lokhu. Lengxenye okuthiwa ayifi ibizwa ngokuhlukahlukene ngokuthi “umphefumulo” noma “umoya.” Kuthiwa iyasinda lapho umzimba ufa bese iqhubeka iphila kwenye indawo. Ngokungagwegwesi nje, inkolelo enjalo ayiveli eBhayibhelini. Yiqiniso, abantu basendulo abangamaHeberu abaseBhayibhelini babebheke phambili ekuphileni ngemva kokufa, kodwa hhayi ngokusinda kwengxenye yabo ethile engafi. Babebheke phambili ngokuqiniseka ekubuyeleni ekuphileni emhlabeni kwesikhathi esizayo ngesimangaliso sovuko.

Inzalamizi u-Abrahama iyisibonelo esivelele somuntu owayenokholo ovukweni lwabafileyo lwesikhathi esizayo. Ichaza ukuzimisela kuka-Abrahama ukunikela ngendodana yakhe u-Isaka ibe umhlatshelo, eyamaHeberu 11:17-19 iyasitshela: “Ngokholo u-Abrahama, lapho evivinywa, kwafana nokuthi usenikele ngo-Isaka, . . . kodwa wathi uNkulunkulu uyakwazi ukumvusa ngisho nakwabafileyo; futhi ngempela wamamukela evela lapho ngendlela engokomfanekiso,” njengoba uNkulunkulu engafunanga ukuba u-Isaka enziwe umhlatshelo. Efakazela ngokwengeziwe ukuthi kwakudala ama-Israyeli ayekholelwa ukuthi ayeyophinde abuyele ekuphileni kamuva (kunokuba ngokuphazima kweso adlulele ekuphileni kwasendaweni yomoya), umprofethi uHoseya wabhala: “Ngiyakubahlenga esandleni sendawo yabafileyo, ngibahlawulele ekufeni.”—Hoseya 13:14.

Pho umqondo wokungafi komuntu okungokwemvelo wangena nini emicabangweni nasezinkolelweni zamaJuda? I-Encyclopaedia Judaica iyavuma ukuthi “cishe imfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo yangena eNkolweni YobuJuda ngenxa yethonya lamaGreki.” Noma kunjalo, kuze kube sesikhathini sikaKristu amaJuda azinikele ayesakholelwa futhi ebheke phambili ovukweni lwesikhathi esizayo. Lokhu singakubona ngokucacile engxoxweni kaJesu noMarta lapho kufe umfowabo uLazaru: “Ngakho-ke uMarta wathi kuJesu: ‘Nkosi, ukuba ubulapha umfowethu ngabe akafanga.’ . . . UJesu wathi kuye: ‘Umfowenu uzovuka.’ UMarta wathi kuye: ‘Ngiyazi ukuthi uyovuka ovukweni ngosuku lokugcina.’”—Johane 11:21-24.

Isimo Sabafileyo

Nalapha futhi, asikho isidingo sokuqagela ngalendaba. Iqiniso leBhayibheli elicacile liwukuthi abafileyo ‘balele,’ abazi lutho, abanamizwa nalwazi. Lelo qiniso alibekiwe ngendlela eyinkimbinkimbi eBhayibhelini, okunzima ukuyiqonda. Cabanga ngalemibhalo eqondakala kalula: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa, kepha abafileyo abazi-lutho, . . . Konke isandla sakho esikufumanayo ukukwenza, kwenze ngamandla akho, ngokuba akukho-msebenzi, namcabango, nakwazi, nakuhlakanipha endaweni yabafileyo, lapho uya khona.” (UmShumayeli 9:5, 10) “Ningethembi ezikhulwini nasendodaneni yomuntu okungekho kuyo ukusiza. Umoya wakhe uyaphuma, yena abuyele emhlabathini wakhe; ngalona lolosuku amacebo akhe ayaphela.”—IHubo 146:3, 4.

Khona-ke, kuyaqondakala ukuthi kungani uJesu Kristu abiza ukufa ngokuthi ubuthongo. Umphostoli uJohane uloba ingxoxo phakathi kukaJesu nabafundi bakhe: “Wathi kubo: ‘ULazaru umngane wethu uye kophumula, kodwa ngiya lapho ukuze ngimvuse ebuthongweni.’ Ngakho-ke abafundi bathi kuye: ‘Nkosi, uma eye kophumula, uzophila.’ Nokho, uJesu wayekhulumé ngokufa kwakhe. Kodwa bona bacabanga ukuthi wayekhuluma ngokuphumula kokulala. Ngakho-ke, ngalesosikhathi uJesu wathi kubo ngokungagunci: ‘ULazaru ufile.’”—Johane 11:11-14.

Kufa Umuntu Wonke

Inqubo yokufa komuntu ihilela umuntu ewonke, hhayi ukufa komzimba kuphela. Ngokwamazwi eBhayibheli acacile, kumelwe siphethe ngokuthi umuntu akanawo umphefumulo ongafi okwazi ukusinda lapho umzimba wakhe ufa. ImiBhalo ibonisa ngokucacile ukuthi umphefumulo ungafa. “Bheka, yonke imiphefumulo ingeyami, umphefumulo kayise njengomphefumulo womntwana; ingeyami; umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.” (Hezekeli 18:4) Akukho lapho kuthiwa khona amagama athi “ongafi” noma “ukungafi” abhekisela kokuthile okungokwemvelo esintwini.

I-New Catholic Encyclopedia inikeza lomlando othakazelisayo ngamagama esiHeberu nesiGreki ahunyushwe ngokuthi “umphefumulo” eBhayibhelini: “[ETestamenteni Elidala] umphefumulo i-nepeš, [eTestamenteni Elisha] [i-psy·kheʹ]. . . . Elithi nepeš livela esiqwini sokuqala cishe esisho ukuphefumula, futhi kanjalo . . . njengoba ukuphefumula kungumehluko phakathi kwabaphilayo nabafileyo, elithi nepeš labe selisho ukuphila noma umuntu uqobo noma nje ukuphila ngakunye. . . . Akukho kuhlukaniswa komzimba nomphefumulo kube izingxenye ezimbili [eTestamenteni Elidala]. UmIsrayeli wayebona izinto ngombono ongokoqobo, ziphelele, futhi kanjalo wayebheka abantu njengabantu hhayi njengezingxube. Igama elithi nepeš, nakuba lihunyushwe ngegama lethu elithi umphefumulo, alilokothi lisho umphefumulo ohlukile emzimbeni noma kumuntu ngamunye. . . . Leli gama [elithi psy·kheʹ] ngele[Testamente Elisha] elihambisana nelithi nepeš. Lingasho umsuka wokuphila, ukuphila uqobo, noma isidalwa esiphilayo.”

Ngakho ungabona ukuthi ekufeni, umuntu obekade ephila, noma umphefumulo ophilayo, akabe esaba bikho. Umzimba ubuyela ‘emhlabathini’ noma ezakhini zenhlabathi, kancane kancane ngokungcwatshwa bese uyabola noma ngokusheshiswa ngokuthi ushiswe. UJehova watshela u-Adamu: “Ungumhlabathi, uyakuphenduka umhlabathi.” (Genesise 3:19) Khona-ke, kwenzeka kanjani ukuphila ngemva kokufa? Ngenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu unenkumbulo yakhe siqu ngalowo muntu oye wafa. UJehova unamandla nekhono eliyisimangaliso lokudala abantu, ngakho akufanele kusimangaze ukuthi enkumbulweni yakhe angagcina umlando wokuphila komuntu. Yebo, wonke amathuba okuba lowo muntu aphinde aphile axhomeke kuNkulunkulu.

Yilona umqondo wegama elithi “umoya,” okuthiwa ubuyela kuNkulunkulu owawunikayo. Echaza lomphumela, umlobi ophefumulelwe wencwadi yomShumayeli uyachaza: “Uthuli lubuyele emhlabathini, njengokuba lwalunjalo, umoya ubuyele kuNkulunkulu owawunikayo.”—UmShumayeli 12:7.

NguNkulunkulu kuphela ongenza umuntu aphile. Lapho uNkulunkulu edala umuntu e-Edene futhi ephefumulela emakhaleni akhe “umoya wokuphila,” ngaphezu kokugcwalisa amaphaphu ka-Adamu ngomoya, uJehova wabangela ukuba amandla okuphila aphilise wonke amangqamuzana emzimbeni wakhe. (Genesise 2:7) Ngenxa yokuthi lamandla okuphila angadluliselwa ezinganeni esuka kubazali ngenqubo yokukhulelwa nokubeletha, kungashiwo kufanele ukuthi ukuphila komuntu kuvela kuNkulunkulu nakuba, yebo, kutholakala ngabazali.

Uvuko—Isikhathi Esijabulisayo

Uvuko akufanele ludidaniswe nokuphindukuzalwa, okungasekelwa ndawo emiBhalweni Engcwele. Ukuphindukuzalwa yinkolelo yokuthi ngemva kokuba umuntu efile, uphinde azalwe aphile okwesibili noma ngaphezulu. Kuthiwa kusuke sekuwukuphila okuphakeme noma okuphansi kunokuphila kwakhe okudlule, kuye ngokuthi uzakhele igama elinjani kulokho kuphila okudlule. Ngokwalenkolelo, umuntu angase “aphinde azalwe” engumuntu noma eyisilwane. Lokho kungqubuzana ngokuphelele nalokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo.

Igama elithi “uvuko” lihunyushwe lisuswa egameni lesiGreki elithi a·naʹsta·sis, ngokwezwi nezwi elisho “ukuphinda usukume.” (Abahumushi besiGreki abangamaHeberu baye bahumusha elithi a·naʹsta·sis ngamagama esiHeberu athi techi·yathʹ ham·me·thimʹ, asho ukuthi “ukuvuswa kwabafileyo.”) Uvuko luhilela ukuvuselelwa kwendlela yokuphila yalowo muntu, leyo ndlela yokuphila uNkulunkulu ayigcine enkumbulweni yakhe. Kuye ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu ngalowo muntu, lomuntu uvuswa abe nomzimba wenyama noma umzimba womoya; kodwa usalokhu enguye, enobuntu nezinkumbulo okufanayo nayenakho lapho efa.

Yebo, iBhayibheli likhuluma ngezinhlobo ezimbili zovuko. Olunye uvuko lwasezulwini ngomzimba womoya; lolu lungolwabambalwa. UJesu Kristu wathola lolo vuko. (1 Petru 3:18) Futhi wabonisa ukuthi lwaluyotholwa abakhethiwe phakathi kwabalandeli bezinyathelo zakhe, kuqale ngabaphostoli abakholekile, labo abanikeza isithembiso esithi: “Ngiyahamba ngiyonilungisela indawo. . . . Ngiyobuye ngize futhi ngizonamukela ekhaya kimi, ukuze kuthi lapho ngikhona nani nibe khona.” (Johane 14:2, 3) IBhayibheli libhekisela kulokhu ngokuthi “uvuko lokuqala,” lungolokuqala ngokwesikhathi nangokwesikhundla. ImiBhalo ichaza labo abavuselwe ekuphileni kwasezulwini ngalendlela ngokuthi bangabapristi bakaNkulunkulu futhi babusa njengamakhosi noKristu Jesu. (IsAmbulo 20:6) Lolu “vuko lokuqala” lungolwenani elilinganiselwe, futhi imiBhalo ngokwayo imbula ukuthi bangu-144 000 kuphela abayothathwa kwabesilisa nabesifazane abakholekile. Bayobe bebonakalise ubuqotho babo kuJehova uNkulunkulu noKristu Jesu kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwabo futhi beye bakhuthala ekufakazeni kwabanye ngokholo lwabo.—IsAmbulo 14:1, 3, 4.

Ngaphandle kokungabaza, uvuko lwabafileyo luyisikhathi senjabulo engenakulinganiswa ngalabo abavuselwa ekuphileni kwasezulwini. Kodwa injabulo ayigcini lapho, ngoba kuthenjiswe novuko lokuphila khona lapha emhlabeni. Labo abavusiwe bayohlangana nabayinani elingenamingcele abayosinda ekupheleni kwesimiso sezinto esibi samanje. Ngemva kokubukela inani elincane elifanelekela uvuko lwasezulwini, umphostoli uJohane wanikwa umbono ‘wesixuku esikhulu, okungekho muntu owakwazi ukusibala, siphuma kuzo zonke izizwe nezizwana nabantu nezilimi.’ Yeka ukuthi leso kuyoba isikhathi esijabulisa kanjani lapho izigidi, mhlawumbe izinkulungwane zezigidi, zibuyela ekuphileni lapha emhlabeni!—IsAmbulo 7:9, 16, 17.

Luyokwenzeka Nini?

Noma iyiphi intokozo nenjabulo ibingaba eyesikhashana uma abafileyo bebuyela emhlabeni ogcwele umbango, ukuchithwa kwegazi, ukungcola, nobudlova—njengoba kunjalo namuhla. Cha, uvuko kumelwe lulinde ukumiswa ‘komhlaba omusha.’ Cabanga nje, iplanethi engasenabo abantu nezinhlangano eziye zabonakala zizimisele ukubhubhisa umhlaba nokonakalisa ubuhle bawo obumsulwa, ingasaphathwa eyosizi olungenakulinganiswa eziye zalulethela abahlala kuwo.—2 Petru 3:13; IsAmbulo 11:18.

Ngokusobala, isikhathi sovuko lwesintu sisonke siseza. Kodwa izindaba ezinhle ukuthi asisekude. Yiqiniso, kumelwe silinde ukuphela kwalesi simiso sezinto samanje esibi. Nokho, ubufakazi obuningi bubonisa ukuthi siseduze isikhathi sokugqashuka okuzumayo ‘kosizi olukhulu,’ oluyofinyelela umvuthwandaba ‘ngempi yosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke’—ngokuvamile ebizwa ngokuthi i-Armagedoni. (Mathewu 24:3-14, 21; IsAmbulo 16:14, 16) Lempi iyosusa bonke ububi kuleplanethi ejabulisayo, uMhlaba. Ngemva kwalokho kuyoba nokuBusa Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane kukaKristu Jesu, lapho umhlaba uyolethwa kancane kancane esimweni sokuba ipharadesi.

IBhayibheli limbula ukuthi phakathi nalokhu kuBusa Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane, kuyovuswa abantu abafile. Khona-ke kuyobe kugcwaliseka isithembiso uJesu asenza ngenkathi esemhlabeni: “Ningamangali ngalokhu, ngoba ihora liyeza lapho bonke abasemathuneni ayisikhumbuzo beyozwa khona izwi layo futhi . . . baphumele ovukweni.”—Johane 5:28, 29.

Ithonya Lethemba Lovuko

Yeka ukuthi leli themba lovuko liyithemba lesikhathi esizayo elimangalisa kanjani—isikhathi lapho abafileyo beyobuyela ekuphileni! Yeka indlela elisikhuthaza ngayo njengoba sibhekana nezingqinamba zokuguga, ukugula, izinhlekelele ezingalindelekile nokudabuka, futhi nezingcindezi zansuku zonke nezinkinga zokuphila zansuku zonke! Lisusa udosi lokufa—hhayi ngokususa ukudabuka ngokuphelele kodwa ngokusenza sihluke kulabo abangenathemba ngekusasa. Umphostoli uPawulu walivuma leli thonya eliduduzayo lethemba lovuko ngalamazwi: “Bafowethu, asifuni ukuba nibe abangenalwazi ngokuphathelene nabalele ekufeni; ukuze ningadabuki njengoba nje kwenza bonke abanye abangenalo ithemba. Ngoba uma ukholo lwethu luwukuthi uJesu wafa wabuye wavuka, kanjalo futhi uNkulunkulu uyobaletha kanye naye labo abalele ekufeni ngoJesu.”—1 Thesalonika 4:13, 14.

Kungenzeka kakade siye sabhekana neqiniso lokunye futhi okwaphawulwa indoda yaseMpumalanga uJobe: “Umuntu unyamalala njengokuthile okubolile, njengesambatho esidliwa izinundu. Umuntu ozalwa owesifazane unezinsuku ezimbalwa futhi ezigcwele inkathazo. Uqhakaza njengembali futhi abune; njengesithunzi esidlula ngokushesha, akahlali njalo.” (Jobe 13:28–14:2, New International Version) Nathi siyakuqaphela ukungaqiniseki kokuphila neqiniso elibuhlungu lokuthi noma ubani kithi angahlangabezana “nesikhathi nesenzakalo esingalindelekile.” (UmShumayeli 9:11, qhathanisa ne-NW.) Ngokuqinisekile, akekho kithi owujabulelayo umcabango wokubhekana nenqubo yokufa. Noma kunjalo, ithemba lovuko eliqinisekile liyasiza ngokususa ukwesaba ukufa okuqeda amandla.

Ngakho yima isibindi! Bheka ngalé kokulala ekufeni okungase kufike, ekubuyeleni ekuphileni ngesimangaliso sovuko. Bheka phambili ngokuqiniseka ethembeni lokuphila kwesikhathi esizayo okungenakuphela, bese unezela kulo injabulo yokwazi ukuthi leso sikhathi esibusisekile siseduze.