Umbhalo KaNowa Wezenzakalo Zohambo—Ingabe Ubalulekile Kithi?

LAPHO enikeza isiprofetho sesibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakhe nesesiphelo sesimiso sezinto, uJesu wathi: “Njengoba nje zazinjalo izinsuku zikaNowa, kuyoba njalo nokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu.” (Mathewu 24:3, 37) Kusobala ukuthi uJesu wabikezela ukuthi lokhu okwenzekayo osukwini lwethu kufana nokwangesikhathi sikaNowa. Umlando othembekile nonembile wezenzakalo zangosuku lukaNowa ungaba usizo olukhulu.

Ingabe umbhalo kaNowa wezenzakalo uyilo lolo sizo? Ingabe zikhona izici ezibonisa ukuthi ungumlando oyiqiniso? Singakwazi yini ngempela ukuthola ukuthi uZamcolo wenzeka nini?

Wenzeka Nini UZamcolo?

IBhayibheli lilandisa izenzakalo ngokulandelana kwazo okwenza sikwazi ukubala ngokucophelela sihlehlele emuva ekuqaleni komlando wesintu. KuGenesise 5:1-29, sithola uhlu lozalo kusukela ekudalweni komuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, kuya ekuzalweni kukaNowa. UZamcolo waqala “ngonyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha wokuphila kukaNowa.”—Genesise 7:11.

Ukuze sithole isikhathi uZamcolo owenzeka ngaso, kudingeka siqale osukwini olubalulekile emlandweni. Okusho ukuthi, kumelwe siqale ngosuku olwamukelekayo emlandweni wezwe futhi oluhambisana nesenzakalo esithile esilotshwe eBhayibhelini. Uma sibala sisukela kulolo suku, singakwazi ukuthola usuku lukaZamcolo sisebenzisa ikhalenda kaGregory esetshenziswa namuhla.

Olunye usuku olunjalo ngu-539 B.C.E., unyaka inkosi yasePheresiya uKoresi eyagumbuqela ngawo iBhabhiloni. Phakathi kwemithombo yezwe esitshela isikhathi sokubusa kwakhe kukhona izibhebhe zaseBhabhiloni nemibhalo kaDiodorus, ka-Africanus, ka-Eusebius, nekaPtolemy. Ngenxa yesimemezelo esakhishwa uKoresi, insali engamaJuda yaphuma eBhabhiloni yafika ezweni layo ngo-537 B.C.E. Lokho kwasho ukuphela kweminyaka engu-70 yokuba incithakalo kwezwe lakwaJuda, ngokomlando weBhayibheli okwakuqale ngo-607 B.C.E. Uma sibala inkathi yabahluleli neyokubusa kwamakhosi akwa-Israyeli, singakwazi ukuthola ukuthi uFuduko lwama-Israyeli ephuma eGibhithe lwenzeka ngo-1513 B.C.E. Ukubala isikhathi okusekelwe eBhayibhelini kusibuyisela emuva ngeminye iminyaka engu-430 sifike ekwenziweni kwesivumelwano no-Abrahama ngo-1943 B.C.E. Ngokulandelayo kumelwe sibale nokuzalwa kanye nobude bokuphila kukaThera, uNahori, uSerugi, uRehu, uPhelege, u-Ebhere, noShela, kanye no-Arpakishade owazalwa “eminyakeni emibili ngemva kukazamcolo.” (Genesise 11:10-32) Ngaleyo ndlela singakwazi ukuthola ukuthi uZamcolo wenzeka ngonyaka ka-2370 B.C.E.a

Imvula KaZamcolo Iyaqala

Ngaphambi kokuba sihlole izenzakalo zangosuku lukaNowa, kungakuhle ufunde uGenesise isahluko 7 ivesi 11 kuya kusahluko 8 ivesi 4. Ngokuphathelene naleyo mvula enkulu, sitshelwa ukuthi: “Ngonyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha wokuphila kukaNowa [ngo-2370 B.C.E.], ngenyanga yesibili, ngosuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga, ngalolu suku zonke iziphethu zotwa olukhulu lwamanzi zabhoboka namasango ezikhukhula amazulu avuleka.”—Genesise 7:11.

UNowa wayehlukanisa unyaka ube izinyanga ezingu-12 ezinezinsuku ezingu-30. Endulo, inyanga yokuqala yayiqala maphakathi no-September wekhalenda yethu. Imvula kaZamcolo yaqala ukuna “ngenyanga yesibili, ngosuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga” yaqhubeka ina izinsuku ezingu-40 nobusuku obungu-40 phakathi nezinyanga zika-November no-December 2370 B.C.E.

Sitshelwa lokhu futhi ngoZamcolo: “Amanzi aqhubeka esibekele umhlaba izinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi amahlanu. . . . Amanzi aqala ukubohla emhlabeni, aqhubeka ebohla; futhi ekupheleni kwezinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi amahlanu amanzi ayengasekho. Ngenyanga yesikhombisa, ngosuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga, umkhumbi wahlala ezintabeni zase-Ararati.” (Genesise 7:24–8:4) Ngakho kusukela amanzi esibekela umhlaba kuze kube yilapho esebohlile kwaba izinsuku ezingu-150, noma izinyanga ezinhlanu. Kanjalo umkhumbi wama ezintabeni zase-Ararati ngo-April ka-2369 B.C.E.

Manje funda uGenesise 8:5-17. Iziqongo zezintaba zavela cishe ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbili nengxenye (izinsuku ezingu-73), “ngenyanga yeshumi [ngo-June], ngolokuqala lwenyanga.” (Genesise 8:5)b Ngemva kwezinyanga ezintathu (izinsuku ezingu-90)—“ngonyaka [kaNowa] wamakhulu ayisithupha nanye, ngenyanga yokuqala, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga,” noma phakathi no-September, 2369 B.C.E.—uNowa wasusa isembozo somkhumbi. Wayesekwazi ukubona ukuthi “ubuso bomhlaba base bomile.” (Genesise 8:13) Ngemva kwenyanga nezinsuku ezingu-27 (izinsuku ezingu-57), “ngenyanga yesibili, ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nesikhombisa lwenyanga [phakathi no-November, 2369 B.C.E.], umhlaba wase womile.” UNowa nomkhaya wakhe babe sebephumela emhlabathini owomile. Ngakho, uNowa nabanye bahlala emkhunjini unyaka owodwa nezinsuku eziyishumi (izinsuku ezingu-370).—Genesise 8:14.

Le mibhalo enembile enikeza izenzakalo, imininingwane nezikhathi ifakazelani? Lokhu nje kuphela: Umprofethi ongumHebheru uMose, okusobala ukuthi incwadi kaGenesise wayisekela emibhalweni ayeyitholile, wayebhala amaqiniso, hhayi inganekwane. Ngakho uZamcolo ubaluleke kakhulu kithi namuhla.

Abanye Ababhali BeBhayibheli Babewubheka Kanjani UZamcolo?

Kunezinye izindawo eziningi eBhayibhelini ezikhuluma ngoNowa noma ngoZamcolo ngaphandle kwendaba kaGenesise. Ngokwesibonelo:

(1) Umcwaningi u-Ezra wabala uNowa namadodana akhe (uShemi, uHamu noJafete) ohlwini lozalo lwesizwe sakwa-Israyeli.—1 IziKronike 1:4-17.

(2) ULuka owayengudokotela futhi engumbhali weVangeli, ubala uNowa lapho ebhala uhlu lokhokho bakaJesu Kristu.—Luka 3:36.

(3) Umphostoli uPetru ucaphuna kaningi endabeni kaZamcolo lapho ebhalela amanye amaKristu.—2 Petru 2:5; 3:5, 6.

(4) Umphostoli uPawulu wakhuluma ngokholo olukhulu uNowa alubonisa ngokwakha umkhumbi wokusindisa abendlu yakhe.—Hebheru 11:7.

Kungaba khona yini ukungabaza ukuthi laba babhali beBhayibheli abaphefumulelwe babeyamukela indaba kaZamcolo ekuGenesise? Akungabazeki ukuthi babeyibheka njengesenzakalo esiyiqiniso.

UJesu NoZamcolo

UJesu Kristu wayeke waphila ngaphambi kokuba ngumuntu. (IzAga 8:30, 31) Wayeyisidalwa somoya ezulwini ngesikhathi kuna imvula kaZamcolo. Ngakho, njengofakazi wokuzibonela, uJesu usinikeza isiqinisekiso somBhalo esikhulu kunazo zonke ngoNowa nangoZamcolo. UJesu wathi: “Njengoba nje zazinjalo izinsuku zikaNowa, kuyoba njalo nokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu. Ngoba njengoba babenjalo ngalezo zinsuku zangaphambi kukazamcolo, bedla, bephuza, amadoda eshada nabesifazane bendiswa, kwaze kwaba usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini; futhi benganakanga kwaze kwafika uzamcolo, wabakhukhula bonke, kuyoba njalo nokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu.”—Mathewu 24:37-39.

Ingabe uJesu wayengasebenzisa inganekwane ukuze asixwayise ngokuphela okuzayo kwalesi simiso sezinto? Lutho neze! Siyaqiniseka ukuthi wasebenzisa isibonelo esenzeka ngempela sokukhishwa kwesahlulelo saphezulu kwababi. Yebo, abantu bafa, kodwa kungasiduduza ukwazi ukuthi uNowa nomkhaya wakhe basinda kuZamcolo.

“Izinsuku zikaNowa” zisho lukhulu kubantu abaphila namuhla, ngesikhathi ‘sokuba khona kweNdodana yomuntu,’ uJesu Kristu. Lapho sifunda indaba enemininingwane kaZamcolo wembulunga yonke egcinwe emlandweni owabhalwa uNowa, singaqiniseka ukuthi ingumlando oyiqiniso. Futhi le ndaba kaGenesise ephefumulelwe uNkulunkulu emayelana noZamcolo isho lukhulu kithi. Njengoba uNowa, amadodana akhe nomkawo baba nokholo endleleni kaNkulunkulu yokusindisa, nathi namuhla uJehova angasivikela uma siba nokholo emhlatshelweni kaJesu wesihlengo. (Mathewu 20:28) Ngaphezu kwalokho, singaba nethemba lokuba phakathi kwabasindayo ekupheleni kwalesi simiso esibi sezinto njengoba nje nombhalo kaNowa wezenzakalo ubonisa ukuthi yena nomkhaya wakhe basinda kuZamcolo owabhubhisa izwe langaleso sikhathi elingamesabi uNkulunkulu.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 5]

Ingabe Babephila Isikhathi Eside Kangako?

IBHAYIBHELI lithi: “Zizonke izinsuku zikaNowa zaba iminyaka engamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye namashumi amahlanu wayesefa.” (Genesise 9:29) Uyisemkhulu kaNowa, uMethusela waphila iminyaka engu-969—isikhathi eside kunazo zonke esake saphilwa umuntu emlandweni. Isilinganiso sesikhathi sokuphila kwezizukulwane eziyishumi kusuka ku-Adamu kuya kuNowa sasingaphezu kweminyaka engu-850. (Genesise 5:5-31) Ingabe abantu babephila isikhathi eside kangako ngaleso sikhathi?

Injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni kwakuwukuba abantu baphile phakade. Umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, wadalwa enethuba lokuphila phakade uma elalela uNkulunkulu. (Genesise 2:15-17) Kodwa u-Adamu akalalelanga futhi walahlekelwa yilelo thuba. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-930 ephila, esondela kancane kancane ekufeni, u-Adamu wabuyela emhlabathini ayethathwe kuwo. (Genesise 3:19; 5:5) Umuntu wokuqala wadlulisela kuyo yonke inzalo yakhe ifa lesono nokufa.—Roma 5:12.

Noma kunjalo, abantu ababephila ngaleso sikhathi babeseduze nokuphelela kuka-Adamu kwasekuqaleni futhi kusobala ukuthi kungalesi sizathu babephila isikhathi eside kunalabo abakude nako. Ngakho, ngaphambi kukaZamcolo iminyaka yokuphila kwabantu yayisondela enkulungwaneni, yabe seyehla ngokushesha ngemva kwawo. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Abrahama waphila iminyaka engu-175 kuphela. (Genesise 25:7) Emva kweminyaka engaba ngu-400 leyo nzalamizi ifile, umprofethi uMose wabhala wathi: “Ngokwazo, izinsuku zeminyaka yethu ziyiminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa; uma kungenxa yamandla akhethekile, ziyiminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili, nokho ukuphikelela kwazo kusezinkathazweni nasezintweni ezilimazayo.” (IHubo 90:10) Kusenjalo nanamuhla.

[Ishadi/Izithombe ekhasini 6, 7]

Kubalwa Kusukela UKoresi Ekhiphe Isimemezelo Sokuba AmaJuda Aphindele Ezweni Lawo, Kuhlehlelwa KuZamcolo Wosuku LukaNowa

537 Isimemezelo sikaKoresic

Iminyaka engu-68

1513 UkuFuduka Kuka-Israyeli EGibhithe

1943 Ukuqiniswa kwesivumelwano sika-Abrahama

Iminyaka engu-205

2148 Ukuzalwa kukaThera

Iminyaka engu-222

2370 Ukuqala KukaZamcolo

[Umbhalo waphansi]