“UkuFa Kugwinyiwe Kuze Kube Phakade”

CABANGA ufunda iphephandaba elinesihloko esingenhla esikhundleni sokufunda ngentombazanyana ezibulele. Yiqiniso, alikho iphephandaba elake lasho amazwi anjalo. Kodwa la mazwi angenhla ayatholakala encwadini enezinkulungwane zeminyaka ikhona—iBhayibheli.

EmiBhalweni ukufa kuchazwa ngokucacile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli alembuli nje kuphela ukuthi kungani sifa kodwa lichaza nesimo sabafileyo futhi linikeze ithemba ngezihlobo zethu ezashona. Ekugcineni, likhuluma ngesikhathi esibalulekile lapho kuyothiwa: “UkuFa kugwinyiwe kuze kube phakade.”—1 Korinte 15:54.

Kunokuba iBhayibheli lichaze ukufa ngamagama angaqondakali likuchaza ngamagama ajwayelekile. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokuphindaphindiwe lifanisa ukufa ‘nokulala’ futhi lichaza abantu abafileyo ‘njengabalele ekufeni.’ (IHubo 13:3; 1 Thesalonika 4:13; Johane 11:11-14) Ukufa kuchazwa nangokuthi ‘isitha.’ (1 Korinte 15:26) Okubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi iBhayibheli lisenza siqonde isizathu esenza ukuba ukufa kufane nokulala, isizathu esenza ukufa kuhluphe isintu, nendlela lesi sitha esiyonqotshwa ngayo.

Kungani Sifa?

Incwadi yokuqala yeBhayibheli ilandisa ngendlela uNkulunkulu adala ngayo umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, futhi wambeka ekhaya eliyipharadesi. (Genesise 2:7, 15) Lapho edalwa, u-Adamu wanikezwa izabelo ezazihambisana nomyalo oqinile. Maqondana nomuthi othile osensimini yase-Edene, uNkulunkulu wamtshela: “Ungadli kuwo, ngoba ngosuku oyodla ngalo kuwo uyokufa nokufa.”a (Genesise 2:17) Ngalokho, u-Adamu waqonda ukuthi ukufa kwakungagwenywa. Kwakuyoba khona ngenxa yokwephula umthetho kaNkulunkulu.

Kuyadabukisa ukuthi u-Adamu nomkakhe, u-Eva, abazange balalele. Bakhetha ukungayinaki intando yoMdali wabo, futhi bavuna ababekutshalile. Lapho etshela u-Adamu ngemiphumela yesono sabo, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Uluthuli, uyobuyela othulini.” (Genesise 3:19) Baba abangaphelele. Ukungapheleli kwabo, noma ukuba nesono, kwakuzobaholela ekufeni.

Lokhu kungapheleli—isono—kwadluliselwa nasenzalweni ka-Adamu no-Eva, lonke uhlanga lwesintu. Empeleni, kwakunjengokungathi kuyisifo esiwufuzo. U-Adamu akalahlekelwanga nje ilungelo lokuphila okungenakufa kodwa wadlulisela ukungapheleli enzalweni yakhe. Isintu saba izigqila zesono. IBhayibheli lithi: “Kungakho, njengoba nje ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.”—Roma 5:12.

“Isono Sangena Ezweni”

Lokhu kungapheleli okuwufuzo, noma isono, akubonakali ngesibonakhulu. “Isono” sibhekisela ekuntuleni isimilo nengokomoya okuye kwadluliselwa kithi kusuka kubazali bethu bokuqala, futhi kunemiphumela ebonakalayo. Nokho, iBhayibheli lembula ukuthi uNkulunkulu uye walungiselela ikhambi. Umphostoli uPawulu uyachaza: “Inkokhelo yesono ngukufa, kodwa isipho uNkulunkulu asinikezayo ngukuphila okuphakade ngoKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu.” (Roma 6:23) Encwadini yakhe yokuqala eyayiya kwabaseKorinte, uPawulu wanezela isiqinisekiso ayesibheka njengesibaluleke kakhulu: “Njengoba nje bonke befa ku-Adamu, kanjalo nakuKristu bonke bayokwenziwa baphile.”—1 Korinte 15:22.

Kusobala ukuthi uJesu Kristu unendima ebalulekile ekususeni isono nokufa. Wathi wayeze emhlabeni ukuze ‘anikele umphefumulo wakhe ube isihlengo sabaningi.’ (Mathewu 20:28) Lesi simo sifana nokuthunjwa, lapho kungadingeka khona ukuba kukhokhwe okuthile ukuze kukhululwe umuntu othunjiwe. Kule ndaba, isihlengo esingasikhulula esonweni nasekufeni siwukuphila kobuntu okuphelele kukaJesu.b—IzEnzo 10:39-43.

Elungiselela isihlengo, uNkulunkulu wathumela uJesu emhlabeni ukuze azonikela ngokuphila kwakhe. “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo . . . abe nokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Ngaphambi kokuba uKristu afe njengomhlatshelo, ‘wafakazela iqiniso.’ (John 18:37) Naphakathi nenkonzo yakhe yasobala, wasebenzisa izenzakalo ezithile ukuze achaze ngokucacile ukuthi kuyini ukufa.

“Intombazanyana . . . Ilele”

Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni uJesu wayekwazi ukufa. Wake waluzwa usizi lokushonelwa abantu abaziyo, futhi wayazi kahle ukuthi naye wayezofa kungakabi isikhathi. (Mathewu 17:22, 23) Ngokusobala, ezinyangeni ezithile ngaphambi kokuba uJesu abulawe, umngane wakhe omkhulu uLazaru washona. Leso senzakalo sisibonisa indlela uJesu ayekubheka ngayo ukufa.

Ngokushesha ngemva kokuthola umbiko wokufa kukaLazaru, uJesu wathi: “ULazaru umngane wethu uye kophumula, kodwa ngiya khona ukuze ngimvuse ebuthongweni.” Abafundi babecabanga ukuthi uma uLazaru ayemane nje eziphumulele, wayezoba ngcono. Ngakho, uJesu walibeka ngembaba: “ULazaru ufile.” (Johane 11:11-14) Kusobala ukuthi uJesu wayekubheka njengokulala ukufa. Njengoba kungase kube nzima kithi ukuba sikuqonde ukufa, siyakuqonda ukulala. Uma silele zwí ubuthongo, asikuzwa ukuhamba kwesikhathi futhi asazi ukuthi kwenzekani ngoba okwesikhashana sisuke sisesimweni sokungazi lutho. Yileyo ndlela iBhayibheli elisichaza ngayo isimo sabafileyo. UmShumayeli 9:5 uthi: “Abafileyo bona abazi lutho.”

UJesu wafanisa ukufa nokulala nangenxa yokuthi ngamandla kaNkulunkulu abantu bangavuka ekufeni. Kwesinye isenzakalo, uJesu wayevakashele umkhaya ososizini ngenxa yokuthi intombazanyana yawo yayisanda kushona. UJesu wathi: “Intombazanyana ayifile, ilele.” Wabe eseya entombazaneni eshonile, wabamba isandla sayo futhi “yavuka.”—Mathewu 9:24, 25.

Ngokufanayo, uJesu wamvusa umngane wakhe uLazaru ekufeni. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba enze leso simangaliso, waduduza uMarta, udadewabo kaLazaru, ngokuthi: “Umfowenu uzovuka.” UMarta waphendula ngokuqiniseka: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uyovuka ovukweni ngosuku lokugcina.” (Johane 11:23, 24) Kusobala ukuthi wayelindele ukuthi esikhathini esizayo zonke izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ziyovuka.

Empeleni, lusho ukuthini uvuko? Igama lesiGreki elithi “uvuko” (a·naʹsta·sis) ngokwezwi nezwi lisho “ukusukuma.” Libonisa ukuvuka kwabafileyo. Lokhu kungase kungakholeki kwabanye, kodwa ngemva kokuthi abafileyo bayolizwa izwi lakhe, uJesu wathi: “Ningamangali ngalokhu.” (Johane 5:28) Ukuvusa kukaJesu abantu abathile ngesikhathi esemhlabeni isenza sisethembe isithembiso seBhayibheli sokuthi abafileyo abasenkumbulweni kaNkulunkulu bayovuka njengoba ‘babelele’ isikhathi eside. Isiprofetho esisencwadini yesAmbulo 20:13 sithi: “Ulwandle lwakhipha abafileyo ababekulo, nokufa neHayidesi [ithuna elivamile lesintu] kwakhipha abafileyo ababekukho, bahlulelwa ngamunye ngokwezenzo zabo.”

Ingabe laba abafileyo bayovuselwa ukuphinde baguge futhi bafe, njengoba nje kwenzeka kuLazaru? Lokho akuyona injongo kaNkulunkulu. IBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa ngokuthi isikhathi siyeza lapho ‘ukufa kungeke kusaba khona,’ ngakho akekho oyoguga abese efa.—IsAmbulo 21:4.

Ukufa kuyisitha. Uhlanga lwesintu lunezinye izitha eziningi ezivamile, ezinjengokugula nokuguga, nazo ezibangela ubuhlungu obukhulu. UNkulunkulu uthembisa ukuzinqoba zonke, ekugcineni asiqede ngokuphelele isitha esikhulu sesintu. “Njengesitha sokugcina, ukufa kuzokwenziwa ize.”—1 Korinte 15:26.

Lapho lesi siprofetho sesigcwalisekile, isintu siyojabulela ukuphila okuphelele, singasahlushwa isono nokufa. Okwamanje, singaduduzeka ngokwazi ukuthi izihlobo zethu ezashona ziphumule, futhi uma zisenkumbulweni kaNkulunkulu, ziyovuswa ngesikhathi esifanele.

Ukukuqonda Ukufa Kwenza Ukuphila Kube Nenjongo

Ukukuqonda ngokucacile ukufa nethemba ngabafileyo kungashintsha indlela esibheka ngayo ukuphila. U-Ian, okukhulunywe ngaye esihlokweni esandulele, wayeseminyakeni yawo-20 lapho efunda ngencazelo yeBhayibheli ngokufa. Uthi: “Ngangilokhu nginethenjana lokuthi ubaba undawana-thile. Ngakho lapho ngifunda ukuthi wayemane elele nje ekufeni, ekuqaleni ngazizwa ngidabukile.” Noma kunjalo, lapho u-Ian efunda ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sokuvusa abafileyo, wachichima injabulo ngokwazi ukuthi angaphinde ambone uyise. Uyakhumbula: “Kwakungokokuqala ngqá ekuphileni kwami ngizizwa nginokuthula kwangaphakathi.” Ukukuqonda ngokufanele ukufa kwambangela ukuba abe nokuthula kwengqondo okwenza umoya wakhe wazola.

UClive noBrenda bashonelwa indodana yabo eyayineminyaka engu-21 ubudala, uSteven, engozini eshiwo esihlokweni esandulele. Nakuba babekwazi okushiwo iBhayibheli ngokufa, kwabaphatha kabuhlungu ukushonelwa kungazelelwe. Kakade, ukufa kuyisitha, futhi udosi lwako lubuhlungu. Ulwazi lwabo lwemiBhalo maqondana nesimo sabafileyo lwalunciphisa kancane kancane usizi lwabo. UBrenda uthi: “Ukukuqonda ukufa kuye kwasibangela ukuba siphinde sivuke sizithathe futhi siqhubeke nokuphila. Kona alukho usuku oludlulayo lapho singacabangi khona ngesikhathi uSteven ayovuka ngaso ebuthongweni bakhe obukhulu.”

“KuFa, Luphi Udosi Lwakho?”

Kusobala ukuthi ukusiqonda isimo sabafileyo kungasisiza ukuba sibe nombono olinganiselayo ngokuphila. Ukufa akudingeki kube imfihlakalo. Singakujabulela ukuphila ngaphandle kokusesaba ngokukhwantabalisayo lesi sitha esisisongelayo. Ukuqaphela ukuthi ukufa kungase kungakuqedi phakade ukuphila kwethu kususa noma imiphi imicabango yokuba siphilele injabulo, ngenxa yenkolelo yokuthi “ukuphila kufushane kakhulu.” Ukwazi ukuthi izihlobo zethu ezishonile zisenkumbulweni kaNkulunkulu, zilele ekufeni futhi zilindele uvuko kungasiduduza futhi kuvuselele isifiso sethu sokuqhubeka nokuphila.

Yebo, singalindela ikusasa ngokuqiniseka lapho uJehova uNkulunkulu, uMniki-kuphila, eyoqeda ukufa phakade. Yeka ukuthi kuyoba isibusiso kanjani lapho siyobuza ngokufanele ukuthi: “KuFa, kuphi ukunqoba kwakho? KuFa, luphi udosi lwakho?”—1 Korinte 15:55.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

Ukungalaleli kuka-Adamu no-Eva kwaholela ekufeni

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

UJesu wabamba isandla sentombazanyana eshonile, futhi yavuka

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Abaningi balindele isikhathi lapho izihlobo zabo ezishonile ziyovuswa ebuthongweni, njengoba kwenzeka kuLazaru