Sonke nxa sibona amapikitsha ezindawo ezinhle ezikhatshana abazithi yipharadayisi, siyabe sesifuna ukuya khona ukuze siyebethwa ngumoya sikhohlwe ngendubo zethu. Kodwa lanxa singaze siyekhona sikwazi mhlophe ukuthi nxa siphenduka emizini yethu, indubo zonke siyazithola zisimelele.

Sonke siyafuna sibili ukuphila epharadayisi. Yikho sicina sizibuza ukuthi: ‘Ipharadayisi yinto ekhona kumbe yinganekwane nje? Nxa kuyinganekwane manje sizihluphelani ngalo? Kungenzakala yini ukuthi umhlaba ube lipharadayisi?’

Sekudlule iminyaka eminengi abantu bethakazelela indaba yokuba sepharadayisi. Kwabanengi isifiso lesi sibe khona ngenxa yalokho okukhulunywa liBhayibhili mayelana ‘lesivande esasisempumalanga, e-Edeni.’ Kuyini okwenza isivande lesi saba sihle kakhulu? IBhayibhili lithi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wenza yonke imihlobo yezihlahla ukuthi zikhule emhlabathini—izihlahla ezazibukeka emehlweni njalo zinhle ekudleni.” Isivande leso sasiyindawo enhle okwamagama. Okwakusenza sikhange kakhulu yikuthi “phakathi laphakathi kwesivande kwakulesihlahla sokuphila.”—UGenesisi 2:8, 9.

Okunye njalo yikuthi kuGenesisi kulandiswa ngemifula emine eyayigeleza esivandeni leso. Emibili yakhona, iThigrisi leYufrathe ilokhu isaziwa lalamuhla. (UGenesisi 2:10-14) Imifula le igeleza idabula e-Iraq eyayiyingxenye yePhesiya kudala isiyathela ePersian Gulf.

Lokhu kwenza sibone ukuthi yindaba ipharadayisi lithandeka ebantwini basePhesiya. Ngokwesibonelo ikhaphethi yePhesiya yakudaladala esePhiladelphia Museum of Art, ePennsylvania, eMelika, ilompikitsha omuhle wesivande esibiyelweyo esilezihlahla lamaluba. Ibala lesiPhesiya elithi “isivande esibiyelweyo” liphinda litsho “ipharadayisi” njalo okusekhaphethini le kulitshengisa kuhle ipharadayisi elichazwa eBhayibhilini elaliyisivande sase-Edeni.

Emhlabeni wonke abantu bakhuluma izinto ezitshiyeneyo ngepharadayisi. Njengoba abantu babethutha besiyahlala kwezinye izindawo, babefika baxoxe ngepharadayisi lokuqala kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi indaba yepharadayisi yacina isihlanganiswe lezinganekwane zendawo abafika bahlala kuzo. Lalamuhla abantu nxa bechaza izindawo ezinhle bazithi lipharadayisi.

Kulabanye abantu abathi balithola ipharadayisi elalahlekayo. Ngokwesibonelo uCharles Gordon owayeyisikhulu sebutho laseBritain wathi evakatshele elizweni laseSeychelles ngo-1881, wabona ubuhle bendawo okuthiwa yiVallée de Mai futhi bamthinta kwamancane wahle wathi yiso kanye isivande sase-Edeni. Indawo le khathesi ibalelwa phakathi kwezindawo ezinhle kakhulu emhlabeni wonke. Ngo-1492 uChristopher Columbus wathi efika esihlengeni saseHispaniola khathesi esibizwa ngokuthi yiDominican Republic leHaiti wababaza ubuhle abubonayo waze wazitshela ukuthi sekuseduze ukuthi asithole isivande sase-Edeni.

Elinye ibhuku lezembali lilamamephu adlula 190 njalo amanengi atshengisa u-Adamu lo-Eva bese-Edeni. Phakathi kwawo kuleyinye imephu kaBeatus waseLiébana okungenzeka isileminyaka engaba ngu-800. Phezulu ilebhokisi elincane elitshengisa ipharadayisi. Khonapho kulemifula emine ebhalwe ukuthi “iThigrisi,” “iYufrathe,” “iPhishoni” le “Gihoni.” Umfula ngamunye ugeleza usiya ekhoneni ngalinye lebhokisi lelo futhi kucatshangwa ukuthi imifula le imela ukusabalala kwesiKhristu sisiya emagumbini amane omhlaba. Lokhu kuveza ukuthi lanxa indawo lapho okwakulesivande sase-Edeni ingasaziwa, izindaba ezixoxwayo zitshengisa ukuthi ipharadayisi lilokhu lisezingqondweni zabantu.

 Enye imbongi okuthiwa nguJohn Milton eyazalwa eminyakeni engu-400 eyadlulayo, edume ngenkondlo ethi Paradise Lost (Ukulahleka Kwepharadayisi), yaloba ngendaba ekuGenesisi emayelana lokona kuka-Adamu lokuxotshwa kwakhe e-Edeni enkondlweni le. Enkondlweni le waveza lesithembiso sokuthi abantu bazathola ukuphila okungapheliyo emhlabeni, wathi: “Ngalesosikhathi umhlaba uyabe usulipharadayisi.” UMilton waphinda waloba enye inkondlo eyayisithi Paradise Regained (Ukutholakala Kwepharadayisi).

Kusegcekeni ukuthi indaba yokulahleka kwepharadayisi elisemhlabeni yindaba abantu abayaziyo. Manje yindaba ingasekho emilonyeni yabantu khathesi? Elinye ibhuku lezembali lithi, ‘izikhwicamfundo ezibona ngezokholo kaziselandaba lepharadayisi elisemhlabeni.’

Abantu abanengi abaya emasontweni bafundiswa ukuthi ikhaya labo lisezulwini hatshi emhlabeni olipharadayisi. Kodwa iBhayibhili kuHubo 37:29 lithi: “Abathobekileyo bazakudla ilifa lelizwe bakholise ukuthula okukhulu.” Njengoba umhlaba lo ungayisilo pharadayisi lamuhla, kuyini okungenza sikholwe ukuthi isithembiso leso sizagcwaliseka? *

UJehova uNkulunkulu onguye owadala iPharadayisi lokuqala uthembise ukuthi uzalenza liphinde libe khona. Uzakwenza njani lokhu? UJesu wasifundisa ukuthi sithandaze ngale indlela: ‘UMbuso wakho kawuze, intando yakho yenziwe emhlabeni njengalokhu isenziwa ezulwini.’ (UMathewu 6:10) INkosi yoMbuso lo nguJesu Khristu njalo yiwo ozasusa bonke ohulumende abakhona. (UDanyeli 2:44) Nxa uMbuso lo usubusa intando kaNkulunkulu yokuthi umhlaba ube lipharadayisi ‘izakwenziwa.’

Umphrofethi u-Isaya waphefumulelwa ukuthi aveze ukuthi izinto ezihlupha abantu ziyabe zingasekho ePharadayisi. (U-Isaya 11:6-9; 35:5-7; 65:21-23) Sikukhuthaza ukuthi uwabale amavesi lawa eBhayibhilini lakho. Ungenza njalo uzabona ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzabaphani labo abamlalelayo. Abantu bazakholisa ukuba sepharadayisi lokuba lobuhlobo obuseduze kakhulu loNkulunkulu.—ISambulo 21:3.

Kodwa kuyini okungenza sikholwe ukuthi akusiyonganekwane ukuthi umhlaba uzakuba liPharadayisi? IBhayibhili lithi: “NgakaJehova amazulu angaphezu kwakho konke, kodwa umhlaba wawunika umuntu.” Isithembiso sokuthi umhlaba uzakuba liPharadayisi sakhulunywa “nguNkulunkulu ongaqambi manga.” (IHubo 115:16; KuThithusi 1:2) Ukuphila emhlabeni olipharadayisi nini lanini yisithembiso esihle kakhulu esisithola eBhayibhilini.