Okubuzwa Bafundi Bakamagazini Lo . . .

Likuphi IParadeyisi Okukhulunywa Ngalo EBhayibhilini?

▪ UJesu wathembisa indoda efako eyatjengisa ikholo kuye ngesibindi wathi: “Uzaba nami eParadeyisini.” (Luka 23:43) Indoda leyo izokuba kuphi? IParadeyisi lizokuba sezulwini, ephasini namtjhana kenye indawo, lapho abantu bazokulindela khona ukwahlulelwa?

Abokhokho bethu bakhe baphila eParadeyisini. IBhayibhili iyasitjela: “UJehova uZimu watjala isimu e-Edeni, ngepumalanga, wambeka khona umuntu ambumbileko. . . . UJehova uZimu wathatha umuntu wambeka esimini ye-Edeni bona ayilime abe ayitlhogomele.” (Genesisi. 2:8, 15) Amezwi la nekatjhugululelwa esiGirigini, ibizo “isimu” latjhugululwa ngokobana pa·raʹdei·sos, ngeSindebele elaba “yiparadeyisi.”

Njengombana isibili singakhulisa ikhaya laso nesiba nabantwana abangeziweko, ngalokho ababelethi bethu bekufuze banabise iParadeyisi ngaphandle kwemikhawulo ye-Edeni njengombana umkhaya wesintu wanda. UZimu wabatjela: “Zalisani iphasi nilibuse.”—Genesisi 1:28.

Ngalokho-ke, umnqopho woMbumbethu bekukukobana abantu baphile bakhulisele abantwababo ephasini eliyiParadeyisi. Bebazokuphila ngokungapheliko esimini ephasini, amathuna bekangekhe abe khona. Iphasi bekufuze libe likhaya laso soke isintu ngokungapheliko. Ngikho izinto eziseplanethini yethu zisilethela ithabo elingaka! Sabunjelwa bona siphile ephasini elihle.

Umnqopho kaZimu utjhentjhile na? Awa. Ngombana uJehova uyasiqinisekisa uthi: “Ngalokho ilizwi eliphuma emlonyenami lizokwenzeka. Angeze libuyele kimi lingakabi nemiphumela, kodwana ngokuqinisekileko lizokwenza okungithabisako.” (Isaya 55:11) Eemnyakeni engaphezu kwe-3 000 kubunjwe umuntu, iBhayibhili yathi malungana “noMbumbi wephasi noMenzi walo” bona “akhenge alibumbele ilize,” kodwana “walibumba bona kuhlalwe kilo.” (Isaya 45:18) Intando kaZimu ayikatjhentjhi. Iphasi lizokuba yiparadeyisi.

Ngokukarisako, iindima ezinengi zeBhayibhili zimane zihlathulula ukuphila eParadeyisini ephasini. Isibonelo, umporofidi u-Isaya wathi: “Ngokuqinisekileko bazokwakha izindlu bahlale kizo; ngokuqinisekileko bazokutjala isimu yamadribe badle iinthelo zayo.” (Isaya 65:21) Zakhiwaphi izindlu nesimu yamadribe itjalwaphi? Zidliwaphi iinthelo? Ephasinapha. Iziyema 2:21 ngokukhanyako zithi: “Abalungileko ngibo abazokuhlala ephasini.”

UJesu wakhuluma ngeparadeyisi lephasini. Kuliqiniso, wathembisa neparadeyisi lezulwini, kodwana lelo ngelabambalwa abakhethiweko. (Luka 12:32) Ngemva kokuhlongakala, labo bavuselwa eParadeyisini lezulwini bese bahlanganyele noKrestu ekubuseni iphasi eliyiParadeyisi. (ISambulo 5:10; 14:1-3) Ababusi bezulwinaba bazokuqinisekisa bona iParadeyisi lephasini libuswa ngokufaneleko begodu lihlala lisebujamweni obufunwa nguZimu.

UJesu bekazi bona lokho kuyintando kaZimu ngephasi. Phela bekasezulwini noYise nekubunjwa isimu ye-Edeni. Ukuphila eparadeyisini lephasini lesikhathi esizako kuvulekele woke umuntu onekholo namhlanjesi. (Jwanisi 3:16) Kwabanjalo, uJesu uyathembisa: “Uzaba nami eParadeyisini.”—Luka 23:43.

[Umthombo wesithombe ekhasini 10]

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