LE, MIBUZO abantu abakhe bazibuza yona pheze iimnyaka engaba ziinkulungwana. Mibuzo eqakathekileko. Kungakhathaliseki bonyana sibobani namtjhana sihlalaphi, iimpendulo zeembuzo le ziyasithinta.

² Esahlukweni esigadungileko, sicoce ngokobana umhlatjelo wesihlengo sakaJesu Krestu wayivula njani indlela eya ekuphileni okungapheliko. Sifunde nangokobana iBhayibhili ikhuluma ngesikhathi lapho ‘ukufa kungekhe kusaba khona.’ (ISambulo 21:4) Okwanje soke siyafa. IKosi ehlakaniphileko uSolomoni yathi: “Abaphilako bayazi bonyana bazokuhlongakala.” (Umtjhumayeli 9:5) Silinga ukuphila isikhathi eside ngendlela esingakwazi ngayo. Nokho, sisazibuza bonyana kuzokwenzekani kithi nasifako.

³ Nesihlongakalelwa babantu esibathandako siyalila. Singazibuza bona: ‘Kwenzekeni kibo? Bayatlhaga lapho bakhona? Bayasibona? Singabarhelebha? Sisazobabona godu?’ Iinkolo zephasi ziphendula iimbuzo le ngeendlela ezihlukahlukeneko. Abanye bafundisa bona newulungileko uya ezulwini, kodwana newungakalungi uya esirhogweni. Ezinye iinkolo zifundisa bona ekufeni abantu baya endaweni yomoya lapho bazokuba nabokhokho babo khona. Kanti ezinye zifundisa bona abafileko baya ngaphasi komhlaba lapho bayokwahlulelwa khona begodu batjhugululelwe komunye umzimba.

⁴ Zoke iinkolo ezinjalo zinombono ofanako wokobana—enye ingcenye yomzimba iyasinda newufako. Ngokuya ngokweenkolo ezinengi, ebezilandelwa esikhathini esidlulileko nezilandelwako nje, singaphila ngokungapheliko sikwazi ukubona, ukuzwa nokucabanga. Kodwana kungenzeka njani lokho? Yingqondo eyenza bona amazizo nomkhumbulo wethu kuberege. Ekufeni, ingqondo iyalisa ukuberega. Iimkhumbulo yethu, namazizo akukwazi ukuragela phambili kuberega ngendlela esimangaliso ngemva kokufa kwengqondo.

KWAMAMBALA YINI EYENZEKAKO EKUFENI?

⁵ Bonyana yini eyenzekako ekufeni akusiyo ifihlo kuJehova, uMbumbi wengqondo. Uyalazi iqiniso, eLizwini lakhe iBhayibhili, uhlathulula ubujamo babantu abahlongakeleko. Ifundiso yayo ezwakalako ngile: Lokha umuntu nekahlongakalako, akasabi khona. Ukufa kuphambene nokuphila. Abahlongakeleko abakwazi ukubona, ukuzwa nokucabanga. Ayikho neyodwa ingcenye esindako nekufa umzimba. Asinawo umphefumulo namtjhana umoya ongafiko.*

⁶ Ngemva kobana uSolomoni alemukile bonyana abaphilako bayazi bona bazokufa, naku akutlolako: “Kodwana abahlongakeleko, abazi litho.” Wangezelela elwazini elisisekelo wathi, abahlongakeleko abakwazi ukuthanda nokuhloya nokobanyana “akunamsebenzi, amano, ilwazi namtjhana ukuhlakanipha [elibeni].” (Umtjhumayeli 9:5, 6, 10) Ngokufanako, AmaRhalani 146:4 athi umuntu nekahlongakalako, “iimkhumbulo yakhe iyaphela.” Siyafa, begodu iimzimbethu ayisindi nesifako. Ukuphila esikuthabelako kufana nelangabi lekhandlela. Nengabe ilangabi licimile, akukho lapho liya khona. Alisekho.

LOKHO OKWATJHIWO NGUJESU NGABAFILEKO

⁷ UJesu Krestu wakhuluma ngobujamo babahlongakeleko. Wenza njalo malungana noLazaro, indoda egade ayazi kuhle, eyahlongakalako. UJesu watjela abafundi bakhe: “Umngani wethu uLazaro ulele.” Abafundi badlumbana uJesu gade atjho bona uLazaro ulele uphumulile, ngombana gade agula. Kodwana uJesu gade angatjho lokho. UJesu wahlathulula: “ULazaro ufile.” (Jwanisi 11:11-14) Tjheja bonyana uJesu ufanisa ukufa nokuphumula nokulala. ULazaro gade angekho ezulwini namtjhana esirhogweni. Akhenge ahlangane neengilozi namtjhana abokhokho bakhe. ULazaro akhenge abelethwe angomunye umuntu. Bekaphumule ekufeni, ebuthongweni obukhulu obunganawo namabhudango. Eminye imitlolo ifanisa ukufa nokulala. Isibonelo, uJesu nekavusa indodakazi kaJayirosi, wathi, “Umntwana akakafi, ulele kwaphela!” (Luka 8:52, 53) Ngokufanako, umpostoli uPowula watlola ngabanye eenkhathini zakhe “esebalala” ekufeni.—1 KwebeKorinte 15:6.

⁸ Gade kumnqopho kaZimu na bona abantu bahlongakale? Awa! UJehova wabumba abantu bona baphile ngokungapheliko. Njengombana sifundile encwadini le, uZimu wabeka abantu bokuthoma eparadeyisini elihle. Wababusisa ngepilo enganasono. UJehova gade abafunela okuhle kwaphela. Kukhona na umbelethi ofuna abantwabakhe batlhagiswe ziinhlungu zokuluphala nokufa? Awa, akekho! UJehova gade abathanda abantwabakhe begodu bekafuna bona bathabe ngokungapheliko ephasini. Ngokuphathelene nabantu, iBhayibhili ithi: “[UJehova] ufake ukuphila okungapheliko eenhliziyweni zabo.” (Umtjhumayeli 3:11) UZimu wasibumba sinesifiso sokuphila ngokungapheliko. Begodu wenze namalungiselelo wokobana isifisweso sizaliseke.

OKWENZA ABANTU BAHLONGAKALE

⁹ Kubayini-ke abantu bahlongakala? Ukufumana ipendulo, kufuze sicabangele lokho okwenzeka ngesikhathi kunendoda yinye nomfazi munye ephasini. IBhayibhili iyahlathulula: “UJehova uZimu wenza bona kumile ehlabathini yoke imithi efiselekako phambi kwamehlo womuntu efanelekela ukudliwa.” (Genesisi 2:9) Nokho, gade kunomlayo munye. UJehova watjela u-Adamu: “Kiyo yoke imithi yesimini ungadla usuthe. Kodwana emthini wokwazi okuhle nokumbi akukafaneli bona udle kiwo, ngombana ngelanga ozokudla kiwo uzokufa nokufa.” (Genesisi 2:16, 17) Umlayo lo bekungasibudisi ukuwulalela. Bekunemithi eemnengi u-Adamu no-Efa egade bangadla kiyo. Kodwana umlayo lo wabanikela ithuba elikhethekileko lokutjengisa ukuthembeka kwabo kuZimu owabanikela koke kuhlanganise nokuphila okunganasono. Ukulalela kwabo bekuzokutjengisa bona bahloniphe igunya lakaYise wezulwini begodu gade bafuna ilayelo lakhe lethando.

¹⁰ Ngokudanisako, abantu bokuthoma bakhetha ukungamlaleli uJehova. Akhuluma aberegisa inyoka, uSathana wabuza u-Efa: “Kuliqiniso bona uZimu wathi kini ningadli kiyo yoke imithi esengadini na?” U-Efa waphendula: “Eemthini weenthelo esengadini singadla. Kodwana emthini wesithelo ophakathi kwengadi akukafaneli sidle kiwo, uZimu wathi, ‘Akukafaneli bona sidle kiwo, awa, akukafaneli siwukghwathe bona singafi.’”—Genesisi 3:1-3.

¹¹ USathana wathi: “Angekhe nife. UZimu uyazi bona ngelanga enizokudla ngalo amehlwenu azokuvuleka begodu nibe njengoZimu nazi okuhle nokumbi.” (Genesisi 3:4, 5) USathana bekafuna u-Efa akholelwe bona bekazokuzuza ngokudla isithelo uZimu athe bangasidli. Ngokuya ngoSathana, u-Efa bekangazikhethela bona khuyini okulungileko nokungakalungi; bekangenza namtjhana yini afuna ukuyenza. USathana godu wasola uJehova bona bekanamala ngemphumela yokudla isithelo. U-Efa wamkholwa uSathana. Ngalokho wathatha isithelo wasidla. Wanikela nendodakhe, nayo yadla. Lokho khenge bakwenze ngombana gade bangazi. Bebazi bona benza lokho uZimu abatjela bona bangakwenzi. Ngokudla isithelo, baweqa ngabomu umlayo obulula nozwakalako egade abanikele wona. Banyaza uYise wezulwini negunya lakhe. Gade bangekhe babe namabanga wokungamhloniphi uMbumbi wabo onethando.

¹² Ukutjengisa: Gade uzozizwa njani nengabe ukhulise bewatlhogomela indodana namtjhana indodakazi, ngokukhamba kwesikhathi indodana leyo namtjhana indodakazi leyo ingasakulaleli ngendlela yokutjengisa bona ayisenahlonipho namtjhana ithando ngawe? Lokho bekuzokuzwisa ubuhlungu khulu. Akhe ucabange, bonyana uJehova wezwa ubuhlungu kangangani lokha u-Adamu no-Efa bakhetha ukuphikisana naye.

¹³ Gade lingekho ibanga lokobana uJehova alise u-Adamu no-Efa abangalaleliko bona baphile ngokungapheliko. Bahlongakala njengombana uZimu atjho. U-Adamu no-Efa khenge basabakhona. Khenge badlulele endaweni yomoya. Lokhu sikwazi ngalokho uJehova akutjho ku-Adamu ngemva kokweqa umlayo. UZimu wathi: “[Uzokubuyela] ehlabathini njengombana wathathwa kiyo. Njengombana ulithuli uzokubuyela ethulini.” (Genesisi 3:19) UZimu wabumba u-Adamu ngethuli lehlabathi. (Genesisi 2:7) Ngaphambi kwalokho, u-Adamu gade angekho. Ngalokho, lokha uJehova athi u-Adamu uzokubuyela ethulini, Bekatjho bona u-Adamu angekhe asaba khona. U-Adamu gade azokufana nethuli abunjwe ngalo, angasaphili.

¹⁴ U-Adamu no-Efa ngathana bayaphila namhlanjesi, kodwana bahlongakala ngombana bakhetha ukungamlaleli uZimu begodu benza isono. Ibanga lokobana sihlongakale kukobana isono saka-Adamu kuhlanganise nokufa kwadluliselwa kiyo yoke inzalo yakhe. (KwebeRoma 5:12) Isonweso sifana nobulwelwe obumbi esabuzuzako okungekho noyedwa ongabubalekela. Umphumela wokufa, sithuwelelo. Ukufa linaba ingasi umngani. (1 KwebeKorinte 15:26) Qala bona sithokoza kangangani bona uJehova wasilungiselela isihlengo bona asiphuluse enabeni elimbeli!

UKWAZI IQINISO NGOKUFA KUYASIZUZISA

¹⁵ Kuyasiduduza ukwazi lokho iBhayibhili ekufundisako malungana nobujamo babafileko. Njengombana sibonile, abafileko abatlhagi namtjhana ababuzwa ubuhlungu. Alikho ibanga lokobana sibasabe, ngombana angekhe basilimaze. Abalitlhogi irhelebho lethu, begodu angekhe basirhelebha. Angekhe sakhuluma nabo, begodu nabo angekhe bakhuluma nathi. Abadosiphambili beenkolo ezinengi baleya amala bathi bangakghona ukurhelebha abantu abahlongakeleko, begodu abantu abakholelwa badosiphambili abanjalo babanikela imali. Kodwana ukwazi iqiniso kuvikela thina ekukhohlisweni ngilabo abafundisa amala.

¹⁶ Ikolo yakho iyavumelana nalokho okufundiswa yiBhayibhili malungana nabafileko na? Ezinengi azivumelani nalokho. Kubayini zingavumelani nalokho? Kungombana iimfundiso zazo zinomthelela kaSathana. Uberegisa ikolo yamala bona enze abantu bakholelwe bona ngemva kokobana iimzimbabo ihlongakale, bazokuragela phambili baphila endaweni yomoya. La, mamala uSathana awahlanganisa namanye bona alahlekise abantu ekukhonzeni uJehova uZimu. Wakwenza njani lokho?

¹⁷ Njengombana sibonile, ezinye iinkolo zifundisa bona nengabe umuntu wenza izinto ezimbi, ngemva kokuhlongakala uzokuya esirhogweni atlhage ngokungapheliko. Ifundiso le, itjengisa ukungamhloniphi uZimu. UJehova nguZimu olithando begodu ngekhe enze bona abantu batlhage ngendlela le. (1 KaJwanisi 4:8) Ungazizwa njani malungana nendoda ejezisa umntwana ongalaleliko ngokubeka isandla sakhe emlilweni? Ungayihlonipha indoda leyo? Eqinisweni, ungafuna ukuyazi? Angekhe! Ungacabanga bona beyinelunya khulu. Ye-ke, uSathana ufuna abantu bakholelwe bona uJehova utlhagisa abantu ngomlilo ngokungapheliko.

¹⁸ USathana uberegisa ezinye iinkolo bona zifundise bonyana ngemva kokufa abantu baba mimoya efanelwe kuhlonitjhwa begodu idunyiswe ngabaphilako. Malungana nefundiso le, imimoya yabahlongakeleko ingaba bangani abanamandla namtjhana ibe manaba amambi. Abantu abanengi bayawakholelwa amala la. Basaba abahlongakeleko begodu babanikela idumo nokukhulekelwa. Ngokuphambene nalokhu, iBhayibhili ifundisa bona abantu abahlongakeleko balele begodu kufuze sikhulekele okukuphela kwakaZimu wamambala, uJehova, uMbumbi noMtlhogomeli wethu.—ISambulo 4:11.

¹⁹ Ukwazi iqiniso ngabahlongakeleko kungakuvikela ekulahlekisweni ziinkolo zamala. Kuyakurhelebha godu nokobana uzwisise nezinye iimfundiso zeBhayibhili. Isibonelo, nasele wazi bona abantu nabahlongakalako abadluleli endaweni yomoya, isithembiso sokuphila okungapheliko ephasini eliyiparadeyisi siba ngesamambala kuwe.

²⁰ Esikhathini esadlulako, indoda elungileko uJobhi yabuza umbuzo naku: “Nengabe indoda enamandla ihlongakala ingabuya iphile godu na?” (Jobhi 14:14) Kungenzeka bona umuntu ohlongakeleko abuye aphile godu? Lokho iBhayibhili ekufundisako malungana nalokhu kududuza kwamambala, njengombana isahluko esilandelako sizokutjengisa.

*  Ukufumana ihlathululo ngebizo “umphefumulo” “nomoya” qala Isithasiselo.