1. Yintoni injongo kaThixo ngomhlaba?

UTHIXO unenjongo entle gqitha ngalo mhlaba. UYehova ufuna ukuba uzaliswe ngabantu abonwabileyo nabasempilweni. IBhayibhile ithi “uThixo watyala umyezo e-Eden” waza “wantshulisa . . . yonke imithi enqwenelekayo emehlweni nelungele ukudliwa.” Emva kokuba uThixo edale indoda nomfazi bokuqala, uAdam noEva, wababeka kwelo khaya lithandekayo waza wathi kubo: “Qhamani, nande, niwuzalise umhlaba nize niwoyise.” (Genesis 1:28; 2:8, 9, 15) Ngoko injongo kaThixo yayikukuba babe nabantwana, bawandise loo myezo uzalise umhlaba wonke, baze banyamekele nezilwanyana ezikuwo.

2. (a) Sazi njani ukuba injongo kaThixo ngomhlaba iza kuzaliseka? (b) Ithini iBhayibhile ngokuphila kwabantu ngonaphakade?

² Ngaba ucinga ukuba iya kuze izaliseke injongo kaYehova uThixo yokuba abantu baphile ngonaphakade kwiparadesi esemhlabeni? UThixo uthi: ‘Ndikuthethile oko; yaye ndiya kukwenza.’ (Isaya 46:9-11; 55:11) Ewe, injongo kaThixo iza kuzaliseka ngokuqinisekileyo! Uthi ‘akawudalelanga ilize umhlaba, kodwa uwubumbe ngenjongo yokuba umiwe.’ (Isaya 45:18) Luhlobo olunjani lwabantu uThixo awayefuna luphile emhlabeni? Yaye wayefuna baphile ixesha elide kangakanani? IBhayibhile iyaphendula: “Amalungisa  aya kuwudla ilifa umhlaba, ahlale kuwo ngonaphakade.”—INdumiso 37:29; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4.

3. Ziziphi iimeko ezilusizi ezikhoyo ngoku emhlabeni, yaye oku kuphakamisa yiphi imibuzo?

³ Ngokucacileyo, oku akukenzeki. Abantu ngoku bayagula baze bafe; yaye bayalwa baze babulalane. Izinto ziye zonakala. Noko ke, ngokuqinisekileyo ibingeyonjongo kaThixo ukuba umhlaba ube nje! Konakele phi? Yintoni ebangele ukuba injongo kaThixo ingazaliseki? Ayikho incwadi yembali enokusinika impendulo, kuba ingxaki iqale ezulwini.

4, 5. (a) Ngubani kanye kanye owathetha noEva esebenzisa inyoka? (b) Umntu ohloniphekileyo nonyanisekileyo unokuba lilo njani isela?

⁴ Incwadi yokuqala yeBhayibhile isixelela ngokuvela komchasi kaThixo kumyezo wase-Eden. Kuthiwa ‘yinyoka,’ kodwa wayengesosilwanyana. Incwadi yokugqibela yeBhayibhile ithi ubizwa “ngokuba nguMtyholi, uSathana, lowo ulahlekisa umhlaba uphela.” Ukwabizwa nangokuba ‘yinyoka yantlandlolo.’ (Genesis 3:1; ISityhilelo 12:9) Le ngelosi inamandla, nesisidalwa somoya esingabonakaliyo, yasebenzisa inyoka ekuthetheni kwayo noEva, kanye njengokuba umntu onobuchule enokwenza kubonakale ngathi ilizwi lakhe liphuma kunopopi othile. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo le ngelosi yayikho xa uThixo wayelungisa umhlaba ukuze kuhlale abantu kuwo.—Yobhi 38:4, 7.

⁵ Ekubeni yonke indalo kaYehova igqibelele, ngoko ngubani owenze ‘uSathana uMtyholi’? Ngamafutshane singathi, omnye woonyana bakaThixo bomoya abanamandla wazenza uMtyholi. Kwenzeka njani oko? Ukuze ucacelwe, cinga nje ngomntu ohloniphekileyo nonyanisekileyo ojika abe lisela. Oko kwenzeka ngokuthi avumele umnqweno ophosakeleyo ukuba ukhule entliziyweni yakhe. Ngokuqhubeka kwakhe ecinga ngaloo nto iphosakeleyo, uya eyinqwenela ngakumbi nangakumbi. Lithi lakuvela ithuba, enze kanye  ngokwaloo mnqweno wakhe uphosakeleyo.—Yakobi 1:13-15.

6. Unyana kaThixo womoya nonamandla waba nguye njani uSathana uMtyholi?

⁶ Yiloo nto kanye eyenzekayo kuSathana uMtyholi. Usenokuba wamva uThixo eyalela uAdam noEva ukuba babe nabantwana baze bazalise umhlaba ngenzala yabo. (Genesis 1:27, 28) Ngoko kusenokwenzeka ukuba waqiqa ngelithi, ‘Bonke aba bantu bebenokunqula mna kunokunqula uThixo!’ Ngoko kwakhula umnqweno ophosakeleyo entliziyweni yakhe. Ekugqibeleni, wenza ngokwaloo mnqweno uphosakeleyo ngokuthi akhohlise uEva emxelela ubuxoki ngoThixo. (Genesis 3:1-5) Ngaloo ndlela waba “nguMtyholi,” gama elo elithetha “uMhlebi.” Kwangaxeshanye waba “nguSathana,” gama elo elithetha “uMchasi.”

7. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uAdam noEva bafe? (b) Kutheni yonke inzala ka-Adam isaluphala ize ife?

⁷ Ngokusebenzisa ubuxoki namaqhinga, uSathana uMtyholi wenza ukuba uAdam noEva bangamthobeli uThixo. (Genesis 2:17; 3:6) Ngoko bafa, kanye njengokuba uThixo wayethe babeza kufa xa bengathobeli. (Genesis 3:17-19) Ekubeni uAdam waba ngumntu ongafezekanga emva kokuba onile, ngoko wosulela yonke inzala yakhe ngesono. (Roma 5:12) Oku singakuzekelisa ngepani yokubhaka isonka. Ukuba ipani inesifotho, kwenzeka ntoni kwisonka ngasinye esibhakwa kuyo? Naso siba nesifotho. Ngokufanayo ke, bonke abantu baye bafumana “isifotho” esikukungafezeki kuAdam. Yiyo loo nto besaluphala baze bafe.—Roma 3:23.

8, 9. (a) Wanyelisa njani uSathana? (b) Kutheni uThixo engazange abatshabalalise ngoko nangoko abo bavukeli?

⁸ Xa uSathana wenza ukuba uAdam noEva bone uThixo, eneneni wayekhokela imvukelo. Wayechasa indlela uYehova alawula ngayo. Ngamany’ amazwi wayesithi: ‘UThixo ulawula kakubi. Uyabaxokisa aze abavimbe ulonwabo abantu abalawulayo. Ulawulo lukaThixo aluyomfuneko  ebantwini. Banokuzigqibela ngokwabo ukuba yintoni na elungileyo okanye embi. Yaye mna ndingabalawula bhetele.’ UThixo wayeza kusabela njani kwezi zinyeliso zingaka? Abanye bathi kwakufanele ukuba uThixo uye wababulala ngoko nangoko abo bavukeli. Kodwa ngaba oko kwakuya kuziphendula izinyeliso zikaSathana? Ngaba kwakuya kungqina ukuba uThixo ulawula ngendlela echanileyo?

 ⁹ Ekubeni uYehova esesikweni ngokugqibeleleyo, ebengenakusuka nje ababulale ngoko nangoko abo bavukeli. Wagqiba kwelokuba ayeke kugqithe ixesha elithile ukuze zingqineke zibubuxoki izinyeliso zikaSathana uMtyholi. Ngoko uThixo wabavumela abantu ukuba bakhe bazilawule ngaphantsi kwempembelelo kaSathana. Isizathu sokuba uYehova enze oko nesizathu sokuba avumele kudlule ixesha elide kangaka ngaphambi kokuba aphelise le mbambano sichaziwe kwiSahluko 11 sale ncwadi. Noko ke, okwangoku kuhle ukuba sikhe sicingisise ngemibuzo ethi: Ngaba kwakufanelekile ukuba uAdam noEva bakholelwe uSathana, ongazange abenzele nanye into elungileyo? Ngaba kwakufanelekile ukuba bakholelwe ukuba uYehova wayelixoki elikhohlakeleyo, nakubeni inguye owayebanike yonk’ into ababenayo? Ngewawenze ntoni wena?

10. Unokumxhasa njani uYehova ekuphenduleni kwakhe izinyeliso zikaSathana?

¹⁰ Kuhle ukucingisisa ngale mibuzo kuba ngamnye wethu ujamelene nembambano efanayo namhlanje. Nawe unethuba lokuba uxhase uYehova ekuphenduleni kwakhe izinyeliso zikaSathana. Oko ungakwenza ngokuthi wamkele uYehova njengoMlawuli wakho, ngaloo ndlela ubonisa ukuba uSathana ulixoki. (INdumiso 73:28; IMizekeliso 27:11) Ngelishwa ke noko, kumawaka ezigidi zabantu ezikhoyo emhlabeni, bambalwa nje kuphela abaye benza ukhetho olunjalo. Oku kwenza ukuba kuphakame umbuzo obalulekileyo othi, Ngaba ngokwenene iBhayibhile ifundisa ukuba nguSathana olawula eli hlabathi?

11, 12. (a) Ukulingwa kukaYesu kubonisa njani ukuba uSathana ungumlawuli weli hlabathi? (b) Yintoni enye engqina ukuba uSathana ungumlawuli weli hlabathi?

¹¹ UYesu akazange ayithandabuze into yokuba uSathana ungumlawuli weli hlabathi. Ngendlela engummangaliso, uSathana wakha wabonisa uYesu “zonke izikumkani  zehlabathi nozuko lwazo.” Wandula ke uSathana wamthembisa oku uYesu: “Zonke ezi zinto ndokunika ukuba uthe wawa phantsi wanqula kum.” (Mateyu 4:8, 9; Luka 4:5, 6) Khawucinge nje ngako oko. Ngaba oko ngekwaba sisilingo kuYesu ukuba uSathana ebengenguye umlawuli wezikumkani? UYesu akazange ayiphikise into yokuba bonke oorhulumente behlabathi ngabakaSathana. Ngokuqinisekileyo uYesu ngewayekwenzile oko ukuba bebengalawulwa nguSathana.

¹² Enyanisweni uYehova unguThixo usomandla, yaye nguye uMdali wazo zonke izinto. (ISityhilelo 4:11) Kodwa akukho apho iBhayibhile ithi khona uYehova uThixo okanye uYesu Kristu ungumlawuli weli hlabathi. Eneneni uYesu watsho ngokungqalileyo ukuba uSathana ‘ungumlawuli weli hlabathi.’ (Yohane 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) IBhayibhile ide ithi uSathana uMtyholi ‘unguthixo wale nkqubo yezinto.’ (2 Korinte 4:3, 4) Umpostile uYohane ongumKristu wabhala wathi ngalo mchasi unguSathana: “Ihlabathi liphela lisemandleni ongendawo.”—1 Yohane 5:19.

13. Kutheni lifuneka nje ihlabathi elitsha?

¹³ Nyaka ngamnye ihlabathi liya lisiba yingozi ngakumbi nangakumbi. Lizaliswe yimikhosi elwayo, abezopolitiko abanganyanisekanga, iinkokeli zonqulo ezihanahanisayo, nezaphuli-mthetho ezikhohlakeleyo. Le meko likuyo eli hlabathi ayinakukwazi ukulungiswa. Noko ke, iBhayibhile ithi kungekudala uThixo uza kulitshabalalisa eli hlabathi lingendawo ngemfazwe yakhe yeArmagedon. Emva koko kuya kubakho ihlabathi elitsha lobulungisa.—ISityhilelo 16:14-16.

14. Ngubani uThixo ammisele njengoMlawuli woBukumkani Bakhe, yaye wakuchaza njani oku kwangaphambili?

¹⁴ UYehova uThixo umisele uYesu Kristu njengoMlawuli woBukumkani okanye urhulumente Wakhe wasezulwini.  Kwakude kudala ngaphambili iBhayibhile yathi: “Sizalelwe umntwana, sinikwe unyana; yaye ukuphatha njengenkosana kuya kuba segxalabeni lakhe. Igama lakhe liya kubizwa [ngokuthi] . . . iNkosana yoXolo. Akayi kuyeka ukuphatha njengenkosana, noxolo aluyi kuphela.” (Isaya 9:6, 7) UYesu wafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bamthandazele lo rhulumente bathi: “Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenzeke ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.” (Mateyu 6:10) Njengoko siza kubona kamva kule ncwadi, kungekudala uBukumkani bukaThixo buza kubashenxisa bonke oorhulumente abasehlabathini, kuze kulawule bona bodwa. (Daniyeli 2:44) Buya kwandula ke uBukumkani bukaThixo buzise iparadesi emhlabeni.

15. Uyintoni ‘umhlaba omtsha’?

¹⁵ IBhayibhile isiqinisekisa ngokuthi: “Thina ke silindele amazulu amatsha nomhlaba omtsha, ngokwesithembiso [sikaThixo], apho kumi ubulungisa.” (2 Petros 3:13; Isaya 65:17) Maxa wambi xa iBhayibhile ithetha ‘ngomhlaba,’ ibhekisela kubantu abaphila kuwo. (Genesis 11:1) Ngoko ‘umhlaba omtsha’ onobulungisa libutho labantu uThixo akholiswayo ngabo.

16. Sisiphi isipho esixabisekileyo uThixo asigcinele abo akholiswayo ngabo, yaye simele senze ntoni ukuze sisifumane?

¹⁶ UYesu wathembisa ukuba kwihlabathi elitsha elizayo, abo uThixo akholiswayo ngabo baza kufumana isipho ‘sobomi obungunaphakade.’ (Marko 10:30) Khawutyhile kuYohane 3:16 nakwisahluko 17:3, uze ufunde ngoko uYesu wathi simele sikwenze ukuze sifumane ubomi obungunaphakade. Ngoku makhe sihlolisise eBhayibhileni iintsikelelo eziya kunanditshwa ngabo bakufanelekelayo ukufumana eso sipho simangalisayo sikaThixo kwiParadesi yasemhlabeni ezayo.

17, 18. Sinokuqiniseka njani ukuba kuya kubakho uxolo nonqabiseko kuyo yonke indawo emhlabeni?

¹⁷ Ubungendawo, iimfazwe, ulwaphulo-mthetho, nogonyamelo  ziya kube zingekho. ‘Abayi kubakho abangendawo. Kodwa abalulamileyo baya kuwudla ilifa umhlaba.’ (INdumiso 37:10, 11) Kuya kubakho uxolo kuba ‘uThixo uya kuziphelisa iimfazwe kuse eziphelweni zomhlaba.’ (INdumiso 46:9; Isaya 2:4) Ngelo xesha “uya kuhluma olilungisa, nobuninzi boxolo ide ingabi sabakho inyanga”—oko kukuthi ngonaphakade!—INdumiso 72:7.

¹⁸ Abanquli bakaYehova baza kuhlala benqabisekile. Logama amaSirayeli ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile ayemthobela uThixo, ayehlala enqabisekile. (Levitikus 25:18, 19) Kuya kuba mnandi ngokwenene ukunandipha unqabiseko olunjalo eParadesi!—Isaya 32:18; Mika 4:4.

19. Sazi njani ukuba kuza kubakho intabalala yokutya kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo?

¹⁹ Ukunqongophala kokutya kuza kuphela. Umdumisi wacula wathi: “Kuya kubakho ukudla okuziinkozo okuninzi emhlabeni; encotsheni yeentaba kuya kubakho ukuphuphuma.” (INdumiso 72:16) UYehova uThixo uza kuwasikelela amalungisa, yaye “umhlaba uya kunika imveliso yawo.”—INdumiso 67:6.

20. Sinokuqiniseka njani ukuba umhlaba wonke uza kuba yiparadesi?

²⁰ Umhlaba wonke uza kuba yiparadesi. Lo mhlaba owonakaliswe ngabantu abanesono uza kuyokozela imiyezo emihle namakhaya amatsha. (Isaya 65:21-24; ISityhilelo 11:18) Ngokuthe ngcembe, iinxalenye zomhlaba ekuza kube kuhlala abantu kuzo ziza kuya zisanda ngokwanda de wonke umhlaba uchume ube mhle njengomyezo wase-Eden. Yaye ngokuqinisekileyo uThixo uza ‘kusivula isandla sakhe aze anelise umnqweno wayo yonke into ephilayo.’—INdumiso 145:16.

21. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba kuza kubakho uxolo phakathi kwabantu nezilwanyana?

²¹ Kuza kubakho uxolo phakathi kwabantu nezilwanyana. Izilwanyana zasendle nezasekhaya ziza kudla ndawonye.  Kwanomntwana omncinane akayi kuzoyika izilwanyana ezinobungozi ngoku.—Isaya 11:6-9; 65:25.

22. Kuza kwenzeka ntoni ngokugula?

²² Ukugula kuza kuphela. NjengoMlawuli woBukumkani bukaThixo basezulwini, uYesu uza kuphilisa kakhulu ngakumbi kunokuba wenzayo xa wayesemhlabeni. (Mateyu 9:35; Marko 1:40-42; Yohane 5:5-9) Ngoko “akakho ummi wakhona oya kuthi: ‘Ndiyagula.’”—Isaya 33:24; 35:5, 6.

23. Kutheni uvuko luza kuzivuyisa iintliziyo zethu?

²³ Abantu esibathandayo abafileyo baza kuvuswa baze bangaphinde bafe kwakhona. Bonke abalele ekufeni abakwinkumbulo kaThixo baza kuvuswa. “Kuza kubakho uvuko lwamalungisa nabangengomalungisa.”—IZenzo 24:15; Yohane 5:28, 29.

24. Uvakalelwa njani ngokuphila eParadesi emhlabeni?

²⁴ Liyamangalisa ngokwenene ikamva abanalo abo bakhetha ukufunda ngoMdali wethu Ozukileyo, uYehova uThixo, baze bamkhonze! UYesu wayebhekisela kule Paradesi yasemhlabeni izayo xa wathembisa umenzi-bubi owafela ecaleni kwakhe, esithi: “Uya kuba nam eParadesi.” (Luka 23:43) Kubalulekile ukuba sifunde ngakumbi ngoYesu Kristu, ekubeni ziza kufumaneka ngenxa yakhe zonke ezi ntsikelelo.