1-3. Yiyiphi imibuzo abayibuzayo abantu ngokufa, yaye ziziphi iimpendulo ezinikelwa ziinkonzo ezahlukahlukeneyo?

LE YIMIBUZO ababekade bezibuza yona abantu kangangamawaka eminyaka. Kwaye ibalulekile, kuba sonke, enoba singoobani okanye sihlala phi, sinomdla wokuzazi iimpendulo zayo.

² Kwisahluko esingaphambili, siye saxubusha indlela idini lentlawulelo likaYesu Kristu eliyivule ngayo indlela yokufumana ubomi obungunaphakade. Sikwafunde nokuba iBhayibhile ithi ‘ukufa akusayi kubakho’ kwixesha elizayo. (ISityhilelo 21:4) Kodwa ke, okwangoku sisafa. UKumkani uSolomon osisilumko wathi: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuba baya kufa.” (INtshumayeli 9:5) Senza wonke umzamo wokuba siqhubeke siphila. Kwangaxeshanye, sifun’ ukwazi ngoko kuza kwenzeka kuthi xa sisifa.

³ Siba buhlungu gqitha xa sifelwa ngabo sibathandayo. Yaye sisenokubuza ukuba: ‘Kwenzeka ntoni kubo? Ngaba beva ubuhlungu? Ngaba basijongile ukuze basilondoloze? Ngaba sinako ukubanceda? Ngaba siya kuze sibabone kwakhona?’ Ehlabathini lonke iinkonzo zinikela iimpendulo ezahlukeneyo kule mibuzo. Ezinye zithi ukuba wenza izinto ezilungileyo uza kuya ezulwini, kodwa ukuba wenza izinto ezimbi uza kuthuthunjiswa emlilweni. Kanti ezinye iinkonzo zifundisa ukuba xa abantu besifa baphila kwelemimoya  kunye nookhokho babo. Ezinye zifundisa ukuba abafileyo baya kummandla ongaphantsi komhlaba ukuze bagwetywe baze ke bazalwe ngokutsha benomzimba owahlukileyo.

4. Yiyiphi ingcamango ezinayo iinkonzo ezininzi ngokuphathelele ukufa?

⁴ Phawula ukuba iimfundiso zazo zonke ezi nkonzo zinengcamango enye yokuba—kukho inxalenye ethile yethu eqhubeka iphila emva kokufa komzimba. Phantse zonke iinkonzo, ezamandulo nezanamhlanje, zifundisa ukuba ngandlel’ ithile siqhubeka siphila ngonaphakade, sikwazi ukubona, ukuva nokucinga. Kodwa kungenzeka njani oko? Kaloku ukubona nokucinga kwethu kuxhomekeke engqondweni. Yaye xa sisifa, ingqondo iyayeka ukusebenza. Ngoko ukukholelwa ukuba abafileyo basenazo iinkumbulo neemvakalelo bekuya kufana nokuzikhohlisa ngokuthi ingqondo yabo isaphila ngandlel’ ithile engummangaliso.

5, 6. Yintoni efundiswa yiBhayibhile ngemeko yabafileyo?

⁵ UYehova uyayazi into eyenzekayo ekufeni, kuba nguye odale ingqondo. ILizwi lakhe iBhayibhile liyayichaza imeko yabafileyo. Lichaza ngokucacileyo ukuba: Xa umntu esifa, kuphelile ngaye. Ukufa kusisichasi sokuphila. Abafileyo ababoni, abeva yaye abakwazi kucinga. Akukho nokuba ibe nye inxalenye yethu eqhubeka iphila emva kokufa komzimba. Asinamphefumlo okanye umoya ongafiyo. *

⁶ Emva kokuba uSolomon ethe abaphilayo bayazi ukuba baza kufa, waqhubeka wathi: “Kodwa abafileyo, abazi nto konke konke.” Yaye wakugxininisa oko ngokuthi abafileyo abanalo uthando okanye intiyo, yaye “akukho msebenzi nakuyila nakwazi nakulumka [engcwabeni].” (INtshumayeli 9:5, 6, 10) Ngokufanayo, iNdumiso 146:4 ithi xa umntu esifa, “ziyatshitsha iingcamango zakhe.” Siyafa yaye akukho  nxalenye yethu iqhubeka iphila emva kokufa komzimba wethu. Ubomi bethu bufana nomlilo wekhandlela. Xa ucinyiwe, akukho ndawo uya kuyo. Uyaphela ungabikho.

7. UYesu wakufanisa nantoni ukufa?

⁷ UYesu Kristu wakha wathetha ngemeko yabafileyo. Wakwenza oko xa wayebhekisela ekufeni komhlobo wakhe uLazaro. UYesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “ULazaro umhlobo wethu uye kuphumla.” Abafundi babecinga ukuba uYesu wayethetha ukuba uLazaro ulele ubuthongo, ngenxa yokugula. Babephazama. UYesu wacacisa ngelithi: “ULazaro ufile.” (Yohane 11:11-14) Phawula ukuba uYesu wakufanisa ukufa nokuphumla kunye nokulala. ULazaro wayengekho sezulwini okanye esihogweni somlilo. Wayengekho kunye neengelosi okanye ookhokho bakhe. Wayengazalwanga ngokutsha engomnye umntu. Wayephumle ekufeni, oku komntu olele ubuthongo obunzulu engaphuphi nokuphupha. Zikho nezinye izibhalo ezifanisa ukufa nokulala. Ngokomzekelo, xa umfundi uStefano waxulutywa ngamatye wafa, iBhayibhile ithi “walala ekufeni.” (IZenzo 7:60) Nompostile uPawulos wabhala ngabathile ababephila ngexesha lakhe abaye ‘balala’ ekufeni.—1 Korinte 15:6.

8. Sazi njani ukuba yayingeyonjongo kaThixo ukuba abantu bafe?

⁸ Ngaba yayiyinjongo kaThixo ukuba abantu bafe? Akunjalo tu kwaphela! UYehova wabadala abantu ngenjongo yokuba baphile ngonaphakade emhlabeni. Njengoko sifundile ngaphambilana kule ncwadi, uThixo wasibeka isibini sokuqala esingabantu kwiparadesi entle. Wasinika impilo egqibeleleyo. UYehova wayesinqwenelela okuhle kodwa. Ngaba ukho umzali onothando onokufuna ukuba abantwana  bakhe beve intlungu yokwaluphala nokufa? Ngokuqinisekileyo akakho! UYehova wayebathanda aba bantwana bakhe yaye wayefuna banandiphe ulonwabo ngonaphakade emhlabeni. Xa ichaza injongo yakhe ngabantu, iBhayibhile ithi: ‘UYehova ubeke ixesha elingenammiselo entliziyweni yabo.’ (INtshumayeli 3:11) UThixo wasidala sanomnqweno wokufuna ukuphila ngonaphakade. Yaye ulenzile ilungiselelo lokuba uzaliseke loo mnqweno.

9. Nguwuphi umyalelo uYehova awawunika uAdam, yaye kutheni kwakungekho nzima ukuwuthobela?

⁹ Ngoko ke, kutheni abantu besifa? Ukuze sifumane impendulo, simele sihlolisise oko kwenzekayo ngexesha kwakusekho indoda enye nomfazi omnye kuphela emhlabeni. IBhayibhile ithi: “UYehova uThixo wantshulisa emhlabeni yonke imithi enqwenelekayo emehlweni nelungele ukudliwa.” (Genesis 2:9) Kodwa wanikela umyalelo omnye nje kuphela. UYehova wathi kuAdam: “Kuyo yonke imithi yomyezo ungadla wanele. Kodwa wona umthi wokwazi okulungileyo nokubi uze ungadli kuwo, kuba mhla uthe wadla kuwo uya kufa ngokuqinisekileyo.” (Genesis 2:16, 17) Kwakungekho nzima ukuthobela lo myalelo. Kwakukho imithi emininzi ababenokutya kuyo uAdam noEva. Kodwa eli yayilithuba elikhethekileyo lokuba babonise umbulelo wabo kuLowo wayebanike yonke into ababenayo, kuquka ubomi obufezekileyo. Yaye ukuthobela kwabo kwakuya kubonisa nento yokuba babelihlonela igunya loYise wasezulwini yaye belufuna nolwalathiso lwakhe lothando.

10, 11. (a) Kwenzeka njani ukuba isibini sokuqala esingabantu singamthobeli uThixo? (b) Kutheni le nto ukungathobeli kuka-Adam noEva kwakungumbandela onzulu kakhulu?

¹⁰ Ngelishwa, eso sibini sokuqala sakhetha ukungamthobeli uYehova. Esebenzisa inyoka, uSathana wabuza uEva wathi: “Utshilo ngokwenene na uThixo ukuba nize ningadli kuyo yonke imithi yomyezo?” UEva waphendula wathi: “Kwiziqhamo zemithi yomyezo singadla. Kodwa mayela nokudla kwiziqhamo zomthi osemyezweni phakathi, uThixo uthe, ‘Nize ningadli kuzo, ningazichukumisi, ukuze ningafi.’”—Genesis 3:1-3.

¹¹ USathana wathi: “Ngokuqinisekileyo anisayi kufa. Kuba uThixo uyazi ukuba mhla nithe nadla kuzo aya kuvuleka amehlo enu nize nibe njengoThixo, nazi okulungileyo nokubi.” (Genesis 3:4, 5) USathana wayefuna uEva akholelwe ukuba wayeza kuzuza okuthile ngokutya kwakhe kweso siqhamo  babeyalelwe ukuba bangasityi. Wamqiqisa ngelithi, wayeza kukwazi ukuzigqibela ngokwakhe ukuba kukuphi okulungileyo nokubi; wayeza kuba nelungelo lokwenza nantoni na ayifunayo. Kwakhona uSathana wathi uYehova wayexoka ngokuthi babeza kufa xa betye kweso siqhamo. UEva wamkholelwa uSathana. Ngoko wathatha esinye sezo ziqhamo waza wasitya. Emva koko wanika nomyeni wakhe, naye watya. Babengenzi ngokungazi. Babesazi ukuba babesenza kanye oko uThixo wayebaxelele ukuba bangakwenzi. Ngokutya kwabo kweso siqhamo, baphula ngabom umyalelo olula nosengqiqweni. Babonisa ukumdelela kwabo uYise wasezulwini negunya lakhe. Ukungamhloneli kwabo ngaloo ndlela uMdali wabo onothando kwakungathetheleleki kwaphela!

12. Nguwuphi umzekelo onokusinceda siqonde indlela awavakalelwa ngayo uYehova xa uAdam noEva bamchasayo?

 ¹² Singakuzekelisa ngolu hlobo oku: Ungavakalelwa njani ukuba ukhulisa uze unyamekele unyana okanye intombi ize yona ingakuthobeli ngendlela ebonisa ukuba ayikuhloneli yaye ayikuthandi? Ubuya kuba buhlungu gqitha. Ngoko khawuyithelekelele indlela amele ukuba waba buhlungu ngayo uYehova xa uAdam noEva bamchasayo.

13. UYehova wathi kuza kwenzeka ntoni kuAdam ekufeni kwakhe, yaye kuthetha ukuthini oko?

¹³ UYehova wayengenasizathu sakubayeka baphile ngonaphakade uAdam noEva abangathobeliyo. Bafa, kanye njengokuba wayetshilo. Kwaphela tu ngabo, ababikho. Abazange badlulele kummandla womoya. Oku sikwazi ngenxa yoko uYehova wamxelela kona uAdam emva kokungathobeli kwakhe. UThixo wathi: ‘Uya kubuyela emhlabeni, kuba uthatyathwe kuwo. Ngokuba uluthuli, uya kubuyela kwaseluthulini.’ (Genesis 3:19) UThixo wayemenze uAdam ngothuli lomhlaba. (Genesis 2:7) Ngaphambi koko, uAdam wayengekho. Ngoko xa uYehova wathi uAdam wayeza kubuyela eluthulini, wayethetha ukuba uza kuphinda angabikho. Wayengazi kuphila, wayeza kufana nje nothuli enziwe ngalo.

14. Kutheni sisifa?

¹⁴ UAdam noEva ngebesaphila nanamhlanje, kodwa bafa ngenxa yokuba bakhetha ukungamthobeli uThixo baza bona. Isizathu sokuba sife sikukuba isono sika-Adam kunye nokufa ziye zasulela yonke inzala yakhe. (Roma 5:12) Isono sifana nesifo esibi esingaphephekiyo sonke esizalwa sinaso. Ekugqibeleni sibangela ukufa, okusisiqalekiso. Ukufa kulutshaba, akungomhlobo. (1 Korinte 15:26) Simele sibe nombulelo omkhulu ngokulungiselela kukaYehova intlawulelo yokusihlangula kolu tshaba loyikekayo!

15. Kutheni kukhuthaza ukwazi inyaniso ngokufa?

¹⁵ Kuyakhuthaza ukwazi oko iBhayibhile ikufundisayo  ngemeko yabafileyo. Njengoko sibonile, abafileyo abeva zintlungu. Akukho sizathu sakuboyika, kuba abanakusenzakalisa. Akukho nto sinokubanceda ngayo, nabo akukho nto banokusinceda ngayo. Asinakuthetha nabo, nabo abanakuthetha nathi. Iinkokeli ezininzi zonqulo ziye zixoke zithi zingabanceda abo bafileyo, yaye abantu abakukholelwayo oko bazinika imali. Kodwa ukwazi inyaniso kuyasikhusela ekukhohlisweni ngabo bafundisa ubuxoki obunjalo.

16. Ngubani oye waphembelela iimfundiso zeenkonzo ezininzi, yaye ngayiphi indlela?

¹⁶ Ngaba unqulo lwakho luyavumelana noko kufundiswa yiBhayibhile ngemeko yabafileyo? Iinkonzo ezininzi azivumelani nayo. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba iimfundiso zazo ziye zaphenjelelwa nguSathana. Usebenzisa unqulo lobuxoki ukuze enze abantu bakholelwe ukuba emva kokufa komzimba, baza kuqhubeka bephila kummandla womoya. Le yinxalenye yobuxoki obusetyenziswa nguSathana ngenjongo yokudedisela abantu kude noYehova uThixo. Ukwenza njani oko?

17. Kutheni imfundiso yokuthuthunjiswa ngonaphakade isisigculelo kuYehova?

¹⁷ Njengoko kuchaziwe ngaphambili, ezinye iinkonzo zifundisa ukuba abantu abenza izinto ezimbi baza kuthuthunjiswa emlilweni ngonaphakade xa befile. Le mfundiso isisigculelo kuThixo. UYehova nguThixo onothando yaye ebengenakuze avise abantu intlungu elolo hlobo. (1 Yohane 4:8) Ungavakalelwa njani ngomntu owohlwaya umntwana ongathobeliyo ngokuthi afake izandla zakhe emlilweni? Ngaba ungamhlonela umntu onjalo? Ungaba nawo na kwaumdla wokufuna ukumazi? Ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo! Mhlawumbi ubungade uthi ukhohlakele gqitha loo mntu. Kodwa, uSathana ufuna sikholelwe ukuba uYehova uthuthumbisa abantu emlilweni ngonaphakade—kangangamawaka ezigidi zeminyaka!

18. Ukunqulwa kwabafileyo kusekelwe kubuphi ubuxoki obufundiswa zezinye iinkonzo?

¹⁸ Ezinye iinkonzo uSathana uziphembelela ukuba zifundise  ukuba abantu abafileyo baba zizinyanya ezimele zihlonelwe zize zizukiswe ngabaphilayo. Zifundisa ukuba ezi zinyanya zinokuba ngabahlobo bethu abanamandla okanye zibe ziintshaba ezoyikekayo. Abantu abaninzi bayabukholelwa obu buxoki. Bayaboyika abafileyo, babazukise baze babanqule. Kodwa yona iBhayibhile ifundisa ukuba abafileyo balele, yaye nguMdali wethu, uYehova uThixo wenyaniso kuphela esifanele simnqule.—ISityhilelo 4:11.

19. Ukwazi inyaniso ngokufa kuya kusinceda ukuba siqonde yiphi enye imfundiso yeBhayibhile?

¹⁹ Ukwazi inyaniso ngabafileyo kuya kukukhusela ukuba ungalahlekiswa bubuxoki obufundiswa ziinkonzo zonqulo. Kwakhona kuya kukunceda ukuba uqonde nezinye iimfundiso zeBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo, xa uqonda ukuba abantu abadluleli kummandla womoya xa besifa, uya kusiqonda ngakumbi isithembiso sokuphila ngonaphakade kumhlaba oyiparadesi.

20. Nguwuphi umbuzo esiza kuwuhlolisisa kwisahluko esilandelayo?

²⁰ Mandulo, indoda elilungisa uYobhi, yabuza yathi: “Ukuba indoda eyomeleleyo iyafa ngaba inokuphila kwakhona?” (Yobhi 14:14) Ngaba umntu ongaphiliyo olele ekufeni unokuphinda aphile kwakhona? Kukhuthaza ngokwenene oko iBhayibhile ikufundisayo ngalo mbandela, njengoko uza kubona kwisahluko esilandelayo.