Bantfu labanyenti batsi isayensi iyawuphikisa umlandvo weliBhayibheli wekudalwa kwetintfo. Ecinisweni, lemphikiswane ayikho emkhatsini wesayensi neliBhayibheli, kodvwa isemkhatsini wesayensi nemibono yemaKhristu langesuki etintfweni labetati ekucaleni nobe tiliphutsa. Labanye babo bayacinisa ekutseni ngekusho kweliBhayibheli, yonkhe indalo lebonakalako yentiwa ngemalanga lasitfupha langema-awa langu-24 eminyakeni lengaba ngu-10 000 leyengcile.

Kodvwa-ke, liBhayibheli alisisekeli siphetfo lesinjalo. Kube belisisekela, tintfo letinyenti letitfolwe bososayensi eminyakeni lelikhulu leyengcile betingenta liBhayibheli libonakale lingaketsembeki. Kufundzisisa kahle emavi eliBhayibheli akuveti lutfo loluphikisana nemaciniso esayensi latfolakele. Ngaleso sizatfu, boFakazi BaJehova abavumelani netintfo letifundziswa maKhristu langesuki etintfweni labetati ekucaleni nobe tiliphutsa kanye nalabo labakholelwa kutsi indalo yadalwa ngemalangana nje. Lamaphuzu lalandzelako abonisa kutsi liBhayibheli lifundzisani mbambambamba ngaloku.

Umlandvo waGenesisi ucala ngemusho lolula kodvwa lonemandla lotsi: “Ekucaleni Nkulunkulu wadala lizulu nemhlaba.” (Genesisi 1:1) Tati teliBhayibheli letinyenti tiyavuma kutsi lomusho uchaza tento letehlukile kuleto temalanga ekudala lachazwe kusukela evesini 3 kuchubeke. Inchazelo yalomusho ibanti. Ngekusho kwalamavi ekucala eliBhayibheli, indzawo yonkhe kuhlanganise neplanethi yetfu lenguMhlaba besekuvele kukhona sikhatsi lesidze angakacali emalanga ekudala.

Tati tesayensi yekwakhiwa kwemhlaba tilinganisela kutsi umhlaba uneminyaka letigidzigidzi letine. Tati tetinkhanyeti tona titsi indzawo yonkhe ingacishe ibe neminyaka letigidzigidzi letingu-15. Loko lokutfolakele​—naloko lokusetawutfolakala esikhatsini lesitako kuyaphikisana yini naGenesisi 1:1? Cha. LiBhayibheli aliwusho umnyaka locondzile ‘wemazulu nemhlaba.’ Isayensi ayiwaphikisi lamavi eliBhayibheli.

Kutsiwani ngebudze bemalanga ekudala? Abetsatsa ema-awa langu-24 yini? Labanye batsi ngobe Mosi​—umbhali wencwadzi yaGenesisi wakhuluma ngelilanga lelalandzela emalanga ekudala lasitfupha njengesibonelo sekukhumbula liSabatha masontfo onkhe, kufanele kutsi emalanga ekudala abetsatsa ema-awa langu-24. (Eksodusi 20:11) Emavi aGenesisi ayasisekela yini lesiphetfo?

 Cha, awasisekeli. Liciniso likutsi ligama lesiHebheru lelihunyushwe ngekutsi “lilanga” lingasho budze besikhatsi lobehlukene, hhayi nje ema-awa langu-24. Nasi sibonelo: Ngesikhatsi asho ingcikitsi yemisebenti yaNkulunkulu yekudala, Mosi wachaza onkhe lamalanga lasitfupha ekudala njengelilanga linye. (Genesisi 2:4) Kuphindze kutsiwe ngelilanga lekucala, “Nkulunkulu wakwetsa kukhanya watsi: ‘Yimini,’ bumnyama wabetsa watsi: ‘Busuku.’” (Genesisi 1:5) KulomBhalo, yincenye letsite yema-awa langu-24 lebitwa ngekutsi “yimini.” Ngako-ke, kute bufakazi emiBhalweni lobusekela umbono wekutsi ngulelo nalelo langa lekudala belingema-awa langu-24.

Abemadze kangakanani-ke emalanga ekudala? LiBhayibheli alisho; nanobe kunjalo, emavi aGenesisi tehluko 1 na 2 abonisa kutsi kwaba sikhatsi lesidze.

Mosi wabhala umlandvo wakhe ngesiHebheru, futsi wawubhala njengemuntfu labekhona emhlabeni. Lamaciniso lamabili kanye nelwati lwekutsi indzawo yonkhe yaba khona sisengakacali sikhatsi nobe emalanga ekudala, kusisita sicatulule kuphikisana lokukhona mayelana nemlandvo wekudalwa kwetintfo. Njani?

Kuhlolisisa kahle umlandvo waGenesisi kuveta kutsi tentakalo letaticala ngalelinye “lilanga” betichubekela nakulamanye ‘emalanga’ lalandzelako. Nasi sibonelo: Lisengakacali “lilanga” lekucala lekudala, kukhanya kwelilanga lebeselivele likhona bekuvimbekile kutsi kungafiki emhlabeni, mhlawumbe kuvinjwe ngemafu lamnyama. (Jobe 38:9) ‘Ngelilanga’ lekucala, lamafu acala kuhlukana, avumela kukhanya lebekungabonakali kutsi kudlule emkhatsini. a

‘Ngelilanga’ lesibili, umkhatsi wachubeka uvuleka, kwakheka sikhala emkhatsini wemafu lamnyama etulu kanye nelwandle ngephansi. ‘Ngelilanga’ lesine, umkhatsi wachubeka uvuleka kancane kancane kangangekutsi lilanga nenyeti kwabonakala “emkhatsini wesibhakabhaka.” (Genesisi 1:14-16) Ngalamanye emavi, ngekwembono wemuntfu wasemhlabeni, lilanga nenyeti kwase kucala kubonakala. Letentakalo tenteka kancane kancane.

 Umlandvo waGenesisi uphindze uchaze kutsi njengobe umkhatsi uvuleka, tilwane letindizako​—letifaka ekhatsi tilwanyana kanye netilokatana letindizako​—tacala kubonakala ‘ngelilanga’ lesihlanu.

Kulandzisa kweliBhayibheli kwenta kubonakale kutsi letinye tentakalo letinkhulu lebetenteka lilanga ngelilanga, tenteka kancane kancane, hhayi nje ngekucwabita kweliso. Mhlawumbe letinye tato betendlulela nasemalangeni ekudala lalandzelako. b

Kuvela kancane kancane kwetitjalo netilwane kusho kutsi Nkulunkulu wasebentisa kutiphendvukela kwemvelo yini kute kube khona kwehlukahluka kwetintfo letiphilako? Cha. Lomlandvo uveta kahle kutsi Nkulunkulu wadala tonkhe “tinhlobo” tetitjalo netilwane. (Genesisi 1:11, 12, 20-25) ‘Letinhlobo’ tekucala tetitjalo netilwane tadalwa tinelikhono lekutivumelanisa netimo tendzawo letishintjashintjako yini? Yini lekhombisa kutsi ‘luhlobo’ lukhawuka  kuphi? LiBhayibheli aliyiniketi imphendvulo. Kodvwa liyasho kutsi tidalwa letiphilako ‘tatingetinhlobo tato.’ (Genesisi 1:21) Lomusho ubonisa kutsi kunemkhawulo ekwakhekeni kwetintfo letehlukehlukene ‘teluhlobo’ lolutsite. Tinsalela tetilwane netihlahla (fossil) kanye nekucwaninga kwalamuhla kuyawusekela umbono wekutsi tinhlobo tekucala tetitjalo netilwane tishintje kancane kakhulu ekuhambeni kwesikhatsi.

Ngekungavumelani naloko lokushiwo bantfu labangesuki etintfweni labebatati ekucaleni nobe tiliphutsa, incwadzi yaGenesisi ayifundzisi kutsi indzawo yonkhe, lokufaka ekhatsi umhlaba netintfo letiphila kuwo, tadalwa ngesikhatsi lesincane nje eminyakeni lembalwa leyengcile. Kunaloko, tici tenchazelo lekuGenesisi lemayelana nekudalwa kwendzawo yonkhe kanye nekuvela kwekuphila emhlabeni tiyavumelana netintfo letinyenti letitfolwe yisayensi.

Ngesizatfu setinkholelo tabo tefilosofi, bososayensi labanyenti bayawaphika emavi eliBhayibheli latsi Nkulunkulu wadala tonkhe tintfo. Kodvwa lokujabulisako kutsi encwadzini yasendvulo yaGenesisi, Mosi wabhala kutsi indzawo yonkhe yaba nesicalo nekutsi kuphila kwavela kancane kancane ngemuva kwetikhatsi letitsite. Mosi abengayitfola njani imininingwane lecondze kangaka ngesayensi eminyakeni lengu-3 500 leyengcile? Yinye kuphela inchazelo lenengcondvo. Loyo lonemandla nekuhlakanipha kwekudala emazulu nemhlaba abengamniketa Mosi lwati lolucondze kanjalo. Loku kuwenta abe nemandla emavi eliBhayibheli latsi ‘liphefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu.’ c—2 Thimothi 3:16.

Kodvwa ungase ucabange: Kunendzaba yini kutsi uyawukholelwa nobe cha umlandvo wekudalwa kwetintfo? Asewucabange ngaletinye tizatfu letenta imphendvulo ibaluleke.