1. Kwakutheni ukuze uThixo adale abantu?

UTHIXO wayefuna baphile kamnandi abantu. Abantu bokuqala awabadalayo, uAdam noEva wababeka kumyezo omhle. Wayefuna babe nabantwana, benze umhlaba wonke ube yiparadesi baze bahoye nezilwanyana.—Genesis 1:28; 2:8, 9, 15, funda iSihlomelo 6.

2. (a) Sazi njani ukuba uYehova uza kuyenza into awayeyicebile? (b) UThixo ufuna kuhlale abantu abanjani emhlabeni, ibe baza kuhlala ixesha elingakanani?

² Ucinga ukuba singaze siphile eparadesi? UYehova uthi: “Ndigqibe ngolo hlobo ibe ndiza kuyenza.” (Isaya 46:9-11; 55:11) UYehova uza kuyenza into awayeyicebile. Uthi wayenesizathu sokudala umhlaba. ‘Akawudalelanga ukuba uhlale nje.’ (Isaya 45:18) Ufuna ugcwale ngabantu. Ngabantu abanjani afuna bahlale kuwo, ibe baza kuhlala ixesha elingakanani? IBhayibhile ithi: “Umhlaba uza kuba ngowamalungisa, [okanye, abantu abathobelayo], ibe aza kuhlala kuwo ngonaphakade.”​—INdumiso 37:29; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4.

3. Ekubeni abantu begula baze basweleke, ngowuphi umbuzo esinokuzibuza wona?

³ Ngoku abantu bayagula baze basweleke. Kwiindawo ezininzi bayalwa baze babulalane. Ayinakuba yinto eyayifunwa nguThixo le. Kwamoshakala phi? YiBhayibhile yodwa enokusiphendula.

4, 5. (a) Ngubani owathetha noEva kumyezo wase-Eden? (b) Umntu onenyani ujika njani abe lisela?

⁴ IBhayibhile ithi uThixo unotshaba, igama lalo “nguMtyholi, uSathana.” USathana wazenza inyoka waza wathetha noEva kumyezo wase-Eden. (ISityhilelo 12:9; Genesis 3:1) Wenza ngathi yinyoka le ithethayo.—Funda iSihlomelo 7.

⁵ Uvela phi ke uSathana? Ngaba uThixo wamdala enguSathana? Hayi. Wayeyingelosi eyayihlala ezulwini xa uYehova wayedala umhlaba waza watshintsha wazenza uMtyholi. (Yobhi 38:4, 7) Yenzeka njani loo nto? Le nto sinokuyifanisa nomntu onenyani ojika abe lisela. Akazalwa elisela. Uqala ngokubawela okanye afune into engeyoyakhe. Uhlala ecinga ngayo aze aye eyibawela. Xa kuvela ithuba uye ayibe. Uzijike wazenza isela.—Funda uYakobi 1:13-15; neSihlomelo 8.

6. Yintoni eyenza ingelosi yaba lutshaba lukaThixo?

⁶ Nantsi into eyenzeka kula ngelosi. Emva kokuba uYehova edale uAdam noEva, wabaxelela ukuba babe nabantwana baze ‘bagcwalise umhlaba.’ (Genesis 1:27, 28) Inoba le ngelosi yayisithi, ‘Bonke abantu banokukhonza mna kunokuba bakhonze uYehova.’ Ukuhlala icinga ngale nto kwayenza yaya ibawela into emele ifunyanwe nguYehova. Ngenxa yokuba le ngelosi yayifuna abantu bakhonze yona, yaqhatha uEva ixoka. (Funda iGenesis 3:1-5.) Loo nto yenza ukuba ibe nguSathana uMtyholi, utshaba lukaThixo.

7. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uAdam noEva bafe? (b) Kutheni sisaluphala size sife?

⁷ Emyezweni kwakukho isiqhamo uThixo awayethe uAdam noEva bangasityi. Wathi ukuba basityile baza kufa. Zange bamthobele uThixo, basitya eso siqhamo.  (Genesis 2:17; 3:6) Bamona uYehova baza ekuhambeni kwexesha bafa, njengokuba wayebaxelele. (Genesis 3:17-19) Nabantwana babo baba nesono baza bafa. (Funda amaRoma 5:12.) Ukuze uqonde ukuba kutheni abantwana babo baba nesono, cinga ngalo mzekelo. Masithi ubhaka isonka ngembiza enesifotho. Isonka sakho siza kuphuma naso sinesifotho. Xa uAdam engazange amthobele uThixo waba nesono. Ngenxa yokuba singabantwana baka-Adam, sonke sinesono okanye sinesifotho njengaye. Loo nto yenza ukuba saluphale size sife.​—Roma 3:23; funda iSihlomelo 9.

8, 9. (a) USathana wayefuna uAdam noEva bacinge ntoni? (b) Kutheni uYehova engazange akhawuleze ababulale aba bantu bamjikelayo?

⁸ Xa uSathana wenza uAdam noEva bone wabangela nabanye abantu abammamela uThixo. Wayefuna uAdam noEva bacinge ukuba uYehova ulixoki, akakwazi kulawula kwaye akafuni bonwabe. USathana wayesithi abantu abadingi ukuxelelwa nguThixo into amabayenze ibe uAdam noEva banokuzigqibela ngokwabo ukuba yintoni elungileyo nengalunganga. Wayeza kuthini ke uYehova? Wayenokubabulala kwangoko. Kodwa ngaba loo nto yayiza kumveza uSathana ukuba ulixoki. Hayi.

⁹ Yiloo nto uYehova engazange akhawuleze ababulale aba bantu bamjikelayo. Wabanika ixesha lokuba bazilawule. Le nto yayiza kwenza kucace ukuba uSathana lixoki kwaye nguYehova oyaziyo into elungele abantu. Siza kuphinda sifunde ngale nto kwiSahluko 11. Kodwa, ucinga ntoni ngento eyenziwa nguAdam noEva yokukholelwa uSathana baze bangamthobeli uThixo? Yonke into ababenayo babeyinikwe nguYehova. Wabanika  ubomi obugqibeleleyo, indawo entle ababehlala kuyo, besebenza kamnandi. Kodwa uSathana akho nto wakha wabenzela yona. Wawuza kuthini wena ukuba wawupha?

10. Yeyiphi into ebalulekileyo ekufuneka siyenzile?

¹⁰ Nathi namhlanje kufuneka sikhethile, ibe ubomi bethu buxhomekeke kwinto esiza kuyikhetha. Sinokukhetha  ukuthobela nokulawulwa nguThixo ukuze kubonakale ukuba uSathana lixoki. Okanye sikhethe ukulawulwa nguSathana. (INdumiso 73:28; funda iMizekeliso 27:11.) Bambalwa kakhulu abantu abathobela uThixo. Futhi ayinguye nolawula ihlabathi. Ukuba ke ayingoThixo, ngubani olawula ihlabathi?

11, 12. (a) Sibonisa ntoni isithembiso uSathana awasenza kuYesu? (b) Zeziphi izibhalo ezichaza ukuba nguSathana olawula ihlabathi?

¹¹ UYesu wayesazi ukuba ngubani oyena mntu ulawula ihlabathi. Ngeny’ imini uSathana wabonisa uYesu “onke amazwe ehlabathi nobutyebi bawo.” Wathi kuYesu: “Ndingakunika zonke ezi zinto ukuba ungaqubuda kum undikhonze nje kube kanye.” (Mateyu 4:8, 9; Luka 4:5, 6) Khawuyicinge le nto, ‘Ngaba uSathana wayenokuthembisa ukunika uYesu amazwe ehlabathi ukuba ayengengowakhe?’ Hayi. Ngabakhe bonke oorhulumente.

¹² Inoba uthe nqa ukuba, ‘Njani uSathana alawule ihlabathi? AyingoYehova uThixo uSomandla na owadala zonke izinto?’ (ISityhilelo 4:11) Ewe, zadalwa nguye, kodwa uYesu wathi nguSathana “umlawuli weli hlabathi.” (Yohane 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) Umpostile uPawulos wathi uSathana uMtyholi ‘nguthixo weli hlabathi.’ (2 Korinte 4:3, 4) Yena umpostile uYohane wathi “lonke ihlabathi lilawulwa nguSathana.”​—1 Yohane 5:19.

13. Kutheni sidinga ihlabathi elitsha?

¹³ Eli hlabathi liya lisiba yingozi. Kukho iimfazwe, ukubiwa kwemali emele incede abantu, abantu abathetha le kodwa benze enye, nabantu abathanda ukulwa.  Nokuba abantu bangazama kangakanani, soze bakwazi ukuziphelisa ezi ngxaki. Kodwa yena uThixo uza kulitshabalalisa eli hlabathi likhohlakeleyo ngemfazwe yakhe iArmagedon, aze azise ihlabathi elitsha elinobulungisa.​—ISityhilelo 16:14-16; funda iSihlomelo 10.

14. Ngubani okhethwe nguThixo ukuba abe nguKumkani wobuKumkani bakhe? Yathini iBhayibhile ngoYesu?

¹⁴ UYehova ukhethe uYesu Kristu ukuba ibe nguye uMlawuli worhulumente okanye uBukumkani bakhe basezulwini. IBhayibhile yatsho kwakwiminyaka eyi-2000 ngaphambili ukuba uYesu uza kulawula ‘njengenkosana yoxolo’ kwaye soze ayeke ukulawula. (Isaya 9:6, 7) UYesu wafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandazele obu bukumkani, esithi: “Mabufike uBukumkani bakho. Makwenzeke nasemhlabeni ukuthanda kwakho, njengasezulwini.” (Mateyu 6:10) KwiSahluko 8 siza kuva ukuba kuza kulawula uBukumkani BukaThixo bodwa. (Funda uDaniyeli 2:44.) Emva koko, uBukumkani BukaThixo buza kwenza wonke umhlaba ube yiparadesi entle.​—Funda iSihlomelo 11.

15. Yintoni umhlaba omtsha?

¹⁵ IBhayibhile ithi: “Thina silindele isithembiso sikaThixo samazulu amatsha nomhlaba omtsha,” ibe “kuzo kuza kubakho ubulungisa.” (2 Petros 3:13; Isaya 65:17) Ngamanye amaxesha, xa iBhayibhile ithetha ngomhlaba sukuba ithetha ngabantu abahlala kuwo. (Duteronomi 32:1) Ngenxa yaloo nto, ‘umhlaba omtsha,’ ngabo bonke abantu abathobela uThixo nabasikelelwe nguye.

16. UThixo uza kubanika ntoni abantu kwihlabathi elitsha, ibe kufuneka senze ntoni ukuze siyifumane?

¹⁶ UYesu wathembisa ukuba abantu abaza kuphila  kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo baza kunikwa ‘ubomi obungunaphakade.’ (Marko 10:30) Kufuneka senze ntoni ukuze sibufumane? Ukuze ufumane impendulo yalo mbuzo, funda uYohane 3:16 nesahluko 17:3. Ngoku makhe sibone ukuba iBhayibhile ithi kuza kuba njani eParadesi.

17, 18. Sazi njani ukuba kuza kubakho uxolo emhlabeni ibe akukho nto siza kuyoyika?

¹⁷ Izinto ezimbi, ukulwa, ulwaphulo-mthetho neemfazwe ziza kuphela. Abazukubakho abantu abenza izinto ezimbi emhlabeni. (INdumiso 37:10, 11) UThixo uza ‘kuphelisa iimfazwe emhlabeni wonke.’ (INdumiso 46:9; Isaya 2:4) Ngabantu abamthandayo nabamthobelayo uThixo abaza kuphila emhlabeni. Kuza kuhlala kukho uxolo.​—INdumiso 72:7.

¹⁸ Abantu bakaYehova abazukoyika nto. Ngexesha lokubhalwa kweBhayibhile, xa amaSirayeli ayemthobela uThixo, ayengoyiki nto kuba uThixo wayewakhusela. (Levitikus 25:18, 19) EParadesi akukho nto okanye umntu esiza kumoyika. Siza kusoloko siziva sikhuselekile.​—Funda uIsaya 32:18; noMika 4:4.

19. Kutheni siqinisekile ukuba kuza kubakho ukutya okuninzi kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo?

¹⁹ Kuza kubakho ukutya okuninzi. “Kuza kubakho intabalala yokutya okuziinkozo emhlabeni; kuphuphume ezincochoyini zeentaba.” (INdumiso 72:16) UYehova, “uThixo wethu, uza kusisikelela,” ibe “umhlaba uza kuvelisa isiqhamo sawo.”​—INdumiso 67:6.

20. Sazi njani ukuba umhlaba uza kuba yiparadesi?

²⁰ Wonke umhlaba uza kuba yiparadesi. Abantu baza kuba nezindlu neegadi ezintle. (Funda uIsaya 65:21-24; neSityhilelo 11:18.) Wonke umhlaba uza kuba  mhle njengomyezo wase-Eden. UYehova uza kuhlala esinika zonke izinto esizidingayo. IBhayibhile ithi ngoYehova: “Uyasivula isandla sakho uze wanelise umnqweno wayo yonke into ephilayo.”​—INdumiso 145:16.

21. Sazi njani ukuba kuza kubakho uxolo phakathi kwabantu nezilwanyana?

²¹ Kuza kubakho uxolo phakathi kwabantu nezilwanyana. Izilwanyana ziza kuyeka ukubenzakalisa abantu. Abantwana abazukuzoyika izilwanyana ebezikade ziyingozi.​—Funda uIsaya 11:6-9; 65:25.

22. Uza kubenzela ntoni abantu abagulayo uYesu?

²² Akukho mntu uza kugula. UYesu waphilisa abantu abaninzi ngoku wayelapha emhlabeni. (Mateyu 9:35; Marko 1:40-42; Yohane 5:5-9) UYesu uza kubaphilisa bonke abantu kuba unguKumkani woBukumkani BukaThixo. Akukho mntu uza kuphinda athi “Ndiyagula.”​—Isaya 33:24; 35:5, 6.

23. UThixo uza kubenzela ntoni abantu abaswelekileyo?

²³ Abantu abaswelekileyo baza kuvuka. UThixo uthembisa ukuba uza kuzivusa iimiliyoni zabantu abaswelekileyo. “Uza kuvusa abantu abangamalungisa nabangengomalungisa.”​—IZenzo 24:15; funda uYohane 5:28, 29.

24. Uziva njani ngokuphila eParadesi?

²⁴ Sonke simele sizikhethele into esiza kuyenza. Sinokukhetha ukufunda ngoThixo size simthobele okanye sikhethe ukungamhoyi senze unothanda. Siza kuphila ubomi obumnandi kwixesha elizayo ukuba sikhetha ukuthobela uThixo. UYesu wathi kwindoda eyayibethelelwe ecaleni kwakhe: “Uza kuba nam eParadesi.” (Luka 23:43) Kufuneka sifunde ngoYesu Kristu nangendlela uThixo aza kumsebenzisa ngayo ukwenza izinto azithembisileyo.