OKUSHIWO ABANYE

Kunezinkolelo ezehlukahlukene mayelana nezulu nenjongo yalo. Ngokwesibonelo:

• AmaKristu amaningi okuzisholo angavumelana ne-New Catholic Encyclopedia, ebiza izulu “ngekhaya lokugcina lababusisiwe abafela eNkosini.”

• URabi uBentzion Kravitz uthi inkolo yobuJuda igxila kakhulu ekuphileni kwamanje kunasekuphileni kwangemva kokufa. Kodwa, usikisela ukuthi “ezulwini umphefumulo uba nenjabulo engenakuqhathaniswa—umbono nomuzwa onamandla kakhulu wokuba seduze noNkulunkulu kunangaphambili.” Nokho, uKravitz uyavuma ukuthi “nakuba inkolo yobuJuda ithi likhona izulu, kuncane okushiwo iTorah ngalo.”

• AmaHindu namaBuddha akholelwa ukuthi indawo yasezulwini inamazinga angafani. Iyindawo yesikhashana umuntu aba kuyo bese emva kwalokho azalwe kabusha emhlabeni noma adlulele eNirvana noma endaweni yobuBuddha—okuyisimo esiphakeme kunokuba sezulwini.

• Abanye benqaba noma imuphi umbono ongokwenkolo wokuba khona kwezulu bathi imbudane.

OKUFUNDISWA IBHAYIBHELI

EBhayibhelini igama elithi “izulu” linezincazelo eziningi. Ngokwesibonelo:

• UGenesise 1:20 uchaza ukudalwa kwezinyoni “ezindizayo phezu komhlaba ebusweni bomkhathi wamazulu.” Kuleli vesi igama elithi “amazulu” libhekisela emoyeni ozungeze umhlaba wethu, esibhakabhakeni esikwazi ukusibona.

• U-Isaya 13:10 ukhuluma ‘ngezinkanyezi zamazulu nemilaza yazo’—lokho esingakubiza ngomkhathi.

• IBhayibheli likhuluma ‘ngendawo kaNkulunkulu yokuhlala, esemazulwini’ futhi lithi ‘kunezingelosi ezulwini.’ (1 AmaKhosi 8:30; Mathewu 18:10) Phawula ukuthi igama elithi “emazulwini” nelithi “ezulwini” awazona nje izingathekiso, kunalokho achaza indawo engokoqobo yokuhlala. *

“Bheka usezulwini ubone usendaweni yakho yokuhlala ephakeme yobungcwele nobuhle.”—Isaya 63:15.

IBhayibheli alifundisi ukuthi umhlaba uyikhaya lesikhashana esilinda kulo ukufa bese siyophila ezulwini ngemva kokufa. Likwenza kucace ukuthi ukufa kwakungeyona injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni ngabantu. Cabanga ngalokhu:

• UNkulunkulu watshela abantu bokuqala ngqa ayebashadisile: “Zalani nande nigcwalise umhlaba.” (Genesise 1:28) Umhlaba wawuzoba yikhaya lomuntu, eyezohlala kulo phakade. Indoda yokuqala nomkayo babezofa kuphela uma bengamlaleli uNkulunkulu. Ngokudabukisayo bakhetha ukungamlaleli.—Genesise 2:17; 3:6.

• Umphumela wokungalaleli komuntu wokuqala waba ukufa, hhayi kwakhe nomkakhe nje kuphela kodwa nokwenzalo yabo. (Roma 5:12) Ingabe lokho kwashiya isintu singenalo ithemba?

• IBhayibheli lithi “kukhona amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha esikulindele ngokwesithembiso sakhe.” * (2 Petru 3:13) Esebenzisa uMbuso wakhe, uNkulunkulu uyolungisa umhlaba ube yilokho ayekuhlosile, futhi “ukufa ngeke kusaba khona.” (IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Ingabe kukhulunywa ngokuphila ezulwini noma emhlabeni? Ukuze into ingabe ‘isaba khona,’ kumelwe iqale ngokuba khona. Kodwa ukufa akukaze kube khona ezulwini. Ngokunengqondo, lelo vesi libhekisela kulokho okuzokwenzeka emhlabeni, lapho esasihloselwe ukuphila khona futhi esilangazelela ukuhlala khona nabathandekayo bethu. IBhayibheli lembula nokuthi abafileyo bayobuyiselwa ekuphileni baphinde bahlangane nabathandekayo babo.—Johane 5:28, 29.

Abantu abaningi bakujabulele ukufunda lokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo ngempela ngezulu. Ngokwesibonelo, uGeorge owayengumKatolika uthi: “Ngathola imfundiso yeBhayibheli yokuphila phakade emhlabeni iduduza. Yayizwakala inengqondo kakhulu kunokuya ezulwini.” *

“Ngokuqondene namazulu, wona angakaJehova, kodwa umhlaba uwuniké abantwana babantu.”—IHubo 115:16.