Ingabe Unomphefumulo Ongafi?

Ingabe nje siyinyama negazi? Noma ingabe sinokunye ngaphandle kwenhlanganisela yezinto esenziwe ngazo? Ingabe siphila nje isikhashana? Noma ingabe kunengxenye ethile engabonakali eqhubeka iphila ngemva kokufa?

NAKUBA izinkolo zomhlaba ziye zasungula izinkolelo eziningi ezididayo mayelana nokuPhila Kwangemva Kokufa, iningi lazo livumelana nomqondo owodwa oyisisekelo: Umuntu unokuthile okungaphakathi okungafi futhi kuyaqhubeka kuphila ngemva kokufa. Abantu abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi lokho “okuthile” kuwumphefumulo. Yini wena oyikholelwayo? Ingabe siyinyama nomphefumulo? Uyini umphefumulo? Ingabe abantu banomphefumulo ongafi? Yeka indlela okubaluleke ngayo ukwazi iqiniso lokuthi senziwe kanjani!

“Umuntu Waba Ngumphefumulo Ophilayo”

Ingabe “umphefumulo” ungokuthile okuhlukana nomzimba lapho umuntu efa bese kuqhubeka kuphila? Ngokwe-Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “ngokuvamile kuthiwa umphefumulo ungumuntu ewonke.” Ngokwesibonelo, uGenesise 2:7 uthi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wabe esebumba umuntu ngothuli lomhlabathi wafuthela emakhaleni akhe umoya wokuphila, umuntu waba ngumphefumulo ophilayo.” Umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, wayengumphefumulo.

Eminye imiBhalo iyakusekela ukuthi igama elithi “umphefumulo” lingasho umuntu ewonke. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli likhuluma ngomphefumulo osebenzayo. (Levitikusi 23:30) Umphefumulo kuthiwa uphelelwa isineke, uyacasuka, uyaqwasha, uyesaba futhi uyacindezeleka. (AbaHluleli 16:16; Jobe 19:2; IHubo 119:28; IzEnzo 2:43; 1 Thesalonika 5:14) Ibhekisela emphefumulweni njengowumuntu, eyabaseRoma 13:1 ithi: “Yonke imiphefumulo mayizithobe emagunyeni aphakeme.” Kweyoku-1 Petru 3:20 siyafunda: “Ezinsukwini zikaNowa, . . . abantu abambalwa, okungukuthi, imiphefumulo eyisishiyagalombili, bathwalwa ngokuphepha emanzini.” Akukho lutho kule miBhalo okubonisa  ukuthi umphefumulo uyinto ethile engumoya eqhubeka iphila ngemva kokufa.

Kuthiwani ngezilwane nangezitshalo? Ingabe ziyimiphefumulo? Cabanga ngendlela iBhayibheli elichaza ngayo ukudalwa kwezilwane. UNkulunkulu wayala: “Amanzi mawaswebezele uswebezane lwemiphefumulo ephilayo.” Ngosuku olulandelayo lokudala, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Umhlaba mawuveze imiphefumulo ephilayo ngezinhlobo zayo, izilwane ezifuywayo nezilwane ezihambayo nezilo zasendle zomhlaba ngezinhlobo zazo.” (Genesise 1:20, 24) Ngakho, zonke izidalwa eziphilayo—abantu noma izilwane—ziyimiphefumulo. NgokwemiBhalo izitshalo aziyona imiphefumulo.

Igama elithi “umphefumulo” lisetshenziswa nangomunye umqondo. Encwadini kaJobe 33:22 siyafunda: “Umphefumulo wakhe usondela egodini, nokuphila kwakhe kubabulali.” Lapha igama elithi “umphefumulo” nelithi “ukuphila” asho into eyodwa, elinye lichaza elinye. Ngakho elithi “umphefumulo” lingabhekisela nasekuphileni umuntu anakho njengomphefumulo ophilayo, noma umuntu. Ngakho, imiBhalo ibhekisela ezitheni zikaMose ezazifuna ukumbulala ngokuthi zaziyibo “bonke abantu abebezingela umphefumulo [wakhe].” (Eksodusi 4:19) Futhi maqondana noJesu Kristu, iBhayibheli lithi: ‘INdodana yomuntu yezela ukuzonikela umphefumulo [ukuphila] wayo ube yisihlengo sabaningi.’—Mathewu 20:28.

Incazelo yeBhayibheli ngelithi “umphefumulo” ilula futhi ayiguquki. Leli gama lingasho umuntu noma isilwane noma ukuphila okujatshulelwa isidalwa njengomphefumulo ophilayo. Njengoba sizobona, lokhu kuqonda kuvumelana nalokho okushiwo iBhayibheli ngokwenzeka emphefumulweni ekufeni.

‘Umphefumulo Owonayo Uyokufa’

IBhayibheli lithi: “Umphefumulo owonayo—yiwo oyokufa.” (Hezekeli 18:4) Umprofethi owayecindezelekile u-Eliya ‘wacela ukuba umphefumulo wakhe ufe.’ (1 AmaKhosi 19:4) Ngokufanayo, uJona “wayelokhu ecela ukuba umphefumulo wakhe ufe.” (Jona 4:8) Yebo, umphefumulo uyafa lapho umuntu efa. Njengoba umuntu engumphefumulo, uma sithi othile ufile sisuke sithi umphefumulo wakhe ufile.

Kodwa kuthiwani ngamavesi eBhayibheli akhuluma ngokuphuma nokubuya komphefumulo? Mayelana nalokho okwenzeka kuRaheli ngenkathi ebeletha indodana, iBhayibheli lithi: “Njengoba umphefumulo wakhe uphuma (ngoba wafa) wayiqamba ngokuthi uBheni-oni; kodwa uyise wayiqamba ngokuthi uBhenjamini.”  (Genesise 35:18) Nalapho ikhuluma ngokuvuswa kwendodana yomfelokazi, eyoku-1 AmaKhosi 17:22 ithi: “UJehova walilalela izwi lika-Eliya [lapho ethandaza], kangangokuba umphefumulo womntwana wabuyela kuye waphila.” Ingabe la mavesi abonisa ukuthi umphefumulo ungokuthile okungabonakali, okuyisithunzi okungaphuma noma kubuyele emzimbeni?

Khumbula ukuthi enye incazelo yegama elithi “umphefumulo” isho “ukuphila.” Ngakho, ukuthi umphefumulo kaRaheli waphuma kusho ukuthi wayesezokufa. Empeleni, amanye amaBhayibheli abeka inkulumo ethi ‘umphefumulo wakhe wawuphuma’ ngokuthi “ukuphila kwakhe kwakuphela” (Knox) nangokuthi “wayesephefumula okokugcina” (Jerusalem Bible). Nasendabeni yendodana yomfelokazi, kwakuwukuphila okwabuyela kuyo.—1 AmaKhosi 17:23.

Lokho Umuntu Ayikho

Kusobala ukuthi iBhayibheli liyachaza ukuthi umuntu uyini. Akanawo umphefumulo; ungumphefumulo. Ngenxa yalokho umuntu ayikho—ubuyena—noma imaphi amathemba okuphila kwesikhathi esizayo kwabantu abafile ancike ovukweni. IBhayibheli liyathembisa: “Ningamangali ngalokhu, ngoba ihora liyeza lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyokhunjulwa futhi bayolizwa izwi [likaJesu] baphume, abenze okuhle baphumele ovukweni lokuphila, ababenomkhuba wokwenza okubi ovukweni lokwahlulelwa.” (Johane 5:28, 29) Leso sithembiso esiqinisekile sovuko—hhayi imfundiso yomphefumulo ongafi—siyisisekelo sethemba langempela ngabantu abafileyo.

Yeka indlela okubaluleke ngayo ukuthola ulwazi olunembile ngovuko nokuthi lusho ukuthini esintwini! Okunye okubalulekile ulwazi ngoNkulunkulu nangoKristu, ngoba emthandazweni uJesu wathi: “Lokhu kusho ukuphila okuphakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nangalowo omthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.” (Johane 17:3) OFakazi BakaJehova endaweni yakini bayokujabulela ukukusiza ukuba utadishe iBhayibheli ukuze wandise ulwazi lwakho ngoNkulunkulu, ngeNdodana yakhe nangezithembiso zakhe. Sikucela ukuba uthintane noFakazi noma ubhalele abanyathelisi balo magazini.

[Izithombe ekhasini 4]

Konke kuyimiphefumulo

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Goat: CNPC—Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Caprinos (Sobral, CE, Brasil)