OKO KUTHETHWA NGABANTU

Abantu baneenkolelo ezahlukeneyo ngezulu nangenjongo yalo. Ngokomzekelo:

• Abaninzi abathi bangamaKristu bavumelana neNew Catholic Encyclopedia, ethi izulu “likhaya labasikelelweyo abafela eNkosini.”

• URabbi Bentzion Kravitz uthi amalungu onqulo lobuYuda wona ahoya obu bomi abuphila ngoku kunobexesha elizayo. Kodwa uthi “ezulwini umphefumlo ufumana olona yolo lukhulu olunokufumaneka—umqonde bhetele uThixo kwaye usondele ngakumbi kuye kunangaphambili.” Noko ke, uKravitz uyavuma ukuba, “nangona kunqulo lobuYuda kukholelwa kwizulu, iTorah ayithethi kangako ngalo.”

• AmaHindu namaBuddha akholelwa ukuba izulu linamanqanaba ahlukeneyo. Liyindawo nje ofikela kuyo okwexeshana, emva koko uzalwe ngokutsha emhlabeni okanye udlulele eNirvana okanye kubuBuddha—inqanaba elingaphezulu kunezulu.

• Abanye bakhaba kwanto nje enezulu phakathi besithi bubuvuvu nje obo.

OKUFUNDISWA YIBHAYIBHILE

EBhayibhileni, igama elithi “izulu” lithetha izinto eziliqela. Ngokomzekelo:

• IGenesis 1:20 ithetha ngokudalwa kweentaka “eziphaphazelayo phezu komhlaba ebusweni besibhakabhaka samazulu.” Apha, igama elithi “amazulu” libhekisela kwisibhakabhaka esibonakalayo.

• UIsaya 13:10 uthetha ‘ngeenkwenkwezi zamazulu namakroza azo’—le nto siyibiza ngokuba ngummandla wamajukujuku.

• IBhayibhile ithetha ‘ngendawo ahlala kuyo uThixo, emazulwini’ kwaye ithi kukho ‘iingelosi ezulwini.’ (1 Kumkani 8:30; Mateyu 18:10) Phawula ukuba igama elithi “amazulu” nelithi “izulu” ayingomagama nje, kodwa achaza indawo ekuhlalwa kuyo. *

“Khangela usezulwini uze ubone ukwindawo yakho yokuhlala ephakamileyo yobungcwele nobuhle.”—Isaya 63:15.

IBhayibhile ayitsho ukuba umhlaba yindawo abaxhwarha kuyo abantu belinde ukufa baze emva koko baye kuphila ezulwini. IBhayibhile iyenza icace into yokuba ayizange yaba yinjongo kaThixo into yokuba abantu bafe. Inje le nto:

• UThixo wathi kwindoda nomfazi wokuqala: “Qhamani, nande, niwuzalise umhlaba.” (Genesis 1:28) Umhlaba wawuza kuba likhaya elisisigxina lomntu, apho wayeza kuhlala ngonaphakade. Aba bantu bokuqala babeza kufa kuphela ukuba babengamthobeli uThixo. Okulusizi kukuba, bakhetha ukungamthobeli.—Genesis 2:17; 3:6.

• Ukungathobeli komntu wokuqala kwabangela ukuba afe yena nenzala yakhe. (Roma 5:12) Ngaba loo nto yabenza baphelelwa lithemba abantu?

• IBhayibhile ithi “silindele amazulu amatsha nomhlaba omtsha, ngokwesithembiso sakhe, apho kumi ubulungisa.” * (2 Petros 3:13) UThixo uza kusebenzisa uBukumkani bakhe ukuze abuyisele umhlaba kwimeko awayefuna ube kuyo, “kungabi sabakho kufa.” (ISityhilelo 21:3, 4) Ngaba bubomi basezulwini okanye bobasemhlabeni ekuthethwa ngabo apha? Xa kusithiwa “kungabi sabakho” sukube kuthethwa ngento ebikho ngaphambili. Kodwa akuzange kwafiwa ezulwini. Izicacele ke into yokuba le vesi ithetha ngento eza kwenzeka emhlabeni, indawo esasidalelwe ukuba siphile kuyo nesilangazelela ukuba kunye nezizalwana zethu kuyo. IBhayibhile iphinda isixelele nokuba abafi baza kuphinda baphile, badibane nezizalwana zabo.—Yohane 5:28, 29.

Abantu abaninzi baye bavuya bakufumanisa oko iBhayibhile ikutshoyo ngezulu. Ngokomzekelo, uGeorge, owayengumKatolika, uthi: “Iye yandithuthuzela imfundiso yeBhayibhile ethetha ngokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni. Inengqondo xa ithelekiswa nale yokuya ezulwini.” *

“Wona ke amazulu, ngamazulu kaYehova, kodwa umhlaba uwunike oonyana babantu.”—INdumiso 115:16.