Isayensi Yamanani Abantu, IBhayibheli, Nekusasa

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ESWEDEN

A BANTU baye banda kusukela ezigidini eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,65 ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20 kuya enanini elethusayo labayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyisithupha ngasekupheleni kwalelo khulu leminyaka. Ingabe inani labantu emhlabeni liyoqhubeka landa ngaleli zinga elishaqisayo? Ingabe kuzoba nokwanda okukhulu enanini labantu kule nkulungwane yeminyaka? Ongoti abatikatikana nale mibuzo eyinkimbinkimbi babizwa ngokuthi abacubunguli bamanani abantu (demographer); kanti lo mkhakha wokucwaninga kuthiwa ukucubungula amanani abantu (demography).

I-Webster’s Dictionary ichaza elithi demography ngokuthi “ukucwaningwa kwamanani abantu [ikakhulukazi] ngokuphathelene nobukhulu nokwakhelana kwemiphakathi, ukuhlakazeka kwayo nemidati yokuphila kwayo.” Izazi zicwaninga izici ezintathu ezineqhaza elisobala emphakathini—izinga lokuzala; izinga lokufa; nezinga lokuthuthela kwabantu kwamanye amazwe.

Ukucwaninga umlando wamanani abantu kuwukucwaninga ukukhula nokushintshashintsha kwemiphakathi esikhathini esidlule. Abacwaninga umlando wamanani abantu bafunda okuningi kangangokunokwenzeka ngemiphakathi yamandulo  ngokucubungula izinto ezibhaliwe, amanxiwa, izinhlaka zamathambo, nezinye izinsalela. Ukucwaninga umlando wamanani abantu ngokwengxenye kuyaqagela kanti enye ingxenye inawo amaqiniso afakazelwe. I-Atlas of World Population History iyavuma: “Abasebenza ngezibalo bathi imibono yomcwaningi womlando wamanani abantu, ngokwamaqiniso akhona manje, ayifakazeleki futhi ngenxa yalokho ukuthi ingathenjelwa kangakanani kuyinto engaphathwa nakuphathwa.” Noma kunjalo, okusikiselwa abesayensi yokucwaningwa kwamanani abantu kuyabathakazelisa abafundi beBhayibheli. Ngempela, ngokuvamile ukusikisela kwabo kuvumelana nokulandisa kweBhayibheli.

Ukwanda Kwenani Labantu Ngemva KukaZamcolo

IBhayibheli lithi abantu abangu-8 kuphela abasinda kuZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa. Abanye abacwaningi bamanani abantu baqagela ukuthi eminyakeni engaba ngu-1 400 kamuva, kungenzeka ukuthi abantu emhlabeni base beyizigidi ezingu-50. Kunengqondo yini ukukholelwa ukuthi abantu banganda besuka kwabangu-8 baye kwabayizigidi ezingu-50 ngeminyaka engu-1 400?

Okokuqala, lesi sibalo esilinganiselwayo sabayizigidi ezingu-50 simane nje siwukulinganisela njengoba kushiwo. Nokho, kuyathakazelisa ukuphawula lokho okushiwo iBhayibheli kuGenesise 9:1: “UNkulunkulu waqhubeka wabusisa uNowa namadodana akhe wathi kubo: ‘Zalani nande nigcwalise umhlaba.’ ” Khona-ke, ezahlukweni 10 no-11 sifunda ngemindeni engu-70 eyavela ozalweni lwamadodana kaNowa—uShemi, uHamu noJafete. Uma sifunda siqhubeka sithola uhlu lozalo lwabantu oluqala kuShemi luze lufike ku-Abrahama, ‘abazala amadodana namadodakazi.’ Kumelwe ukuba izinga lokuzala laliphakeme kakhulu ngalesi sikhathi, ngokuvumelana nomyalo kaNkulunkulu wokuba ‘bagcwalise umhlaba.’

Kuthiwani ngezinga lokufa kwabantu? Zona lezi zahluko zikaGenesise zibonisa ukuthi abantu phakathi namakhulu ambalwa okuqala eminyaka ngemva kukaZamcolo babephila isikhathi eside ngokungajwayelekile. * Lapho ukuzala kakhulu kuhambisana nezinga eliphansi lokufa, umphumela uba ukwanda ngokushesha kwabantu.

Ukugogobala Kwama-Israyeli EGibhithe

Abanye abacwaningi abakwethembi ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngokwanda ngokushesha kwabantu okwenzeka phakathi kwama-Israyeli ngesikhathi ehlala eGibhithe. IBhayibheli lilandisa ukuthi ngaphandle kwabafazi bamadodana kaJakobe, “isiyonke imiphefumulo yendlu kaJakobe eyaya eGibhithe yayingamashumi ayisikhombisa.” (Genesise 46:26, 27) Nokho, lapho ama-Israyeli ephuma eGibhithe eminyakeni engu-215 kamuva, base beyinani elethusayo ‘lamadoda anamandla ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisithupha ahamba ngezinyawo, ngaphandle kwabancane.’ (Eksodusi 12:37) Uma sibala nabesifazane nezingane, kungenzeka ukuthi ama-Israyeli esewonke ayefinyelela ezigidini ezintathu! Ingabe ukwanda okunjalo kungenzeka?

Ukuze siphendule lo mbuzo, masiqaphelisise lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngokwanda kwama-Israyeli eGibhithe: “Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli banda, baqala ukuphithizela; futhi babelokhu banda, beba namandla ngokwengeziwe ngesilinganiso esingaphezulu kakhulu kwesivamile, kangangokuthi izwe lagcwala bona.” Ukwanda kwama-Israyeli ngaleso sikhathi kwenzeka ngezinga elingavamile.—Eksodusi 1:7.

Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi ukwanda okufanayo kuye kwenzeka nasezizweni zanamuhla, njengaseKenya phakathi neminyaka yawo-1980. Nokho, okwenza ukuba ama-Israyeli ande ngendlela engavamile ukuthi ukwanda kwawo kwaqhubeka isikhathi eside.

IBhayibheli ngokwalo linikeza esinye isizathu sokwanda ngokushesha kwama-Israyeli. Ukudla kwakungantuleki  ngesikhathi ama-Israyeli eseGibhithe. Njengokulindelekile, lapho kuba nendlala, abantu abaningi bafa besebancane. Ngenxa yalokho, zimbalwa izingane ezizalwayo phakathi naleyo nkathi. Nokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi ama-Israyeli ayenensada yokudla. Lapho umndeni wakubo kaJosefa ufika eGibhithe, uFaro watshela uJosefa: “Hlalisa uyihlo nabafowenu engxenyeni yezwe enhle kunazo zonke. Mabahlale ezweni laseGosheni.” (Genesise 47:6) Ngisho nangemva kokuba ama-Israyeli ebe yizigqila kwabaseGibhithe, kubonakala sengathi ayenokudla okwanele. Ngempela, ngemva kokukhululwa kwawo ebugqilini, ama-Israyeli akhumbula isinkwa, izinhlanzi, amakhukhamba, amakhabe, amalikhi, u-anyanisi, isweli nezimbiza zenyama ayeyidla ngenkathi esebugqilini.—Eksodusi 16:3; Numeri 11:5.

Phakathi Nekhulu Lokuqala C.E.

Ukucwaninga amanani abantu kungasisiza nokuba siqonde imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho sifunda umyalo kaJesu kubalandeli bakhe wokuba ‘benze abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi,’ singase sizibuze, ‘Isabelo sabo sokushumayela sasihlanganisa indawo enkulu kangakanani?’ (Mathewu 28:19) Bangaki abantu ababengaphansi koMbuso WamaRoma ekhulwini lokuqala? Abanye balinganisela ukuthi inani labantu laliphakathi kwezigidi ezingu-50 nezingu-60. Uma kwakunjalo, kumelwe ukuba mkhulu umsebenzi labo bavangeli abangamaKristu okuqala ababebhekene nawo!

Uma siqhubeka sifunda imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, sithola ukuthi umphostoli uPetru waya ezweni elikude laseBhabhiloni eyoshumayela izindaba ezinhle lapho. (1 Petru 5:13) Kungani aya eBhabhiloni? Okushiwo i-New Encyclopædia Britannica kuyayikhanyisa le ndaba: “Izizinda eziyinhloko zamaJuda ngaphandle kwasePalestine zaziseSiriya, e-Asia Minor, eBhabhiloni, naseGibhithe, ngasinye sazo okulinganiselwa ukuthi okungenani sasinamaJuda ayisigidi.” Njengoba uPetru ngokuyinhloko ayabelwe ukuba ashumayele kumaJuda, kwakunengqondo ukuba aye endaweni eyayinomphakathi wobuJuda—iBhabhiloni. (Galathiya 2:9) Futhi uma ucabangela umphakathi wamaJuda owawulapho, cishe akunakwenzeka ukuthi insimu yamphelela!

Ikusasa Lisiphatheleni?

Njengoba sibonile, abacwaningi bamanani abantu banesithakazelo emininingwaneni ethize emlandweni wabantu. Bathini ngekusasa? Kuphakama imibuzo ebalulekile. Ingabe siyobona ukwanda komphakathi ngesivinini kule nkulungwane yeminyaka? Akekho owaziyo. Ngenxa yokwehla kwezibalo zabantu abazalwayo emazweni amaningana, abanye abacwaningi babona sengathi umphakathi wabantu uyohlala ulokhu unje.

Nokho, akuzona zonke izazi ezivumelana nalokhu. Incwadi ethi Population Today ithi: “Namuhla, ‘kunezigaba’ ezimbili ezivelele ekwandeni komphakathi: yileso samazwe umkhaya ngamunye oba nezingane ezimbili noma ngaphansi kanye naleso esinemikhaya ezala izingane eziningi. ‘Amazwe anemikhaya enezingane ezimbili noma ngaphansi’ ahlanganisa iYurophu, i-United States, iCanada, iJapane, namanye amazwe ambalwa athuthuka ngokushesha . . . Ngokuphambene, ‘amazwe anabantu abanda ngesivinini’ ahlanganisa amazwe amaningi ase-Afrika, e-Asia, naseLatin America, lapho kuzalwa khona izingane ezingaphezu kwezimbili emkhayeni. Kula mazwe, ahlalise abantu abangaphezu kwengxenye yomphakathi womhlaba, ngokwesilinganiso owesifazane ngamunye uba nezingane ezine.”

Ngakho, nakuba ukwanda kwabantu kuye kwehla kwamanye amazwe, kuye kwenyuka noma kwahlala kunjalo kwamanye. I-Population Today ifingqa amathuba okwanda esikhathini esizayo kanje: “Ukwanda ngokushesha kwabantu kusazoqhubeka emazweni amaningi asathuthuka. Ukuphela ‘kokwanda kwabantu’ kwangempela, hhayi okucatshangelwayo, kuyonqunywa ukuthi amazwe azinikela ngokushesha kangakanani nokuthi kungakanani akufakayo emikhankasweni yokunciphisa ukufa kwezinsana, yokufundiswa kwabesifazane neyokuhlinzeka ngezinhlelo zokuhlela umndeni.”

Ingabe abantu emhlabeni bayolidlula kakhulu inani labayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyisithupha elikhona manje? Kuzobonakala ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Kodwa siyazi ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu ukuba lo mhlaba ugcwale—hhayi ukuba uphuphume. (Genesise 1:28) Futhi sinezizathu eziqinile zokukholelwa ukuthi lokhu kuyokwenzeka ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu.—Isaya 55:10, 11.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Abasinda kuZamcolo basungula umphakathi womhlaba manje osudlule kubantu abayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyisithupha

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Ngeminyaka engu-215, inani elincane lama-Israyeli eGibhithe landa laba abantu abangaba yizigidi ezintathu