Umlobi weBhayibhili wasendulo, uSolomoni, wakubona ukuthi isikhathi esiphilwa ngabantu sincane kakhulu, ngeke siqathaniswe lomhlaba omi lanini. Okweminyaka leminyaka izizukulwana zabantu bezifika njalo zisedlula. Kodwa kuyamangalisa ukuthi indlela umhlaba odalwe ngayo yenza ukuthi izinto ezikuwo ziqhubeke ziphila.

Abanye bathi kusukela kwadlula iMpi Yomhlaba Wonke Yesibili, umhlaba ulokhu untshintsha ngendlela engakaze ibonakale. Okweminyaka engaba ngu-70 nje kube lempucuko emangalisayo, ngokwesibonelo sekulezindizamtshina, izikepe, izitimela, izimota, omakhalekhukhwini, amakhompiyutha lezinye izinto zesimanjemanje. Lokhu sekwenze ukuthi kube lengqubelaphambili emangalisayo kwezomnotho. Inengi labantu likhomba ngophakathi. Kanti njalo abantu balokhu besanda kakhulu emhlabeni.

Kodwa kayisikho ukuthi lokhu kwenze zonke izinto zahamba kuhle. Kuthiwa nxa abantu beletha impucuko bayabe bephambanisa izinto zemvelo ezenza ukuthi baqhubeke bephila. Abanye abezesayensi bathi sesifike esikhathini lapho abantu abaqhubeka bedala umonakalo omkhulu kakhulu endaweni esihlala kuyo.

IBhayibhili lakukhuluma kudala ukuthi kwakuzafika isikhathi lapho okwakuzaba labantu “abachitha umhlaba.” (ISambulo 11:18) Abanye bayazibuza ukuthi sesafika yini. Umhlaba uzaqhubeka usonakala  yini? Kambe abantu bazawutshabalalisa usale ungasalungiseki?

Umonakalo owenziwa ngabantu uzatshiya umhlaba ungasalungiseki yini? Abanye abezesayensi bathi kunzima ukuthi batsho ukuthi kuzaphetha ngani. Yikho kubakhathaza ukuthi emkhathini kungenzakala untshintsho oluzasijuma singalindelanga, lubangele ingozi enkulu.

Ngokwesibonelo ake sikhulume ngongqwaqwane oseWest Antarctic. Nxa imisebe yelanga ingahlaba phezu kongqwaqwane lo, kaphonguncibilika nje. Kodwa abanye bathi nxa kungaqhubeka kutshisa kakhulu emkhathini lasolwandle, ungqwaqwane lo ungancibilika uze uphele. Nxa uncibilika kancane kancane, amanzi olwandle angaphansi kongqwaqwane lo acina esehlatshwa yimisebe yelanga. Nxa amanzi la elokhu etshiswa lilanga, ungqwaqwane ungaqhubeka uncibilika kakhulu. Kungabe kulokhu kusenzakala njalo, amanzi ancibilikayo angabangela ukuthi ulwandle lube lamanzi amanengi kakhulu. Lokhu kungenza ukuthi kube lengozi engehlela izigidi zabantu.

Abantu sebephume lamaqhinga amanengi okulwisana lezinto eziphambanisa umhlaba. Elinye iqhinga osekulesikhathi likhona ngelokuthuthukisa ezomnotho kanye lezokuhlalisana kwabantu ngendlela ezakwenza ukuthi izinto zemvelo ezikhona zilondolozwe. Lokhu kuncedile yini?

Okudanisayo yikuthi umonakalo owenziwayo ulokhu usiyaphambili. Umhlaba uyenelisa ukuvuselela izinto zemvelo kancane kancane, kodwa lokhu kunzima ngoba abantu baqhubeka bezihuquluza. Kukhona yini okungenziwa? Enye ingcitshi ebona ngokunakekelwa kwezinto zemvelo yathi: “Esingakutsho yikuthi asikwazi ukuthi singaqalisela ngaphi ukuze silondoloze imvelo yethu.” Lokhu kuhambelana lamazwi aseBhayibhilini athi: “Umuntu akusikho kwakhe ukuthi aqondise izinyathelo zakhe.”​—UJeremiya 10:23.

IBhayibhili liyatshengisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu onguMdali ngeke avumele ukuthi abantu bawutshabalalise umhlaba. IHubo 115:16 lithi: “Umhlaba [uNkulunkulu] wawunika umuntu.” Akuthandabuzwa sibili ukuthi umhlaba ‘yisipho esihle’ esasiphiwa nguBaba wethu osezulwini. (UJakhobe 1:17) Besingafisa  yini ukuthi isipho lesi esivela kuNkulunkulu sibe njengesigqoko othi ungasiphiwa sicine sesigugile, singasagqokeki? Hatshi! Yikho-ke indlela umhlaba owenziwa ngayo itshengisa ukuthi uyisipho esizahlala sikhona.

KuGenesisi, iBhayibhili lichaza okunengi mayelana lokuthi uNkulunkulu wawudala njani umhlaba. Lithi ekuqaliseni umhlaba “wawungelasimo njalo ungelalutho, ubumnyama babengame phezulu kolwandle.” Lanxa umhlaba wawungakabi lalutho, ‘wawulamanzi,’ into eqakatheke kakhulu empilweni. (UGenesisi 1:2) UNkulunkulu wasesithi, “Akubekhona ukukhanya.” (UGenesisi 1:3) Kumele ukuthi imisebe yelanga yadabula emkhathini kwasekuqalisa ukuba lokukhanya emhlabeni. Emveni kwalokho lichaza ukuthi kwavela umhlabathi owomileyo kanye lezilwandle. (UGenesisi 1:9, 10) Kwasekulandela ‘izimila: izihlahla ezilentanga, lezihlahla ezizala izithelo.’ (UGenesisi 1:12) Yikho-ke kwasekulamanzi, ukukhanya kanye lezihlahla. Izinto lezi ziqakatheke kakhulu empilweni ngoba yizo ezenza ukuthi kuphileke emhlabeni. UMdali wayehloseni ngokwenza izinto zonke lezi?

Umphrofethi wasendulo u-Isaya wachaza ukuthi uNkulunkulu nguye “owabumba umhlaba wawenza, wawusekela; kawudalanga ukuba ungabi lalutho, kodwa wawenza ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo.” (U-Isaya 45:18) Kuyacaca-ke ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayevele ehlose ukuthi abantu bahlale emhlabeni kuze kube nini lanini.

Okubuhlungu yikuthi abantu bayawuphambanisa umhlaba, isipho esihle kakhulu esasiphiwa nguNkulunkulu. Kodwa uMdali kakakuntshintshi lokho ayekuhlosile. Enye indoda yasendulo yathi: “UNkulunkulu kasumuntu, ukuthi angaqamba amanga, loba indodana yomuntu, yona eguquka ingqondo yayo. Kambe ukhuluma angenzi na?” (AmaNani 23:​19) UNkulunkulu kasoze avume ukuthi abantu baqhubeke betshabalalisa umhlaba. Kodwa sekuseduze kakhulu ukuthi ‘achithe labo abachitha umhlaba.’​—⁠ISambulo 11:⁠18.

Entshumayelweni yakhe eyaziwa ngabantu abanengi ayenza eseNtabeni, uJesu Khristu wathi: “Babusisiwe abathobekileyo, ngoba bazazuza ilifa lomhlaba.”  (UMathewu 5:5) Waveza lokuthi kwakuzakwenziwani ukuze umhlaba ungatshabalaliswa. Walaya abalandeli bakhe wathi bathandaze bathi: “Umbuso wakho kawuze, intando yakho yenziwe emhlabeni njengalokhu isenziwa ezulwini.” Yikho-ke uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uzakwenza ukuthi lokho akuhlosileyo kugcwaliseke.​—UMathewu 6:10.

UNkulunkulu wakhuluma ngalokho azakwenza nxa sekubusa uMbuso wakhe. Wathi: “Ngenza izinto zonke zibe zintsha.” (ISambulo 21:5) Kambe lokhu kutsho ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzadiliza umhlaba lo adale omutsha yini? Lokho kangeke akwenze ngoba akulalutho olubi ngomhlaba lo. Kodwa azakwenza yikubhubhisa “labo abachitha umhlaba” okutsho ohulumende basemhlabeni. Ngemva kwalokho uzaletha “izulu elitsha lomhlaba omutsha,” okutsho uMbuso kaNkulunkulu, uhulumende omutsha wasezulwini ozabusa abantu abenza intando yakhe emhlabeni.​—⁠ISambulo 21:⁠1.

UNkulunkulu uzasusa umonakalo obangelwa ngabantu ngokulungisisa izinto zemvelo ukuze umhlaba ungatshabalali. Echaza lokho okuzakwenziwa nguNkulunkulu, umhubi waphefumulelwa ukuthi abhale amazwi la: “Uyawunakekela umhlaba uwuthelezele ngamanzi; uyawunothisa kakhulu.” Yikho-ke umhlaba uzakuba lipharadayisi elizathela ukudla okunengi kakhulu ngenxa yokuthi uyabe usulesibusiso sikaNkulunkulu njalo umkhathi uyabe ungasabangeli umonakalo.​—⁠IHubo 65:​9-⁠13.

U-Pyarelal, unobhala kaMohandas Gandhi owayeyinkokheli yezokholo yase-India uthi inkokheli le yake yathi: “Umhlaba ulakho konke okudingakalayo ukuze siphile kodwa kawulakho okungasuthisa ubuhwaba babantu.” UMbuso kaNkulunkulu uzasusa okuyikho okubangela umonakalo emhlabeni ngokuntshintsha izinhliziyo zabantu. Umphrofethi u-Isaya wathi eMbusweni lo abantu “abayikulimaza” abanye loba “badilize” umhlaba. (U-Isaya 11:⁠9) Sikhuluma sisenzenje izigidi zabantu ezivela kuzo zonke izizwe lemihlobo ziyafunda ngezimiso zikaNkulunkulu ezilusizo. Zifundiswa ukuthi zithande uNkulunkulu kanye lomakhelwana, ukubonga, ukunakekela umhlaba lezinto zemvelo ezikuwo kanye lokusekela lokho uMdali akuhlosileyo ezimpilweni zazo. Lokhu kwenzelwa ukuthi ziyekuba yizakhamuzi ezinhle kakhulu emhlabeni olipharadayisi.​—⁠UmTshumayeli 12:​13; UMathewu 22:​37-​39; KwabaseKholose 3:⁠15.

Indaba ephathelane lokudalwa kwezinto ekuGenesisi iphetha ngamazwi athi: “UNkulunkulu wakubona konke lokho ayesekwenzile, njalo kwakukuhle kakhulu.” (UGenesisi 1:​31) Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi umhlaba wethu muhle kakhulu okokuthi uNkulunkulu kangeke awuyekele utshabalaliswa. Kuyasiduduza ukwazi ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu, uMdali wethu olothando, uzawulungisisa umhlaba wethu. Uthembisa ukuthi: “Abalungileyo bazazuza ilifa lelizwe bahlale kulo lanini.” (IHubo 37:​29) Kungaba kuhle ukuthi lawe ube seqenjini ‘labalungileyo’ abazabiza umhlaba ngokuthi likhaya labo laphakade.