Nakukhulunywa ngePharadesi kungenzeka ufikelwa mbono wencwadi yokuthatha amakhambo enemibala emihle ekuthatha ikubeke endaweni ekude “elipharadesi,” uthi nawulapho ufese uzigedle ulibale ngemirarwakho yangemihla. Kodwana usuke wazi ukuthi nawubuyela epilwenakho yamambala ufika uthole izinto zisafana nendlela ozitjhiye zingayo.

Kinanyana ngikuphi, nakububuhle bepharadesi buyakarisa tle! Asikwazi nokuzibamba. Sihlala sizibuza ukuthi: ‘Kghani “ipharadesi” sekumane kulibhudango elikarisako? Nakube kunjalo-ke, kubayini lisikara kangaka? Kghani lizakhe khelibe yinto yamambala?’

Emakhulwini weminyaka eyadlulako, abantu bebasolo bakarwa mbono abanawo ngepharadesi. Inengi labantwaba ikarekwabo bebayisusela eBhayibhelini nakukhulunywa “ngesivande se-Edeni esinca ngepumalanga.” Khuyini ebekwenza isivandesi sithandeke kangaka? Umlando uthi: “[“UJehova,” NW] uZimu wamilisa yoke imihlobo yemithi eganukejako nelungele ukudliwa.” Isivandeso besisihle begodu siyindawo ethokozisako. Into ebeyenza indawo le ikarise khulu, kukuthi phakathi kwesivandeso ‘bekunomuthi wokuphila.’—Genesisi 2:8, 9.

Umlando wencwadi kaGenesisi nawulandisako uthi, bekunemifula emine egeleza ivela esivandeneso. Eminye yemifula leyo isaziwa bekube kunamhlanjesi. KuneThigrisi, eyaziwa nange (Hiddekel) neYufrathe. (Genesisi 2:10-14) Imilambo emibili le igelezela eLwandle lePheresiya, nje eselaziwa nge-Iraq, ingcenye yePheresiya lekadeni.

Kuyezwakala nakuthiwa ipharadesi elisephasini lihlobana eduze nePheresiya lekadeni. EPhiladelphia Museum of Art, esePennsylvania, e-U.S.A, kunomada wangeminyaka yabo-1600, umada loyo ulengiswe ebodeni lalapho. Nawuwuqalako ubona isivande esikantjelwe ngamaboda nemithi etjalwe hlangana namablomu. Ngelimi lesiPheresiya ibizo elithi “isivande esikantjelweko” litjho “ipharadesi.” Umfanekiso osemadeni lo usipenda sikhanye isithombe somlando weBhayibheli ngobuhle besivande se-Edeni.

Eqinisweni, indaba yepharadesi ihlathululwa ngamalimi namasiko amanengi abhode iphasi. Kwathi abantu nabafudukela kezinye iindawo zephasi, bakhamba nemibono yomlando engeyamambala. Kwathi nasele kudlule amakhulu weminyaka imibono leya yaqarhelana neemfundiso zeenkutana zakezinye iinarha. Bekube kunamhlanjesi, abantu basahlobanisa iinarha ezinobuhle bemvelo nepharadesi.

Abahloli beenarha bakhe bathi sebalitholile ipharadesi elalahleka. Ngokwesibonelo, uCharlse Gordon, osikhulu samajoni wamaBritish, uthi nakavakatjhele eSeychelles ngo-1881, wakarwa bubuhle bendawo yeVallée de Maiee, nje eseyenziwe iNdawo yezoMlando ePhasini. Uthi wavuma bonyana indawo le kufuze ibe sivande se-Edeni. Ngabo-1500, umlayeli wemikhumbi uChristopher Columbus, naye wakhe wathi sekusele kancani asifumane isivande se-Edeni, lokho bekakutjhwiso kufika esihlengeleni seHispaniola, nje seyaziwa ngeDominican Republic neHaiti.

Incwadi yekadeni ebizwa nge-Mapping Paradise, inemininingwana engaphezu kweli-190 yemimebhe yekadeni, eminengi yayo iveza u-Adamu no-Eva basendaweni ye-Edeni. Phakathi kweencwadezo kunomebhe ongakajayeleki wangeminyaka yabo-1300, nomsongo we-Beatus of Liébana. Umsongo loyo unesithombe sesivande sepharadesi. Esithombeneso kunemilambo namabizo wakhona ngokulandelana, “i-Tigris,” “i-Eufrates,” “i-Pison,” “neGeon.” Imilambo le beyigeleza emagumbini amane. Ekhabolakhona, imilambo le beyifanekisela ukurhatjheka kobuKrestu emagumbini amane wephasi. Umfanekiso  lo utjengisa ukuthi nanyana iPharadesi lekadeni lingasaziwa, kodwana lisazokusolo likhunjulwa nobuhle balo.

UJohn Milton imbongi yelimi lesiNgisi, yangeminyaka yabo-1700. Waziwa ngekondlo yakhe ethi, Paradise Lost, esekelwe emlandweni wencwadi kaGenesisi okhuluma ngo-Adamu no-Eva. UMilton wabuye watlola ngomphumela wendaba nakathi, Paradise Regained. Endabeni le wagandelela indaba yesithembiso sokuvuselelwa kokuphila okungapheliko kwabantu ephasini, wathi: “Iphasi loke lizokuba yipharadesi.”

Sekuyakhanya-ke nje bonyana indaba yokulahleka kwepharadesi ebelisephasini bekuyiqophamlando emntwini woke. Alo kubayini ikghatjhelwa eqadi kangaka? Incwadi ethi-Mapping Paradise ithi, “Izazi zekolo nakhe kwakhulunywa ngendaba yepharadesi le, vane zizithele ngaqandako ngabomu.”

Inengi labantu abasondako lafundiswa ukuthi isiphetho sekhambo labo kukuya ezulwini, ingasi indaba yepharadesi elisephasini. Khonapho, iBhayibheli lithi encwadini yeRhubo 37:29: “Abalungileko bazakuzuza inarha, bahlale kiyo nini nanini.” Kodwana iphasini esiphila kilweli angeze sathi liyipharadesi, okwenza sizibuze-ke ukuthi, kghani isithembiswesi sizakhe sizaliseke na? *

UJehova uZimu owadala iPharadesi lamambala uthembisa ukuvuselela koke okwalahleka. Njani? Khumbula ukuthi uJesu wasifundisa ukuthandaza bunje: “Umbuso wakho awufike, intando yakho yenziwe ephasini njengombana kunjalo ezulwini.” (Matewu 6:10) UmBuso loyo ungurhulumende osezandleni zakaJesu Krestu ozokuqeda yoke imibuso yabantu. (Danyela 2:44) Ngaphasi komBuso loyo, intando kaZimu kunye nepharadesi elisephasini “kuzokuhlala isiphelani.”

Ekadeni umphorofidi u-Isaya watjhukumiseleka bona akhulume ngobujamo bePharadesi elithenjisiweko. (Isaya 11:6-9; 35:5-7; 65:21-23) Kuzokuphela koke ukugandeleleka nemiguruguru etlhorisa abantu namhlanjesi. Sibawa uthathe imuzuzwana embalwa ufunde imitlolo leyo eBhayibhelini lakho. Ukwenza njalo kuzokuqinisekisa ngalokho uZimu akubekele abantu abathembekileko. Abantwabo boke njalo bazokuthokoziswa lipharadesi kunye nokumukelwa nguZimu, okuzizinto ezalahlwa ngu-Adamu.—IsAmbulo 21:3.

Sikutjho ngaliphi ukuthi ithemba lePharadesi elisephasini akusilo ibhudango? Sikutjho ngebanga lalokho esikutjelwa liBhayibheli nalithi: “Amazulu mazulu [“kaJehova,” NW], iphasi walinikela abantu.” Ithemba lePharadesi elisephasini lingilokho “uZimu ongaleyi amala akuthembisa koke kungakathomi.” (IRhubo 115:16; Titosi 1:2) Umbono weBhayibheli lo ngePharadesi uyakarisa tle!