Hayi, uMhlaba awusoze utshatyalaliswe, utshiswe okanye kwenziwe omnye. IBhayibhile ithi uThixo wawudala umhlaba ukuze kuhlalwe kuwo ngonaphakade.

•   “Amalungisa aya kuwudla ilifa umhlaba, ahlale kuwo ngonaphakade.”​—INdumiso 37:29.

•   “[UThixo] useke umhlaba phezu kweendawo omiswe kuzo; awuyi kushukunyiswa ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo, okanye nangonaphakade.”​—INdumiso 104:5.

•   “Umhlaba umi ixesha elingenammiselo.”​—INtshumayeli 1:4.

•   “UMyili womhlaba noMenzi wawo, owuzinzise ngokuqinileyo, nongawudalelanga ilize, kodwa owawubumba ukuba umiwe.”​—Isaya 45:18.

 UThixo akazukuvumela abantu bawonakalise umhlaba ngokungcolisa umoya namanzi, ngeemfazwe okanye nangayiphi indlela. Kodwa, uza ‘kubatshabalalisa abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba.’ (ISityhilelo 11:18) Uza kuyenza njani loo nto?

 Esebenzisa uBukumkani basezulwini, uThixo uza kubasusa oorhulumente babantu, abangakwazanga ukuwukhusela umhlaba. (Daniyeli 2:44; Mateyu 6:9, 10) Obu Bukumkani buza kulawulwa nguNyana kaThixo, uYesu Kristu. (Isaya 9:6, 7) Xa wayelapha emhlabeni, uYesu wenza imimangaliso ebonisa ukuba unamandla okulawula indalo. (Marko 4:35-41) NjengoKumkani woBukumkani bukaThixo, uYesu uza kulawula wonke umhlaba nezinto ezikuwo. Uza kuwuphucula okanye awenze mtsha, iimeko zomhlaba ziphantse zifane nezaseEden.​—Mateyu 19:28; Luka 23:43.

 Hayi, ayitsho. Oku kubhideka kwenziwa kukungayiqondi into ethethwa kweye-2 kaPetros 3:7, ethi: “Amazulu nomhlaba wangoku, zombini ziqwetyelwe umlilo.” Jonga izinto ezimbini ezibalulekileyo ezisinceda siqonde ukuba athetha ukuthini la mazwi:

1.   IBhayibhile ibhekisela kwizinto ezininzi xa isebenzisa amagama athi “amazulu,” “umhlaba,” “nomlilo.” Ngokomzekelo, iGenesis 11:1 ithi: “Wonke umhlaba wawululwimi-lunye.” Apha, “umhlaba” ubhekisela ebantwini.

2.   Into ekuthethwa ngayo kweye-2 kaPetros 3:7 ichaza ukuba athetha ntoni amazulu, umhlaba nomlilo. Ivesi 5 no-6 ithetha ngoMkhukula wexesha likaNowa. Ngelo xesha, ihlabathi latshatyalaliswa kodwa wona umhlaba wahlala ukho. Kunoko uMkhukula wasusa bonke abantu ababeziindlobongela, okanye “umhlaba.” (Genesis 6:11) Yatshabalalisa “namazulu”​—abantu ababelawula ihlabathi ngelo xesha. Ngoko, kwatshatyalaliswa abantu abenza izinto ezimbi, hayi umhlaba. UNowa nentsapho yakhe basinda xa kwakutshatyalaliswa elo hlabathi baza baphila emhlabeni emva koMkhukula.​—Genesis 8:15-18.

 “Umlilo” okanye intshabalalo, ekuthethwa ngawo kweyesi-2 kaPetros 3:7, njengamanzi oMkhukula, uza kususa bonke abantu abenza izinto ezimbi, hayi uMhlaba. UThixo uthembisa “amazulu amatsha nomhlaba omtsha” apho “kumi ubulungisa.” (2 Petros 3:13) ‘Umhlaba omtsha’ okanye abantu abalungileyo baza kulawulwa “ngamazulu amatsha,” uBukumkani BukaThixo. Xa kulawula obu Bukumkani, umhlaba uza kuba yiparadesi enoxolo.​—ISityhilelo 21:1-4.