Umlobi weBhayibheli wasendulo wabona umehluko omkhulu lapho eqhathanisa isikhathi esifushane esiphilwa umuntu nesomhlaba ohlala phakade. Ngempela, sekuyizinkulungwane zeminyaka kufika izizukulwane futhi zidlula, kodwa iplanethi engumhlaba ayigugi futhi ayishintshi, kunalokho iqhubeka isekela ukuphila—kuze kube manje.

Iminyaka eyalandela iMpi Yezwe ll iye yabizwa ngokuthi iNkathi Yoshintsho Olukhulu Kakhulu emhlabeni. Phakathi nesikhathi esifushane esingaba iminyaka engu-70, abantu baye babona ushintsho oluphawulekayo kwezokuthutha, ezokuxhumana nakwezinye izinto zobuchwepheshe, okuye kwaletha ushintsho olukhulu kwezomnotho. Abantu abaningi baphila ngendlela ababengaphuphi kwakuphupha ngayo. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, inani labantu abasemhlabeni liye laphindeka cishe kathathu.

Nokho, konke lokhu kuye kwaletha nemiphumela engemihle. Izinto ezenziwa abantu ziphazamisa imijikelezo yemvelo. Empeleni, ososayensi abathile bathi singene enkathini entsha ebizwa ngokuthi i-Anthropocene—inkathi lapho abantu benza umonakalo ophawulekayo eplanethini yethu.

IBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi kuyofika isikhathi lapho abantu ‘beyochitha’ khona “umhlaba.” (IsAmbulo 11:18) Abanye bayazibuza ukuthi sesiphila kuleso sikhathi yini. Ungakanani umonakalo osazokwenziwa? Ingabe kuyoba umonakalo ongalungiseki? Ingabe  ngempela abantu bayokwenza umonakalo ongenakulungiseka emhlabeni?

Ingabe umhlaba uyokonakaliswa ngokuphelele? Abanye ososayensi banomuzwa wokuthi kungaba nzima ukuqagela ukuthi uyoba ngakanani umonakalo oyobangelwa yizinguquko. Ngenxa yalokhu, bacabanga ukuthi kungenzeka sisondela enkathini yezinguquko zesimo sezulu ezingalindelekile, eziyokwenzeka ngokushesha futhi ezingabangela izinhlekelele ezinkulu.

Ngokwesibonelo, ake ucabange ngeQhwa Elimboze iNtshonalanga ye-Antarctic. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi uma ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke kuqhubeka, ekugcineni leli qhwa liyoncibilika lonke. Lokhu kubangelwa ukuthi ngokwemvelo iqhwa likuphindisela emuva ukushisa okulethwa imisebe yelanga. Kodwa njengoba iqhwa lincibilika futhi lincipha, kwembuleka ulwandle olungakuphindiseli emuva lokhu kushisa. Njengoba ulwandle lungemhlophe njengeqhwa, ludonsa ukushisa okuningi okubangela ukuba iqhwa liqhubeke lincibilika. Lo mjikelezo ungaqhubeka njalo lize lincibilike lonke iqhwa. Ukwanda kwamanzi ezilwandle okubangelwa iqhwa elincibilikile kungabangela izinhlekelele ezingathinta izigidi zabantu.

Kuye kwasungulwa amasu ahlukahlukene ukuze kulungiswe isimo esiphuthumayo sokonakaliswa komhlaba esibhekane naso. Elinye isu osekuyisikhathi likhona libizwa ngokuthi ukuthuthukiswa kwezomnotho nezenhlalo ngaphandle kokonakaliswa komhlaba. Iye yaba yini imiphumela?

Ngokudabukisayo, njengoba kuba njalo lapho kuwa ezomnotho, ukonakaliswa komhlaba kuya kuba kubi nakakhulu. Abantu baqhubeka besebenzisa izinto ezikhiqizwa umhlaba ngezinga elikhulu, bengawuniki ithuba lokuzivuselela. Ingabe kukhona okungenziwa? Esinye isazi sezemvelo sathi: “Eqinisweni, asazi nhlobo ukuthi umhlaba unakekelwa kanjani ngendlela ephumelelayo.” Lesi simo sivumelana nalokho okushiwo iBhayibheli: “Akukona okomuntu ohambayo ngisho nokuqondisa isinyathelo sakhe.”—Jeremiya 10:23.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli lisiqinisekisa ngokuthi uNkulunkulu, uMdali, ngeke avume ukuba abantu bonakalise umhlaba ngokuphelele. IHubo  115:16, lithi ngoNkulunkulu: “Umhlaba uwuniké abantwana babantu.” Yebo, iplanethi yethu ‘iyisipho esihle’ esivela kuBaba wethu osezulwini. (Jakobe 1:17) Ingabe singalindela ukuba isipho esivela kuNkulunkulu sendalo sibe esesikhashana? Lutho neze! Ubufakazi balokho sibubona endleleni iplanethi yethu eyenziwe ngayo.

Incwadi yeBhayibheli kaGenesise isitshela ngokuningiliziwe indlela uNkulunkulu alungisa ngayo umhlaba ngokucophelela. Ekuqaleni, kuthiwa umhlaba “wawungenasimo ungenalutho kukhona ubumnyama ebusweni botwa lwamanzi.” Nokho, kube sekhulunywa ngokukhethekile ‘ngamanzi’—into esemqoka ekuphileni—atholakala kule planethi yethu. (Genesise 1:2) UNkulunkulu wabe esethi: “Makube khona ukukhanya.” (Genesise 1:3) Kusobala ukuthi imisebe yelanga yadabula emkhathini futhi ukukhanya kwayo kwabonakala emhlabeni okokuqala ngqá. Ngemva kwalokho kukhulunywa ngokuvela komhlaba owomile nezilwandle. (Genesise 1:9, 10) Kwabe sekumila “utshani, izimila eziveza imbewu ngezinhlobo zayo nemithi ethela izithelo.” (Genesise 1:12) Zase zikhona izinto ezidingekayo ukuze kwenzeke izinqubo nemijikelezo ebalulekile ekuphileni—njenge-photosynthesis. Yayiyini injongo yokulungisa umhlaba ngale ndlela?

Umprofethi wasendulo u-Isaya wachaza uNkulunkulu ngokuthi: “UMbumbi womhlaba noMenzi wawo, Yena owawumisa waqina, ongazange awudalele ize nje, owawubumba ukuze uhlalwe ngisho nokuhlalwa.” (Isaya 45:18) Ngokusobala, injongo kaNkulunkulu iwukuba umhlaba uhlalwe abantu phakade.

Ngokudabukisayo, abantu baye bawusebenzisa kabi umhlaba oyisipho esihle esivela kuNkulunkulu baze bawonakalisa. Nokho, injongo yoMdali ayikashintshi. Indoda yasendulo yathi: “UNkulunkulu akayena umuntu ukuba aqambe amanga, futhi akayona indodana yomuntu ukuba azisole. Ingabe ukushilo kodwa engayikukwenza?” (Numeri 23:19) Empeleni, kunokuba uNkulunkulu avumele ukuba umhlaba wonakaliswe, sisondela ngokushesha isikhathi sokuba ‘achithe abachitha umhlaba.’—IsAmbulo 11:18.

ENtshumayelweni yakhe Yasentabeni edumile, uJesu Kristu wathi: “Bayajabula abanomoya omnene, ngoba bayokudla ifa lomhlaba.” (Mathewu 5:5)  Kamuva, kuyo leyo ntshumayelo uJesu waveza indlela umhlaba oyolungiswa ngayo. Wayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandaze: “Umbuso wakho mawuze. Intando yakho mayenzeke nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.” Yebo, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu noma uhulumeni, uyofeza injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba.—Mathewu 6:10.

Ngokuphathelene nezinguquko eziphawulekayo lo Mbuso oyoziletha, uNkulunkulu uthi: “Bheka! Ngenza konke kube kusha.” (IsAmbulo 21:5) Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzodala omunye umhlaba esikhundleni salona okhona? Cha, ngoba akukho okwadalwa konakele eplanethini yethu engumhlaba. Kunalokho, uNkulunkulu uyobhubhisa labo abonakalisa iplanethi yethu, labo “abachitha umhlaba,” okuwukuthi imibuso yabantu yosuku lwethu. Le mibuso iyothathelwa indawo “izulu elisha nomhlaba omusha”—uhulumeni omusha wasezulwini, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu oyobusa umphakathi omusha wasemhlabeni.—IsAmbulo 21:1.

Ukuze alungise umonakalo owenziwe abantu, uNkulunkulu uyobuyisela izinto esimweni ezazikuso ekuqaleni futhi umhlaba uyoqhubeka usekela ukuphila. Lapho echaza lokho okuyokwenziwa uNkulunkulu, umhubi waphefumulelwa ukuba abhale: “Unaké umhlaba, ukuba uwunike inala; uyawucebisa kakhulu.” Njengoba kuyobe kunesimo sezulu esihle, futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke kuyobe kunesibusiso sikaNkulunkulu, umhlaba uyoba ipharadesi elikhiqiza inala yokudla.—IHubo 65:9-13.

UPyarelal, unobhala kaMohandas Gandhi, umholi wezenkolo wase-India osashona, uthi uMohandas Ghandhi wathi: “Umhlaba ukhiqiza izinto ezanele ukuba zanelise izidingo zawo wonke umuntu hhayi ukwanelisa izifiso zobugovu zawo wonke umuntu.” UMbuso kaNkulunkulu uzoqeda imbangela yezinkinga zomhlaba ngokuletha ushintsho ezinhliziyweni zabantu. Umprofethi u-Isaya wabikezela ukuthi lapho sekubusa lo Mbuso, abantu ‘ngeke neze balimaze noma babangele incithakalo’ komunye nomunye noma emhlabeni. (Isaya 11:9) Eqinisweni, namuhla izigidi zabantu eziphuma ezizindeni ezihlukahlukene seziyafunda kakade ngemithetho kaNkulunkulu ephakeme. Zifundiswa ukuba zithande uNkulunkulu nomakhelwane, zibonise umoya wokubonga, zinakekele indawo ezihlala kuyo, zilondoloze izinto zemvelo futhi ziphile ngendlela evumelana nenjongo yoMdali. Zilungiselelwa ukuphila epharadesi lasemhlabeni.—UmShumayeli 12:13; Mathewu 22:37-39; Kolose 3:15.

Indaba yendalo ekuGenesise iphetha ngala mazwi: “UNkulunkulu wabona konke ayekwenzile, bheka! kwakukuhle kakhulu.” (Genesise 1:31) Ngempela, umhlaba uyigugu kakhulu ukuba ungonakala ngokuphelele. Kuyasiduduza ukwazi ukuthi ikusasa leplanethi yethu lilondekile ezandleni zoMdali wethu onothando, uJehova uNkulunkulu. Uyathembisa: “Abalungile bayokudla ifa lomhlaba, futhi bayohlala kuwo kuze kube phakade.” (IHubo 37:29) Kwangathi nawe ungaba phakathi ‘kwabalungile,’ abayobiza umhlaba ngokuthi ikhaya labo laphakade.