Kungani abantu benesifiso sokuphila phakade? IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi nguNkulunkulu owasifaka ezinhliziyweni zabantu leso sifiso. (UmShumayeli 3:11) Liphinde lithi: “UNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 Johane 4:8) UNkulunkulu onothando wayengasifaka yini leso sifiso ezinhliziyweni zethu ukube kwakungeke kwenzeke ukuba siphile phakade?

Akekho umuntu ofuna ukufa. Empeleni, iBhayibheli lithi ukufa ‘kuyisitha.’ (1 Korinte 15:26) Kwabanye lesi sitha siyashesha ukufika, kwabanye asisheshi. Kodwa sona sigcina sifikile. Abaningi kuyabethusa ukucabanga ngokufa. Kuyoke kuphele yini ukufa?

Kungakumangaza yini ukwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengahlosile ukuba abantu bafe? Incwadi yeBhayibheli, uGenesise, isinikeza ubufakazi bokuthi uNkulunkulu wayefuna abantu baphile isikhathi eside emhlabeni. UNkulunkulu, uJehova, wadala umhlaba unazo zonke izinto abantu abazidingayo ukuze baphile ngokujabula. Wabe esedala indoda yokuqala, u-Adamu, wayibeka engadini i-Edene eyayiyipharadesi. Ngemva kwalokho “uNkulunkulu wabona konke ayekwenzile, bheka! kwakukuhle kakhulu.”—Genesise 1:26, 31.

U-Adamu wadalwa engenasono, futhi enobuntu obufana nobukaNkulunkulu. (Duteronomi 32:4)  Umkakhe, u-Eva, naye wayengenasici futhi enengqondo nomzimba ophile kahle. UJehova wathi kubo: “Zalani nande nigcwalise umhlaba niwunqobe, nithotshelwe yizinhlanzi zolwandle nezidalwa ezindizayo zamazulu nazo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezihamba phezu komhlaba.”—Genesise 1:28.

Kwakuyobathatha isikhathi eside ukugcwalisa umhlaba ngenzalo yabo. U-Eva wayezoba nabantwana, nalabo bantwana babe nababo, umhlaba uze ugcwale ngezinga uNkulunkulu ayelifuna. (Isaya 45:18) UNkulunkulu wayengabanika yini o-Adamu no-Eva lelo themba ukube wayehlose ukuba baphile isikhashana nje, bese beyafa ngemva kokubona izingane zabo nabazukulu, bengakuboni konke lokho uNkulunkulu ayekuhlosile?

Cabanga nangomyalo wokuba bathotshelwe yizilwane. U-Adamu watshelwa ukuba aqambe izilwane amagama, lokho kwakuzothatha isikhathi. (Genesise 2:19) Ukuze zimthobele, kwakuyodingeka ukuba aqale afunde ngazo futhi aziqonde kahle ukuze akwazi ukuzinakekela. Nalokho kwakuzomthatha isikhathi eside.

Ngakho umyalo kaNkulunkulu wokuba abantu bagcwalise umhlaba futhi bathotshelwe yizilwane, ubonisa ukuthi abantu bokuqala babedalelwe ukuphila isikhathi eside. Empeleni, u-Adamu waphila isikhathi eside.

IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi abantu babephila isikhathi eside kakhulu kunalesi esisiphila namuhla. Lithi: “Zizonke izinsuku zika-Adamu aziphila zaba iminyaka engamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye namashumi amathathu.” Libe selibala namanye amadoda ayisithupha aphila iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-900! KwakunguSeti, u-Enoshe, uKhenani, uJarede, uMethusela noNowa. Wonke la madoda aphila ngaphambi kukaZamcolo. UNowa yena wayesephile iminyaka engu-600 ngaphambi kokufika kukaZamcolo. (Genesise 5:5-27; 7:6; 9:29) Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba baphile isikhathi eside kangaka?

Wonke la madoda aphila ngesikhathi lapho isono singakabi namandla kakhulu kumuntu. Kungenzeka ukuthi yileso isizathu esabenza baphila isikhathi eside kangaka. Kodwa ukungabi nasono nokuphila isikhathi eside kuhlobana kanjani? Kuyoqedwa kanjani ukufa? Ukuze sithole izimpendulo, kufanele siqale sazi ukuthi kungani siguga futhi sifa.