Ngaba Ngokwenene Abantu Bamaxesha EBhayibhile Babephila Ixesha Elide?

UJEANNE LOUISE CALMENT wasweleka ngoAgasti 4, 1997 kwidolophu awayehlala kuyo kumzantsi-mpuma weFransi. Wayeneminyaka eli-122 ubudala!

Ukuhambela phambili kwenzululwazi, ezamayeza nakwezinye iinkalo kunceda abantu namhlanje baphile ixesha elide. Nakuba kunjalo basembalwa abantu abaphila ngaphaya kweminyaka elikhulu. Mhlawumbi seso sizathu esibangela ukuba ukuphila kwabo ixesha elide kube sezindabeni, njengakwimeko kaMadame Calment.

IBhayibhile ithi mandulo abantu babephila ixesha elide, maxa wambi babephila iminyaka ephantse ibe liwaka. Ngaba iyinyani loo nto? Ngaba abantu bamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile babephila ixesha elide kangako? Ngaba ibalulekile loo nto kuthi namhlanje?

Abantu Abaphila Ixesha Elide

Incwadi yeBhayibhile yeGenesis ithetha ngamadoda asixhenxe awaphila iminyaka engaphezu kwama-900, onke azalwa ngaphambi koMkhukula kaNowa. La madoda yayinguAdam, uSete, uEnoshi, uKenan, uYaredi, uMethusela noNowa. (Genesis 5:5-27; 9:29) Uninzi lwala madoda lusenokungaziwa ngabantu abaninzi, kodwa ayekwizizukulwana zokuqala ezilishumi kwimbali yabantu. UMethusela ngoyena waphila ixesha elide—iminyaka engama-969 ubudala.

IBhayibhile ithetha ngabanye abantu abangama-25 abaphila iminyaka engaphezu kweqhelekileyo namhlanje. Abanye babo baphila iminyaka engama-300, 400 bambi bade baphila iminyaka engama-700 nangaphezulu. (Genesis 5:28-31; 11:10-25) Kubantu abaninzi ingxelo yeBhayibhile yabantu abaphila ixesha elide kangako yintsomi nje. Ngaba injalo loo nto ngokwenene?

Ngaba Yintsomi Okanye Yingxelo Enokuthenjwa?

Ngokutsho kwexwebhu elapapashwa yiMax Planck Institute for Demographic Research eJamani, abaphandi bayiqinisekisa iminyaka yobudala kaMadame Calment, ekuthethwe ngayo ekuqaleni, ngokuqokelela “izinto awazibhalayo.” Ezi zinto zaziphathelele iziganeko ezichaphazela yena okanye izalamane zakhe. Ezo zinto azibhalayo zathelekiswa nengxelo zikamasipala, ezamagqwetha, ezecawa, ezamanqaku amaphephandaba nezobalo lwabantu. Okubangel’ umdla kukuba nangona bengazange bakwazi ukuqinisekisa nganye yezo ngxelo, kwafikelelwa kwisigqibo sokuba ubungqina obukhoyo kwenza bakwazi ukufumanisa iminyaka yobudala bakhe.

Kuthekani ngeengxelo zeBhayibhile? Ngaba zizingqine zinokuthenjwa? Ngokungathandabuzekiyo! Nangona zingaqinisekiswanga zonke iinkcukacha yimithombo ekhoyo yehlabathi, ubungqina obukhoyo busoloko bubonisa ukuba izinto eziseBhayibhileni zichanile ngokwembali, ngokwenzululwazi nangokweziganeko.a Ayimele isothuse loo nto, kuba iBhayibhile ithi: “UThixo uthetha inyaniso, nangona abanye abantu bengamaxoki.” (Roma 3:4, Contemporary English Version) Njengencwadi ‘ephefumlelwe nguThixo,’ iBhayibhile ayixoki.—2 Timoti 3:16.

UMoses, owakhokelwa nguYehova uThixo ukuba abhale iincwadi zoMthetho, okanye iincwadi ezintlanu zokuqala zeBhayibhile, ugqalwa njengenye yamadoda anempembelelo nahlonelwayo embalini yoluntu. AmaYuda amjonga njengoyena mfundisi ubalaseleyo kunabo bonke abefundisi babo. AmaSilamsi amgqala njengomnye wabona baprofeti babalaseleyo. KumaKristu uMoses ngumanduleli kaYesu Kristu. Ngaba bekuya kuba sengqiqweni ukugqiba kwelokuba umntu obalasele ngolu hlobo unokubhala izinto ezingenakuthenjwa?

Ngaba Ixesha Lalibalwa Ngendlela Eyahlukileyo?

Abanye abantu bathi ixesha lalibalwa ngendlela eyahlukileyo ngeloo xesha yaye unyaka wabo wawulingana nenyanga. Noko ke, xa uhlalutya ingxelo ekwincwadi yeGenesis, uya kufumanisa ukuba abantu ababephila ngelo xesha babelibala njengathi ixesha. Khawucinge ngale mizekelo mibini. Kwingxelo ethetha ngoMkhukula, sifunda ukuba uNogumbe waqala xa uNowa wayeneminyaka engama-600 ubudala, “kwinyanga yesibini, ngosuku lweshumi elinesixhenxe enyangeni leyo.” Ihlabela mgama isithi amanzi agubungela umhlaba iintsuku ezili-150 yaye “ngenyanga yesixhenxe, ngosuku lweshumi elinesixhenxe enyangeni leyo, umkhombe wema kwiintaba zeArarati.” (Genesis 7:11, 24; 8:4) Ezo ziinyanga ezintlanu—ukususela ngosuku lwe-17 lwenyanga yesibini ukuya kutsho kusuku lwe-17 lwenyanga yesixhenxe yaloo nyaka—kuthiwa ziintsuku ezili-150. Kucacile ukuba into yokuba unyaka wawulingana nenyanga ayinasihlahla.

Ngoku khawuqwalasele umzekelo wesibini. Ngokutsho kweGenesis 5:15-18, uMahalaleli waba nonyana xa wayeneminyaka engama-65 ubudala yaye waphila iminyaka engama-830 emva koko waza wafa eneminyaka engama-895 ubudala. Umzukulwana wakhe uEnoki naye waba nonyana xa wayeneminyaka engama-65 ubudala. (Genesis 5:21) Ukuba unyaka wawulingana nenyanga loo madoda mabini ayeya kuba nabantwana eneminyaka emihlanu kuphela ubudala. Ngaba ibhadlile loo nto?

Nobungqina bokwembiwa kwezinto zakudala buyavumelana nengxelo eseBhayibhileni yokuba abantu babephila ixesha elide. Xa ithetha ngosolusapho uAbraham, iBhayibhile ithi wayevela kwisixeko saseUre, waza wahlala kwisixeko sakwaHaran emva koko waya kuhlala kwaKanan yaye apho walwa nokumkani uKedolahomere wakwaElam waza wamoyisa. (Genesis 11:31; 12:5; 14:13-17) Izinto eziye zafunyanwa ziye zabungqina ubukho bezi ndawo nabantu ekuthethwa ngabo. Ukwembiwa kwezinto zakudala kuye kwasinceda saqonda amazwe nezithethe zabantu ababephila ngexesha lika-Abraham. Ekubeni ezi ngxelo zeBhayibhile zichanile, kutheni simele sithandabuze iminyaka yakhe yobudala eli-175?—Genesis 25:7.

Ngoko ke, asinasizathu sokuthandabuza ingxelo yeBhayibhile ethetha ngabantu bamandulo ababephila iminyaka emininzi. Kodwa usenokuzibuza ukuba, ‘Ibaluleke ngantoni kum iminyaka ababeyiphila abo bantu?’

Unokuphila Ixesha Elide Kunokuba Ucinga!

Ixesha elide elaliphilwa ngaloo madoda angaphambi koMkhukula libonisa ukuba abantu banako ukuphila ixesha elide. Izinto zobugcisa zale mihla ziye zanceda izazinzulu zahlola umzimba womntu nendlela oyilwe ngayo, kuquka nokukwazi kwawo ukuzihlaziya nokuzinyanga. Ziye zagqiba kwelithini? Zigqibe kwelokuba umntu unako ukuphila ngonaphakade. UNjingalwazi wezaMayeza uTom Kirkwood uthi: “[Ukwaluphala] kuseyintsumantsumane kwinzululwazi yezamayeza.”

KuYehova uThixo ukwaluphala ukuyontsumantsumane okanye ingxaki engenakulungiseka. Wadala umntu wokuqala uAdam, efezekile yaye wayenenjongo yokuba abantu baphile ngonaphakade. Okubuhlungu kukuba uAdam wamvukela uThixo. Ngenxa yoko waba nesono waza akafezeka. Nantsi impendulo ebisoloko ifunwa zizazinzulu: “Kanye njengokuba isono sangena ngamntu mnye ehlabathini nokufa ngaso isono, ngaloo ndlela ukufa kwasasazeka kubo bonke abantu ngenxa yokuba bonke bonayo.” (Roma 5:12) Kungenxa yesono le nto sigula, sisaluphala size sife.

Noko ke, ayizange itshintshe injongo yomdali wethu onothando. Ubungqina boku kukuba, walungiselela intlawulelo ngoNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu, nto leyo eyavula ithuba lokuba abantu bafezeke baze baphile ngonaphakade. IBhayibhile ithi: “Kanye njengoko kuAdam bonke besifa, ngokunjalo nakuKristu bonke baya kwenziwa baphile.” (1 Korinte 15:22) Abantu ababephila ngaphambi koMkhukula babekufutshane nemfezeko kunathi, yiloo nto le yayibenza baphile ixesha elide kunathi. Kodwa thina namhlanje sikufutshane nokuzalisekiswa kwesithembiso sikaThixo. Kungekudala isono nokungafezeki ziza kuphela yaye abantu abazukwaluphala baze bafe.—Isaya 33:24; Tito 1:2.

Unokuzifumana njani ezo ntsikelelo? Ungaze ucinge ukuba izithembiso zikaThixo liphupha nje. UYesu wathi: “Lowo ulivayo ilizwi lam aze akholelwe kulowo undithumileyo unobomi obungunaphakade.” (Yohane 5:24) Ngoko ke, funda iBhayibhile uze uphile ngokuvisisana nayo. Ukuba wenjenjalo, uya kube ulandela umzekelo wabo athi umpostile uPawulos ngabo “baziqwebela isiseko esihle nesikhuselekileyo sekamva, esikhokelela kubomi benene.” (1 Timoti 6:19) Unokuqiniseka ukuba laa Thixo wabangela ukuba abantu abathile ekuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni baphile ixesha elide unokukunceda nawe ukwazi ukuphila ngonaphakade!

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Igrafu ekwiphepha 12]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

1000

969

969* UMETHUSELAH

950* UNOWA

930* UADAM

900*

800*

700*

600*

500*

400*

300*

200*

100* ABANTU BALA MAXESHA IMINYAKA