Cha, iplanethi yethu ewumhlaba ayisoze yabhujiswa, noma yashiswa, noma kwenziwe umhlaba omusha esikhundleni sayo. IBhayibheli lithi uNkulunkulu wadala umhlaba ukuze kuhlalwe kuwo phakade.

• “Abalungile bayokudla ifa lomhlaba, futhi bayohlala kuwo kuze kube phakade.”​—IHubo 37:29.

• “[UNkulunkulu] usekelé umhlaba phezu kwezindawo zawo ezimisiweyo; ngeke untengantengiswe kuze kube nini nanini, noma kuze kube phakade.”—IHubo 104:5.

• “Umhlaba umi kuze kube nini nanini.”​—UmShumayeli 1:4.

• “UMbumbi womhlaba noMenzi wawo, Yena owawumisa waqina, ongazange awudalele ize nje, owawubumba ukuze uhlalwe ngisho nokuhlalwa.”—Isaya 45:18.

UNkulunkulu ngeke avume ukuba abantu babhubhise umhlaba ngezikhali zempi, noma ngokuwungcolisa, noma ngezinye izindlela. Kunalokho, ‘uzochitha labo abachitha umhlaba.’ (IsAmbulo 11:18) Uzokwenza kanjani lokho?

UNkulunkulu uzosusa ohulumeni babantu abahlulekile ukunakekela umhlaba, bese eletha uMbuso wasezulwini. (Daniyeli 2:44; Mathewu 6:9, 10) INkosi yalowo Mbuso, nguJesu Kristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu. (Isaya 9:​6, 7) Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni, uJesu wasebenzisa amandla akhe amangalisayo ukuze alawule imvelo. (Marku 4:​35-​41) NjengeNkosi yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, uJesu uzokwazi ukulawula umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo. Uzodala kabusha, noma avuselele izinto ezikhona emhlabeni, ukuze zibuyele kulokho ezaziyikho ensimini yase-Edene.​—Mathewu 19:28; Luka 23:43

Cha, alisho. Lowo mbono oyiphutha ubangelwa ukungayiqondi kahle incwadi yesi-2 Petru 3:7, ethi: “Amazulu nomhlaba okukhona manje abekelwe umlilo.” Cabanga ngala maphuzu amabili abalulekile asisiza siqonde ukuthi usho ukuthini lo mBhalo:

1. Amagama aseBhayibhelini athi “amazulu,” “umhlaba,” “umlilo,” anezincazelo eziningi. Ngokwesibonelo, uGenesise 11:1 uthi: “Umhlaba wonke waqhubeka unolimi olulodwa.” Lapha, igama elithi “umhlaba” lisho abantu.

2. Ukuze sithole ukuthi amazulu, umhlaba nomlilo okukhulunywa ngakho kweye-2 Petru 3:7 kubhekisela kuphi, kufanele sifunde namanye amavesi akulesi sahluko. Amavesi 5 no-6 akulesi sahluko, akhuluma ngalokho okwenzeka ngesikhathi sikazamcolo ngosuku lukaNowa. Ngaleso sikhathi, abantu babhujiswa kodwa umhlaba, oyiplanethi esihlala kuyo, waqhubeka ukhona. Ngakho, “umhlaba” owakhukhulwa uzamcolo, ungumphakathi wabantu ababenodlame. (Genesise 6:​11) Kwabhujiswa “namazulu,” okwakungabantu ababebusa ngaleso sikhathi. Ngakho ngabantu ababi ababhujiswa, hhayi iplanethi ewumhlaba. UNowa nomndeni wakhe basinda, futhi baqhubeka bephila kuwona umhlaba ngemva kukazamcolo.​—Genesise 8:​15-​18.

“Umlilo” okukhulunywa ngawo kweye-2 Petru 3:7 uzobhubhisa abantu ababi, hhayi iplanethi yethu ewumhlaba, njengoba kwenzeka nangozamcolo. UNkulunkulu uthembisa ukuthi uzoletha “amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha” lapho ‘kuyohlala khona ukulunga.’ (2 Petru 3:​13) UMbuso kaNkulunkulu, ‘ongamazulu amasha,’ uyobusa ‘umhlaba omusha,’ ongabantu abalungile. Lapho sekubusa lo Mbuso, umhlaba uyoba ipharadesi elinokuthula.​—IsAmbulo 21:1-4.