Ipharadesi! Lapho sibona izikhangiso zezingadi ezinhle ezinjengepharadesi, siba nesifiso sokuya kulezo zindawo ukuze siziphumulele kuzo futhi sikhohlwe izinkinga esinazo. Kodwa njengoba sazi, lapho sibuyela emakhaya ngemva kokungcebeleka okunjalo, izinkinga zisuke zisasilindile.

Noma kunjalo, kuhlale kusikhanga ukucabanga ngepharadesi. Sihlale sizibuza: ‘Ingabe ipharadesi liyinto esengqondweni kodwa engeke ibe khona? Uma kunjalo, kungani isikhanga indaba yepharadesi? Ingabe liyoke libe khona?’

Kusukela kudala, abantu abaningi bebelokhu befisa ukwazi ngepharadesi. Kwabaningi, ukuzwa iBhayibheli likhuluma ngengadi ‘eyayise-Edene, ngasempumalanga,’ yikho okwabenza bafisa ukwazi ngepharadesi. Yini eyenza leyo ngadi yathandeka? IBhayibheli liyasitshela: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wenza ukuba kumile emhlabathini yonke imithi efiselekayo emehlweni omuntu nefanelekele ukudliwa.” Leyo ngadi yayijabulisa futhi iyindawo enhle kakhulu. Okwakuhlaba umxhwele nakakhulu ukuthi kwakukhona “nomuthi wokuphila phakathi nensimu.”—Genesise 2:8, 9.

Incwadi yeBhayibheli, uGenesise, ithi kwakunemifula emine kuleyo ngadi. Emibili yaleyo mifula isaziwa ngisho nanamuhla—iTigrisi (noma iHidekeli) kanye ne-Ewufrathe. (Genesise 2:10-14) Leyo mifula emibili inqamula e-Iraq eyayiyingxenye yePheresiya bese iyochithekela ePersian Gulf.

Kuyaqondakala ukuthi ipharadesi liyinto eyigugu ePheresiya. Ukhaphethe wasePheresiya wangekhulu le-16 osemnyuziyamu i-Philadelphia Museum of Art, ePennsylvania, eMelika udwetshwe isithombe sengadi ebiyelwe enezihlahla nezimbali ezinhle. Igama lesiPheresiya elisho “ingadi ebiyelwe” liphinde lisho “ipharadesi” futhi isithombe esidwetshwe kukhaphethi sibonisa lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngobuhle nobukhazikhazi bengadi yase-Edene.

Empeleni, ezilimini eziningi nasemasikweni akhona emhlabeni wonke kusaxoxwa ngendaba emayelana nepharadesi. Njengoba abantu befudukela ezindaweni ezehlukahlukene emhlabeni, bafaka imibono eyahlukene ngalokho ipharadesi eliyikho ngempela eyayisithonywe izinkolelo nezinganekwane ezazixoxwa ezindaweni abahlala kuzo. Ngisho nanamuhla abantu basachaza izindawo ezinhle emhlabeni njengezifana nepharadesi.

Kunabahloli bamazwe abathi sebeyitholile indawo lapho ipharadesi lalikhona. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho uCharles Gordon, owayengujenene webutho laseBrithani, evakashele eSeychelles ngo-1881 wakhangwa ubuhle beVallée de Mai kangangokuba wathi iyingadi yase-Edene, le ndawo manje ingelinye lamaGugu Omhlaba. Ngo-1492, lapho uChristopher Columbus ongumhloli wamazwe wase-Italy efika esiqhingini iHispaniola, manje esaziwa ngeDominican Republic neHaiti, wacabanga ukuthi wayeseduze kakhulu nokuthola indawo lapho ingadi yase-Edene yayikhona.

Incwadi yomlando i-Mapping Paradise, inemininingwane yamabalazwe akudala angaphezu kuka-190, iningi lawo linezithombe zika-Adamu no-Eva bese-Edene. Phakathi kwawo kunebalazwe elingavamile elithathwe kuyikhophi eyenziwa eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-800 edlule yombhalo wesandla wakudala kaBeatus of Liébana. Ekuqaleni kwaleli balazwe kudwetshe ibhokisi elinepharadesi phakathi nendawo. Kunemifula emine egeleza isuka kulelo pharadesi iya emakhoneni amane alelo bhokisi, leyo mifula kuthiwa i-“Tigris,” i-“Eufrates,” i-“Pison” ne-“Geon”. Kuthiwa imelela ukusakazeka kwenkolo yobuKristu emagumbini amane omhlaba. Izithombe ezinjalo zibonisa ukuthi nakuba ingadi yase-Edene yayingasaziwa ukuthi yayikuphi abantu babesabukhumbula ubuhle bayo.

Umhayi wezinkondlo uJohn Milton, owazalwa eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-400 eyedlule, waziwa kakhulu ngenkondlo yakhe ethi Paradise Lost, (IPharadesi Lalahleka), ayisusela encwadini yeBhayibheli  kaGenesise echaza ngesono sika-Adamu kanye nokuxoshwa kwakhe e-Edene. Kuleyo nkondlo wakhuluma ngesithembiso sokuthi abantu bazophila phakade emhlabeni, wathi: “Umhlaba uyoba ipharadesi.” Kamuva uMilton wabhala enye inkondlo eyayinesihloko esithi Paradise Regained (IPharadesi Libuye Latholakala).

Kuyacaca ukuthi indaba yepharadesi elalahleka itholakala kuwo wonke umlando wabantu. Pho kungani ingasanakiwe namuhla? Incwadi i-Mapping Paradise ithi kungenxa yokuthi “izazi zemfundiso yenkolo azisayinaki indaba yokuthi ipharadesi lalikuphi.”

Iningi lamakholwa lifundiswa ukuthi ukuphila okuphakade liyokuthola ezulwini hhayi emhlabeni oyipharadesi. Nokho, encwadini yeHubo 37:29 iBhayibheli lithi: “Abalungile bayokudla ifa lomhlaba, futhi bayohlala kuwo kuze kube phakade.” Njengoba umhlaba wethu namuhla ungelona ipharadesi, yini esenza siqiniseke ukuthi lesi sithembiso siyogcwaliseka? *

UJehova uNkulunkulu, owayenze iPharadesi, uthembisa ukuphinde abuyisele iPharadesi elalahleka. Uyokwenza kanjani lokho? Khumbula ukuthi uJesu Kristu wasifundisa ukuba sithandaze sithi: “Umbuso wakho mawuze. Intando yakho mayenzeke nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.” (Mathewu 6:10) Lowo Mbuso unguhulumeni womhlaba wonke oqondiswa uJesu Kristu oyobusa esikhundleni sabo bonke ababusi bomhlaba. (Daniyeli 2:44) Lapho sekubusa lowo Mbuso, intando kaNkulunkulu yokubuyisela ipharadesi emhlabeni ‘iyokwenzeka.’

Umprofethi u-Isaya waphefumulelwa ukuba achaze ukuthi kuyoba njani ukuphila ePharadesi, lapho zonke izinkinga ezikhungethe abantu namuhla ziyobe zingasekho. (Isaya 11:6-9; 35:5-7; 65:21-23) Sikucela ukuba uthathe imizuzu embalwa ufunde le miBhalo engenhla eBhayibhelini lakho. Ukwenza kanjalo kuzokusiza uqiniseke ukuthi uNkulunkulu unokuthile azokwenzela abantu abalalelayo. Bonke abayobe bephila ngaleso sikhathi bayojabulela ukuba sepharadesi nokuba seduze noNkulunkulu, okuyizinto u-Adamu ezamlahlekela.—IsAmbulo 21:3.

Yini esenza siqiniseke ukuthi isithembiso sePharadesi asilona iphupho? Isizathu ukuthi iBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi: “Ngokuqondene namazulu, wona angakaJehova, kodwa umhlaba uwuniké abantwana babantu.” Isithembiso sePharadesi emhlabeni siyilokho “uNkulunkulu ongenakuqamba amanga, akuthembisa ngaphambi kwezikhathi ezimi njalo.” (IHubo 115:16; Thithu 1:2) Laze lamnandi lelo themba—ukuphila ePharadesi phakade!