Ingabe umhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini bekulokhu kukhona?

UGenesise 1:1 uthi: “Ekuqaleni uNkulunkulu wadala amazulu nomhlaba.”

Ngaphambi kuka-1950, ososayensi abaningi abadumile bebelokhu bekholelwa ukuthi umhlaba nakho konke okusemkhathini kwakulokhu kukhona. Nokho ngokwalokho ososayensi abaningi abakuthole kamuva, manje sebeyavuma ukuthi umhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini kunesiqalo.

Umhlaba wawubukeka kanjani ekuqaleni?

UGenesise 1:2, 9 uthi lapho umhlaba udalwa, “wawungenalutho, ungenaso isimo esithile,” umbozwe amanzi.

Leyo ncazelo iyavumelana nalokho ososayensi banamuhla abakutholile. Isazi sezinto eziphilayo uPatrick Shih sithi umhlaba wethu “wawungenawo umoyampilo . . . ungenalutho oluphilayo.” Umagazini i-Astronomy uyabika: “Ucwaningo lwamuva luthi kungenzeka ukuthi kudala uMhlaba wawumbozwe amanzi, cishe wawungenayo indawo eyomile.”

 Umoya osemkhathini washintsha kanjani ngokuhamba kwesikhathi?

UGenesise 1:3-5 ubonisa ukuthi emhlabeni kwakufinyelela ukukhanya okufiphele kuphela. Kwaze kwaba kamuva lapho ilanga nenyanga kwabonakala ngokucacile emhlabeni.—Genesise 1:14-18.

I-Smithsonian Environmental Research Center ithi umoya osemkhathini wawenza ukukhanya okufinyelela emhlabeni kufiphale. Ithi: “Kwakunenkungu ye-methane eyayimboze uMhlaba.” Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, le “nkungu ye-methane yasuka kwase kuvela isibhakabhaka esiluhlaza.”

Izinto eziphilayo zaba khona ngokulandelana kanjani emhlabeni?

UGenesise 1:20-27 uthi kwadalwa izinhlanzi, izinyoni, izilwane ezihlala emhlabathini owomile, ekugcineni kwadalwa abantu. Ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi izinhlanzi zaba khona ngaphambi kakhulu kokuba izilwane ezincelisayo zibe khona futhi emva kwesikhathi eside kwase kuba khona abantu.

Abanye abantu bathi iBhayibheli alivumelani nalokho ososayensi abakutholile. Imibono enjalo ngokuvamile ibangelwa ukuthi abantu abakuqondi ngempela lokho okushiwo yiBhayibheli.

IBhayibheli alisho ukuthi umhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini kuneminyaka engu-6 000 nje kuphela. Kunalokho, limane lithi nje umhlaba nazo zonke izinto ezisemkhathini kwadalwa “ekuqaleni.” (Genesise 1:1) IBhayibheli alisho ngokuqondile ukuthi kwakunini.

IBhayibheli alisho ukuthi zonke izinto eziphilayo ezisemhlabeni zadalwa ngezinsuku eziyisithupha zamahora angu-24. Kunalokho, lisebenzisa igama elithi “usuku” ukuze libhekisele enkathini yesikhathi. Ngokwesibonelo, lithi ukudalwa komhlaba nazo zonke izinto eziphilayo ezikuwo​—phakathi ‘nezinsuku’ eziyisithupha zokudala okukhulunywa ngazo kuGenesise isahluko 1—​kwenzeka enkathini yesikhathi ebizwa ngokuthi ‘usuku uJehova a uNkulunkulu enza ngalo umhlaba nezulu.’ (Genesise 2:4) Ngakho, ‘usuku’ ngalunye lwezinsuku eziyisithupha zokudala, okuyisikhathi lapho uNkulunkulu alungiselela khona umhlaba ukuba ube nezinto eziphilayo nesikhathi adala ngaso izinto eziphilayo, lungamelelwa inkathi yesikhathi ende kakhulu.

IBhayibheli alisho ukuthi izinto eziphilayo angeke zishintshe endleleni ezenziwe ngayo ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Incwadi kaGenesise ithi izilwane zadalwa “ngezinhlobo zazo.” (Genesise 1:24, 25) Lapho iBhayibheli lisebenzisa igama elithi ‘uhlobo’ lisuke lisho uhlobo oluthile lwezinto eziphilayo. Ngakho, ‘uhlobo’ olulodwa lungase luhlanganise izinhlotshana eziningi zezinto eziphilayo. La mazwi abonisa ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi izinhlotshana zezinto eziphilayo ezingaphansi ‘kohlobo’ olulodwa zishintshe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.

 Ucabangani?

Njengoba kuphawuliwe ngenhla, iBhayibheli lichaza ngendlela elula futhi enembile ukuthi umhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini kwaba khona kanjani, umhlaba wawunjani ekuqaleni nokuthi zaba khona kanjani izinto eziphilayo. Kungenzeka yini-ke ukuthi iBhayibheli linembile nalapho lisho ukuthi Ngubani owadala lezo zinto? I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Umqondo wokuthi zonke izinto eziphilayo zaba khona ngenxa yamandla angaphezu kwavamile uyavumelana nalokho ososayensi abasanda kukuthola.” b