Umtloli weBhayibheli wekadeni wabona umehluko omkhulu nekamadanisa isikhathi esifitjhani esiphilwa mumuntu kunephasi elinzinze unomphela. Kuliqiniso, iminyaka eziinkulungwana, iinzukulwana ziyafika begodu zidlule, kodwana iplanethi eyiPhasi ibonakele iqine ngendlela erarako begodu inzinzile bona isekele ukuphila—bekube nje.

Iminyaka eyalandela iPi Yephasi ll yabizwa ngokuthi Sikhathi Setjhentjho Elikhulu ephasini. Hlangana nesikhathi esifitjhani esipheze sibe minyaka ema-70, abantu babone itjhentjho elikhulu kwezeenthuthi, zokuthintana, nakezinye zetheknoloji, zilethe amatjhuguluko angakhenge abonwe kwezomnotho. Inengi labantu lithabela ukuphila ngendlela abangakhenge bacabange ngayo ngaphambilini. Okwanje, inani labantu elisephasini pheze lisibalo esibuyelelwe kathathu.

Nanyana kunjalo, koke lokhu kulethe imiphumele engasimihle. Izinto ezenziwe babantu ziphazamise umzombe wemvelo ephasineli. Eqinisweni, abanye abososayensi bathi sesingene esikhathini esitjha esibizwa ngokuthi-Anthropocene—isikhathi lapho abantu benza umonakalo omkhulu eplanethini eyiphasi.

IBhayibheli yabikezela ngesikhathi lapho abantu ‘bazokubhubhisa iphasi.’ (IsAmbulo 11:18) Abanye bayazibuza ukuthi kghani siphila esikhathineso.  Ungangani umonakalo ozokwenzeka? Kghani kuzokuba mumonakalo ongalungisekiko? Kwamambala, kghani abantu bazolitjhabalalisa iphaseli unomphela?

Kghani iphaseli lizokonakala unomphela? Abanye abasosayensi bacabanga ukuthi amatjhuguluko anjalo kungababudisi ukuwaraya. Ngebangelo, batshwenyekile bona kungenzeka sitjhidele esikhathini sokutjhuguluka kobujamo bezulu obungakalindeleki obungaletha umonakalo omkhulu.

Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngeRhwaba eliGubuzese iTjingalanga ye-Antarctic. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi nengabe amazinga wokutjhisa ephasini loke aragela phambili, ekugcineni irhwabeli lizokuncibilika loke. Lokhu kungebanga lokobana irhwaba ngokwemvelo libuyisela emva ukutjhisa okulethwa misebe yelanga. Njengombana irhwaba lincibilika begodu libalincani, ilwandle elingaphasi, ekugcineni liyambuleka. Ubungaphasi belwandle budosa ukutjhisa, ngemva kwalokho benze kube nokuncibilika okukhulu. Umzombe lo ungathikaziseka umlibe. Ukuphakama kwelwandle emanzini ancibilikileko kungaletha imiphumela emimbi emakhulwini weengidigidi zabantu.

Kwathonywa ezinye iindlela ezihlukahlukeneko bona kulungiswe ubujamo oburhabako bokonakaliswa kwephasi esiqalane nabo. Enye indlela ebeyisolo ikhona ibizwa bona kusekelwa kwetuthuko, okutjho ukukhuliswa kwezomnotho nomphakathi eplanethini yethu. Ibe yini imiphumela?

Ngokudanisako, njengombana iphasi mazombe liqalene nemiraro yemali, nobujamo bebhoduluko buragela phambili buba bumbi khulu. Abantu baragela phambili basebenzisa izinto eziseplanethini yethu ngokurhabako kangangobana zingasakghoni ukuzibuyelela zizikhiqize zona godu. Kghani kukhona okungenziwa ngalokho? Esinye isazi sesayensi savuma ngokunqophileko: “Eqinisweni, asazi ukuthi iphasi litlhogonyelwa njani ngendlela ephumelelako.” Ubujamobu buyavumelana nalokho okutjhiwo yiBhayibheli nelithi: “Akusisemuntwini ukuzikhambela nokunqophisa amagadangwakhe.”—Joromiya 10:23.

Ngakelinye ihlangothi, iBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa ukuthi uZimu, uMbumbi, angekhe avumela  abantu bonakalise ibhoduluko eyiplanethi. KumaRhubo 115:16, sifunda ukuthi: “iphasi [uZimu] walinikela abantu.” Liqiniso, iplanethi yethu ‘isisipho esihle’ esivela kuBabethu wezulwini. (Jakopo 1:17) Kghani singalindela isipho sakaZimu semvelo bona sibe ngesesikhatjhana, ngasuthi siphelelwa sikhathi? Awa akusinjalo! Lobu bufakazi esibufumana endleleni iplanethi yethu eyiphasi ebunjwe ngayo.

Incwadi yeBhayibheli kaGenesisi isitjela ngokunabileko indlela uZimu abumbe ngayo iphasi. Ekuthomeni, iphasi lahlathululwa ‘njengelinganabubono begodu linganabuphilo.’ Nanyana kunjalo, ikhuluma ngokukhethekileko ‘ngamanzi’—asekela ukuphila—okuseplanethini. (Genesisi 1:2) UZimu wathi: “Akubekhona ukukhanya.” (Genesisi 1:3) Ngokukhanyako imisebe yelanga yatjhinga esibhakabhakeni, bese ukukhanya kwayo kwabonakala ephasini kokuthoma. Ukwakheka kwendawo eyomileko nelwandle kwaba khona. (Genesisi 1:9, 10) Ngemva kwalokho, kwaba khona “iimila, iintjalo ezinembewu ukuya ngemihlobazo nemithi ethela iinthelo” ezinembewu ukuya ngemihlobayo. (Genesisi 1: 12) Besele zikhona izinto ezitlhogekako ukwenzela bona kwenzeke iinkambiso nemizombe eqakathekileko ekuphileni—njenge-photosynthesis. Bewuyini umnqopho wokulungiswa kwephasi ngalendlela?

Umphorofidi wekadeni u-Isaya wahlathulula uZimu “Owabumba iphasi bewalenza nguye owalinzinzisako! Azange alidalele ihlangahlangano, kodwana walibumba bonyana kuhlalwe kilo.” (Isaya 45:18) Kuyakhanya bona umnqopho kaZimu kukobana abantu bahlale ephasini ngokungapheliko.

Ngokudanisako, abantu basebenzise kumbi isipho sakaZimu esihle bekwafikelela ekonakaleni okudluleleko. Nanyana kunjalo, umnqopho woMbumbi awukatjhentjhi. Indoda yekadeni yathi: “UZimu akasuye umuntu bona angabeze aleye amala, namkha indodana yomuntu bona angabeze aphenduke. Uyakhuluma yena angenzi na?” (Numeri 23:19) Eqinisweni, kunokobana uZimu avumele iphasi lonakaliswe, sitjhidele ngokurhabako isikhathi sokobana ‘abhubhise labo ababhubhisa iphasi.’—IsAmbulo 11:18.

Etjumayelwenakhe yeNtabeni edumileko uJesu wathi: “Babusisiwe abamnene ngombana  bazakugoma ilifa lephasi.” (Matewu 5:5) Etjumayelweni efanako, uJesu wembula indlela iphasi ebelizokuphuluka ngayo ekonakalisweni. Watjela abalandeli bakhe bona bathandaze bathi: “UmBuso wakho awufike, intando yakho yenziwe ephasini njengombana kunjalo ezulwini.” Iye, umBuso kaZimu, nofana urhulumende, uzokuzalisa umnqopho kaZimu ngephasi.—Matewu 6:10.

Malungana namatjhuguluko amakhulu azokulethwa mBuso, uZimu uthi: “Qala, ngenza koke kube kutjha.” (IsAmbulo 21:5) Kghani lokhu kutjho bona uZimu uzokujamiselela iphaseli ngelinye elitjha? Awa, ngombana akukho okumbi ngeplanethi yethu. Kunalokho, uZimu uzokuphelisa labo ababangela umonakalo, “labo ababhubhisa iphasi,” okuborhulumende babantu ababusako namhlanjesi. Lokhu kuzokujanyiselwa ‘lizulu elitjha nephasi elitjha’—urhulumende wezulwini omutjha, okumBuso kaZimu, ozokubusa phezu komphakathi wephasi elitjha.—IsAmbulo 21:1.

Bona asuse ubujamo obumbi obubangelwe babantu, uZimu uzokubuyisela izinto zephasi zemvelo ukwenzela bona ziragele phambili zisekele ukuphila. Ahlathulula lokho uZimu azokwenza, umrhubi waphefumulelwa bona atlole athi: “Uthekela iphasi bewulithelelele, ulivundisa khulu.” Iphasi eliyipharadesi lizokuzala inala yokudla, ubujamo bezulu obuhle, ngaphezu kwakho koke isibusiso sakaZimu.—IRhubo 65:9-13.

UPyarelal unobhala kaMohandas Gandhi, umrholi wezekolo we-India ongasekho, wathi: “Iphasi litlhogomela zoke iintlhogo zomuntu kodwana ingasi imirhobholo yabantu.” UmBuso kaZimu uzokususa unobangela wemiraro yephasi ngokuletha itjhuguluko ebantwini. Umphorofidi u-Isaya wabikezela bona ngaphasi kokubusa komBuso, “akakho ozakuba nokulimaza namkha abange umonakalo” komunye umuntu nofana ephasini. (Isaya 11:9) Eqinisweni, iingidi zabantu namhlanje ezivela emasikweni ahlukahlukeneko zikulungele ukufunda ngemithethokambiso ephakemeko kaZimu. Zifundiswa bona zithande uZimu nabomakhelwana, ukutjengisa umoya wokuthokoza, ukutlhogomela ibhoduluko, ukuvikela imvelo nokuphila ngendlela evumelana nomnqopho woMbumbi ngabantu nangephasi. Zilungiselelwe ukuphila ephasini eliyipharadesi.—UmTjhumayeli 12:13; Matewu 22:37-39; Kolose 3:15.

Ukulandisa kwakaGenesisi ngendalo kuphetha ngamezwi naka: “UZimu wabona koke akwenzileko bona kuyakarisa.” (Genesisi 1:31) Mbala, uZimu angekhe avumele iphasi elihle kangaka bona lonakaliswe. Siyaduduzeka ukwazi ukuthi iplanethi yethu yangomuso isezandleni zoMbumbi wethu onethando, uJehova uZimu. Uyathembisa: “Abalungileko bazakuzuza inarha, bahlale kiyo nini nanini.” (IRhubo 37:29) Kwanga ungabalwa hlangana ‘nabalungileko,’ abazokubiza iphasi njengekhaya labo lasafuthi.