Abantu abanengi bathi isayensi iphikisana nomlando weBhayibhili wokubumba. Namtjhana kunjalo, ipikiswano yamambala ayisihlangana nesayensi neBhayibhili kodwana ihlangana nesayensi nalabo Abathi bamaKrestu. Ezinye zeenqhemezi zigandelela bona ngokuya ngokweBhayibhili, koke okubunjiweko kwabunjwa ngamalanga asithandathu ngama-awara ama-24 eemnyakeni epheze ibe ziingidi ezi-10 000 eyadlulako.

Nokho, iBhayibhili alisisekeli isiphetho esinjalo. Nengabe belisekela isiphethweso, izinto ezinengi ezatholwa bososayensi eemnyakeni emakhulu edlulileko beziyokwenza iBhayibhili ibe ngengakanqophi nengathembekiko. Ukufunda ngokutjhejisisa lokho okutjhiwo yiBhayibhili akuvezi litho eliphikisana namaqiniso wesayensi. Ngebangelo, aboFakazi bakaJehova baphikisana nalabo Abathi bamaKrestu begodu nebathatha iBhayibhili njengombana linjalo abakholwa bona izinto zabunjwa ngamalanga asithandathu kwaphela. Okulandelako kutjengisa bona khuyini kwamambala okufundiswa yiBhayibhili.

Umlando kaGenesisi uthoma ngekulumo enamandla kodwana ngamezwi alula: “Ekuthomeni uZimu wabumba amazulu nephasi.” (Genesisi 1:1) Abafundi beBhayibhili abambalwa bayavuma bona amezwi la ahlathulula isenzo esihlukileko emalangeni wokubumba alandiswe endimeni 3 ukuya phambili. Okutjhiwo mamezwi la kunabile. Ngokuya ngokwamezwi wokuthoma weBhayibhili, indawo yoke, kuhlanganise neplanethi yethu eliPhasi, zaba khona ngaphambi kobana kuthome amalanga wokubumba eenkhathini ezingapheliko.

Izazi zesayensi yokwakheka kwephasi zilinganisela bona iphasi lineemnyaka emabhiliyoni ama-4 likhona, begodu izazi zeenkwekwezi zilinganisela bona indawo yoke kungenzeka bona ibe mnyaka emabhiliyoni ayi-15 ikhona. Ezikutholilekokhu—namtjhana ukuthuthukisa kwabo kwesikhathi esizako kuyaphikisana noGenesisi 1:1? Awa, iBhayibhili ayiyitjho ngokunqophileko iimnyaka yokuba khona “kwamazulu nephasi.” Isayensi ayiphikisani nalokho okutlolwe eBhayibhili.

Kuthiwani-ke ngobude bamalanga wokubumba? Gade kuma-awara ama-24 na? Abanye bathi ngombana uMosisi—omtloli kaGenesisi—ngokukhamba kwesikhathi waqalisa elangeni elalandela amalanga asithandathu wokubumba njengesibonelo seSabatha yaqobe veke, ilanga nelanga lokubumba kufuze libe ma-awara ama-24 ubude. (Eksodosi 20:11) Amezwi kaGenesisi ayasisekela isiphethwesi?

Awa, awasisekeli nakancani. Iqiniso kukobana ibizo lesiHebheru elitjhugululwe ngokobana “ilanga” lingatjho ubude besikhathi esihlukahlukeneko, ingasi ama-awara ama-24 kwaphela. Isibonelo, lokha nekarhunyeza  umberego kaZimu wokubumba, uMosisi waqalisa kiwo woke amalanga asithandathu wokubumba njengelanga elilodwa. (Genesisi 2:4) Ukungezelela kilokho, ngelanga lokuthoma lokubumba, “uZimu wabiza ukukhanya ngokobana yiMini, kodwana wabiza ubumnyama bona Busuku.” (Genesisi 1:5) Lapha, ingcenye yama awara ama-24 ubude kwaphela yesikhathi ibizwa ngokobana “yilanga.” Ngokuqinisekileko, alikho ibanga elingokoMtlolo lokobana ilanga elinye nelinye emalangeni wokubumba gade kuma awara ama-24 ubude.

Athatha isikhathi eside kangangani-ke amalanga wokubumba? IBhayibhili ayitjho; nokho amezwi kaGenesisi izahluko-1 no-2 zitjengisa bona bekunesikhathi eside esibandakanyekako ekubumbeni.

UMosisi watlola ukulandisa kwakhe ngelimi lesiHebheru, begodu wakutlola ngendlela yokobana umuntu osephasini ayizwisise. Amaqiniso amabili la ahlangane nelwazi lokobana indawo yoke yaba khona ngaphambi kobana kuthome isikhathi namtjhana amalanga wokubumba, kurhelebha ekurarululeni ipikiswano ekulu emalungana nomlando wokubumba. Njani?

Ukucabangela ngokutjhejisisa ukulandisa kwakaGenesisi kuveza kobana izehlakalo ezathoma “ngelanga” lokuthoma zaragela phambili “elangeni” elilandelako nofana ambalwa alandelako. Isibonelo, ngaphambi kokuthoma “kwelanga” lokuthoma lokubumba, umkhanyo osuka elangeni egade sele likhona, ngebanga elithileko bewuvimbekile ungakwazi ukufika ephasini, kungenzeka bona bewuvinjwe mamafu amakhulu. (Jobhi 38:9) Phakathi “nelanga” lokuthoma, amafu athoma ukusuka avumela ukukhanya okufipheleko bona kudlule esibhakabhakeni. *

“Ngelanga” lesibili, isibhakabhaka saragela phambili sibonakala kuhle, senza isikhala hlangana namafu amakhulu ngaphezulu nelwandle nangaphasi. “Ngelanga” lesine isibhakabhaka kancanikancani sakhanya kangangobana ilanga nenyezi zathoma ukubonakala “esibhakabhakeni samazulu.” (Genesisi 1:14-16) Ngokombono womuntu osephasini, ilanga nenyezi zathoma ukubonakala. Izehlakalwezi zenzeka kancanikancani.

 Umlando kaGenesisi godu ulandisa bona isibhakabhaka saragela phambili sibonakala, iimbunjwa eziphaphako—kuhlanganise iingogwana neenthwethwesi ezibunjiweko eziphaphako—zathoma ukubonakala “ngelanga” lesihlanu.

Amezwi weBhayibhili ayavuma bonyana ezinye izehlakalo ezikulu ezenzeka qobe langa, nofana iinkhathi zokubumba, zenzeka kancanikancani kunokobana zenzeke msinyana, mhlamunye ezinye zazo zadlulela ngitjho nemalangeni alandelako wokubumba. *

Ukuvela kancanikancani kweentjalo neenlwana kutjho bona uZimu waberegisa ukusombuluka kwemvelo ukwenza izinto ezinengi eziphilako ezihlukahluneko na? Awa. Ukulandisa kutjengisa ngokukhanyako bona uZimu wabumba yoke “iimhlobo” yokuphila esisekelo yeentjalo neenlwana. (Genesisi 1:11, 12, 20-25) “Iimhlobo” eyihloko le yeentjalo neenlwana yahlelwa bona ibe nekghono lokuzivumelanisa nobujamo bendawo  obutjhugulukako na? Khuyini equnta bona “umhlobo” othileko uhlukana kuphi? IBhayibhili ayitjho litho ngalokho. Nokho, iyatjho bona iimbunjwa eziphilako ‘zazala ngokwemhlobo yazo.’ (Genesisi 1:21) Amezwi la atjho bona kunomkhawulo ekwakhekeni kwezinto ezihlukahlukeneko “zomhlobo” othileko. Kokubili ubufakazi beensalela nerhubhululo lanamhlanjesi zisekela umbono wokobana iingaba eziyihloko zeentjalo neenlwana zitjhuguluke kancani ngemva kweenkhathi ezide khulu.

Ngokuphambene nalokho okutjhiwo ngilabo abathatha iBhayibhili njengombana linjalo, uGenesisi akafundisi bona indawo yoke, kuhlanganise nephasi nazo zoke izinto eziphilako, zabunjwa ngesikhathi esifitjhani esikhathini samva nje esidlulileko. Kunalokho, ukuhlathululwa kweengcenye ezithileko kuGenesisi ezimalungana nokubunjwa kwendawo yoke nokubakhona kokuphila ephasini kuvumelana nalokho okurhujululwe yisayensi mva nje.

Ngebanga leenkolelo zabo zefilosofi, abososayensi abanengi abavumelani nomlayezo oseBhayibhili wokobana uZimu wadala zoke izinto. Nokho okukarisako, encwadini yekadeni yeBhayibhili uGenesisi, uMosisi watlola bona indawo yoke inesithomo nokuphila kwavela kancanikancani ngemva kweenkhathi ezithileko. Bekungenzeka bunjani bona uMosisi afumane imininingwana enqophileko ngokwesayensi yeemnyaka ezi-3 500 edlulileko? Kunehlathululo eyodwa enengqondo. Loyo onokuhlakanipha namandla wokubumba amazulu nephasi ngokuqinisekileko bekangakghona ukunikela uMosisi ilwazi elinqophileko ngokwesayensi. Lokhu kusinikela ubufakazi obunamandla bona iBhayibhili ‘ifunzelelwe nguZimu.’ *—2 KuThimothi 3:16.

kodwana kungenzeka bona uyazibuza, kunendaba na bonyana uyakukholelwa lokho okutjhiwo mlando weBhayibhili ngokubumba? Cabangela amanye amabanga akatelelako wokobana kubayini ipendulo iqakathekile.