Abantu abaningi bathi isayensi iyawuphikisa umlando weBhayibheli wendalo. Kodwa ukuphikisana kwangempela kuphakathi kwesayensi nemibono yabathi bangamaKristu athatha iBhayibheli njengoba linjalo, hhayi phakathi kwesayensi neBhayibheli. Abanye balaba bantu benza iphutha lokugomela ngokuthi, ngokweBhayibheli, yonke indalo yadalwa ngezinsuku eziyisithupha ezingamahora angu-24 eminyakeni engaba ngu-10- 000 edlule.

IBhayibheli alisisekeli isiphetho esinjalo. Ukube belisisekela, izinto eziningi ezitholwe ososayensi eminyakeni eyikhulu edlule beziyokwenza ukuba iBhayibheli lingathembeki. Ukuhlolisiswa kahle kweBhayibheli akwembuli lutho oluphikisana namaqiniso angokwesayensi aye atholakala. Ngaleso sizathu, oFakazi BakaJehova abavumelani namaKristu athatha iBhayibheli njengoba linjalo nabaningi abakholelwa ukuthi indalo yadalwa ngezinsuku ezimbalwa. Okulandelayo kubonisa lokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo ngempela.

Umlando kaGenesise uvula ngamazwi alula kodwa anamandla: “Ekuqaleni uNkulunkulu wadala amazulu nomhlaba.” (Genesise 1:1) Izazi zeBhayibheli eziningana ziyavuma ukuthi leli vesi lichaza isenzo esihlukene nezinsuku zokudala okukhulunywa ngazo kusukela evesini lesithathu kuqhubeke. Incazelo yalokhu ijulile. Ngokwamazwi okuvula eBhayibheli, indawo yonke, ehlanganisa noMhlaba wethu, kwase kunesikhathi eside kukhona ngaphambi kokuqala kwezinsuku zokudala.

Izazi zesayensi yokwakheka komhlaba zicabangela ukuthi umhlaba uneminyaka eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezine, kanti izazi zezinkanyezi zilinganisela ukuthi indawo yonke ingase ibe iminyaka eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-15 ikhona. Ingabe lokhu okutholakele—noma lokho abangase bakuthole esikhathini esizayo—kuyaphikisana noGenesise 1:1? Cha. IBhayibheli aliyisho ngokuqondile iminyaka “yamazulu nomhlaba.” Isayensi ayiwuphikisi umbhalo weBhayibheli.

Kuthiwani ngobude bezinsuku zokudala? Ingabe babungamahora angu-24? Abanye bathi ngenxa yokuthi uMose—umlobi kaGenesise—kamuva wabhekisela osukwini olulandela izinsuku eziyisithupha zokudala njengesibonelo seSabatha lamasonto onke, kumelwe ukuba ngalunye lwezinsuku zokudala lwalungamahora angu-24. (Eksodusi 20:11) Ingabe amazwi kaGenesise ayasisekela lesi siphetho?

Lutho neze. Iqiniso liwukuthi igama lesiHebheru elihunyushwe ngokuthi “usuku” lingasho ubude besikhathi obuhlukahlukene, hhayi nje inkathi yamahora angu-24.  Ngokwesibonelo, lapho efingqa umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu wokudala, uMose ubiza zonke izinsuku eziyisithupha zokudala ngokuthi usuku olulodwa. (Genesise 2:4) Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngosuku lokuqala lokudala, “uNkulunkulu wabiza ukukhanya ngokuthi iMini, kodwa ubumnyama wabubiza ngokuthi uBusuku.” (Genesise 1:5) Lapha, yingxenye kuphela nje yenkathi yamahora angu-24 ebizwa ngokuthi “iMini [“usuku,” ngokwegama lesiHebheru].” Ngokuqinisekile, asikho isizathu esingokomBhalo sokuvele sithi usuku ngalunye ezinsukwini zokudala lwalungamahora angu-24.

Zazizinde kangakanani-ke izinsuku zokudala? IBhayibheli alisho; kodwa amazwi ezahluko 1 no-2 zikaGenesise abonisa ukuthi kwakuhileleke izinkathi ezinde.

UMose wawubhala ngesiHebheru umlando wakhe, futhi wawubhala ngokombono womuntu omi emhlabeni. La maqiniso amabili kanye nolwazi lokuthi indawo yonke yayikhona ngaphambi kokuqala kwezinkathi zokudala, noma “izinsuku,” kusiza ekuxazululeni impikiswano enkulu ephathelene nomlando wendalo. Kanjani?

Ukuhlolisisa umlando kaGenesise kwembula ukuthi izenzakalo ezaqala ukwenzeka phakathi ‘nosuku’ olulodwa zaqhubekela ‘nasosukwini’ noma ‘ezinsukwini’ ezalandela. Ngokwesibonelo, ngaphambi kokuba kuqale “usuku” lokuqala lokudala, ukukhanya okuvela elangeni elase likhona kakade kwakuvimbekile ngandlela-thile kungafinyeleli emhlabeni, mhlawumbe kuvinjwe ungqimba lwamafu. (Jobe 38:9) Phakathi ‘nosuku’ lokuqala, la mafu aqala ukusuka, avumela ukukhanya okwakusithekile ukuba kubonakale. *

‘Ngosuku’ lwesibili, umkhathi waqhubeka uphenya, kwakheka isikhala phakathi kongqimba lwamafu phezulu nolwandle phansi. ‘Ngosuku’ lwesine, umkhathi waphenya kancane kancane kangangokuba ilanga nenyanga kwaqala ukubonakala “emkhathini wamazulu.” (Genesise 1:14-16) Ngamanye amazwi, ilanga nenyanga kwaqala ukubonakala emhlabeni. Lezi zenzakalo zenzeka kancane kancane.

Umlando kaGenesise uphinde ulandise  ukuthi njengoba umkhathi wawuqhubeka uphenya, izilwane ezindizayo—ezihlanganisa izinambuzane nezinye izilokazane ezindizayo—zaqala ukubonakala ‘ngosuku’ lwesihlanu.

Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kubonisa ukuthi kungenzeka ezinye izenzakalo ezinkulu ezazenzeka phakathi ‘nosuku’ ngalunye, noma inkathi yokudala, zenzeka kancane kancane, hhayi ngokuphazima kweso, mhlawumbe ezinye zaze zadlulela ezinsukwini ezilandelayo zokudala. *

Ingabe ukuvela kancane kancane kwezitshalo nezilwane kusho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wasebenzisa ukuziphendukela kwemvelo ukuze akhiqize izinto eziningi eziphilayo futhi ezihlukahlukene? Cha. Ukulandisa kusho ngokucacile ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala zonke “izinhlobo” eziyisisekelo zezitshalo nezilwane. (Genesise 1:11, 12, 20-25) Ingabe lezi “zinhlobo” zokuqala zezitshalo nezilwane zahlelwa ukuba zibe  nekhono lokuzivumelanisa nezimo ezishintshashintshayo zendawo eziphila kuyo? Yini enquma ukuthi “uhlobo” oluthile lukhawuka kuphi? IBhayibheli alisho. Liyasho kodwa ukuthi izidalwa eziphilayo ‘zaswebezela ngokwezinhlobo zazo.’ (Genesise 1:21) La mazwi asho ukuthi kunomkhawulo ekwakhekeni kwezinto ezihlukahlukene “zohlobo” oluthile. Imivubukulo etholakele nocwaningo lwanamuhla kusekela umbono wokuthi izigaba eziyinhloko zezitshalo nezilwane azishintshanga kangako ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.

Ngokuphambene nalokho okushiwo abanye abalithatha njengoba linjalo iBhayibheli, uGenesise akafundisi ukuthi indawo yonke, kuhlanganise nomhlaba nazo zonke izinto eziphilayo ezikuwo, kwadalwa ngesikhathi esincane nje, esikhathini esingeside esidlule. Kunalokho, incazelo kaGenesise yokudalwa kwendawo yonke nokuvela kokuphila emhlabeni ivumelana nezinto eziningi eziye zatholwa ososayensi.

Ngenxa yezinkolelo zabo zefilosofi, ososayensi abaningi bayakwenqaba okushiwo iBhayibheli, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala zonke izinto. Kepha encwadini yeBhayibheli yasendulo uGenesise, uMose waloba ukuthi indawo yonke yayinesiqalo nokuthi ukuphila kwavela kancane kancane ngemva kwezinkathi ezithile. Kwakungenzeka kanjani ukuba uMose athole ukwaziswa okunembe kangaka ngokwesayensi eminyakeni engu-3 500 edlule? Kunencazelo eyodwa kuphela enengqondo. Lowo onokuhlakanipha namandla okudala amazulu nomhlaba wayengamnika uMose ulwazi olunembe kanjalo. Lokhu kufakazela lokho okushiwo yiBhayibheli ukuthi ‘liphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu.’ *—2 Thimothewu 3:16.

Ungase uzibuze ukuthi kunendaba yini ngempela ukuthi uyakukholelwa ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kokudala? Cabangela izizathu ezinamandla ezenza kube nendaba.