1. Yini enye yezingelosi eziyisikhombisa eyembulela uJohane?

ULAKA lukaJehova lokulunga kumelwe luthululwe lonke, izitsha eziyisikhombisa zalo! Lapho ingelosi yesithupha ithulula isitsha sayo eBhabhiloni lasendulo, yafuzisela ngokufanelekayo ukuhlushwa kweBhabhiloni Elikhulu njengoba izenzakalo zisondela ngokushesha empini yokugcina ye-Armagedoni. (IsAmbulo 16:1, 12, 16) Cishe, yile ngelosi efanayo manje eyembula ukuthi kungani nokuthi uJehova uzikhipha kanjani izahlulelo zakhe zokulunga. UJohane kuyamshaqisa lokho akuzwayo nakubonayo ngokulandelayo: “Enye yezingelosi eziyisikhombisa ezazinezitsha eziyisikhombisa yeza yakhuluma nami, yathi: ‘Woza, ngizokubonisa ukwahlulelwa kwesifebe esikhulu esihlala phezu kwamanzi amaningi, amakhosi omhlaba afeba naso, kanti labo abahlala emhlabeni badakwa yiwayini lobufebe baso.’”—IsAmbulo 17:1, 2.

 2. Yibuphi ubufakazi obukhona bokuthi ‘isifebe esikhulu’ (a) asilona iRoma lasendulo? (b) asizona ezomnotho? (c) siyindikimba engokwenkolo?

² ‘Isifebe esikhulu’! Kungani kusetshenziswa igama elibi kangaka? Singubani? Abanye baye bahlanganisa lesi sifebe esingokomfanekiso neRoma lasendulo. Kodwa iRoma lalingumbuso wezombangazwe. Lesi sifebe sifeba namakhosi omhlaba, futhi lokhu ngokusobala kuhlanganisa namakhosi aseRoma. Ngaphandle kwalokho, ngemva kokubhujiswa kwaso, kuthiwa “amakhosi omhlaba” alilela ukubhubha kwaso. Ngakho, asinakuba umbuso wezombangazwe. (IsAmbulo 18:9, 10) Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba sililelwa nangabathengisi bomhlaba, asinakufanekisela ezomnotho. (IsAmbulo 18:15, 16) Nokho, sifunda ukuthi ‘izizwe zonke zadukiswa ukusebenzelana kwaso nemimoya.’ (IsAmbulo 18:23) Lokhu kwenza kucace ukuthi isifebe esikhulu kumelwe ukuba siyindikimba yomhlaba wonke engokwenkolo.

 3. (a) Kungani isifebe esikhulu kumelwe sifanekisele okungaphezu kweSonto LamaRoma Katolika noma ngisho nalo lonke eLobukholwa? (b) Yiziphi izimfundiso zaseBhabhiloni ezitholakala ezinkolweni eziningi zaseMpumalanga nasemahlelweni eLobukholwa? (c) Yini ukhadinali ongumRoma Katolika uJohn Henry Newman ayivumayo ngokuqondene nomsuka wezimfundiso eziningi, izinkonzo, nemikhuba yeLobukholwa? (Bheka umbhalo waphansi.)

³ Yiphi indikimba engokwenkolo? Ingabe siyiSonto LamaRoma Katolika, njengoba abanye beye bakholelwa kanjalo? Noma ingabe siyilo lonke eLobukholwa? Cha, kumelwe sibe sikhulu ngisho nangaphezu kwalokho uma sizodukisa zonke izizwe. Eqinisweni, siyiwo wonke umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga. Umsuka waso ezimfihlakalweni zaseBhabhiloni ubonakala ekutheni izimfundiso nemikhuba eminingi yaseBhabhiloni kuyatholakala ezinkolweni emhlabeni wonke. Ngokwesibonelo, inkolelo yokungafi komphefumulo womuntu okungokwemvelo, yesihogo sokuhlushwa, neyonkulunkulu abanguziqu-zintathu iyatholakala ezinkolweni eziningi zaseMpumalanga nasemahlelweni eLobukholwa. Inkolo yamanga, eyaqanjwa eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-4 000 edlule emzini wasendulo waseBhabhiloni, iye yaqhubeka yaba isimanga sanamuhla esibizwa, ngokufanelekile, ngokuthi iBhabhiloni Elikhulu.a Nokho, kungani lichazwa ngegama elinyanyekayo elithi ‘isifebe esikhulu’?

 4. (a) U-Israyeli wasendulo wabenza ngaziphi izindlela ubufebe? (b) Kungayiphi indlela evelele iBhabhiloni Elikhulu eliye lenza ngayo ubufebe?

⁴ IBhabhiloni (noma iBhabhele, elisho “Ukudideka”) ladlondlobala ngesikhathi sikaNebukhadinezari. Laliwumbuso oxube inkolo nezombangazwe onamathempeli nezindlu zokukhulekela ezingaphezu kwenkulungwane. Abapristi balo babenamandla amakhulu. Nakuba iBhabhiloni lanyamalala kudala njengombuso wezwe, iBhabhiloni Elikhulu elingokwenkolo liyaphila, futhi njengelasendulo, lisafuna ukuthonya futhi lilolonge izindaba zezombangazwe. Kodwa ingabe uNkulunkulu uyakuvumela ukungena kwenkolo kwezombangazwe? EmiBhalweni yesiHebheru, kuthiwa u-Israyeli wayephinga lapho ehileleka ekukhulekeleni kwamanga nalapho futhi, esikhundleni sokuthembela kuJehova, enza isivumelwano nezizwe. (Jeremiya 3:6, 8, 9; Hezekeli 16:28-30) IBhabhiloni Elikhulu nalo lenza ubufebe. Ngendlela evelele, liye lenza noma yini eliyibona ifanelekile ukuze lizuze ithonya namandla phezu kwamakhosi omhlaba abusayo.—1 Thimothewu 4:1.

 5. (a) Yikuphi ukugqama abefundisi benkolo abakujabulelayo? (b) Kungani isifiso sokuvelela ezweni siphikisana ngokuqondile namazwi kaJesu Kristu?

⁵ Namuhla, abaholi benkolo bahlala bekhankasela izikhundla eziphakeme kuhulumeni, futhi kwamanye amazwe, bahlanganyela kuhulumeni, baze bananezikhundla kuhulumeni. Ngo-1988 abefundisi ababili abaziwayo bamaProthestani bakhankasela isikhundla sobongameli base-United States. Abaholi eBhabhiloni Elikhulu bayakuthanda ukuvelela; ngokuvamile izithombe zabo zibonakala emaphephandabeni omphakathi njengoba bezimbandakanya nezazi zombangazwe ezivelele. Ngokuphambene, uJesu wakuxwaya ukuhileleka kwezombangazwe futhi wathi ngabafundi bakhe: “Abayona ingxenye yezwe, njengoba nje nami ngingeyona ingxenye yezwe.”—Johane 6:15; 17:16; Mathewu 4:8-10; bheka futhi noJakobe 4:4.

‘Ubufebe’ Bosuku Lwanamuhla

 6, 7. (a) IQembu likaHitler lamaNazi lawathola kanjani amandla okubusa eJalimane? (b) Isivumelwano iVatican eyasenza neJalimane lobuNazi samsiza kanjani uHitler ekufuneni kwakhe ukubusa umhlaba wonke?

⁶ Ngokugaxela kwaso kwezombangazwe, isifebe esikhulu siye saletha usizi olungenakulinganiswa esintwini. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela amaqiniso abangela ukwenyukela kukaHitler emandleni ombuso eJalimane—amaqiniso amabi abanye abangathanda ukuwacima ezincwadini zomlando. Ngo-May 1924 iQembu LamaNazi lalinezikhundla ezingu-32 kuHulumeni waseJalimane. Ngo-May 1928 lezi zikhundla zase zinciphe zaba ngu-12. Nokho, uKuwa Okukhulu Kwezomnotho kwamboza izwe ngo-1930; esizakala ngakho, amaNazi asimama ngokumangalisayo, ezuza izikhundla zasephalamende ezingu-230 kwezingu-608 okhethweni lwaseJalimane luka-July 1932. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, owayengumongameli uFranz von Papen, owagcotshwa njengeQhawe likaPapa, wasiza amaNazi. Ngokwezazimlando, uvon Papen wayenombono woMbuso Ongcwele WaseRoma omusha. Isikhathi sakhe esifushane njengomongameli asibanga yimpumelelo, ngakho manje wayethemba ukuzuza isikhundla ngeqembu lamaNazi. Ngo-January 1933, wayesetholele uHitler ukusekela kwezicebi zezimboni, futhi ngamacebo obuqili waqiniseka ukuthi uHitler uba umongameli weJalimane ngo-January 30, 1933. Yena ngokwakhe wenziwa isekela likamongameli futhi wasetshenziswa uHitler ukuba azuze ukusekela kwezingxenye zaseJalimane zobuKatolika. Phakathi nezinyanga ezimbili ethole amandla okubusa, uHitler walivala iphalamende, wathumela izinkulungwane zabaholi bamaqembu aphikisayo emakamu okuhlushwa, futhi waqala umkhankaso osobala wokucindezela amaJuda.

⁷ Ngo-July 20, 1933, isithakazelo seVatican embusweni wamaNazi okhulayo sabonakala lapho uKhadinali Pacelli (kamuva owaba nguPapa Pius XII) esayina isivumelwano eRoma phakathi kweVatican neJalimane lobuNazi. Uvon Papen wasayina lesi sivumelwano njengommeleli kaHitler, futhi lapho, uPacelli wanikeza uvon Papen umhlobiso wobupapa weSiphambano Esikhulu sesiGaba SikaPius.b Encwadini yakhe ethi Satan in Top Hat, uTibor Koeves ubhala ngalokhu, ethi: “IsiVumelwano sasiwukunqoba okukhulu ngoHitler. Samnikeza ukusekelwa kokuqala akuthola kuvela ezweni elingaphandle, futhi kuvela emthonjeni ophakeme kakhulu.” Isivumelwano sasidinga ukuba iVatican iyeke ukusekela iqembu laseJalimane iCatholic Center Party, kanjalo igunyaze “umbuso” kaHitler “ophelele” obuswa iqembu elilodwa.c Ngaphezu kwalokho, umthetho-sisekelo waso we-14 wathi: “Ukumiswa kwababhishobhi abakhulu, ababhishobhi, nabanye kuyokwenziwa kuphela ngemva kokuba umbusi, omiswe uMbuso waseJalimane, eseqinisekile ukuthi akukho kungabaza ngokuqondene nemibono evamile engokwezombangazwe.” Ekupheleni kuka-1933 (owabizwa nguPapa Pius XI ngokuthi “Unyaka Ongcwele”), ukusekela kweVatican kwase kuyisici esikhulu emzamweni kaHitler wokubusa umhlaba.

 8, 9. (a) IVatican kanye neSonto LamaKatolika nabefundisi balo basabela kanjani ebudloveni bamaNazi? (b) Yimaphi amazwi ababhishobhi bamaKatolika aseJalimane abawasho ekuqaleni kweMpi Yezwe II? (c) Buye baphumelaphi ubuhlobo benkolo nezombangazwe?

⁸ Nakuba idlanzana labapristi nezindelakazi laphikisana nobudlova bukaHitler—futhi lahlupheka ngenxa yalokho—iVatican kanye neSonto lamaKatolika nebutho lalo labefundisi kwalusekela ngenkuthalo noma buthule unya lwamaNazi, okwakulubheka njengesivikelo ekungeneni kobuKhomanisi bomhlaba. Etamasa eVatican, uPapa Pius XII wavumela ukuqothulwa kwesizwe samaJuda nokushushiswa ngonya koFakazi BakaJehova nabanye ukuba kuqhubeke kungagxekwa. Kuyahlekisa ukuthi uPapa John Paul II, lapho evakashele eJalimane ngo-May 1987, watusa ukumelana namaNazi komfundisi oyedwa oqotho. Zazenzani ezinye izinkulungwane zabefundisi baseJalimane phakathi nokubusa kukaHitler konya? Incwadi yabefundisi eyakhishwa ababhishobhi bamaKatolika baseJalimane ngo-September 1939 ekugqashukeni kweMpi Yezwe II yenza liqondakale leli phuzu. Ngokwengxenye ifundeka kanje: “Kuleli hora lamanqamu siyala amasosha ethu angamaKatolika ukuba enze umsebenzi wawo ngokuthobela iFuehrer [uMholi] futhi alungele ukunikela ngobuqu bawo. Sinxusa abaThembekile ukuba bahlanganyele emithandazweni yentshiseko yokucela ukuba uMlondolozi Waphezulu ahole le mpi ibe yimpumelelo ebusisiwe.”

⁹ Ukuhileleka okunjalo kwamaKatolika kwezombangazwe kubonisa uhlobo lobufebe inkolo eye yabenza eminyakeni engu-4 000 edlule ngokuzishelela eMbusweni wezombangazwe ukuze izuze amandla. Ubuhlobo obunjalo benkolo nezombangazwe buye bakhuthaza impi, ushushiso, nosizi lwesintu ngezinga elikhulu. Yeka ukuthi isintu singajabula kanjani ngokuthi isahlulelo sikaJehova phezu kwesifebe esikhulu siseduze. Kwangathi singabhujiswa masinyane!

Sihlezi Phezu Kwamanzi Amaningi

10. Ayini “amanzi amaningi” iBhabhiloni Elikhulu elithembela kuwo ukuze lithole isivikelo, futhi yini eyenzekayo kuwo?

¹⁰ IBhabhiloni lasendulo laliphezu kwamanzi amaningi—uMfula i-Ewufrathe nemisele eminingi. La manzi ayeyisivikelo kulo futhi ewumthombo womnotho okhiqiza umcebo, kwaze kwaba yilapho esha ngobusuku obubodwa. (Jeremiya 50:38; 51:9, 12, 13) IBhabhiloni Elikhulu nalo lithembele ‘emanzini amaningi’ ukuba alivikele futhi alicebise. La manzi angokomfanekiso “abantu nezixuku nezizwe nezilimi,” okungukuthi, zonke izinkulungwane zezigidi zabantu eliye labusa phezu kwazo futhi lathola kuzo ukusekelwa ngezinto ezibonakalayo. Kodwa futhi la manzi ayasha, noma ahoxisa ukusekela kwawo.—IsAmbulo 17:15; qhathanisa neHubo 18:4; Isaya 8:7.

11. (a) IBhabhiloni lasendulo ‘lawudakisa’ kanjani ‘umhlaba wonke’? (b) IBhabhiloni Elikhulu ‘liwudakise’ kanjani ‘umhlaba wonke’?

¹¹ Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhabhiloni lasendulo lachazwa ‘njengendebe yegolide esandleni sikaJehova, lenza wonke umhlaba udakwe.’ (Jeremiya 51:7) IBhabhiloni lasendulo laphoqelela izizwe ezingomakhelwane ukuba zigwinye intukuthelo kaJehova lapho lizinqoba empini, lizenza buthaka njengabantu abadakiwe. Ngaleyo ndlela, laliyithuluzi likaJehova. IBhabhiloni Elikhulu, futhi, liye lanqoba kwaze kwaba seqophelweni lokuba umbuso wezwe. Kodwa ngokuqinisekile alilona ithuluzi likaNkulunkulu. Kunalokho, liye lakhonza “amakhosi omhlaba” elifeba nawo ngokwenkolo. Liye lanelisa la makhosi ngokusebenzisa izimfundiso zalo zamanga nemikhuba egqilazayo ukuze ligcine abantu, “labo abahlala emhlabeni,” bengenamandla njengabantu abadakiwe, besekela ababusi babo ngaphandle kokuphikisa.

12. (a) Ingxenye yeBhabhiloni Elikhulu eJapane yaba kanjani necala lokuchithwa kwegazi eliningi phakathi neMpi Yezwe II? (b) “Amanzi” asekela iBhabhiloni Elikhulu ancipha kanjani eJapane, futhi kwaba namuphi umphumela?

¹² IJapane yobuShinto inikeza isibonelo esiphawulekayo salokhu. Isosha elingumJapane elaliqeqeshwe ngabo lalikubheka njengokuhlonipheka kakhulu ukunikela ngokuphila kwalo ngenxa yombusi—unkulunkulu ophakeme wobuShinto. Phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, amasosha aseJapane angaba ngu-1 500 000 afa empini; cishe wonke ngothi lwawo, ayebheka ukucela umaluju njengokuhlazisayo. Kodwa ngenxa yokwehlulwa kweJapane, uMbusi uHirohito waphoqeleka ukuba ayeke ukuzibiza ngonkulunkulu. Lokhu kwaphumela ekuhoxeni okuphawulekayo ‘kwamanzi’ asekela ingxenye yobuShinto yeBhabhiloni Elikhulu—maye, ngemva kokuba ubuShinto bugunyazé ukuchithwa kwegazi eliningi enkundleni yempi yasePacific! Lokhu kuncipha kwethonya lobuShinto kwavula futhi indlela eminyakeni yamuva yokuba amaJapane angaphezu kuka-200 000, iningi lawo elalingamaShinto namaBuddha, abe yizikhonzi ezizinikezele, ezibhapathiziwe zeNkosi EnguMbusi uJehova.

Kunokuba angcwelise ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe okunjalo, “uJehova uMninimandla onke” uyala amaKristu: “Phumani phakathi kwabo, nizihlukanise, . . . futhi niyeke ukuthinta into engcolile.”—2 Korinte 6:14-18.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 237]

UChurchill Udalula ‘Ubufebe’

Encwadini yakhe ethi The Gathering Storm (1948), uWinston Churchill ubika ukuthi uHitler wamisa uFranz von Papen njengongqongqoshe waseJalimane eVienna, ukuze “alulaze noma azuze abavelele kwezombangazwe zase-Austria.” UChurchill ucaphuna ungqongqoshe wase-U.S. eVienna ethi ngovon Papen: “Ngesibindi esikhulu nangokunyundela . . . uPapen waqhubeka wangitshela ukuthi . . . wayehlose ukusebenzisa idumela lakhe njengomKatolika omuhle ukuze athonye ama-Austria anjengoKhadinali Innitzer.”

Ngemva kokuba i-Austria isicele umaluju futhi amabutho kaHitler anonya esengene eVienna, ukhadinali wamaKatolika u-Innitzer wayala ukuba wonke amasonto ase-Austria aphephezelise ifulegi le-swastika, ashaye izinsimbi zawo, futhi athandazele u-Adolf Hitler ehlonipha usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 238]

‘UMTHANDAZO WEMPI’ OWENZELWA UMBUSO WASEJALIMANE

Ngaphansi kwalesi sihloko, kwavela indaba elandelayo ohlelweni lokuqala lwephephandaba i-New York Times ka-December 7, 1941:

“AbaBhishobhi bamaKatolika EFulda Bacela Isibusiso Nokunqoba . . . UMhlangano WabaBhishobhi BamaKatolika BaseJalimane obuhlangene eFulda uye watusa ukuba kuqaliswe ‘umthandazo wempi’ okhethekile okumelwe ufundwe ekuqaleni nasekuphethweni kwazo zonke izinkonzo zaphezulu. Lo mthandazo unxusa uMlondolozi ukuba abusise izikhali zaseJalimane ngokunqoba futhi avikele ukuphila nempilo yawo wonke amasosha. AbaBhishobhi baqhubeke bayala abefundisi bamaKatolika ukuba babeke futhi bakhumbule entshumayelweni ekhethekile yangeSonto okungenani kanye ngenyanga amasosha aseJalimane ‘asezweni, olwandle nasemoyeni.’”

Lesi sihloko sasuswa ezinhlelweni zakamuva zephephandaba. U-December 7, 1941, wawuwusuku iJapane, umhlobo weJalimane lobuNazi, eyahlasela ngalo iviyo lemikhumbi yase-U.S. ePearl Harbor.