Ukudalulwa Kwesifebe Esikhulu

ISIMISO sezwe samanje esilawulwa uSathane sinemikhakha emithathu eyinhloko esetshenziswa “unkulunkulu walelizwe.” Lena iwukubusa kwezombangazwe, ukulawula nethonya lezamabhizinisi amakhulu, nenkolo. Ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka yomlando, lezici ezintathu bezilokhu zikhona cishe kuzo zonke izimiso zokubusa. Yimuphi kulemikhakha enamandla ofanekiselwa “unina wezifebe”?—2 Korinte 4:3, 4; IsAmbulo 12:9; 17:5.

Ngokombono kaJohane okuxoxwa ngawo lapha, ababusi, “amakhosi omhlaba,” ngokuzithandela baye bafeba naye. (IsAmbulo 18:3) (Ubufakazi obungokomlando balokhu buyonikezwa emakhasini alandelayo.) Ngakho-ke, iBabiloni Elikhulu alinakufanekisela ingxenye yokubusa kwezombangazwe esimisweni sezwe.

Kuthiwani ngamabhizinisi amakhulu anendima enkulu kangaka ezindabeni zabantu namuhla? Ngokuqinisekile ayithonya elinamandla emazweni amaningi, futhi ngenxa yalokho, anquma ukuthi ubani oyoceba nokuthi ubani oyoba mpofu. Ingabe yiwona angaba iBabiloni Elikhulu? Ingelosi yanikeza uJohane umqondo obalulekile ophendula lombuzo. Yamemezela isenzakalo esivusa amadlingozi—ukuphelelwa ugazi kweBabiloni! Lilahlekelwa amashende alo nabangane, manje asebelithola linyanyeka. Ubani omunye, ngaphandle ‘kwamakhosi omhlaba,’ obephakathi kwabebelivakashela njalo? Ingelosi ithi: “Ngokuba izizwe zonke ziphuzile iwayini lobufebe halo, namakhosi omhlaba afebile nalo, nabathengisi bomhlaba bacebile ngamandla okutamasa kwalo.” Yebo, abathengisi bomhlaba baye bazuza ngokulithengisela nangokuba nobungane nalo nangokwandisa ‘ukutamasa kwalo okuhlazisayo.’ Ngakho-ke, alinakufanekisela amabhizinisi amakhulu asemhlabeni wonke.—IsAmbulo 18:3.

Ngakho-ke, ngenqubo yokususa okungekhona, ukubusa kwezombangazwe nokulawula nethonya lamabhizinisi amakhulu sekuphumile ohlwini. Lokho kusishiya nani? Kumelwe kube yileyongxenye yamandla nayo efanelana namazwi athi, “izizwe zonke zidukisiwe ngokuthakatha kwakho.” Yingxenye eyake yaba namandla kodwa manje esiba buthakathaka eye yakuthonya ngokujulile ukucabanga nezenzo zezizwe kusukela ezinsukwini zeBabiloni lasendulo. Yilo elibe ‘nombuso phezu kwamakhosi omhlaba’—okungukuthi, inkolo yamanga!—IsAmbulo 17:18; 18:23.

Yebo, kungase kubonakale kushaqisa kwabanye abantu abaqotho abathanda inkolo ukuthi, iBabiloni Elikhulu, unina wezifebe, liwuphawu lombuso wezwe kaSathane wenkolo yamanga. Liwuphawu lwezinkolo zezwe lezo ngandlela-thile eziye zazimbandakanya nokubusa kwezombangazwe nokwezomnotho kuwo wonke umlando.

IBabiloni Umshoshozeli Wempi

Ngokuvumelana nombono ongokwesiprofetho, iBabiloni Elikhulu liyisifebe esikhulu esiye saholela izizwe, abantu, nezinhlanga ezimpini ezigcwele igazi, ezimpini zenkolo, nasezimpini zokuziphindiselela, lizibusisa ngamaculo, amanzi angcwele, imithandazo, nezinkulumo ezishubile zokushisekela izwe.a—IsAmbulo 18:24.

Abefundisi bayo, ikakhulukazi abamabutho, bebelokhu bengamathuluzi azimisele ababusi okuhlanganisela uquqaba lwabantu njengokudla kwezinganono ekubulaleni kwezimpi zezwe ezimbili nezinye izimpi ezinkulu. UmKatolika uye wabulala umKatolika, nomProthestani uye wabulala umProthestani ngenxa yokuhlonipha isibopho,kwalahleka ukuphila okuyizigidi ezingama-50 kuya kwezingama-60 ezimpini zezwe ezimbili nje kuphela.

Kulelikhulu lama-20 leminyaka elikhanyiselwe, ingxenye esele yeLobukholwa isaqhubeka izala inzondo nokufa—hhayi nje kuphela phakathi kweLobukholwa nempi yalo ephakathi kwamaKatolika namaProthestani kodwa futhi nakubantu abangemaKristu nempi yabo ephakathi kwamaSulumane namaJuda, amaHindu namaSulumane, amaBuddha namaHindu, amaSikh namaHindu, njalonjalo.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, inkolo ngaso sonke isikhathi ibilokhu ifuna ukuba nethonya elinamandla phezu ‘kwamakhosi omhlaba,’ izama ukunquma ukuthi obani okufanele bathole izikhundla zawo nokuthi obani abazowalandela ezihlalweni zobukhosi. Ake sicabangele kafushane izibonelo ezimbalwa.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Yikuphi kulokhu—ezombangazwe, amabhizinisi amakhulu, noma inkolo—okumelelwa “iBabiloni Elikhulu”?