IBabiloni Elikhulu—Ukubhujiswa Kwalo

“Nasebusweni bakhe kulotshiwe igama eliyimfihlakalo lokuthi: IBABILONI ELIKHULU, UNINA WEZIFEBE NOWAMANYALA OMHLABA.” “Kuyakufika ngalusuku lunye izinhlupheko zalo, ukufa, nokulila, nendlala, futhi liyakushiswa liqedwe ngomlilo; ngokuba iNkosi uNkulunkulu elahlulelayo inamandla.”—IsAmbulo 17:5; 18:8.

SINELUNGELO lokuzibuza ngalawomazwi alotshwa ngumphostoli uJohane ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka leSikhathi sethu Esivamile. Ungubani ‘lonina wezifebe’? Umthukuthelise kanjani uNkulunkulu kangangokuthi kufanele amahlulele kanzima kangaka? Akungabazeki ukuthi izahlulelo zikaNkulunkulu kulesifebe esiyimfihlakalo iBabiloni Elikhulu zingezibhubhisayo. Futhi lokhu ngokuqinisekile kusinikeza isizathu sokubona ukuthi singubani lesifebe nokuthi lokho esimiselwe khona kuyosithinta kanjani thina.—IsAmbulo 18:21.

Ngubani noma yini efanekiselwa yiBabiloni Elikhulu? IBhayibheli lithi ababusi bomhlaba bafebe nalo nokuthi abathengisi baye bahweba nalo. (IsAmbulo 18:3) Ngakho-ke, asinakumelela ezombangazwe noma amabhizinisi amakhulu. Kodwa lokhu kushiya ilungu lesithathu elinamandla emhlabeni okuwukuphela kwelingafanelwa isiqu esithi “unina wezifebe.” Asiyikho okunye ngaphandle kombuso wezwe kaSathane wenkolo yamanga!a

Manje kusala lemibuzo: Liyobhujiselwani iBabiloni Elikhulu, kanjani futhi nini? Noma ukuze siyibeke ngokuqondile lendaba: Kungani inkolo yamanga izonyamalala kulomhlaba, kanjani, futhi nini?

Umlando WeLobukholwa Ongesiwo OwobuKristu

Lapho sicabangela umlando wenkolo yamanga, singase sikhunjuzwe ngamazwi asendulo angokwesiprofetho: “Bahlwanyele umoya, bayakuvuna isivunguvungu.” (Hoseya 8:7) Lokhu kuvumelana nesimiso esashiwo ngumphostoli ongumKristu uPawulu: “Ningaduki; uNkulunkulu akahlekwa. Ngokuba lokho akuhlwanyelayo umuntu, lokho wokuvuna.” (Galathiya 6:7) Ngakho, inkolo yamanga ihlwanyeleni ngezinga lomhlaba wonke? Futhi yini eyoyivuna?

UJesu Kristu wafundisa ukuthi abalandeli bakhe kufanele bangathandi nje kuphela omakhelwane babo kodwa futhi nezitha zabo. (Mathewu 5:43, 44) Ecaphuna emiBhalweni yesiHeberu, uPawulu wachaza indlela amaKristu okufanele aphathe ngayo izitha zawo. Wathi: “Uma isitha sakho silambile, siphe sidle; uma somile, siphuzise, ngokuba ngokwenza lokho uyakube ufumbela amalahle avuthayo ekhanda laso. Unganqotshwa ngokubi, kodwa nqoba okubi ngokuhle.”—Roma 12:20, 21.

Nokho, umlando wezinkolo zeLobukholwa ungowenzondo nokuchitha igazi. Izimpi zenkolo zasendulo nezosuku lwanamuhla ezihilela ukuthumba, ukudlwengula, nokufa ziye zabusiswa futhi zathethelelwa. Ngokwesibonelo, ukuphathwa ngendlovu yangena kweAbyssinia nguMbuso waseItaly wobuFascist (1935) ‘nempi yenkolo’ yaseFrance eMpini Yangaphakathi YaseSpain (1936-39) kwabusiswa izikhulu zeSonto LamaKatolika.

Ukungezwani kwabefundisi nabanye ngezenkolo kuye kwaxazululwa ngokushiswa kwabantu esigxotsheni. Umhumushi weBhayibheli uWilliam Tyndale waklinyelwa esigxotsheni futhi isidumbu sakhe sashiswa ngo-1536, ngemva kokuba ekhiphe inguqulo yakhe ‘yeTestamente Elisha’ ngesiNgisi. Ngaphambili, ziyalezwe nguPapa Martin V, iziphathimandla zenkolo, ziqhutshwa ngumoya wokuziphindisela, zavumbulula amathambo omhumushi weBhayibheli uWycliffe ngemva kweminyaka engama-44 afa ukuze zijabulele ukuwashisa. Phakathi nesikhathi samaKatolika sokuQulwa Kwamacala Ezihlubuki, izinkulungwane zamaJuda ‘nezihlubuki’ zaphucwa izinto zazo, zahlushwa, futhi zashiswa esigxotsheni—konke lokhu kuthiwa kwenziwa ngegama likaKristu! Isazi senkolo saseSpain uMichael Servetus, esashushiswa ngamaRoma Katolika namaProthestani ngokufanayo, sashiselwa esigxotsheni ngokuyala kukaJohn Calvin ongumProthestani. Ezimpini ezimbili zalelikhulu leminyaka, amabutho abusiswa abefundisi “bobuKristu” futhi amasosha agqugquzelwa ngabefundisi bawo abashisekela ubuzwe ukuba abulale.

Yeka ukuthi kuphambene kanjani nobuKristu beqiniso! Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Njengabakhethiweyo bakaNkulunkulu, abangcwele nabathandekayo, yembathani ububele benhliziyo, nesisa, nokuzithoba, nobumnene, nokubhekakade, nibekezelelane, nithethelelane, uma umuntu enensolo komunye; njengalokhu neNkosi yanithethelela, yenzani njalo nani. Kepha phezu kwakho konke lokho yembathani uthando oluyisibopho sokuphelela.”—Kolose 3:12-14.

UPawulu wabhalela amaKristu aseRoma: “Ningaphindiseli-muntu okubi ngokubi; nakani okuhle phambi kwabantu bonke; uma kungenzeka, ngokwenu hlalisanani ngokuthula nabantu bonke; ningaziphindiseli nina-bathandwa, kodwa dedelani ulaka, ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Ngokwami ukuphindisela, ngiyakubuyisela mina, isho iNkosi.” (Roma 12:17-19) Khona-ke, ngokukhanyiselwa izimiso zobuKristu eLobukholwa lihlulekile. Lihlwanyele inzondo nobuzenzisi futhi lizovuna imbubhiso.

Izinkolo Ezingezona EzobuKristu—Umlando Wazo

Kodwa iBabiloni Elikhulu lihlanganisa nezinye izinkolo ezingaphezu kwezeLobukholwa. Zonke izinkolo ezinkulu zalelizwe ziyahlanganyela kulelocala legazi lesifebe esinyanyekayo. Ngokwesibonelo, inkolo yobuShinto yaseJapane kumelwe ithwale ingxenye yecala ngenxa yomqondo wobuhlanya nonya owaboniswa amabutho aseJapane eMpini Yezwe II. Isazi-mlando uPaul Johnson sithi “ukuze aziqinise ezweni elilukhuni nelincintisanayo” elibuswa izindinganiso zokuziphatha zaseYurophu, akuthola kudingekile ukuba asungule “inkolo yombuso nemfundiso yokuziphatha ebusayo, eyaziwa ngokuthi ubuShinto nobubushido [“indlela yeqhawe”]. . . . Kwasungulwa ukukhulekela umbusi kwasikhathi sonke, ikakhulukazi emabuthweni ahlomile, futhi kusukela ngawo-1920 kuya phambili umthetho wesizwe wokuziphatha, ikokumin dotoku, wafundiswa kuzo zonke izikole.” Waba yini umphumela? Ngo-1941, lapho iJapane ijikijela amabhomu ePearl Harbor futhi kanjalo ingenela iMpi Yezwe II, “ubuShinto . . . bashintsha ekubeni inkolo engaphucukile, endala neyedlanzana yaba ukwamukelwa kombuso wobushiqela wanamuhla, ngakho-ke ngendlela emangalisayo nenyanyekayo, inkolo, obekufanele imelane nezimo zezwe ezisabekayo zaleyonkathi, yasetshenziswa ekuzingcweliseni.”

Ngokuqondene nokwahlukana kweNdiya ngo-1947, imbangela yakho okwakuwukungezwani okungokwenkolo, isazi-mlando uJohnson sithi: “Abantu abangaba yizigidi ezi-5 kuya kweziyisi-6 baphuma ngesamagundane nhlangothi zonke. . . . Izibalo zabafa ngalesosikhathi zilinganiselwa esigidini esi-1 kuya kwezi-2. Izibalo zamuva nje ziphakathi kuka-200 000 no-600 000.” Kuze kube namuhla, ukubulala nokuhlaziswa okugqugquzelwa yinkolo kusenzeka emphakathini wamaHindu. Ngokuvamile amaHarijan, noma abakhishwa inyumbazana ngaphambili ababebizwa ngokuthi abangathintwa, ayizisulu zokubulawa amaqembu ababulali ahlelwe ngabaninibamazwe abacebile.

UbuHindu buhlangene emikhuba yemimoya. (IsAmbulo 18:23) Umlobi waseNdiya uSudhir Kakar ukhuluma ‘ngokuhlabeka umxhwele komHindu ovamile nenhlonipho yakhe ngezinto eziyimfihlo nangabantu abazenzayo’ bese enezela: “Abafundi bezinkanyezi, ababikezeli benhlanhla, izangoma njengamasadhu [izindela zamaHindu “ezingcwele”], amafakir [izindela zamaSulumane eziphatha imigidi yemilingo] namanye amadoda amelela abantu uma bebhapathizwa bahlonishwa ngokujulile ngoba bacatshangelwa njengabasondelene nabantu abaphakeme.”—India Today, April 30, 1988.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, kukhona ukungezwani okuqhubekayo phakathi kwamaHindu namaSikh, nezinye izinkolo zaseMpumalanga. Kulezingxabano, inkolo ngayinye yenezela ingxenye yayo yenzondo, ukungezwani, nokubulala. Lesi esinye nje isici sesithelo seBabiloni Elikhulu.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, umlando wempi wanamuhla, wokubulala nokuvimbezela ulandisa okuncane kakhulu okutusa ubuJuda. Ubudlova obuboniswa ngezinye izikhathi obuboniswa amalungu ehlelo lobuJuda lamaHasid kubalandeli bamanye amahlelo obuJuda nabezinkolo ezingezona ezobuJuda abusona neze isenzo esitusekayo emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.

Uma sifunda umlando wombuso wezwe lonke wenkolo, singabona kalula ukuthi kungani uMahluleli Omkhulu enesisekelo sokubhubhisa iBabiloni Elikhulu. “Futhi kwafunyaniswa [kulo] igazi labaprofethi nelabangcwele nelabo bonke ababebulewe emhlabeni.” (IsAmbulo 18:24) Ukuhlanganyela ngokungafanele kwenkolo yamanga ezimpini zezifunda nezezwe kuyenze yaba necala emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ngegazi “labo bonke ababulelwe emhlabeni.”

Ngokwecala elibekwa yiBhayibheli, iBabiloni Elikhulu lahlulelwe njengelifanelwe imbubhiso ngenxa yomlando walo wokufeba ngokomoya nababusi bezwe, ukuba kwalo necala legazi ezimpini, nokusebenzisa kwalo imimoya. Ngakho-ke, uJehova uNkulunkulu unqume ngokwahlulela ukuthi umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga kaSathane kumelwe upheliswe.—IsAmbulo 18:3, 23, 24.

Indlela Inkolo Yamanga Eyobhujiswa Ngayo

Ngolimi olungokomfanekiso ngokuphakeme, incwadi yesAmbulo ichaza ukubhujiswa kweBabiloni Elikhulu. KusAmbulo 17:16 siyafunda: “Izimpondo eziyishumi owazibonayo, nesilo, lezi ziyakusizonda isifebe, zisenze incithakalo, sibe-yize, zidle inyama yaso, zisishise ngomlilo, zisiqede;” “Izimpondo eziyishumi” zifanekisela yonke imibuso yezombangazwe manje esemhlabeni esekela iZizwe Ezihlangene, “isilo esibomvu,” ngokwaso esingumfanekiso wesimiso sezombangazwe sikaDeveli esinindwe yigazi.—IsAmbulo 16:2; 17:3.b

Ngokwesiprofetho seBhayibheli, imibuso yezombangazwe ihlangene neZizwe Ezihlangene izowuphendukela umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga iwubhubhise. Zonke izinkolo zamanga ziyothinteka. Ezinye izimiso zezombangazwe sezikubonisile kakade ukungakubekezeleli kwazo ukugaxeka kwenkolo yamanga ezindabeni zezombangazwe nezezenhlalo. Amanye amazwe abusa ngesimiso sokusebenzela uhulumeni akhethe imfundiso yokuthi akekho uNkulunkulu futhi athobisa inkolo yaba ngumfokazana, njengaseAlbania, noma incekukazi ethobela izifiso zabanye, njengaseRashiya naseChina. Kwezinye izindawo, ababusi bezombangazwe babonisa ukuyicasukela ngokuqinile imfundiso yenkolo yenkululeko yabefundisi abathile bamaKatolika emazweni ampofu kakhulu. Nokho abanye bayazivimbela izinkolo ezihileleka ezindabeni zobuzwe. Ngisho nasemazweni okuthiwa akhululekile, abathile bezombangazwe bayakucasukela ukuzigaxa kwabefundisi ezimpikiswaneni zezombangazwe nezezenhlalo.

Kusazobonakala ukuthi yiziphi ngempela izimpikiswano eziyocasula amalungu ezombangazwe emhlabeni wonke ukuze aphendukele inkolo yamanga. Kodwa iqiniso linye—ukubhujiswa kweBabiloni Elikhulu yilamalungu akuyikuba ngokwentando yawo kuphela kodwa nangokwentando kaNkulunkulu. IsAmbulo 17:17 sithi: “UNkulunkulu ukufakile ezinhliziyweni zazo ukuba zenze umqondo wakhe, ziwenze umqondo munye, zinike isilo umbuso wazo, aze agcwaliseke amazwi kaNkulunkulu.”—Qhathanisa noJeremiya 51:12, 13.

Ungalenzi iphutha. Ukubhujiswa kweBabiloni Elikhulu akuyikuba nje ukubonakaliswa kwenzondo yabezombangazwe ngokuzikhukhumeza nangokuzigaxa kwenkolo. Ababusi bezombangazwe bayoba amathuluzi kaNkulunkulu aphoqelelwe okubhubhisa ukukhulekela kwamanga emhlabeni wonke. Yebo, “izono zalo zifinyelele ezulwini, noNkulunkulu wakhumbula ukungalungi kwalo.”—IsAmbulo 18:5.

UJehova ukumisile ukuthi inkolo yamanga ezikhukhumezayo kumelwe ithotshiswe. Isiprofetho sithi: “Ngokungangalokho elizidumisé latamasa ngakho, linikeni ukuhlupheka nokulila okungako. Ngokuba enhliziyweni yalo lithi: Ngihlezi ngiyinkosikazi, angisiye umfelokazi, futhi angisoze ngabona ukulila; ngakho kuyakufika ngalusuku lunye izinhlupheko zalo, ukufa, nokulila, nendlala, futhi liyakushiswa liqedwe ngomlilo; ngokuba iNkosi uNkulunkulu elahlulelayo inamandla.”—IsAmbulo 18:7, 8.

Imbubhiso Nini?

‘Lolusuku lunye’ noma isikhathi esifushane sembubhiso esheshayo, manje seluseduze. Eqinisweni, ukubhujiswa kweBabiloni Elikhulu kuletha ‘usuku lokuphindisela lukaNkulunkulu wethu.’ (Isaya 61:2) Ngemva kwalokho, impi kaNkulunkulu yokulunga iArmagedoni iyoba phezu kwethu. Bonke ubufakazi bezenzakalo zezwe kusukela ngo-1914 bubonisa ukuthi isimiso sezinto sikaSathane siphelelwa isikhathi. Ngakho-ke, ukubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu kuseduze.—Luka 21:32-36; IsAmbulo 16:14-16.

Abakhulekeli beqiniso bayosabela kanjani ekubhujisweni kweBabiloni Elikhulu? IsAmbulo sithi: “Thokoza ngawo wena-zulu, nabangcwele, nani-baphostoli, nani-baprofethi; ngokuba uNkulunkulu uwahlulele, waniphindiselela kuwo.” (IsAmbulo 18:20) Kuyoba khona ukuthokoza emhlabeni wonke njengoba injongo kaJehova ifezwa negama lakhe lingcweliswa. Isiprofetho sithi: “Emva kwalokho ngezwa kungathi izwi elikhulu lesixuku esikhulu ezulwini, lithi: Haleluya! Insindiso, nenkazimulo, namandla ngokukaNkulunkulu wethu, ngokuba ziqinisile, zilungile izahlulelo zakhe; ngokuba isifebe esikhulu esonakalisa umhlaba ngobufebe baso, uliphindisele igazi lezinceku zakhe esandleni saso.”—IsAmbulo 19:1, 2.

Ukubhujiswa kweBabiloni Elikhulu, okulandelwa ukubhubhisa kukaNkulunkulu izingxenye ezisele zesimiso sikaSathane, kuyosho izibusiso ezingapheli ngabakhulekeli beqiniso bakaNkulunkulu, kuhlanganise nabaningi abayovuswa lapha emhlabeni. Njengoba uJesu abathembisa bonke labo: “Uma nimi ezwini lami, ningabafundi bami isibili; niyakulazi iqiniso, neqiniso liyakunikhulula.”—Johane 8:31, 32; IsAmbulo 19:11-21.

Abakhulekeli beqiniso sebekhululekile kakade ezimfundisweni zenkolo yamanga eziye zahlambalaza uNkulunkulu iminyaka eminingi. Ezweni elisha lokulunga elithenjisiwe, bayokhululeka ukuba baphile ngaphandle kokwesaba ukufa, ngoba ‘uNkulunkulu uyokuba nabo, azesule izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikuba-khona; nokudabuka, nokukhala, nobuhlungu akusayikuba-khona; ngokuba okokuqala kudlulile.’ (IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Izinto zangaphambili eziyobe sezidlulile ziyohlanganisa iBabiloni Elikhulu, umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga kaSathane.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

“Ngendlela emangalisayo nenyanyekayo, inkolo, obekufanele imelane nezimo zezwe ezesabekayo zaleyonkathi, yasetshenziswa ekuzingcweliseni”

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

UWycliffe noTyndale bashushiselwa ukuhumusha iBhayibheli

[Umthombo]

From an old engraving in the Bibliothéque Nationale