Isahluko 4
“IBhabhiloni” Enganqabisekanga Igwetyelwe Intshabalalo
1. (a) Lithetha ukuthini igama elithi “bhabhiloni,” ibe ngubani owaseka eso sixeko sinelo gama? (b) Nguwuphi umsebenzi wokwakha uNimrodi onamabhongo awawenzayo, ibe waba yintoni umphumo?
UMBHODAMO okwezobupolitika, kwezentlalo nakwezonqulo uluphawu lwehlabathi namhlanje. Inguqulelo yesiNgesi yegama lesiHebhere eliseBhayibhileni elithi umbhodamo lelithi “ibhabhiloni.” KwiGenesis, iBhabhiloni kuthethwa ngayo njengeBhabheli, igama elikwathetha “umbhodamo.” Isixeko esinelo gama sasekwa nguNimrodi, umvukeli kaYehova. (Genesis 10:8-10) Apho, abantu ababekhokelwa nguNimrodi onamabhongo baqalisa ukwakha inqaba eyayiza kunyukela ezulwini ngeenjongo zokuvukela uYehova. UYehova walichitha eli phulo lokunyelisa uThixo ngokuduba ulwimi olunye lwabakhi, kangangokuba abazange baqondane ngoxa babezama ukusebenza kunye.—Genesis 11:1-9.
2. (a) Kwenzeka ntoni kwigunya lehlabathi iBhabhiloni ngowama-539 B.C.E., ibe ngaba oko kwaphawula ukuphela kwesixeko esinelo gama? (b) Isixeko samandulo iBhabhiloni asizange singqineke siyintoni?
2 Kwithuba elide emva koko, isixeko esitsha esasinegama eliyiBhabhiloni kwabhalwa ngaso njengesasikho kuMlambo umEfrati. (2 Kumkani 17:24; 1 Kronike 9:1, Ap) Ngowama-539 B.C.E. iGunya Lehlabathi eliyiBhabhiloni labhukuqwa nguKoreshi Omkhulu, irhuluneli yamaMedi namaPersi, nto leyo eyayizalisekisa isiprofeto sikaYehova esikuIsaya 45:1-6. Nangona iBhabhiloni yachithwa kanobom, yavunyelwa ukuba iqhubeke ikho njengesixeko. Ibikwa iyeyayikho nakwisiqingatha sokugqibela senkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. (1 Petros 5:13) Noko ke, eso sixeko samandulo asizange sizingqine ‘siyiBhabhiloni Enkulu,’ umpostile uYohane awabhala ngayo kwincwadi yeSityhilelo isahluko 17.
3. Iyintoni intsingiselo yokwenyaniso yeBhabhiloni Enkulu?
3 ‘IBhabhiloni Enkulu’ yeSityhilelo, echazwe njengomfazi oziphethe kakubi okhwele ‘irhamncwa elimfusa,’ imela ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki, kuquka zonke iinkonzo ekuthiwa zezeNgqobhoko.a (ISityhilelo 17:3-5) Ngokwendlela umpostile uYohane awathi wayiphawula ngayo, le ntlangano yokomfuziselo iye yahenyuza ngokomoya nabo bonke abalawuli bobupolitika bomhlaba. Ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki, iBhabhiloni Enkulu, busenempembelelo enkulu.
‘Isisihlobo Sehlabathi’—Ayisosihlobo SikaThixo
4. Ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi I, iBhabhiloni Enkulu yalongeza njani ulwaphulo-mthetho lwayo nxamnye nentsapho yabantu?
4 Noko ke, iBhabhiloni Enkulu ayinqabisekanga gqitha, ibe oko bekunjalo ingakumbi ukususela ekupheleni kweMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Ebudeni baloo mfazwe, yongezelela kulwaphulo-mthetho lwayo olunxamnye nentsapho yabantu. Abefundisi beNgqobhoko, abazibanga bengabalandeli bakaYesu Kristu, baphembelela abafana ukuba baye kumathafa edabi. UHarry Emerson Fosdick ongasekhoyo, owayengumfundisi ongumProtestanti odumileyo, wayixhasa imfazwe kodwa kamva wavuma oku: “Kwanasezicaweni zethu simise izindwe zasemkhosini . . . Ngokumbaxa sidumise uMthetheli Woxolo saza kwathina sazukisa nemfazwe.” Ababingeleli kwanabanye abefundisi beNgqobhoko banikela imithandazo kwimikhosi elwayo ekuqhutyweni kweendibano zonqulo, ibe bakhonza njengabefundisi bomkhosi, umkhosi wolwandle nomkhosi womoya.b
5. (a) Ngawaphi amazwi kaYakobi 4:4 iNgqobhoko engawathabathelanga entliziyweni? (b) Simele sibe yintoni isigwebo sobuthixo kuyo?
5 INgqobhoko, ngokwalathiswa zezi nkokeli zonqulo, ayiwathabathelanga entliziyweni amazwi kaYakobi 4:4: “Bakrexezindini, bakrexezikazindini, anazi na ukuba ubuhlobo balo ihlabathi bubutshaba kuye uThixo? Othe ngoko wanga angaba sisihlobo salo ihlabathi, uzenza utshaba lukaThixo.” Ngaloo ndlela iNgqobhoko iyaqhubeka ilutshaba loThixo Osenyangweni ukuhla ukuza kuthi ga kweli xesha. Ngokuqinisekileyo ayikhuselwa nguThixo, ibe ngenxa yesi sizathu sibalulekileyo ubukho bayo buhlala bunganqabisekanga. Izihlobo zayo zobupolitika asizizo ezinokuthenjwa, ibe iliza lokuchaswa konqulo liyaqhubeka lithabath’ unyawo. UThixo akathetheli yona xa esithi: “Musani ukubachukumisa abathanjiswa bam.”—1 Kronike 16:22.
“Phumani Kuyo, Bantu Bam”
6, 7. (a) Luluphi ubizo olungxamisekileyo oluhlokonyiswa kwiSityhilelo 18:4, ibe lubhekiswa koobani? (b) Ubizo lokuqala nolufanayo lwaqalisa nini ukusebenza kumaYuda awayetsala nzima kwiBhabhiloni yamandulo?
6 Ebudeni bokupheliswa kwale nkqubo yezinto, ngokungxamisekileyo kuvakala olu bizo lobuthixo kwaba bathanjiswa nezinxulumani zabo: “Phumani kuyo, bantu bam, ukuze ningadlelani nayo ngezono zayo, nokuze ningamkeliswa kwizibetho zayo.” (ISityhilelo 18:4) Ewe, phumani kubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki, iBhabhiloni Enkulu.
7 Olu bizo luphinda amazwi kaYeremiya 50:8 nesama–51:6, 45, mazwi lawo awayebhekiswa kwintsalela yamaYuda uYehova awayeyigwebele ukuchitha iminyaka engama-70 yokuthinjelwa kwilizwe laseBhabhiloni. Loo mazwi aqalisa ukusebenza kumaYuda awayetsala nzima eBhabhiloni ngowama-537 B.C.E., emva kokuba uKoreshi Omkhulu owaxelwa kwangaphambili wathi wakhokela imikhosi yakhe yamaMedi namaPersi isenjenjeya ukuhla ngoMlambo umEfrati owawuphantse waba ngowomileyo yaye esiya kungena kwisixeko saseBhabhiloni.
8. (a) UKoreshi Omkhulu wamzalisekisa njani uIsaya 45:1-6? (b) Kutheni le nto lowo wafanekiselwa kwangaphambili nguKoreshi Omkhulu kwafuneka enze ngokwalo mzekelo wezinto wesiprofeto?
8 Ngonyaka wokuqala wolawulo lwakhe, uKoreshi Omkhulu wenza ngendlela eyazalisekisa isiprofeto sikaIsaya 45:1-6. Ngokufanayo, lowo wafanekiselwa kwangaphambili yiRhuluneli uKoreshi, kodwa onamandla lee kunaye, uYesu Kristu, waqhuba ngokwalo mzekelo wezinto ezingokwesiprofeto. Oku kwenzeka ngexesha elifanelekileyo emva kokuba ekulawulo lwakhe lwasebukhosini ezulwini kwisandla sokunene sikaYehova uThixo, xa “amaxesha eentlanga” aphelayo ngo-Oktobha we-1914. (Luka 21:24) Ebudeni bemfazwe yehlabathi yokuqala yowe-1914-18, intsalela yamaSirayeli okomoya yathinjwa yiBhabhiloni Enkulu nezithandane zayo zobupolitika.
9, 10. (a) Liliphi inyathelo elathatyathwa nxamnye namalungu asibhozo abasebenzi bekomkhulu loMbutho? (b) Bubuphi ubungqina bokuba iBhabhiloni Enkulu yiyo eyabangela ukunqunyanyiswa komsebenzi wabantu bakaYehova?
9 Ngokomzekelo, kwelaseUnited States incwadi eyayisandul’ ukupapashwa yiWatch Tower Society ngelo xesha ethi, The Finished Mystery, yavalwa njengechasene negunya elingokwasemthethweni. Ababhali ababini bale ncwadi beziswa enkundleni eBrooklyn, eNew York, baza ngokungekho sikweni bagwetyelwa iminyaka engama-20 yokuvalelwa bodwa kwintolongo yaseAtlanta, eGeorgia. Kwenzeka into efanayo nakumongameli walo mbutho opapashayo, unondyebo okwangunobhala kwanabanye abathathu babasebenzi bekomkhulu. Umguquleli owayesebenza nabo wagwetywa isiqingatha selo xesha entolongweni.
10 Kwandula ke ngoJulayi 4, 1918, la maKristu asibhozo azahluleleyo afakwa kuloliwe owayesinge eAtlanta, eGeorgia, ukuze abandezwe inkululeko apho. Amalungu ekomkhulu laseBrooklyn leWatch Tower Society ngelo xesha kwafuneka enyamekele imicimbi kangangoko enako. Ngubani owayemele abekw’ ityala ngale meko? Incwadi ethi Preachers Present Arms iphendula ngelithi: “Ukuhlolisiswa kwayo yonke le meko kukhokelela kwisigqibo sokuba iicawa nabefundisi bangoonobangela abasisiseko bokuchithwa kwamaRussellite [AmaNgqina]. . . . Xa iindaba zokugwetywa iminyaka engamashumi amabini zathi zafikelela kubahleli bamaphephandaba onqulo, phantse zonke ezi mpapasho, ezinkulu nezincinane, zasivuyela eso siganeko. Andikhange ndiwabone amazwi ovelwano kubo nabaphi na oolindixesha bonqulo.”—Ray H. Abrams, iphepha 183, 184.
Ukuwa—Kodwa Kungekuko Okwentshabalalo
11, 12. (a) IBhabhiloni Enkulu yayinenjongo yokwenza ntoni? (b) Yawa kanobom njani, nangona yayingatshatyalaliswanga nje? (c) Waba yintoni umphumo kubantu bakaYehova abakhululekileyo?
11 Kodwa ukuvuya kweBhabhiloni Enkulu kwakungayi kuhlala ithuba elide. Ngentwasahlobo (yomntla weikhweyitha) yowe-1919, iBhabhiloni Enkulu yawa kanobom, nto leyo emele ilandelwe ziziganeko ezithile zonqulo ngaphambi kokuba itshatyalaliswe ngokupheleleyo. IBhabhiloni Enkulu yayicinga ngokugcina abantu bakaYehova becinezelwe yaye besekuthinjweni ngonaphakade. Kodwa ngoMatshi we-1919 iingcango zentolongo zavulelwa abameli abasibhozo beWatch Tower Society, baza baphuma ngebheyile. Kamva, bavakaliswa bemsulwa ngokupheleleyo kuzo zonke izityholo.
12 Ngeli thuba yayingasekho imincili kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu! Incwadi ethi Preachers Present Arms ithi ngesigqibo senkundla sokukhulula amaNgqina: “Iicawa azizange zikhuphe nelimdaka ngokuvakaliswa kwesi sigwebo.” Kodwa bavuya kakhulu abantu bakaYehova. Intlangano yabo yazwenibanzi yalungiswa. Kwindibano yabo eyayiseCedar Point, eOhio, ngowe-1919, umongameli woMbutho ngentetho yakhe ethi “Ukuvakalisa UBukumkani” wakhuthaza amawakawaka awayekho ukuba athabath’ inyathelo. AmaNgqina kaYehova kwakhona ayekhululekile, ebuvakalisa ngenkalipho uBukumkani bukaThixo ekuhleni! IBhabhiloni Enkulu yayiwile, nangona yayingatshatyalaliswanga nje. UKoreshi Omkhulu, uYesu Kristu, wayeyoyisile waza wabakhulula abalandeli bakhe abathembekileyo.
13. Xa uManyano Lwezizwe lwathi lwayilwa, yenza ntoni iBhabhiloni Enkulu?
13 Ngaloo ndlela iBhabhiloni Enkulu yavunyelwa ukuba iphile kwithuba lasemva kwemfazwe. Xa uManyano Lwezizwe lwayilwayo njengequmrhu lehlabathi lokugcina uxolo, iBhunga Elimanyeneyo lamaBandla kaKristu kwelaseMerika laluxhasa, livakalisa ekuhleni ukuba uManyano Lwezizwe “lwaluyimbonakaliso yobupolitika yoBukumkani bukaThixo emhlabeni.” Xa uManyano olwaluyiliwe lwathi ekugqibeleni lwazinza, iBhabhiloni Enkulu yaqabela kumqolo walo yaza ngaloo ndlela yaqalisa ukuphalisa eli ‘rhamncwa limfusa’ lokomfuziselo.—ISityhilelo 17:3.
14. (a) Ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi II, liliphi inyathelo elathatyathwa yiBhabhiloni Enkulu? (b) Xa iqumrhu elenziwe ngumntu lokugcina uxolo laphumayo enzonzobileni emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II, yenza ntoni iBhabhiloni Enkulu?
14 Xa eli qumrhu lokugcina uxolo nelingazange liphumelele latshona enzonzobileni yokungasebenzi ekuqhambukeni kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II, iBhabhiloni Enkulu yasala ingenanto inokukhwela kuyo. (ISityhilelo 17:8) Kodwa yayikunye namazwe angama-57 awayebandakanyeke kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Imfuneko yokuba ibe mbaxa ekunyanisekeni kwayo kumacandelo alwayo ayizange iyikhathaze, kwanjengokuba ingazange iyiphazamise into yokwahlulwahlulwa kwayo ibe ngamahlelo neemvaba zonqulo ezixakayo nezingangoboya benja. Xa iqumrhu elenziwe ngumntu lokugcina uxolo, elalikwimo yeZizwe Ezimanyeneyo, lathi laphuma kwinzonzobila yokungasebenzi ekupheleni kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II, iBhabhiloni Enkulu ayizange iphozise maseko ukuqabela emqolo kulo yaza yaqalisa ukuliphembelela.
Amagunya Obupolitika Aza Kujikela IBhabhiloni
15, 16. (a) Ngoku uluntu lujongene nayiphi into eyoyikekayo? (b) UThixo uSomandla uzimisele ukwenza ntoni, ngokuvisisana neSityhilelo 17:15-18?
15 Lonke ihlabathi loluntu ngoku sekumbovu ukuba lijongane nento eyoyikekayo. Oku kuya kwenzeka xa amagunya obupolitika ejikela iBhabhiloni Enkulu, ngenjongo yokuyikhucula ingabikho. Oku kusenokuvakala kudimaza ebantwini abakholelwa ngokunyanisekileyo ukuba zonke iinkonzo zilungile. Kodwa uMongami Wendalo Iphela, uYehova uThixo, ugqibe kwelokuba iBhabhiloni Enkulu ayinandawo kuyo yonke indalo ibe ugqibe kwelokuba kudala isonakalisa ummandla wendalo. Imele ithi ngendlela enogonyamelo itshatyalaliswe kuthi tu.
16 Sele kukho oothunywashe abanamandla uThixo anokubavumela ukuphumeza intshabalalo yayo, abangaba, abobupolitika behlabathi. Incwadi ephefumlelwe nguThixo yeSityhilelo ixela kwangaphambili ukuba uYehova uya kubangela ukuba izithandane zayo ziyijikele, ibe ziya kuyihluba ze, zibhence oko ikuko ngokwenene—inkohliso eyenziwe ziidemon! Ziya kwandula ke, ngokungathi kunjalo, ziyitshise ngomlilo zize ziyenze imfumba yothuthu. Ziya kuyiphatha ngendlela yona eye yaphatha ngayo abanquli boThixo oyinyaniso abangalalanisiyo.—ISityhilelo 17:15-18; 18:24.
17. Ngaba izenzo zokuchaswa kweBhabhiloni ngamagunya obupolitika ziwenza abe kunqulo lukaYehova uThixo, ibe sazi njani?
17 Esi senzo sogonyamelo nesisesokuchasa unqulo samagunya obupolitika asithethi ukuba emva koko aya kuvisisana nonqulo lukaYehova uThixo. Isenzo sawo esoyikekayo sokuchasa iBhabhiloni asithethi ukuba ngeli thuba aya kuba zizihlobo zikaThixo. Ukuba bekunjalo ebengayi kuthabatha inyathelo lamva incwadi yeSityhilelo ebonisa ukuba aya kulithabatha. (ISityhilelo 17:12-14) Asenokuvuya kakhulu ngenxa yezenzo ezichasene nonqulo uYehova uThixo awavumele ukuba aziphumeze, kodwa asaya kuqhubeka elahlekiswa ‘nguthixo weli phakade,’ uSathana uMtyholi, umchasi ophandle nozingisileyo kaYehova uThixo.—2 Korinte 4:4.
18, 19. (a) Ngoobani abangayi kukubona ukuthethelelwa kolongamo lukaYehova lwendalo iphela ngokusetyenziswa ‘koMthetheli Woxolo’? (b) Kodwa ngoobani abaya kuba ngamangqina okuthethelelwa kukaYehova kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu nabaya kuhlala bephila?
18 IBhabhiloni Enkulu ayisayi kuyibona incopho ezukileyo, ukuthethelelwa kolongamo lukaYehova lwendalo iphela ‘ngoMthetheli Woxolo,’ ngoku ‘onguThixo oligorha’ okwisandla sokunene saLowo onguSomandla noThixo Ophakamileyo, uYehova.—Isaya 9:6.
19 Ebukele oko kwenzekayo, amangqina kaYehova aya kube ekhuselwe nguThixo ngokungenakuhlaselwa nto. (Isaya 43:10, 12) Phantsi komyalelo ovela kumazulu obulungisa, ngokuthobekileyo aya kube ephumile kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu. (ISityhilelo 18:4) Uvuyo lwawo lobulungisa luya kwandiswa koko aya kube ekubona. Emva koko aya kuba ngamaNgqina kaYehova ngonaphakade aze ngokusisigxina akwazi ukungqina ngokuzithethelela kwakhe kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu.—ISityhilelo 19:1-3.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Ukuze ubone ufaniso oluneenkcukacha, bona incwadi ethi “Babylon the Great Has Fallen!” God’s Kingdom Rules!, iphepha 468-500, eyapapashwa yiWatchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
b Ingxubusho eneenkcukacha ngokuxhasa kwabefundisi iMfazwe Yehlabathi I ikwincwadi ethi Preachers Present Arms, nguRay H. Abrams (New York, 1933). Le ncwadi ithi: “Abefundisi benza le mfazwe yaba yenentsingiselo enqwenelekayo ngokomoya baza bayiphembelela. . . . Imfazwe ngokwayo yayiyengcwele iyeyokuhambisela phambili uBukumkani bukaThixo emhlabeni. Ukuncama kukabani ubomi bakhe ngenxa yelizwe lakhe yayikukubuncamela uThixo noBukumkani Bakhe. UThixo nelizwe baba zizinto ezifanayo. . . . AmaJamani Namazwe Amanyeneyo awayenxamnye nayo ayefana ngale nto. Cala ngalinye lalikholelwa ukuba lalilelikaThixo . . . Uninzi lwabefundisi lwalungenabunzima nangayiphi na indlela ekubekeni uYesu kanye ngaphambili kowona mlo unzima ekukhokeleni imikhosi yakhe ukuze kufunyanwe uloyiso. . . . Ngaloo ndlela icawa yaba ngumtya nethunga nemfazwe. . . . Iinkokeli [zecawa] azizange ziphozise maseko ekuzilungelelaniseni ngokupheleleyo kwixesha lemfazwe. Kwiiyure ezingamashumi amabini anesine emva kokuvakaliswa kobukho bemfazwe, iBhunga Elimanyeneyo lamaBandla kaKristu kwelaseMerika lenza amalungiselelo okusebenzisana ngokupheleleyo. . . . Uninzi lweecawa lwenza lwegqithisa kwinto olwalucelwe ukuba luyenze. Zaba ngamaziko okugayela umkhosi.”—Iphepha 53, 57, 59, 63, 74, 80, 82.