Inkolo Yamanga Iphokophele Ekubhujisweni Kwayo!

UKUZE sithole ukuthi izinkolo zalelizwe ziya ekupheleni kwazo yini, ake sihlole esinye seziprofetho zeBhayibheli esivusa amadlingozi. Siphathelene nowesifazane ongokomfanekiso oyimfihlakalo ochazwa encwadini yokugcina yeBhayibheli, isAmbulo.

Ungambona yini ngamehlo engqondo owesifazane oye wabusa njengendlovukazi phezu kwezizwe, ethonya ukuphila kwezigidi zezinkulungwane zabantu kuwo wonke umlando—owesifazane ocebile ovunule ngobukhazikhazi bokunsomi nokubomvu klebhu, ohlobe ngegolide, amatshe ayigugu, nangamaparele? Ebunzini lakhe kulotshwe igama elide, eliyimfihlakalo: “IBabiloni Elikhulu, unina wezifebe nowezinengiso zomhlaba.” Uphawuleka ngokucacile ngokuphila kwakhe okuxekethile nokungalawuleki, njengoba eye wenza “ubufebe” nababusi bezwe. Izono zakhe ziye zanqwabelana zafinyelela ezulwini. Ugibele isilo sasendle esisabekayo esinombala obomvu klebhu, amakhanda ayisikhombisa, nezimpondo eziyishumi.—IsAmbulo 17:1-6; 18:5.

Uma ukwazi ukumbona ngeso lengqondo lona wesifazane, unombono womlingiswa oyinhloko kuledrama engokwesiprofetho umphostoli kaJesu uJohane ayibona embonweni awunikezwa ingelosi. Umchaza ngokucacile kusAmbulo izahluko 17 no-18. Funda lezi zahluko eBhayibhelini lakho. Uyokwazi ukuqonda ukulandelana kwezenzakalo kusuka ekudalulweni kwalona wesifazane oyimfihlakalo kuya ekubhujisweni kwakhe.

Ukubona Isifebe

Okusisiza ukuba siqonde ukuthi ungubani yizinto ezimbili lona wesifazane oyisifebe esiyindlovukazi ahlezi phezu kwazo ngokomfanekiso. KusAmbulo 17:18, uchazwa ngokuthi “umuzi omkhulu onombuso phezu kwamakhosi omhlaba.” Lokhu kwenza ukuba ahlale phezu “kwamanzi amaningi,” asho “abantu nezixuku nezizwe nezilimi,” njengoba kuboniswe kusAmbulo 17:1, 15. Ngokwevesi lesithathu kulesi sahluko, ubonakala futhi ehlezi phezu kwesilo sasendle esinamakhanda ayisikhombisa—ngokuvamile izilo eBhayibhelini zisetshenziswa njengezimpawu zemibuso yezwe, noma izinhlangano zezombangazwe.

Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi isifebe, iBabiloni Elikhulu, siwukwenziwa samuntu kombuso ophakeme, obusa eminye imibuso nezikhonzi zayo. Lokhu kungaba umbuso wezwe wezinkolo zamanga kuphela.

Ithonya labaholi benkolo ezindabeni zenkambiso kahulumeni nezombangazwe liyingxenye yomlando eyaziwa kahle kamhlophe. I-World Book Encyclopedia ithi: “Ngemva kokuwa koMbuso WamaRoma WaseNtshonalanga [ekhulwini lesihlanu], upapa waba negunya elikhulu kunawo wonke umuntu eYurophu. . . . Upapa waba negunya lezombangazwe kanye nelezinto ezingokomoya. Ngo-800, uPapa Leo III wagcoba umbusi wamaFrank uCharlemagne [uCharles Omkhulu] njengombusi wamaRoma. . . . ULeo III wayegunyaze ilungelo likapapa lokwenza igunya lombusi libe ngokomthetho.”

Igunya iSonto LamaKatolika ‘namakhosana’ alo ababenalo phezu kwababusi laphinde labonakaliswa ukhadinal’uThomas Wolsey (1475?-1530). Uchazwa ngokuthi “umuntu onamandla kunabo bonke eNgilandi iminyaka eminingi.” Ngaphansi kokubusa kweNkosi uHenry VIII, “ngokushesha walawula zonke izindaba zikahulumeni. . . . Wayephila ebukhazikhazini basebukhosini futhi ezitika embusweni wakhe.” Ukulandisa kwale-encyclopedia kuyaqhubeka: “UKhadinal’uWolsey wasebenzisa amakhono akhe amakhulu njengesikhulu sikahulumeni nomphathi ngokuyinhloko ekulawuleni izindaba zangaphandle zaseNgilandi esebenzela uHenry VIII.”

Esinye isibonelo esivelele segunya lamaKatolika ezindabeni zezwe zombuso uKhadinal’uRichelieu waseFrance (1585-1642), “okwakunguyena ngempela umbusi waseFrance . . . iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-18.” Lencwadi ecashunwe ngaphambili ithi: “Wayenesifiso sokuvelela ngokweqile futhi ngokushesha walangazelela isikhundla esiphakeme.” Wamiswa njengokhadinali ngo-1622 “futhi ngokushesha waba ithonya elinamandla kuhulumeni waseFrance.” Ngokusobala, wayengumuntu okhuluma ngezenzo, ngoba “wawahola ngokwakhe amabutho asebukhosini ngesikhathi evimbezela iLa Rochelle.” Lesi sihloko siyanezela: “Isithakazelo esikhulu sikaRichelieu sasisezindabeni zangaphandle.”

Ukuzibandakanya ngokuqhubekayo kweVatican nezikhulu zezombangazwe kubonakala ngokucacile ezimemezelweni zasikhathi sonke ephephandabeni laseVatican i-L’Osservatore Romano ezichaza ngosomaqhinga bangaphandle abaya kupapa ophakeme. Ngokusobala iVatican inamaKatolika amaningi athembekile ahlala azisa upapa ngezenzakalo zezombangazwe emhlabeni wonke.

Kunganikezwa izibonelo eziningi ukuze kuboniswe ithonya elinamandla labaholi benkolo—ngaphakathi nangaphandle kweLobukholwa—ezindabeni zezombangazwe zalelizwe. Iqiniso lokuthi isifebe esingokomfanekiso sihlezi phezu “kwamanzi amaningi” (amelela “abantu nezixuku nezizwe”) naphezu kwesilo sasendle (esimelela bonke ohulumeni bezwe bezombangazwe) libonisa futhi ukuthi ithonya laso phezu kwabantu, izizwe, nemibuso lihlukile, futhi liphakeme kunethonya elivamile lezombangazwe. Ake sibone ukuthi linjani.

Ingxenye yegama elide ebunzini laso lalithi “iBabiloni Elikhulu.” Libhekisela eBabiloni lasendulo, elasungulwa eminyakeni engaba ngu-4000 edlule nguNimrode, ‘owayemelene noJehova,’ uNkulunkulu weqiniso. (Genesise 10:8-10, NW) Ukuba kwaso naleli gama kubonisa ukuthi singumfanekiso ophakeme weBabiloni lasendulo, sinezici ezifanayo. Ziphi izici? IBabiloni lasendulo laligcwele izinkolo zemilingo, amasiko onakalisayo, ukukhulekela izithombe, imilingo, ukufundwa kwezinkanyezi, nezinkolelo-ze—konke okulahlwayo eZwini likaJehova.

I-New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology ithi ekhulwini le-18 B.C.E., uMarduk wenziwa “unkulunkulu womuzi waseBabiloni, futhi waba kanjalo inhloko yezithixo zaseSumer nase-Accad ezingaba ngu-1300. Lokhu kwenza wonke amasiko angokwenkolo aba isimiso esisodwa. . . . KuGen. 11:1-9, umklamo wethempeli elikhulu laseBabiloni uchazwa njengesibonakaliso sokuziqhayisa komuntu ofuna ukulawula izulu.”

Ngakho, iBabiloni lasendulo laliyisizinda senkolo yamanga, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi eyangena ezweni lonke. Imikhuba engokwenkolo yaseBabiloni, izimfundiso, amasiko, nezimpawu zakhona kuye kwagcwala kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba futhi kubonakala enhlanganiseleni yezinkolo eziningi zezwe. Imibuso yezombangazwe iye yaba khona futhi yawa, kodwa inkolo yaseBabiloni iye yahlala ikhona.

Kungani Ukubhujiswa Kuseduze Kangaka?

Njengoba kuye kwachazwa kaningi emakhophini alomagazini angaphambili, isiprofetho seBhayibheli nezenzakalo ezinyakazisa izwe kusukela ngo-1914 zibonisa ngokucacile ukuthi manje siphila ‘esiphelweni sesimiso sezinto.’ (Mathewu 24:3) Lokhu kusho ukuthi ukuphela kwesimiso sezwe esinjengesilo kusondela ngokushesha, njengoba kusondela nokuphela ‘kwesilo sasendle esibomvu klebhu’ esinezimpondo eziyishumi, manje esigitshelwe isifebe. (IsAmbulo 17:3) Ngokusobala lesi silo simelela ukuhlangana kwezombangazwe cishe kwazo zonke izizwe emhlabeni—iZizwe Ezihlangene. Ukuphela okwabikezelwa kusho ukuqedwa kokubusa kwezombangazwe okuhlukanisayo, okungamhloniphi uNkulunkulu okubusa isintu. Kodwa kuthiwani ngesifebe esiyindlovukazi esigibele phezu kwesilo?

Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu iyachaza: “Izimpondo eziyishumi owazibona, nesilo sasendle, lezi ziyosizonda isifebe futhi ziyosenza sibe esichithakele nesihamba-ze, futhi ziyodla ziqede izingxenye zaso eziyinyama futhi ziyosishisa ngokuphelele ngomlilo. Ngoba uNkulunkulu ukufake ezinhliziyweni zazo ukuba zifeze umcabango wakhe, nokuba zifeze ngisho nomcabango wazo owodwa ngokunika isilo sasendle umbuso wazo, kuze kube yilapho esefezekile amazwi kaNkulunkulu.”—IsAmbulo 17:16, 17.

Ngakho lesi siprofetho sibonisa ukuthi ngokushesha nje ngaphambi kokuba isilo sasendle sezombangazwe siye ekubhujisweni, siyoqale sizonde umgibeli waso bese simphendukela. Ngani? Ngokusobala ababusi nohulumeni bayoba nomuzwa wokuthi amandla negunya labo kusongelwa inkolo ehleliwe engaphansi kwabo. Ngokungazelele, beshukunyiswa amandla aqhubezelayo, bayofeza “umcabango” kaNkulunkulu, isinqumo sakhe, ngokukhipha isahlulelo sakhe kulombuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga ophingayo, ogcwele igazi.a—Qhathanisa noJeremiya 7:8-11, 34.

Ukuphela kwezinkolo zezwe zamanga kuyofika lapho kubonakala zisenamandla futhi zinethonya. Yebo, lesi siprofetho sibonisa ukuthi ngaphambi kokuba lesi sifebe sibhujiswe, siyobe sisathi enhliziyweni yaso: “Ngihlezi njengendlovukazi, futhi angiyena umfelokazi, futhi angisoze ngakubona ukulila.” (IsAmbulo 18:7) Nokho, ukubhujiswa kwaso kuyofika njengento engalindelekile ezigidini zezinkulungwane zezikhonzi zaso. Kuyoba ngesinye sezenzakalo ezingalindelekile neziyinhlekelele kunazo zonke emlandweni wesintu.

Kusukela ekuveleni kweBabiloni lasendulo, izinkolo zamanga ziye zaba nethonya elinamandla esintwini ngabaholi bazo nabalandeli; izimfundiso zazo, amasiko, nemikhuba; izakhiwo zazo eziningi ezinkulu zokukhulekela; nengcebo yazo ebabazekayo. Ngokuqinisekile ngeke ziphunyuke. Ngakho-ke, ingelosi ephathiswe ukudlulisela lesi sigijimi sokwahlulelwa kwesifebe ayigudl’iguma lapho imemezela: “Zizofika ngalusuku lunye izinhlupho zalo, ukufa nokulila nendlala, futhi liyoshiswa ngokuphelele ngomlilo, ngoba uJehova uNkulunkulu, owalahlulela, unamandla.” Ngakho ukuphela kweBabiloni Elikhulu kuyofika ngokungalindelekile futhi kuyodlula ngokushesha, njengokungathi “ngalusuku lunye.”—IsAmbulo 18:8; Isaya 47:8, 9, 11.

Lamazwi engelosi anamandla aholela kulombuzo, Ingabe ikhona inkolo eyosala, futhi uma ikhona, iyiphi futhi ngani? Sibonisani isiprofetho? Lokhu kuzosingathwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]

Icala Legazi LeLobukholwa E-Afrika

KusAmbulo 18:24, iBhayibheli lithi eBabiloni Elikhulu kutholakala igazi ‘labo bonke abaye babulawa emhlabeni.’ Cabanga ngezimpi eziye zalwiwa ngenxa yokungezwani kwezinkolo nangenxa yokwehluleka kwabaholi benkolo ukuzivimbela. Isibonelo samuva nje salokhu sabonakala ekuqothulweni kohlanga kwaseRwanda, lapho kwabulawa khona abantu abangaba ngu-500 000—ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu kubo kungabantwana.

Umlobi waseCanada uHugh McCullum uyabika eseRwanda: “Umpristi othile ongumHutu eKigali [eRwanda] uthi ukwehluleka kwesonto ukuhola ngendlela enhle akunakuchazwa. Isikhundla sababhishobhi emphakathini waseRwanda kwakufanele sibonakale kakhulu. Babazi ngenhlekelele eyayisondela esikhathini eside kakhulu ngaphambi kokuba kuqale ukubulalana. Izintshumayelo zasemasontweni kwakufanele zinikeze cishe wonke umuntu ithuba lokuba ezwe isigijimi esinamandla esasingakuvimbela lokhu kuqothulwa kohlanga. Kunalokho laba baholi bathula dú.”

Ngemva kwesibhicongo esibi kakhulu ngo-1994, uJustin Hakizimana, umdala wesonto elithile, wathi emhlanganweni omncane owawubanjelwe esontweni laseHabe eKigali: “Isonto lalingamathe nolimi nohulumeni kaHabyarimana [umongameli waseRwanda]. Asizange simelane nokwakwenzeka ngoba sasonakele. Alikho emasontweni ethu, ikakhulukazi elamaKatolika, eliye lamelana nalesi sibhicongo.”

U-Aaron Mugemera, umfundisi wesonto elithile, wathi komunye umhlangano eRwanda ngemva kwalokhu kuqothulwa kohlanga: “Isonto lisehlazweni. . . . Kuye kwaba nokubulalana lapha kusukela ngo-1959. Akekho owamelana nakho. . . . Asizange sikudalule ngoba sasesaba, futhi sinethezekile.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Lesi ‘sifebe’ sithonya izwe lonke

[Umthombo]

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