bakhe abakhala kuye imini nobusuku, ababekezelele, na? Ngithi kini: Uzakubezwela masinyane.”

2 Thes. 1:6: “Kuyinto elungile kuNkulunkulu ukuba abuyisele ukuhlupheka kubo abanihluphayo [nina zinceku zakhe].”

Kungenzeka yini ukuba phakathi nendawo?

2 Thes. 1:8: “Ephindisela kwabangamazi uNkulunkulu [ngokukhetha kwabo] nakwabangalaleli ivangeli leNkosi yethu uJesu.”

Math. 24:37-39: “Njengasemihleni kaNowa, . . . abazanga kwaze kwafika uzamcolo wabakhukhula bonke, kuyakuba-njalo ukufika kweNdodana yomuntu.”

Math. 12:30: “Ongenami umelene nami; ongabuthi nami uyahlakaza.”

Qhathanisa noDuteronomi 30:19, 20.

Ithonya likabani eliqhubela izizwe esimweni somhlaba esiyophumela ekulweni noNkulunkulu?

IsAm. 16:13, 14: “Ngabona kuphuma emlonyeni kadrako [uSathane uDeveli; IsAm. 12:9], nasemlonyeni wesilo, nasemlonyeni womprofethi wamanga omoya abathathu abangcolileyo, befana nezingxangxa; ngokuba bangomoya bamademoni, benza izibonakaliso, abaphuma beya emakhosini ezwe lonke ukubahlanganisela ekulweni kosuku olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.”

Qhathanisa noLuka 4:5, 6; 1 Johane 5:19; kanye nezEnzo 5:38, 39; 2 IziKronike 32:1, 16, 17.

IBabiloni Elikhulu

Incazelo: Umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga, ohlanganisa zonke izinkolo ezizimfundiso zazo nemikhuba kungahambisani nokukhulekelwa kweqiniso kukaJehova, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ngemva kukaZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa, inkolo yamanga yaqala eBabele (kamuva elaziwa ngokuthi iBabiloni). (Gen. 10:8-10; 11:4-9) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, izinkolelo nemikhuba yenkolo yobuBabiloni kwasakazekela emazweni amaningi. Ngakho elithi iBabiloni Elikhulu kwaba yigama elifanelekayo lenkolo yamanga iyonke.

Yibuphi ubufakazi obukhomba kulokho iBabiloni Elikhulu, okubhekiselwe kulo kusAmbulo, eliyikho?

Alinakuba umuzi wasendulo waseBabiloni. IsAmbulo sabhalwa ekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala C.E. futhi sichaza izenzakalo ezaziyofinyelela osukwini lwethu. IThe Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Lomuzi [iBabiloni] wathathwa ngamaPheresiya ngaphansi kukaKoresi Omkhulu ngo-539 B.C. Kamuva uAlexander Omkhulu wahlela ukwenza iBabiloni libe yinhloko-dolobha yombuso wakhe wasempumalanga, kodwa ngemva kokufa kwakhe iBabiloni lalahlekelwa ukubaluleka kwalo kancane kancane.” (1956, Umq. III, k. 7) Namuhla lomuzi uyinxiwa elingakhiwe.

Emfanekisweni wesAmbulo, iBabiloni Elikhulu kubhekiselwa kulo ‘njengomuzi omkhulu,’ “umbuso” obusa amanye amakhosi. (IsAm. 17:18) Njengomuzi, laliyoba nezinhlangano eziningi ngaphakathi kwalo; futhi njengombuso ohlanganisa amanye amakhosi embusweni wawo, laliyohlanganisa umhlaba wonke. Lichazwa njengelinobuhlobo nababusi bezombangazwe futhi linengxenye enkulu engcebweni yabezentengiselwano, kanti lona ngokwalo liyingxenye yesithathu ‘yendawo yokuhlala amademoni’ futhi lingumshushisi ‘wabaprofethi nabangcwele.’—IsAm. 18:2, 9-17, 24.

IBabiloni lasendulo lalaziwa ngokuvelele ngenkolo yalo nangokwedelela kwalo uJehova

Gen. 10:8-10: “UNimrode . . . wayeyiphisi elinamandla ebusweni bukaJehova. . . . Ukubusa kwakhe kwaqala eBabele [kamuva elaziwa ngokuthi iBabiloni].”

Dan. 5:22, 23: “Nawe-ndodana yakhe, Belishasari [inkosi yaseBabiloni] . . . uziphakamisile eNkosini yasezulwini; . . . utusile wena onkulunkulu besiliva, nabegolide, nabethusi, nabensimbi, nabomuthi, nabetshe abangaboni, abangezwa, abangazi; kodwa uNkulunkulu omphefumulo wakho usesandleni sakhe, nokungezakhe zonke izindlela zakho awumdumisanga.”

Umbhalo wasendulo wecuneiform ufundeka kanje: “Sekukonke kunamathempeli ezithixo angama-53 eBabiloni, izindlu zamasonto ezingama-55 zikaMarduki, amasonto angama-300 onkulunkulu basemhlabeni, angama-600 onkulunkulu basezulwini, ama-altare ayi-180 kankulunkulukazi uIshtar, ayi-180 onkulunkulu uNergal noAdad namanye ama-altare ayi-12 onkulunkulu abahlukahlukene.”—Ucashunwe kuyiThe Bible as History (New York, 1964), W. Keller, k. 301.

IThe Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Impucuko yaseSamariya [elaliyingxenye yeBabiloni] yayibuswa abapristi; enhloko yombuso kwakuyilugal (okusho ‘indoda enkulu’), ummeleli wawonkulunkulu.”—(1977), Umq. 3, k. 9.

Khona-ke, kuyacaca ukuthi iBabiloni Elikhulu njengoba kubhekiselwe kulo kusAmbulo lingelingokwenkolo. Njengoba linjengomuzi nanjengombuso, alilona nje kuphela iqembu elilodwa lenkolo kodwa lihlanganisa zonke izinkolo ezimelene noJehova, uNkulunkulu weqiniso.

Imibono nemikhuba engokwenkolo yaseBabiloni lasendulo iyatholakala namuhla ezinkolweni emhlabeni wonke

“IGibithe, iPheresiya, neGrisi aba nomuzwa wethonya lenkolo yobuBabiloni . . . Ukunezelwa okunamandla kwethonya lamaSemiti kokubili ezinganekwaneni zamaGreki nasezinkolweni zawo manje sekuvunywa ngokusobala izazi kangangokuthi akudingi kukhulunyelwa okwengeziwe. Lamathonya amaSemiti ngezinga elikhulu angawobuBabiloni.”—The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria (Boston, 1898), M. Jastrow, Jr., kk. 699, 700.

Onkulunkulu babo: Kwakunonkulunkulu abangomthath’ emunye, futhi phakathi konkulunkulu babo kunalabo abamelele amandla emvelo ahlukahlukene nalabo abanethonya elithile emisebenzini ethile yabantu. (Babylonian and Assyrian Religion, Norman, Okla.; 1963, S. H. Hooke, kk. 14-40) “Uziqu-zintathu kaPlato, ngokwakhe owukuhlelwa kabusha koziqu-zintathu abadala abahlehlela emuva kubantu bokuqala, ubonakala enguziqu-zintathu wokuhlakanipha wezici ezabangela ukuvela konkulunkulu abathathu abafundiswa ngamasonto obuKristu. . . . Lomqondo wesazi esingumGreki [uPlato] wonkulunkulu abathathu koyedwa . . . ungatholakala kuzo zonke izinkolo zasendulo [zobuqaba].”—Nouveau Dictionnaire Universel (Paris, 1865-1870), eyahlelwa nguM. Lachâtre, Umq. 2, k. 1467.

Ukusetshenziswa kwezithombe: “[Enkolweni yaseMesopotamiya] indima yesithombe yayiyinhloko enkolweni kanye nasekukhulekeleni kwangasese, njengoba ukusakazwa okukhulu kwemifanekiso eshibhile yezithombe ezinjalo kubonisa. Ngokuyisisekelo, lonkulunkulu wayecatshangelwa njengokhona emfanekisweni wakhe uma ubonisa izici ezithile eziqondile nokufana futhi enakekelwa ngendlela efanele.”—Ancient Mesopotamia—Portrait of a Dead Civilization (Chicago, 1964), A. L. Oppenheim, k. 184.

Inkolelo ngokuqondene nokufa: “Abantu ngisho nabaholi bomqondo wenkolo [eBabiloni] babengacabangi ukuthi kungenzeka ukufa ngokuphelele kwalokho okwake kwaphila. Ukufa kwakuwukudlulela nje kolunye uhlobo lokuphila.”—The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, k. 556.

Isikhundla sobupristi: “Umehluko phakathi kompristi nabantu abavamile uyisici salenkolo [yobuBabiloni].”—Encyclopædia Britannica (1948), Umq. 2, k. 861.

Ukuhlola izinkanyezi, ukubhula, imilingo nobuthakathi: Isazi-mlando uA. H. Sayce uyabhala: “Enkolweni yaseBabiloni lasendulo . . . yonke into namandla emvelo kwakumelwe kube ne-zi yayo noma umoya, owawungase uqondiswe ukubhula kwemilingo kweShaman, noma umpristi wobuthakathi.” (The History of Nations, New York, 1928, Umq. I, k. 96) “AmaKhaledi [abaseBabiloni] athuthuka kakhulu ekuhloleni izinkanyezi ngomzamo wokuthola ikusasa ezinkanyezini. Lobuciko sibubiza ngokuthi ‘ulwazi lwezinkanyezi.’”—The Dawn of Civilization and Life in the Ancient East (Chicago, 1938), R. M. Engberg, k. 230.

IBabiloni Elikhulu linjengesifebe esingcolile, esiphila ngokunethezeka okuyihlazo

IsAmbulo 17:1-5 sithi: “Woza lapha, ngikutshengise ukwahlulelwa kwesifebe esikhulu esihlezi phezu kwamanzi amaningi [abantu], afeba naso amakhosi omhlaba [ababusi bezombangazwe], nabakhileyo emhlabeni badakiswa yiwayini lobufebe baso. . . . Nasebusweni bakhe kulotshiwe igama eliyimfihlakalo lokuthi: IBABILONI ELIKHULU, UNINA WEZIFEBE NOWAMANYALA OMHLABA.” IsAmbulo 18:7 sinezela ukuthi ‘lazidumisa latamasa.’

Akulona yini iqiniso ukuthi izinhlangano ezingokwenkolo eziyinhloko ziye zazihlanganisa nababusi bezombangazwe ngenxa yamandla nenzuzo yezinto ezibonakalayo, nakuba lokhu kuye kwaphumela ekuhluphekeni kwabantu abavamile? Akulona yini futhi iqiniso ukuthi abefundisi balo abaphakeme bayatamasa, ngisho nakuba abantu abaningi abangabefundisi kubo bengase babe mpofu?

Kungani izinkolo ezithi ziwubuKristu zingase zibhekwe ngokufanele njengeziyingxenye yeBabiloni Elikhulu, kanye nalezo ezingazi lutho ngoNkulunkulu weBhayibheli?

Jak. 4:4: “Ziphingi, anazi yini ukuthi ukuthanda izwe kungubutha kuNkulunkulu na? Ngakho lowo othanda ukuba-ngumhlobo wezwe, umi eyisitha sikaNkulunkulu.” (Ngakho-ke, nakuba zazi ukuthi iBhayibheli lithini ngoNkulunkulu, zizenza izitha zakhe uma zikhetha ukuba ngabangane bezwe ngokulingisa izindlela zalo.)

2 Kor. 4:4; 11:14, 15: “Unkulunkulu walelizwe uphuphuthekisile ingqondo yabo, ukuze kungasi kubo ukukhanya kwevangeli lenkazimulo kaKristu ongumfanekiso kaNkulunkulu.” “USathane uqobo uziguqula ingelosi yokukhanya. Ngakho akuyinto enkulu, uma nezikhonzi zakhe ziziguqula izikhonzi zokulunga ezikuphela kwazo kuyakuba njengokwemisebenzi yazo.” (Kanjalo isitha esikhulu sikaJehova, uSathane uDeveli uqobo, eqinisweni udunyiswa yibo bonke abangamkhulekeli uNkulunkulu weqiniso ngendlela ayimisile, ngisho noma bengase bathi bangamaKristu. Bheka futhi eyoku-1 Korinte 10:20.)

Math. 7:21-23: “Asibo bonke abashoyo kimi [kuJesu Kristu] ukuthi: Nkosi, Nkosi, abayakungena embusweni wezulu, kuphela owenza intando kaBaba osezulwini. Abaningi bayakuthi kimi ngalolosuku: Nkosi, Nkosi, asiprofethanga yini ngegama lakho, sakhipha amademoni ngegama lakho, senza imisebenzi eminingi yamandla ngegama lakho, na? Khona ngiyakufakaza kubo ukuthi: Angizange nginazi; sukani kimi nina-benzi bokubi.”

Kungani kuphuthuma ukuphuma eBabiloni Elikhulu ngaphandle kokulibala?

IsAm. 18:4: “Phumani kulo, bantu bami, ukuze ningahlanganyeli nalo izono zalo, nokuba ningamukeli okwezinhlupho zalo.”

IsAm. 18:21: “Ingelosi enamandla yafukula itshe linjengelokusila elikhulu, yaliphonsa elwandle, yathi: Ngokunjalo iBabiloni umuzi omkhulu liyakuphonswa phansi ngamandla, lingabe lisafunyanwa.”

Luka 21:36: “Ngakho lindani ngesikhathi sonke, nikhuleke ukuba nibe-namandla okuphepha kukho konke lokhu okuyakwenzeka nawokuma phambi kweNdodana yomuntu.”

Kuyokwenzekani kubantu abangazange balazi iqiniso leBhayibheli kodwa abaphila bafa esikhathini esidlule beyingxenye yeBabiloni Elikhulu?

IzE. 17:30: “Izikhathi zokungazi wazithalalisa uNkulunkulu, kodwa kalokhu usememezela kubantu ukuba bonke ezindaweni zonke baphenduke.”

IzE. 24:15: “Kuyakuba-khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungile nokwabangalungile.” (Ngokuqondene nokuthi yibaphi “abangalungile” abayovuswa, kuyonquma uNkulunkulu.)

Jobe 34:12: “Impela uNkulunkulu akenzi okubi; uSomandla kahlanekezeli ukwahlulela.”

IBhayibheli

Incazelo: YiZwi likaJehova uNkulunkulu elilotshelwe isintu. Wasebenzisa onobhala abangabantu abangaba ngama-40 esikhathini esingamakhulu eminyaka ayi-16 ukuba balilobe, kodwa uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe waqondisa ukulotshwa kwalo ngomoya wakhe. Ngaleyondlela liphefumlelwe nguNkulunkulu. Ingxenye enkulu yombhalo yenziwe yizinkulumo ezingokoqobo ezashiwo uJehova nemininingwane ephathelene nezimfundiso nemisebenzi kaJesu Kristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu. Kuzona sithola kukhulunywa ngezimfuneko zikaNkulunkulu ezincekwini zakhe nokuthi uyokwenzani ukuze afeze injongo yakhe enhle ngomhlaba. Ukuze ajulise ukwazisa kwethu ngalezizinto, uJehova walondoloza futhi eBhayibhelini umbhalo obonisa okwenzekayo uma abantu nezizwe belalela uNkulunkulu futhi besebenza ngokuvumelana nenjongo yakhe, kanye nomphumela uma benza ngendlela yabo. Ngalombhalo othembekile ongokomlando uJehova usijwayelanisa nokusebenzelana