Izwe Elithanda Injabulo Selizophela!

UMLANDO ugcwele izibonelo zemibuso enamandla eye yaqedwa ukonakala kokuziphatha, ukuphila okuxekethile nothando olweqile ngenjabulo. Ngisho nasesizweni esisodwa, uhlanga lwamakhosi noma indlela yokubusa kuye kwawa lapho uthando lwenjabulo luqeda amandla akho obuqotho.

Ngokwesibonelo, encwadini iOutline of Roman History, uWilliam Morey wabhala: “Uma besingabuzwa ukuthi ziyini izimpawu zokonakala kokuziphatha [kweRoma], besingaphendula ngokuthi: ubugovu bezigaba; ukunqwatshelwaniswa komnotho, . . . uthando ngegolide nokulangazelela ukunethezeka . . . Lezi zaziyizifo zokuziphatha okuqotho, ezazingenakwelashwa yinoma imuphi uhulumeni.”

Namuhla, asibaboni yini abantu bekhathalele indlela yokuphila yezwe nokunaka injabulo? Asiphili yini ezweni elithanda injabulo? Yebo, ngempela, nakuba abaningi besayifuna inkolo ethile, imicimbi nokuzijabulisa kuye kwathatha indawo yokuqala. Abantu baye baba njengabosuku lukaNowa—bamatasa ngezinto ezinjengo‘kudla nokuphuza.’ Bamatasa kakhulu nokwanelisa izifiso zabo kunokunaka izidingo zabo ezingokomoya. Ngempela, isithakazelo enkolweni nasekuyisekeleni siphansi kakhulu.—Mathewu 24:37-39.

Loluthando ngenjabulo luhambisana nokuncipha kokusekela inkolo kunomqondo okhethekile uma sicabangela indlela omunye umbuso wasendulo, waseBabiloni owawa ngayo. Eqinisweni, imininingwane engavamile yalokhokuwa, njengeminye imibhalo engokomlando, kwabhalwa eBhayibhelini ngesizathu esikhethekile: “Kulotshelwe ukusiyala thina, osekufikile kithi ukugcina kwezikhathi.”—1 Korinte 10:11.

Isifundo Sasendulo

Umfula iEwufrathe wafeza indima ebalulekile ekuphileni komuzi omkhulu waseBabiloni. Encwadini yakhe iHistory of Cyrus the Great (1878), uJacob Abbott wabhala: “[IBabiloni] laliyinhlokodolobha yendawo enkulu futhi evunde kakhulu, eyayinabe nhlangothi zombili ze-Ewufrathe ukuya ePersian Gulf. . . . UMfula iEwufrathe wawuwumthombo omkhulu wokuvunda kwayo yonke lendawo owawuhamba kuyo.” Yebo, ukuchuma kweBabiloni kwavezwa uMfula iEwufrathe. Ngakho-ke, kusobala impela ukuthi ukuwa komuzi kumelwe ukuba nakho kuhlangene nalowomfula.

UAbbott wanikeza lendaba ethakazelisayo ngokunqoba kweNkosi uKoresi iBabiloni:

“UKoresi waqhubekela emzini. Wamisa iqembu elikhulu lamabutho akhe ngasesikhaleni sezindonga ezinkulu lapho umfula ungena khona emzini, elinye ngezansi, lapho uphuma khona. Lamaqembu ayalwa ukuba angene emzini ngomfula ngokushesha nje uma ebona amanzi ebohla. Khona-ke wasebenzisa izisebenzi eziningi ukuba zivule imisele emisha, kunwetshwe futhi kujuliswe leyo ebikhona ngaphambili, ngenjongo yokukhipha amanzi emgudwini wawo ovamile. Lapho lemisele isilungisiwe, amanzi afakwa kuyo ngobusuku obubodwa, ngesikhathi esasimiswe ngaphambili, futhi ngokushesha wanqamuka ukugobhozela emzini. Amaqembu amabutho angena ngesiqu somfula.”

Kusukela kulesosikhathi sokuqala kokuncipha kwamanzi ase-Ewufrathe, iBabiloni labhujiswa! Futhi makuphawulwe ukuthi umuzi wawa ngobusuku bedili elaligcwele injabulo.—Qhathanisa noDaniyeli, isahluko 5.

Umlando Usuzoziphinda

Lokho okwenzeka eBabiloni lasendulo ezandleni zikaKoresi Omkhulu akuyona nje indaba ethakazelisayo engokomlando. Iwusebenzisa njengesibonelo, incwadi yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo ikhuluma ngesifebe esigama laso “iBabiloni Elikhulu” esihlezi phezu “kwamanzi amaningi.” Futhi kwabikezelwa ukuthi ngokuyala kukaNkulunkulu ingelosi “yathululela isitsha sayo emfuleni omkhulu iEwufrathe; kwase kusha amanzi awo, ukuze indlela ilungiselelwe amakhosi avela empumalanga.”—IsAmbulo 17:1, 5; 16:12.

Ubani noma liyini “iBabiloni Elikhulu”? Yini efanekiselwa “amanzi amaningi” omfula “omkhulu iEwufrathe”? Futhi kushoni ‘ukusha’ kwamanzi awo?

Nakuba iBabiloni lingasekho njengombuso wezombangazwe, ithonya lalo elingokwenkolo liye laqhubeka emakhulwini eminyaka kuwo wonke amagumbi omhlaba. Kanjalo, “iBabiloni Elikhulu” liwumbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga, kuhlanganise wonke amasonto eLobukholwa. IsAmbulo 17:15 sikhuluma ngokuthi “amanzi amaningi” lesisifebe esingokwenkolo esihlezi phezu kwawo “angabantu, nezixuku, nezizwe, nezilimi” esithembele kukho ngenxa yokusekelwa, ngokufanayo neBabiloni lasendulo njengoba lalithembele emanzini ase-Ewufrathe ukuze lichume. Ngakho ukusha kwamanzi kusho ukuncipha kokusekela kwabantu inkolo.a

“Ukuphela” Kuseduze!

Ngokwalendaba, siyaqaphela ukuthi ukuphakama kokungayinaki inkolo kuwo wonke umhlaba nokuncipha kwesithakazelo nokusekela inkolo kunokubaluleka okungokwesiprofetho ngezindlela ezimbili. Eyokuqala, lezizenzakalo zigcwalisa ukubikezela kukamphostoli uPawulu kokuthi “ezinsukwini zokugcina” abantu bayokuba “abathanda injabulo kunokuthanda uNkulunkulu.” Lena ingxenye yobufakazi obubonisa ukuthi siphila “ezinsukwini zokugcina” noma “ekupheleni kwesimiso sezinto.” (Mathewu 24:3) Eyesibili, njengoba iBabiloni lawa ngabo lobobusuku amanzi ase-Ewufrathe ancipha ngabo, ukuphakama kokuyeka inkolo nokuncipha kokusekela inkolo kuyizimpawu ezisobala zokuthi ukubhujiswa kwe“Babiloni Elikhulu” kuseduze kakhulu.

Leziziprofetho ezigcwalisekayo zibonisa ngokukhanyayo ukuthi siphila “esikhathini sokugcina.” (Daniyeli 12:4) Yebo, siseduze nengxenye yokugcina yezinsuku zokugcina, umvuthwandaba wazo oyoba ukubhujiswa kwaso sonke isimiso sezinto esibi sikaSathane. Ngempela, lelizwe elithanda injabulo liseduze nokuphela. Kodwa lokho kungasikhuthaza, ngoba kuyovula indlela yoHlelo Olusha lokulunga lwesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu. (2 Petru 3:13) Ungahlanganyela ezibusisweni zalo ezinhle uma ungabeki injabulo endaweni kaNkulunkulu, kodwa, kunalokho, ubeka yena kuqala ekuphileni kwakho phakathi nalezinsuku zokugcina.

[Umbhalo waphansi]