IBabiloni Elikhulu—Liwile Futhi Lahlulelwe

“LIWILE, liwile iBabiloni elikhulu, eliphuzisé izizwe zonke iwayini lolaka lobufebe balo.” “Liwile, liwile iBabiloni elikhulu, selibe-yindawo yokuhlala amademoni, nendawo yokubopha bonke omoya abangcolileyo, nendawo yokubopha zonke izinyoni ezingcolileyo nezizondekayo.”—IsAmbulo 14:8; 18:2.

Yeka ukuthi lesi isiprofetho esishaqisa kanjani! “Liwile iBabiloni elikhulu!” Emakhulwini eminyaka lenkulumo engokomfanekiso iye yathakazelisa abafundi beBhayibheli. Kungani kumelwe ikuthakazelise? Ngoba, ngokwesiprofetho seBhayibheli, ukuphela kweBabiloni Elikhulu ngokushesha kuzothinta sonke isintu. Njengoba sibonile ezihlokweni zalomagazini zika-April 1 noApril 15, lesifebe esinethonya saziwa ngokucacile njengombuso wezwe likaSathane wenkolo yamanga.a

Kodwa liye lawa ngayiphi indlela? Futhi nini?

IBabiloni Liwile Kodwa Alibhujisiwe

Ukuze sithole ukubaluleka okugcwele kokuwa kweBabiloni Elikhulu, kumelwe siqonde lokho okwenzeka lapho iBabiloni lasendulo liwa ngo-539 B.C.E. Ngalesosikhathi abantu bakaNkulunkulu, uIsrayeli babekade besebugqilini cishe iminyaka engama-70. Manje base belindele ukukhululwa ngokuvumelana namazwi abaprofethi babo. (Jeremiya 25:11, 12; 29:10) Yeka ukuthi bajabula kanjani lapho uKoresi wasePheresiya eketula iBabiloni futhi ekhulula amaJuda ukuba ahambe abuyele emzini wawo ongcwele, iJerusalema!—Isaya 45:1-4.

Nokho, nakuba amandla eBabiloni phezu kwamaJuda ayenqanyuliwe, lokho akushongo isiphelo seBabiloni lasendulo. Isazi-mlando uJoan Oates encwadini yakhe iBabylon uyabhala: “UKoresi wangena eBabiloni ngokunqoba, wenqaba ukuphangwa kwempahla yabanqotshwe empini futhi wamisa umbusi wasePheresiya, eshiya izakhiwo zenkolo nezomphakathi zingenamyocu. . . . Ngempela ngokubonakala kwangaphandle ukuphila kwangasese kwezakhamuzi zaseBabiloni kubonakala kuye kwashintsha kancane ngaphansi kokubusa kwamaPheresiya. Izimo zenkolo zagcinwa nemisebenzi yezentengiselwano yachuma.” Ngaleyondlela, naphezu kokuwa kwalo, iBabiloni laqhubeka lisebenza, kodwa kwakunomehluko owodwa omkhulu—abantu bakaNkulunkulu, uIsrayeli, babengasekho ebugqilini. Babuyela eJerusalema ukuze babuyisele ukukhulekelwa kweqiniso lapho.

Cishe ngo-331 B.C.E. lapho ujenene wamaGreki uAlexander Omkhulu engena eBabiloni, izakhamuzi zamamukela ngokufudumele. Wanquma ukuthi ufuna ukulishintshela ekubeni inhloko-dolobha yakhe yasempumalanga, kodwa wafa ngaphambi kokuba agcwalise isifiso sakhe. Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi nakuba kunjalo iBabiloni lachuma kulesosikhathi samuva.

Khona-ke, ukuwa kweBabiloni ngo-539 B.C.E. akuzange kusho ukuthi alibange lisaba khona. Laqhubeka lisebenza amakhulu eminyaka. Lokhu kuye kwaboniswa kanjani ekugcwalisekeni kwanamuhla kweziprofetho ezihilela iBabiloni Elikhulu?

IBabiloni Elikhulu Liyawa

Lifuzisela ukuwa kweBabiloni Elikhulu elingokomfanekiso, umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga. Engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lethu leminyaka lama-20 ngaphambi kuka-1919, abaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngalesosikhathi, kwadingeka ukuba bakhululwe ebugqilini obungokomoya nasemibonweni nezenzo zenkolo yamanga. Nakuba base bezilahlile izimfundiso ezinjalo zamanga ezinjengoZiqu-zintathu nomphefumulo ongafi, babesangcoliswe izenzo zaseBabiloni. Abaningi babehlakulele isimo sokuzibona njengabalungile ekuthuthukiseni ubuntu. Abanye babephakamisa okudaliweyo, behlanganyela ekukhulekeleni umuntu okwakugxiliswe kuCharles T. Russell, umongameli wokuqala weWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Ngaphandle kwanoma yisiphi isisekelo esingokweBhayibheli, babegcina imikhosi yezinsuku zokuzalwa noKhisimusi. Isiphambano sasisabalulekile ekucabangeni kwabo. Abanye babeze ngisho bagqoke umgexo oyisifanekiselo sesiphambano nomqhele, kuyilapho abanye babefuna ukuba eLobukholwa linikezwe inhlonipho. Khona-ke, ngo-1917, ngemva nje kokufa kukaRussell, kwenzeka ushintsho oluphawulekayo.

Ngalowonyaka iWatch Tower Society yakhipha ukukhulumela kwesAmbulo ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi The Finished Mystery. Lencwadi yadalula abefundisi beLobukholwa, kuhlanganise nokuzigaxa kwabo eMpini Enkulu eyayiviva ngalesosikhathi eYurophu. Abanye babefundisi bamaProthestani, ingxenye yabameleli beBabiloni Elikhulu eCanada, bayisa lezingcaphuno kubangane babo bezombangazwe kuhulumeni waseCanada futhi bamangalela abaFundi BeBhayibheli njengabavukelayo. NgoFebruary 12, 1918, iWatch Tower Society yavalwa eCanada.

Abefundisi eUnited States abazange banwabuluke ekulandeleni isibonelo sabafowabo baseCanada. Phakathi nezinsukwana, izincwadi zeWatch Tower Bible zathathwa uhulumeni eLos Angeles, eCalifornia, U.S.A. Khona-ke, ngoMay 1918, kwakhishwa izincwadi ezigunyaza ukuboshwa kukaJ. F. Rutherford, umongameli omusha weWatch Tower Society, nabanye ayebambisene nabo abayisikhombisa beWatch Tower. NgoJune, ngokushesha okumangalisayo, lamadoda angamaKristu adonselwa phambi kwenkantolo futhi agwetshwa. Abayisikhombisa bagwetshwa iminyaka engama-20 ejele, oyedwa wagwetshwa iminyaka eyi-10. Kwaba yini ukusabela kwabefundisi? UMartin Marty encwadini yakhe iModern American Religion: The Irony of It All uthi: “Abefundisi baphendukela abalandeli bakaRussell [kamuva abaziwa njengoFakazi BakaJehova] futhi bajabula lapho bezwa ukuthi abaholi boFakazi BakaJehova ababemangalelwe bagwetshwa iminyaka engamashumi amabili.” Abameleli beBabiloni Elikhulu babehleka. Bakhohlwa ukuthi isina muva liyabukwa.

Khona-ke, ngo-1918, ukugqilazwa okungokomfanekiso eBabiloni kwaba ukugqunywa ejele okungokoqobo kwabanye abantu bakaJehova. Igagasi lokushushiswa kwabaFundi BeBhayibheli ladlula eUnited States, eCanada, nakwamanye amazwe. Abefundisi abagcwele ubuzwe bahlela amaqembu ukuba abaxoshe emadolobheni. AbaFundi BeBhayibheli bathelwa ngetiyela bananyathiselwa ngezimpaphe futhi bashaywa ngezagila. Umbhalo ohlazisayo wokwahlulela ngokungalungi wasungulwa ngokumelene nalelidlanzana lamaKristu aqotho.b

Khona-ke, ngo-1919, kwenzeka ushintsho lwezenzakalo olwalungalindelekile. IMpi Enkulu yayiphele ngoNovember 1918. Izigwebo zabaphathi beWatch Tower Society zadluliselwa eNkantolo Enkulu njengezingesikho ukwahlulela ngokulunga. URutherford nabangane bakhe bakhululwa ejele okwabangela ukudumazeka kwezitha zabo zenkolo. Njengoba uMarty esho: “Kwakungasekho ukujabula emalungwini esonto lobuOrthodox.” Ekugcineni, amacala abo bonke abamangalelwa asulwa ngokuphelele. Umahluleli ongumKatolika onobandlululo, uMartin T. Manton, lowo kamuva owenziwa “umlindi kaSt. Gregory Omkhulu” uPapa Pius XI, wayeyenqabile ibheyili yoFakazi abayisishiyagalombili futhi ngaleyondlela wabangela ukuboshwa kwabo izinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye okungekho emthethweni. Ubuyena bangempela bavela kamuva, ngo-1939, lapho eyiswa ejele ngenxa yokwamukela ukufunjathiswa!

Ekukhululweni kwabo ejele ngo-1919, uRutherford nabangane bakhe babuyela endlunkulu yeWatch Tower Society eBrooklyn. Khona-ke baqala ukuhlela kabusha umkhankaso omkhulu kakhulu wokushunyayelwa koMbuso ongakaze wenziwe emhlabeni. AbaFundi BeBhayibheli babegqabule amaketanga okwesaba umuntu futhi manje babona ngokucacile lapho bemi khona ngokuphathelene nayo yonke inkolo yamanga. IBabiloni Elikhulu laliyisitha sabo esingakhathali futhi kwakuzodingeka lidalulwe njengeliwile. Ukukhulekela kweqiniso kwakuzobuyiselwa phakathi kwezizwe.

LawomaKristu angesabi lutho aqinisa inkonzo yawo yendlu ngendlu. Futhi ashumayela obala, edalula inkolo yamanga ngezingqwembe ezazibhalwe ukuthi: “Inkolo Iwugibe Nesife” nezithi “Khonza UNkulunkulu NoKristu INkosi.” Nakuba kunjalo inkolo yamanga yaqhubeka ichuma futhi isebenza, njengoba yayenzile eBabiloni lasendulo, kodwa ngokuphathelene noFakazi BakaJehova, iBabiloni Elikhulu laliye lawa ngo-1919. Babekhululekile ekuboshweni yiBabiloni!

Ithonya Eliwohlokayo LeBabiloni

Manje, eminyakeni engama-70 kamuva, singabona ukuthi ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba, ithonya leBabiloni Elikhulu liye lawohloka. Yiqiniso, inkolo isabonakala ichuma eUnited States, lapho ihlelo labantu abahlala khona elithathwa imizwelo kakhulu liphangwa abavangeli beTV nezazi zengqondo zezenkolo. Nokho, ngisho nabanye balabaphangi abathanda izinto ezibonakalayo muva nje baye badalulwa futhi badunyazwa. Inkolo ibonakala ichuma kuyiRipabliki yaseKorea, lapho amasonto eLobukholwa eye agxambukela aze agamanxa kwezombangazwe. Ngokusobala, iBabiloni Elikhulu, nakuba “liwile,” lisasebenza.

Nokho, ngenxa yezimpi zezwe, inkolo yobuOrthodox iye yayeka ukulandela kwayo imisa emazweni anjengeJalimane, iDenmark, iSweden, neBrithani. Ngisho namazwe obuKatolika anjengeItaly, iSpain, neFrance aye aphawula ukudebeselwa kwamasiko emikhuba yobuKatolika yokuvunywa kwezono nokuya emiseni. Inani lalabo abafundela ubufundisi liye lehla. Lona kanye iqiniso lokuthi upapa okhona njengamanje unomuzwa wendingeko yokuzungeza izwe lonke ngaphezu kwanoma yimuphi omunye upapa emlandweni liyinkomba yokuba sosizini kwesonto.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, kusukela ngo-1917 amazwe amaningi anobudlelwano aye ehlisela inkolo esikhundleni esingelutho futhi anqamula ithonya eyayinalo kwezombangazwe. Emhlabeni wonke, inkolo engokwesiko isalokhu iyimbangela yenzondo enkulu nokuchitheka kwegazi kangangokuthi abantu abaningi abacabangayo baye bafulathela noma iyiphi inkolo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi eyaseNtshonalanga noma eyaseMpumalanga. Yebo, amanzi angokomfanekiso iBabiloni Elikhulu elihlezi phezu kwawo, abantu elibalawulayo, ayasha. IBabiloni Elikhulu liyahlulelwa, futhi ukubhujiswa kwalo kuseduze.—IsAmbulo 16:12; 17:1, 15.

IBabiloni—Isizathu Sokuba Lahlulelwe

Sisekelo sini uJehova anaso sokwahlulela umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga? Ngokuqinisekile, abanye bangase bacabange ukuthi, kumelwe azibheke ngeso lomusa zonke izikole, izibhedlela, nemisebenzi yokusiza abahluphekayo okuye kwathuthukiswa izinkolo eziningi. Kodwa lokho kungakanani uma kuqhathaniswa necala uJehova alithwesa izinkolo zezwe? Ake silicwaninge kafushane lelocala nomlando wenkolo.c

“Kwase kuza enye yezingelosi eziyisikhombisa ezazinezitsha eziyisikhombisa, yakhuluma nami, yathi: Woza lapha, ngikutshengise ukwahlulelwa kwesifebe esikhulu esihlezi phezu kwamanzi amaningi, afeba naso amakhosi omhlaba, nabakhileyo emhlabeni badakiswa yiwayini lobufebe baso.” (IsAmbulo 17:1, 2) Njengoba siye sabonisa ngokucacile kuNqabayokulinda yethu ka-April 1 noApril 15, 1989, ukuhlanganyela kwenkolo ebubini bababusi bezwe “amakhosi omhlaba,” okuye kwabangela ukulimala kwabantu kuwo wonke umlando, kungaqhathaniswa nokuziphatha kwesifebe esifuna ukuzithuthukisa sona kuphela, esihlobongayo. Kodwa icala liyaqhubeka.

“Ngase ngibona owesifazane edakiwe yigazi labangcwele negazi lawofakazi bakaJesu.” “Futhi kwafunyaniswa kuye igazi labaprofethi nelabangcwele nelabo bonke ababebulewe emhlabeni.” (IsAmbulo 17:6; 18:24, NW) IBabiloni Elikhulu kumelwe lithweswe icala legazi ngenxa yokubulala kwalo amaKristu eqiniso ngenxa yokholo lwawo emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka, kuhlanganise nenani elazama ukuhumushela iBhayibheli olimini lwabantu abavamile, kanye nabaningi abazama ukuba neBhayibheli futhi balifunde. IBabiloni Elikhulu linecala legazi futhi ngenxa yamaKristu eqiniso aye abulawelwa ukholo lwawo muva nje emajele nasezinkanjini zokuhlushwa, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ngaphansi kwamaNazi, kobuFascist, noma abanye omashiqela. Phawula ukuthi icala libhekisela “kubo bonke ababebulewe emhlabeni,” abayohlanganisa amakhulu ezigidi emhlabeni wonke aye afa ezimpini nasemibangweni yokuziphindisela okuye kwalwiwa abantu abazisholo ukuthi bayakholwa selokhu kwathi nhló.—Qhathanisa noMathewu 23:34-36; 2 Thimothewu 3:5.

Ukwahlulela kukaNkulunkulu iBabiloni Elikhulu kwethula esinye isici secala lalo. Isahlulelo sithi: “Izizwe zonke zidukisiwe ngokuthakatha kwakho.” (IsAmbulo 18:23) Ngokuthakazelisayo, elithi “ukuthakatha” lihumusha igama lesiGreki elithi phar·ma·kiʹa, lelo “ngokuyinhloko elalisho ukusebenzisa imithi, izidakamizwa, ukuloya; bese kuba ukudlisa; bese kuba iziphonso.”d Ngomqondo ongokomoya, inkolo yamanga iye yadlisa izizwe, izidukisela ekubeni zikholelwe konkulunkulu bamanga nezimfundiso eziye zadukisa ukunaka kwazo zikususa kuJehova nasempikiswaneni yobukhosi bendawo yonke. Ngemfundiso yayo engamanga yokungafi komphefumulo, inkolo yamanga futhi yabeka isisekelo sazo zonke izinhlobo zokukholelwa emimoyeni nasekuphonseni, ifaka ukwesaba abafile nokukhulekelwa kokhokho. Ukulahla kukaNkulunkulu iBabiloni Elikhulu kuvumeleka ngokuphelele. Njengoba uJohane abhala: “Izono zalo zifinyelele ezulwini, noNkulunkulu wakhumbula ukungalungi kwalo.”—IsAmbulo 18:5.

Yini Okumelwe Siyenze?

Ngenxa yesimo esiwohlokile seBabiloni Elikhulu nesimo salo sokwahlulelwa, yini abathandi beqiniso abaqotho okumelwe bayenze manje? Isiprofetho sikaIsaya esikhuluma ngeBabiloni lasendulo sisebenza ngisho nangamandla amakhulu ngokuphathelene nenkolo yamanga namuhla: “Mukani, mukani, niphume lapha, ningathinti okungcolileyo, niphume phakathi kwalo, nizihlambulule nina eniphatha izitsha zikaJehova.” (Isaya 52:11) Lolubizo oluphuthumayo lufana nalolo lwesAmbulo 18:4: “Ngase ngizwa elinye izwi livela ezulwini, lithi: Phumani kulo [iBabiloni Elikhulu], bantu bami, ukuze ningahlanganyeli nalo izono zalo, nokuba ningamukeli okwezinhlupho zalo.”

Yebo, manje isikhathi sokuqeda bonke ubudlelwano nenkolo yamanga. Kodwa uma siphuma eBabiloni Elikhulu, kumelwe siyephi? Ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso kukaJehova sihlanganyele nofakazi bakhe. Kakade, izigidi ezivela kuzo zonke izizwe zomhlaba zithutheleka “entabeni kaJehova” engokomfanekiso. Nawe futhi uyamenywa ukuba ufunde iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova futhi uhlanganyele kulokhu kukhulekela kweqiniso.—Isaya 2:2-4; 43:10-12.

Manje kusala umbuzo, Uma iBabiloni Elikhulu seliwile futhi lahlulelwa, yini ezolandela ohlelweni lwaphezulu lokwenza izinto? Yini ezokwenzeka embusweni kaSathane wezwe wenkolo yamanga? Umagazini wethu olandelayo, kaMay 15, uzocubungula lowombuzo ngokuvumelana nesiprofetho seBhayibheli.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Ngisho nakuba iBabiloni laliwile ngo-539 B.C.E., laqhubeka lisebenza njengomuzi amakhulu eminyaka