Imfihlakalo—Singubani Isifebe ‘IBabiloni Elikhulu’?

OWESIFAZANE othile, isifebe esinedumela elibi, oye wathonya ukuphila kwezigidigidi zabantu, ubulewe. Kodwa lokhu akukhona ukubulawa okuvamile. Yini ekwenza kuhluke? Umbulali uyisilwane, isilo sasendle esimkhumula abe nqunu, sidle inyama yakhe, bese sishiya izinsalela zakhe ukuba zibhujiswe ngomlilo. Ungubani lona owesifazane onethonya? Kungani isilo sasendle simhlasela? Yini aye wayenza emenza afanelwe yilesiphelo sobudlova?a—IsAmbulo 17:16, 17.

Lokhu kungase kube isisekelo sendaba eyimfihlakalo evusa isithakazelo—ngaphandle kokuthi ayikhona ukuhlelwa kwenoveli. Iyinto engokoqobo nengokomlando esizogcwaliseka. Futhi ibalulekile kuwe ngoba lesifebe esinedumela elibi kungenzeka sithonya ukuphila kwakho khona manje. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuthi uhlala naso noma uyasishiya kuyosho umehluko phakathi kokuphila nokufa. Ngakho singubani?

Amashende Owesifazane Oyimfihlakalo

Lefemme fatale, lonondindwa ohlazisayo, uchazwa uJohane encwadini yeBhayibheli engokwesiprofetho yesAmbulo, lapho sifunda khona ukuthi: “Yayisingiyisa [ingelosi] ehlane ngikuMoya. Ngabona owesifazane ekhwele isilo esibomvu, sigcwele amagama enhlamba, sinamakhanda ayisikhombisa nezimpondo eziyishumi. Nowesifazane wayembethe okububende nokubomvu, evunule ngegolide nangamatshe anenani nangamaparele, ephethe isitsha segolide ngesandla sakhe, sigcwele amanyala nokungcolileyo kobufebe bakhe, nasebusweni bakhe kulotshiwe igama eliyimfihlakalo lokuthi: IBABILONI ELIKHULU, UNINA WEZIFEBE NOWAMANYALA OMHLABA.”—IsAmbulo 17:3-5.

Manje ‘leliBabiloni Elikhulu’ kumelwe ukuba lingowesifazane onamandla, ngoba ukulandisa kuthi evesini 1 ‘uhlezi phezu kwamanzi amaningi.’ Kusho ukuthini lokho? Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yachazela uJohane: “Amanzi owabonayo, lapho sihlezi khona isifebe, angabantu, nezixuku, nezizwe, nezilimi.” (IsAmbulo 17:15) Ngokungangabazeki lesi isifebe esinethonya emhlabeni wonke. Kodwa akusona nje isifebe sowesifazane esivamile. ‘Singunina wezifebe,’ umphathi waleyonhlangano. Uma kuziwa ebufebeni, nguye onikeza iziyalezo. Kodwa futhi unamashende akhethekile.

Ingelosi idalula ukuthi angobani lamashende athandwayo esifebe esikhulu. Ithi angobani? Ithi iBabiloni Elikhulu yilo ‘afeba nalo amakhosi omhlaba, nabakhileyo emhlabeni badakiswa iwayini lobufebe balo.’ (IsAmbulo 17:2) Lesi kumelwe kube isifebe esinxenxayo esinabangane abaqinile ukuze sikwazi ukukhanga ababusi bezombangazwe bezwe, wona kanye “amakhosi omhlaba”! Ngakho singubani?

Ingelosi ithi sinegama, igama eliyimfihlakalo elithi, “iBabiloni Elikhulu.” Manje nazi izinto ezimbili ezinikeza umqondo wokuthi singubani—enye ingamashende esiwathandayo kanti enye yigama laso, iBabiloni Elikhulu. Lezozinto ezimbili ziholela kusiphi isiphetho?

[Umbhalo waphansi]