I Yini Babilona Lonkulu?

Nhlamulo ya Bibele

BBabilona Lonkulu, loyi a hlamuseriweke eka buku ya Nhlavutelo, i vukhongeri hinkwabyo bya mavunwa, lebyi Xikwembu xi nga byi tsakeliki.a (Nhlavutelo 14:8; 17:5; 18:21) Hambileswi vukhongeri byo tano byi hambanaka hi tindlela to tala, hinkwabyo ka byona byi endla leswaku vanhu va nga xi gandzeli Xikwembu xa ntiyiso, ku nga Yehovha.​—Deteronoma 4:35.

Tindlela to tiva Babilona Lonkulu

1. Babilona Lonkulu i xifanekiselo. Bibele yi hlamusela “Babilona Lonkulu” tanihi “wansati” tlhelo “nghwavava leyikulu.” (Nhlavutelo 17:1, 3, 5) Buku ya Nhlavutelo yi tirhisa “swikombiso,” kutani swa twala ku gimeta hileswaku Babilona Lonkulu i xifanekiselo, a hi wansati wa xiviri. (Nhlavutelo 1:1) Ku engetela kwalaho, u ‘tshame ehenhla ka mati yo tala,’ lama fanekiselaka “vanhu ni mintshungu ni matiko ni tindzimi.” (Nhlavutelo 17:1, 15) Wansati wa xiviri a nge swi koti ku endla tano.

2. Babilona Lonkulu u yimela nchumu wo karhi lowu nga emisaveni hinkwayo. U vitaniwa “muti lowukulu lowu nga ni mfumo ehenhla ka tihosi ta misava.” (Nhlavutelo 17:18) Xisweswo, u ni nkucetelo ematikweni hinkwawo.

3. Babilona Lonkulu i vukhongeri byo karhi, ku nga ri politiki kumbe bindzu. Babilona wa khale a ku ri muti lowu a wu byi rhandza swinene vukhongeri, a wu tiveka hi “vuloyi” ni “vungoma.” (Esaya 47:1, 12, 13; Yeremiya 50:1, 2, 38) Entiyisweni, a wu ri ni vukhongeri bya mavunwa lebyi lwisanaka ni Xikwembu xa ntiyiso, ku nga Yehovha. (Genesa 10:8, 9; 11:2-4, 8) Vafumi va Babilona a va titeka va ri lava tlakukeke eka Yehovha ni vugandzeri byakwe. (Esaya 14:4, 13, 14; Daniyele 5:2-4, 23) Hilaha ku fanaka, Babilona Lonkulu u tiveka hi ‘swiendlo swakwe swa vungoma.’ Sweswo swi n’wi kombisa a ri nhlengeletano ya vukhongeri.—Nhlavutelo 18:23.

   Babilona Lonkulu a hi politiki yo karhi, hikuva “tihosi ta misava” ta n’wi rilela loko a lovisiwa. (Nhlavutelo 17:1, 2; 18:9) Nakambe a hi bindzu, hikuva Bibele yi n’wi hambanisa ni ‘vaxavisi va misava.’​—Nhlavutelo 18:11, 15.



Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum

4. Babilona Lonkulu u byi fanela kahle vukhongeri bya mavunwa. Ematshan’weni yo dyondzisa ndlela yo gandzela Xikwembu xa ntiyiso, ku nga Yehovha, vukhongeri bya mavunwa byi endla leswaku vanhu va gandzela swikwembu swin’wana. Bibele yi vula leswaku sweswo swi fana ni ku endla “rimbewu leri nga amukelekiki.” (Levhitika 20:6; Eksoda 34:15, 16) Tidyondzo to tanihi Vunharhu-un’we, moyaxiviri lowu nga fiki ni ku tirhisa swifaniso evugandzerini swi sungule eBabilona wa khale naswona swa ha ya emahlweni evukhongerini bya mavunwa. Nakambe vukhongeri lebyi byi hlanganisa vugandzeri bya byona ni ku rhandza misava. Bibele yi hlamusela ku nga tshembeki loku tanihi ku endla vuoswi hi tlhelo ra moya.​—Yakobo 4:4.

   Rifuwo ra vukhongeri bya mavunwa ni ku ri bombisa swi fambisana ni leswi Bibele yi swi vulaka hi Babilona Lonkulu, loyi a “[ambaleke] xiambalo xa phephulu ni xo tshwuka” ni “[ku tisasekisa] hi nsuku ni maribye ya risima ni tiperela.” (Nhlavutelo 17:4) Babilona Lonkulu i xihlovo xa “swilo leswi nyenyetsaka swa misava” kumbe tidyondzo ni swiendlo leswi entiyisweni swi nga xi tsakisiki Xikwembu. (Nhlavutelo 17:5) Swirho swa vukhongeri bya mavunwa i “vanhu ni mintshungu ni matiko ni tindzimi” lava seketelaka Babilona Lonkulu.​—Nhlavutelo 17:15.

Babilona Lonkulu u ni vutihlamuleri eka rifu ra “hinkwavo lava dlayiweke emisaveni.” (Nhlavutelo 18:24) Ematin’wini hinkwawo, vukhongeri bya mavunwa a byi lo hlohlotela ntsena tinyimpi ni swiendlo swa vutherorisi kambe byi tlhele byi tsandzeka ku dyondzisa vanhu ntiyiso hi Yehovha, Xikwembu xa rirhandzu. (1 Yohane 4:8) Sweswo swi endle leswaku ku dlayeteriwa vanhu vo tala.

Xikwembu xi titwa njhani hi Babilona Lonkulu?

Eka Xikwembu, Babilona Lonkulu “swidyoho swakwe swi tlhandlekelane ku ya fika etilweni.” (Nhlavutelo 18:4, 5) Xikwembu xi byi hlundzukerile vukhongeri bya mavunwa hi leswi byi vulavulaka mavunwa hi xona ni ku nga va khomi kahle lava nga eka byona.

Ku ta endlaka yini hi Babilona Lonkulu?

Bibele yi vula leswaku ‘Xikwembu xi avanyise’ Babilona Lonkulu. (Nhlavutelo 18:20) Hi ku tirhisa ririmi ro fanekisela, Bibele yi profete leswaku Xikwembu xi ta herisa vukhongeri hinkwabyo bya mavunwa. (Nhlavutelo 18:8) Xi ta endla leswaku xivandzana xo tshwuka—lexi yimelaka mfumo wa matimba wa tipolitiki—xi jikela vukhongeri bya mavunwa ivi xi byi herisela makumu. (Nhlavutelo 17:16, 17) “Babilona muti lowukulu wu ta cukumetisiwa xisweswo, a wu nge he tlheli wu va kona.” (Nhlavutelo 18:21) Hikwalaho ka sweswo, lava lavaka ku tsakisa Xikwembu va fanele va ‘huma exikarhi ka yena,’ va tihambanisa ni vukhongeri bya mavunwa.—2 Vakorinto 6:14-17.