IBhabhiloni Enkulu—Iwile Yaye Igwetyiwe

“IWILE, iwile iBhabheli, loo mzi mkhulu! ngokuba iseze zonke iintlanga ngewayini yomsindo wobuhenyu bayo.” “Iwile, iwile iBhabheli enkulu, yaba likhaya leedemon, nentolongo yoomoya bonke abangcolileyo, nentolongo yeentaka zonke ezingcolileyo, ezithiyekileyo.”—ISityhilelo 14:8; 18:2.

Esinjani sona ukukhwankqisa isiprofeto! “Iwile, iwile iBhabheli enkulu.” Kangangeenkulungwane la mazwi afuziselayo aye abachulumancisa abafundi beBhayibhile. Kutheni le nto efanele avuselel’ umdla wakho? Kungenxa yokuba, ngokutsho kwesiprofeto seBhayibhile, oko kuza kwenzeka kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu kungekudala kuza kuchaphazela lonke uluntu. Njengoko sibonile kwinkupho ka-Aprili 1 neka-Aprili 15 yeli phephancwadi, eli henyukazi elinempembelelo enkulu ngokucacileyo lifaniswa njengobukhosi behlabathi bukaSathana bonqulo lobuxoki.a

Kodwa iwe ngayiphi indlela? Yaye nini?

IBhabhiloni Iwile Kodwa Ayikatshatyalaliswa

Ukuze sicacelwe kakuhle kukuwa kweBhabhiloni Enkulu, simele siqonde okwenzekayo xa iBhabhiloni yamandulo yawayo ngowama-539 B.C.E. Ngelo xesha abantu bakaThixo, uSirayeli, babesekuthinjweni phantse ama-70 eminyaka. Ngoku babelindele ukukhululwa ngokuvisisana namazwi abaprofeti babo. (Yeremiya 25:11, 12; 29:10) Indlela ababephuphuma ngayo yimincili xa uKoreshi ongumPersi wabhukuqa iBhabhiloni waza wakhulula amaYuda ukuba agoduke aye kwisixeko sawo esingcwele, iYerusalem ayithetheki!—Isaya 45:1-4.

Phofu ke, nangona igunya leBhabhiloni phezu kwamaYuda laphelayo, oko akuzange kuthethe isiphelo seBhabhiloni yamandulo. Umbhali-mbali uJoan Oates ubhala oku kwincwadi yakhe ethi Babylon: “UKoreshi wangena ngoloyiso eBhabhiloni, akazange avumele ukuba kuthinjwe nayiphi na into waza wamisela irhuluneli yomPersi, akazange awachithachithe namaziko ezonqulo nolawulo lwaseburhulumenteni. . . . Ngokwenene kubonakala ngathi ubomi obuqhelekileyo babemi baseBhabhiloni abuzange buguquke kangako phantsi kolawulo lomPersi. Izithethe zonqulo zagcinwa nezorhwebo zahanjiselwa phambili.” Ngaloo ndlela, phezu kwako nje ukuwa kwayo, iBhabhiloni yaqhubeka isebenza, kodwa kukho umahluko omnye omkhulu—abantu bakaThixo, uSirayeli, babengasekho ekuthinjweni. Babuyela eYerusalem ukuze bahlaziye unqulo oluyinyaniso apho.

Malunga nowama-331 B.C.E. xa injengele engumGrike uAlesandire Omkhulu wangena eBhabhiloni, wamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu ngabemi balapho. Wagqiba kwelokuba afune ukuyenza ikomkhulu lakhe lasempuma, kodwa wafa ngaphambi kokuba awuphumeze umnqweno wakhe. Oku kubonisa ukuba iBhabhiloni yayisadumile ngelo xesha lamva.

Ngaloo ndlela, ukuwa kweBhabhiloni ngowama-539 B.C.E. akuzange kuthethe ukuba yayingasekho. Yaqhubeka isebenza kangangeenkulungwane. Oku kuboniswe njani ekuzalisekeni kwanamhlanje kweziprofeto ezibandakanya iBhabhiloni Enkulu?

Ukuwa KweBhabhiloni Enkulu

Ukuwa kwayo kufuziselwa kukuwa kweBhabhiloni Enkulu yokomfuziselo, ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki. Ekuqalekeni kwenkulungwane yethu yama-20 ngaphambi kowe-1919, aBafundi BeBhayibhile, njengoko ayesaziwa njalo amaNgqina kaYehova ngoko, kwafuneka bekhululwe kuhlobo lokuthinjwa ngokomoya ziingcamango naluqheliselo lonqulo lobuxoki. Nangona bazigatyayo iimfundiso zobuxoki ezinjengoBathathu Emnye nokungafi komphefumlo, babesadyojiwe luqheliselo lweBhabhiloni. Abaninzi bavelisa isimo sengqondo sokuzingca bakuba behlakulele iimpawu ezithile. Bambi babezukisa izidalwa, bebambelele ngamandla kwisithethe sobuqu esasijoliswe kuCharles T. Russell, umongameli wokuqala weWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Bengenasiseko seBhayibhile, babebhiyozela imihla yokuzalwa neKrismesi. Babesawugqala umnqamlezo njengento ebalulekileyo. Bambi babede banxibe umfuziselo womnqamlezo nowesithsaba ezifubeni zabo, ngoxa abanye babefuna izikhundla ezihloniphekileyo kwiNgqobhoko. Kwandula ke, ngowe-1917, ngokukhawuleza emva kokufa kukaRussell, kwakho inguqulelo ephawulekayo.

Ngaloo nyaka iWatch Tower Society yapapasha incwadi yeSityhilelo enenkcazelo phantsi komxholo othi The Finished Mystery. Le ncwadi yababhenca abefundisi beNgqobhoko, kuquka nokubandakanyeka kwabo kwiMfazwe Enkulu eyayisiliwa ngoko eYurophu. Bambi babefundisi bamaProtestanti, ihlelo labameli beBhabhiloni Enkulu eKhanada, bazithabatha ezi zicatshulwa bazisa kumaqabane abo ezobupolitika kurhulumente waseKhanada baza babatyhola aBafundi BeBhayibhile ngokuthi bakhuthaza ukuvukelwa kukarhulumente. NgoFebruwari 12, 1918, iWatch Tower Society yavalwa eKhanada.

Abefundisi belaseUnited States bawulandela zisuka nje umzekelo wabazalwana babo baseKhanada. Kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa, iimpapasho zeWatch Tower Bible zathinjwa eLos Angeles, eCalifornia, kwelaseUnited States. Kwandula ke, ngoMeyi 1918, kwakhutshwa isohlwayo sokuvalelwa kukaJ. F. Rutherford, umongameli omtsha weWatch Tower Society, namanye amaqabane asixhenxe eWatch Tower. NgoJuni, okwawamangalisa ngesiquphe la madoda angamaKristu kukuba, agxagxanyiselwa kwinkundla yamatyala aza agwetywa. Asixhenxe agwetywa iminyaka engama-20 entolongweni, waza omnye wagwetywa iminyaka eli-10. Basabela njani abefundisi? UMartin Marty ubonisa oku kwincwadi yakhe ethi Modern American Religion: The Irony of It All: “Abefundisi baphethukela kubalandeli bakaRussell [abathi kamva baziwa njengamaNgqina kaYehova] yaye bachwayita ngolona hlobo bakuva ukuba iinkokeli zamaNgqina kaYehova ezityholiweyo zazigwetywe iminyaka engamashumi amabini.” Kwakuxhelw’ eXhukwane kubameli beBhabhiloni Enkulu. Basityeshela isibakala sokuba inkungu ilala kwiintaba ngeentaba.

Ngaloo ndlela, ngowe-1918, kwakhona ukuthinjelwa eBhabhiloni kokomfuziselo kwaba kukuvalelwa ngokoqobo entolongweni kwabanye abantu bakaYehova. Iliza lentshutshiso yaBafundi BeBhayibhile laya kufikelela kwelaseUnited States, eKhanada, nakwamanye amazwe. Abefundisi abaxhasa ezobuhlanga balungiselela amahlokondiba ukuba abagxothe kwiidolophu ababekuzo. AbaFundi BeBhayibhile badyojwa ngetela baza bagqunywa ngeentsiba emva koko babethwa ngamagqudu. Kwabakho ingxelo elusizi yokuphathwa ngokungekho sikweni kweli bathwana lamaKristu anyanisekileyo.b

Kwandula ke, ngowe-1919, izinto zaguquka ngokungalindelekanga. IMfazwe Enkulu yaphela ngoNovemba 1918. Amagosa eWatch Tower Society enza isibheno sokuba ayegwetywe ngokungekho sikweni. Okwazidanisayo iintshaba zabo zonqulo kukuba, uRutherford namaqabane akhe bakhululwa entolongweni. Kunjengokuba lo kaMarty esithi: “Amalungu ecawa yobuothodoki awazange akuvuyele oko.” Ekugqibeleni, bonke abo babetyholiwe bavakaliswa bengenatyala ngokupheleleyo. Ijaji engumKatolika nenekhethe, uMartin T. Manton, owathi kamva wenziwa “isithwala-ndwe seNgcwele uGregory Omkhulu” nguPopu Pius XI, wala ukuba la maNgqina asibhozo akhutshwe ngebheyile waza ngaloo ndlela wabangela ukuba avalelwe ngokungekho sikweni entolongweni kangangeenyanga ezisithoba. Wabhenceka into ayiyo kamva, ngowe-1939, xa wavalelwa entolongweni ngenxa yokuthengisa izigqibo zenkundla ngokunyoba!

Ekukhululweni kwabo entolongweni ngowe-1919, uRutherford namaqabane akhe babuyela kwikomkhulu laseBrooklyn leWatch Tower Society. Ngoko bazimisela ukulungiselela elona phulo lakha lalikhulu ehlabathini lokushumayela uBukumkani. ABafundi BeBhayibhile bawaqhawula amakhamandela okoyika abantu yaye ngoko bazibona ngokucacileyo apho babemi khona ngokuhlobene nalo lonke unqulo lobuxoki. IBhabhiloni Enkulu yayilutshaba lwabo olungayekeleliyo yaye kwakuya kufuneka ibhencwe njengewileyo. Unqulo lokwenyaniso lwalumele lubuyiselwe phakathi kweentlanga.

Loo maKristu angenaloyiko abhinqela phezulu kubulungiseleli bawo bendlu ngendlu. Kwakhona ayephuma eliqela, elubhenca esidlangalaleni unqulo lobuxoki ngezibhengezo ezazibhalwe oku: “Unqulo Lusisabatha Yaye Lwenza Imali Ngobuqhetseba” nokuthi, “Khonza UThixo NoKristu UKumkani.” Sekunjalo unqulo lobuxoki lwaya lusomelela ngokomelela yaye luqhubeka lusebenza, njengoko lwenzayo kwiBhabhiloni yamandulo, kodwa ngokwamaNgqina kaYehova, iBhabhiloni Enkulu yawa ngowe-1919. Akhululekile kumakhamandela eBhabhiloni!

Ukuncipha Kwempembelelo YeBhabhiloni

Ngoku, emva kwama-70 eminyaka, sinokubona ukuba kwiindawo ezininzi zomhlaba, impembelelo yeBhabhiloni Enkulu iye yancipha. Ngokwenyaniso, unqulo lusabonakala luqhuba kakuhle eUnited States, apho ubukhulu becala iimvakalelo zabantu zithinjwa khona ngabashumayeli abakhutshwa koomabonwakude nazizazi zengqondo ngonqulo. Ukanti, kwanamanye ala mabhedengu athanda izinto eziphathekayo kutshanje aye abhencwa aza ahlaziswa. Unqulo lubonakala luqhuba kakuhle kwiRiphabliki yeKorea, apho iicawa zeNgqobhoko ziye zangena zwabha kwezobupolitika. Licacile elokuba, nangona iBhabhiloni Enkulu “iwile,” kodwa isasebenza.

Phofu ke, ekuqhambukeni kweemfazwe zehlabathi, unqulo lobuothodoki lwaphulukana nenyambalala yabantu kumazwe anjengeJamani, iDenmark, iSweden neBritani. Kwanamazwe obuKatolika anjengeItali, iSpeyin neFransi aye aphawula ukuhla kwenani labantu abaqhelisela isithethe samaKatolika sokuvuma izono nokuya eMthendelekweni. Inani labantu abafundela ubufundisi liye lehla. Yaye kwaisibakala sokuba upopu okhoyo avakalelwe kukuba kufuneka akhenkethe ihlabathi izihlandlo ezingaphezu kwakhe nawuphi na omnye upopu embalini sibonisa ukuba icawa ikwimeko emaxongo.

Ngokubhekele phaya, ukususela ngowe-1917 inkoliso yamazwe obusoshiyali iye yalusingela phantsi unqulo njengolungabalulekanga yaza yayiphelisa impembelelo yalo yangaphambili kwezobupolitika. Ehlabathini lonke, unqulo olungokwesithethe lusengunobangela wentiyo enkulu nokuphalazwa kwegazi okuye kwabangela ukuba abantu abaninzi abayisebenzisayo ingqondo bagatye kwanto ekuthiwa lunqulo, enoba lolwaseNtshona okanye lolwaseMpuma. Ewe, amanzi okomfuziselo ehleli phezu kwawo iBhabhiloni Enkulu, abantu abaphantsi kolawulo lwayo, ayatsha. IBhabhiloni Enkulu iyagwetywa, yaye ukutshatyalaliswa kwayo kusemnyango.—ISityhilelo 16:12; 17:1, 15.

IBhabhiloni—Isizathu Sokuba Igwetywe

Kungasiphi isizinzi le nto uYehova ebugweba nje ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki? Ngokuqinisekileyo, bambi basenokucinga ukuba, ufanele abe novelwano xa ecinga ngazo zonke izikolo, izibhedlele nemisebenzi emihle ezithe iinkonzo ezahlukahlukeneyo zayikhuthaza. Kodwa oko kufikelela njani kwisimangalo uYehova asibeka kwiinkonzo zehlabathi? Makhe sisihlolisise ngokufutshane esi simangalo nengxelo yonqulo.c

“Seza esinye sazo izithunywa zezulu zosixhenxe, ezineengqayi zosixhenxe, sathetha nam, sisithi kum, Yiza apha, ndikubonise ukugwetywa kwalo ihenyukazi elikhulu, elihleli phezu kwawo amanzi amaninzi; abahenyuze nalo ookumkani bomhlaba, abo bawumiyo umhlaba, banxiliswa yiwayini yobuhenyu balo.” (ISityhilelo 17:1, 2) Njengoko sibonise ngokucacileyo kwinkupho yethu ka-Aprili 1 neka-Aprili 15, 1989, ukuhambisana konqulo neenkokeli zamazwe, “ookumkani bomhlaba,” okuphumele ekubeni kungxwelerheke abantu ukuhla ukutyhubela imbali, kusenokuthelekiswa nokuziphatha kwehenyukazi elizingcayo nelihenyuzayo. Kodwa isimangalo siyaqhubeka.

“Ndayibona inkazana leyo inxila ligazi labangcwele, naligazi lamangqina kaYesu.” “[Kuyo] kwafunyanwa igazi labaprofeti, nelabangcwele, nelabo bonke abasikiweyo emhlabeni.” (ISityhilelo 17:6; 18:24) IBhabhiloni Enkulu imele ibekwe ityala legazi ngenxa yokubulala kwayo amaKristu okwenyaniso ngenxa yokholo lwawo kwiinkulungwane ezidluleyo, kuquka nenani labo bathi baba nobuganga bokuguqulela iBhayibhile kwiilwimi zabantu abaqhelekileyo, kwanakwabaninzi abathi baba nesibindi sokuba neeBhayibhile ezizezabo baze bazifunde. IBhabhiloni Enkulu ikwanetyala legazi ngenxa yokubulawelwa ukholo kwamaKristu okwenyaniso kutshanje ezintolongweni nakwiikampu zoxinaniso, enoba abulawa ngamaNazi, ngamaKomanisi, okanye ngabanye oozwilakhe. Phawula ukuba imangalelwa ngenxa yabo “bonke abasikiweyo emhlabeni,” abaquka amakhulu ezigidi aye afa kulo lonke ihlabathi ezimfazweni nakwiimfazwe zokuziphindezelela eziye zaliwa ukutyhubela imbali ngabantu abazibanga bengabonqulo.—Thelekisa uMateyu 23:34-36; 2 Timoti 3:5.

Ukugweba kukaThixo iBhabhiloni Enkulu kuvelisa enye inkalo yokuba netyala kwayo. Isigwebo sithi: “Ngokuba zonke iintlanga zalahlekiswa kukukhafula kwakho.” (ISityhilelo 18:23) Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, “ukukhafula” kuyinguqulelo yegama lesiGrike elithi phar·ma·kiʹa, “elalithetha ngokuyintloko ukusebenzisa amayeza, iziyobisi, oomabophe; kulandele, ityhefu; kwanobugqwirha.”d Ngengqiqo yokomoya, unqulo lobuxoki luziseze ityhefu iintlanga, luzilahlekisela ekubeni zikholelwe koothixo nakwiimfundiso zobuxoki eziye zayisusa ingqalelo yazo kuYehova nakwimbambano yolongamo lwendalo iphela. Ngemfundiso yalo etenxileyo yokungafi komphefumlo, unqulo lobuxoki lukwazibekele isiseko sazo zonke iindidi zokusebenzelana nemimoya kwanobugqwirha, lukhuthaza ukoyikwa kwabafileyo nokunqulwa kweminyanya. UThixo wenza ngokusesikweni ngokupheleleyo ngokugweba kwakhe iBhabhiloni Enkulu. Kunjengokuba uYohane wabhala wathi: “Izono zayo ziye zafikelela emazulwini, nezinto zayo zokungalungisi uzikhumbule uThixo.”—ISityhilelo 18:5.

Simele Senze Ntoni?

Ngenxa yokuwa kweBhabhiloni Enkulu nokugwetywa kwayo, yintoni abathandi benyaniso bokwenene ngoku abamele bayenze? Isiprofeto sikaIsaya ngokuphathelele iBhabhiloni yamandulo sisebenza ngamandla kakhulu kunqulo lobuxoki namhlanje: “Mkani, mkani, phumani apho; musani ukuphatha nto iyinqambi; phumani phakathi kwayo; zenzeni nyulu, nina bathwali beempahla zikaYehova.” (Isaya 52:11) Olu bizo lungxamisekileyo luyafana nolo lukwiSityhilelo 18:4: “Ndeva elinye izwi liphuma emazulwini lisithi: Phumani kuyo [iBhabhiloni Enkulu], bantu bam, ukuze ningadlelani nayo ngezono zayo, nokuze ningamkeliswa kwizibetho zayo.”

Ewe, ngoku lixesha lokuqhawula onke amaqhina omanyano kunye nonqulo lobuxoki. Kodwa ukuba siyaphuma kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu, simele siphethukele phi? Kunqulo lukaYehova oluyinyaniso ngokuthi sinxulumane namangqina akhe. Sithetha nje, izigidi zabantu bazo zonke iintlanga zomhlaba ziyagxalathelana ukuya “entabeni kaYehova” yokomfuziselo. Nawe uyamenywa ukuba ufundisise iBhayibhile kunye namaNgqina kaYehova uze uthelele kolu nqulo lokwenyaniso.—Isaya 2:2-4; 43:10-12.

Ngoku umbuzo osemiyo ngowokuba, Ukuba iBhabhiloni Enkulu iwile yaza yagwetywa, yintoni eza kulandela kucwangciso lukaThixo? Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kubukhosi behlabathi likaSathana bonqulo lobuxoki? Inkupho yethu elandelayo, kaMeyi 15, iza kuwuhlolisisa loo mbuzo ngokuvisisana nesiprofeto seBhayibhile.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Nakubeni iBhabhiloni yawayo ngowama-539 B.C.E., yaqhubeka isebenza njengesixeko kangangamakhulu eminyaka