IBHUKU leSambulo limumethe izindaba okungamelanga zithathwe njengoba zinjalo. Ngokwesibonelo liqamba owesifazana olegama elithi ‘iBhabhiloni Enkulu’ elibhalwe ebunzini lakhe. Owesifazana lo kuthiwa uhlezi phezu ‘kwamaxuku lezizwe.’ (ISambulo 17:1, 5, 15) Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi iBhabhiloni eNkulu itsho okuthile ngoba owesifazana woqobo ngeke enze lokhu. Yikho-ke, isiphingi lesi simelani?

 KuSambulo 17:18, owesifazana lo uchazwa ‘njengedolobho elikhulu elibusa amakhosi omhlaba.’ Endabeni le ibala elithi “idolobho” litsho iqembu labantu elihleliweyo. Njengoba ‘idolobho elikhulu’ leli libusa “amakhosi omhlaba,” kumele ukuthi owesifazana obizwa ngokuthi yiBhabhiloni eNkulu yinhlanganiso elamandla ekhona emhlabeni. Yikho ibizwa ngokuthi ngumbuso womhlaba wonke. Umbuso onjani? Umbuso wezenkolo. Khangela ukuthi ezinye izindaba ezihambelana lalokhu ezisebhukwini leSambulo zisinceda njani ukuthi siphethe ngokutsho njalo.

Umbuso ungaba ngowezombusazwe, owezokuthengiselana kumbe owezenkolo. Owesifazana obizwa ngokuthi yiBhabhiloni eNkulu kayisiwombuso wezombusazwe ngoba iLizwi likaNkulunkulu lithi “amakhosi omhlaba,” kumbe izinhlanganiso zezombangazwe zomhlaba lo ‘zifeba laye.’ Ufeba ngokubumba izivumelwano lamakhosi omhlaba kanye langokwenza loba yini edingekayo ukuze abe lamandla legunya lokuwabusa. Yikho okwenza owesifazana lo abizwe ngokuthi ‘yisiphingi esikhulu.’—ISambulo 17:1, 2; UJakhobe 4:4.

IBhabhiloni eNkulu kayingeke ibe ngumbuso wezokuthengiselana ngoba ‘abathengisi basemhlabeni’ abamele inhlanganiso zokuthengiselana bazabe beyililela ngesikhathi isibhujiswa. Okunye yikuthi amakhosi kanye labezokuthengiselana bachazwa njengabakhangele iBhabhiloni eNkulu ‘beme khatshana.’ (ISambulo 18:3, 9, 10, 15-17) Ngakho-ke kulengqondo ukuthi siphethe ngokuthi iBhabhiloni eNkulu ayisiwombuso wezombangazwe kumbe owezokuthengiselana kodwa ngumbuso wezenkolo.

Ukuthi iBhabhiloni eNkulu yinkolo sikubona futhi emutshweni othi idukisa izizwe zonke ‘ngobuthakathi bayo.’ (ISambulo 18:23) Njengoba izinto zonke eziphathelane lobudimoni zingenelana lenkolo futhi zivela emadimonini, akusimangalisi ukuthi iBhayibhili lithi iBhabhiloni eNkulu “likhaya lamadimoni.” (ISambulo 18:2; UDutheronomi 18:10-12) Umbuso lo uchazwa njengokhuthalele ukuphikisana lenkolo yeqiniso, uhlukuluza ‘abaphrofethi’ ‘labangcwele.’ (ISambulo 18:24) Okukhona yikuthi iBhabhiloni eNkulu iyizonda kakhulu inkolo yeqiniso njalo ibahlukuluza ngolunya ‘labo abafakazela uJesu,’ kuze kube sebangeni lokubabulala. (ISambulo 17:6) Yikho-ke owesifazana lo obizwa ngokuthi yiBhabhiloni eNkulu umela umbuso womhlaba wonke wenkolo yamanga okugoqela izinkolo zonke eziphikisana loJehova uNkulunkulu.