IBhabhiloni elikhulu, elichazwe encwadini yeSambulo, inkolo yamanga iyonke, uNkulunkulu ayilahlayo. a (IsAmbulo 14:8; 17:5; 18:21) Nakuba lezo zinkolo zihluka kwenye nenye, zizonke zidedisela abantu kude noNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova.​—Duteronomi 4:​35.

Izindlela Zokubona IBhabhiloni Elikhulu

1. IBhabhiloni Elikhulu liwuphawu. IBhayibheli lilichaza ‘njengowesifazane’ ‘oyisifebe esikhulu,’ onegama “imfihlakalo: ‘IBhabhiloni Elikhulu.’” (IsAmbulo 17:​1, 3, 5) Incwadi yeSambulo yethulwe ngezibonakaliso, ngakho kunengqondo ukuphetha ngokuthi iBhabhiloni Elikhulu liwuphawu, hhayi owesifazane ongokoqobo. (IsAmbulo 1:1) Ngaphezu kwalokho, ‘uhlala phezu kwamanzi amaningi,’ amelela “abantu nezixuku nezizwe nezilimi.” (IsAmbulo 17:​1, 15) Owesifazane ongokoqobo ngeke akwazi ukukwenza lokho.

2. IBhabhiloni Elikhulu limelela izinkolo ezikhona emhlabeni wonke. Libizwa ngokuthi “umuzi omkhulu onombuso phezu kwamakhosi omhlaba.” (IsAmbulo 17:18) Kungakho, linenkululeko nethonya emhlabeni.

3. IBhabhiloni Elikhulu liyinhlangano yenkolo, hhayi yezombusazwe noma yezentengiselwano. IBhabhiloni lasendulo laliwumuzi ogxile enkolweni, laziwa ngokusebenzisa kwalo ‘iziphonso nobuthakathi.’ (Isaya 47:​1, 12, 13; Jeremiya 50:​1, 2, 38) Empeleni, inkolo yamanga eyayiqhutshwa lapho yayimelene noNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova. (Genesise 10:​8, 9; 11:​2-4, 8) Ababusi baseBhabhiloni ngokuqhosha baziphakamisa ngaphezu kukaJehova nokukhulekelwa kwakhe. (Isaya 14:​4, 13, 14; Daniyeli 5:​2-4, 23) Ngokufanayo, iBhabhiloni Elikhulu laziwa ‘ngokusebenzisa kwalo imimoya.’ Lokho kulibonisa liyinhlangano yezenkolo.​—IsAmbulo 18:23.

   IBhabhiloni Elikhulu aliyona inhlangano yezombusazwe ngoba “amakhosi omhlaba” ayalililela lapho libhujiswa. (IsAmbulo 17:​1, 2; 18:9) Aliwona futhi umbuso wezentengiselwano, ngoba iBhayibheli liyalihlukanisa ‘kubathengisi bomhlaba.’​—IsAmbulo 18:11, 15.

4. IBhabhiloni Elikhulu liyimelela kahle inkolo yamanga. Kunokuba ifundise abantu ukuba basondele kuNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, inkolo yamanga iholela abantu ukuba bakhonze abanye onkulunkulu. IBhayibheli libiza lokhu ngobufebe obungokomoya. (Levitikusi 20:6; Eksodusi 34:15, 16) Izinkolelo ezifana noziqu-zintathu, umphefumulo ongafi nokusetshenziswa kwezithombe lapho kukhulekela zisuka eBhabhiloni lasendulo futhi ziyaqhubeka zisakaza inkolo yamanga. Lezi zinkolo nazo zihlanganisa ukukhulekela kwazo nothando lwezwe. IBhayibheli libhekisela kulokhu kungathembeki njengobufebe obungokomoya.​—Jakobe 4:4

   Ingcebo nokuzigabisa kwenkolo yamanga kuhambelana nalokho okushiwo iBhayibheli ngeBhabhiloni Elikhulu, ‘elalivunule ngokunsomi nokubomvu, lihlobe ngegolide nangetshe eliyigugu nangamaparele.’ (IsAmbulo 17:4) IBhabhiloni Elikhulu liwumnyombo “wezinengiso zomhlaba,” noma izimfundiso nezenzo zokungamhloniphi uNkulunkulu. (IsAmbulo 17:5) Amalungu enkolo yamanga “abantu nezixuku nezizwe nezilimi” abasekela iBhabhiloni Elikhulu.​—IsAmbulo 17:15.

IBhabhiloni Elikhulu liyimbangela yokufa kwabo “bonke abaye babulawa emhlabeni.” (IsAmbulo 18:24) Kuwo wonke umlando, inkolo yamanga ayiqalanga nje kuphela izimpi nokukhuthaza izenzo zokuphekula kodwa iye yahluleka ukufundisa abantu ngoJehova, uNkulunkulu wothando. (1 Johane 4:8) Lokhu kuhluleka kube nomthelela ekuchithekeni kwegazi eliningi. Kungakho, labo abafuna ukujabulisa uNkulunkulu kumelwe, ‘baphume kulo.’​—IsAmbulo 18:4; 2 Korinte 6:​14-17.