Q: Brother Perimeno, I have been wondering about something disturbing to me.  The WT seems to feel that the new testament was only written for those who have a heavenly hope.  If that is the case then how are the "sheep" viewed in Jehovah's eyes?  It makes me feel like there is a huge class distinction.  "They" get special help with insights and holy spirit working on them.  I know they are important, but, how do the sheep measure in Jehovah's eyes? Are we any less important?  Because of them being chosen to rule as Kings/co-ruler's with Christ Jesus,  what about us sheep, the one's with a hope to live on earth forever?
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A: Jesus said: “What do you think? If a man comes to have a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on a mountain and search for the one that strayed? And if he happens to find it, I tell you, he’s happier over that one than over the ninety-nine that didn’t stray. So, my Father in the heavens doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish.” (Matt. 18:12-14; 2001 Translation)

Jesus spoke the above illustration to help his disciples understand just how precious each individual “sheep” is to Jehovah. Our Creator cares deeply for all his people. To him they are like sheep that need to be taken care of, to be protected and fed. He himself says, “You are my dear flock, the flock of my pasture, my human flock, And I am your God.” (Ezek. 34:31; The Message Bible)

Because of his great love for his sheep Jehovah send his only-begotten Son in order to provide the ransom that makes everlasting life on earth possible for them. Jesus proved to be a loving and kind shepherd, and as such willingly surrendered his soul “in behalf of the sheep.” (John 3:16; 10:14,15) While he was yet on earth he trained some of his disciples to carry on, after his departure, with the responsibility of caring and feeding the sheep. (Luke 6:12-16; 22:32; John 21:15-17; 1 Peter 5:1-4) For that purpose God established his household at Pentecost, anointing his chosen shepherds with his spirit, and immediately started bringing his sheep to them to be fed. (Acts 2:1-4, 22-42; 1 Tim. 3:15) Over the years Jehovah has continued to personally choose shepherds, anointing them with his holy spirit that enables them to fulfill their assignment of feeding and caring for his “dear flock.” (Acts 20:28) And he has provided much needed “food” in his written Word. In providing shepherds and having them conscientiously carry out their assigned responsibilities, Jesus has kept his promise, "And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things." (Matt. 28:20)

This choosing of individuals as shepherds of God’s sheep is not for the glory of the individuals chosen but rather for the benefit of the flock, and for God's glory. (1 Cor. 1:26-29; 10:31; Eph. 3:20,21) Sadly, some of the anointed shepherds have elevated themselves far above the sheep, have become unduly self-important and presumptuous. They go so far as to claim that they are the only ones who really matter to the Master and that the sheep are highly privileged to associate with them. They teach that Jehovah has included only them in the new and better covenant, that Jesus is the mediator only of them, and that much of the Bible was written primarily for them, thus depriving the sheep of much spiritual nourishment and refreshment. (Heb. 8:6,10,11; 1 Tim. 2:4,5; 2 Tim. 3:15-17)

Such ones have entirely lost sight of the basic fact that the shepherds exist for the sake of the sheep, and not the other way around! Without sheep there would be no need for any shepherds. It is as Jesus pointed out, “Which is really the greatest, the one who is reclining at the table, or the one who does the serving… isn’t it the one who’s reclining at the table?” (Luke 22:27; 2001 Translation) Who are the ones that have the responsibility of "serving" and who are the ones "reclining at the table" and being served? Are the shepherds not serving and feeding the sheep? Therefore, how important are the sheep in Jehovah’s eyes in comparison to those who are doing the serving? Really, the server is only useful if he does his job. (Matt. 24:45,46)

By claiming to have such an exclusive relationship with the owner of the sheep, Jehovah God, these presumptuous shepherds have become "feeders of themselves." (Ezek. 34:2, NWT) Unlike Jesus who invited all God's thirsty sheep to come to him and drink and be refreshed, today's haughty shepherds have deprived the sheep of much of the refreshing "clear stream" and "good pasture" from God's Word, claiming it for themselves. (John 7:37,38) They have "muddied the water" (Message Bible) and trampled down the pasture ground by going beyond the things written, causing much confusion regarding the new covenant, baptism, Jesus' mediatorship, the memorial of Christ's death, and much more in the way of scriptural food, meant to refresh and nourish the sheep, and help them to enrich their relationship with God. (Titus 1:7-9) By means of his prophet Ezekiel Jehovah long ago foretold this development among his shepherds. In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 34, Jehovah addresses the situation, according to the New World Translation:

^2-6 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and you must say to them, to the shepherds, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have become feeders of themselves! Is it not the flock that the shepherds ought to feed? The fat is what YOU eat, and with the wool YOU clothe your own selves. The plump animal is what YOU slaughter. The flock itself YOU do not feed. The sickened ones YOU have not strengthened, and the ailing one YOU have not healed, and the broken one YOU have not bandaged, and the dispersed one YOU have not brought back, and the lost one YOU have not sought to find, but with harshness YOU have had them in subjection, even with tyranny. And they were gradually scattered because of there being no shepherd, so that they became food for every wild beast of the field, and they continued to be scattered. My sheep kept straying on all the mountains and on every high hill; and on all the surface of the earth my sheep were scattered, with no one making a search and with no one seeking to find."

What was it that contributed to God's sheep straying and being scattered? They were denied the "the greenest grass" (CEV) and the "clear waters" that God had intended for them:

^{18, 19} "Is it such a little thing for YOU men that on the very best pasturage YOU feed but the rest of YOUR pasturages YOU should trample down with YOUR feet, and that the clear waters YOU drink but the ones left over YOU should foul by stamping with YOUR very feet? And as for my sheep, on the pasture ground trampled by YOUR feet should they feed and the water befouled by the stamping of YOUR feet should they drink?"

If we consider the number who have been baptized in the last thirty years and the number of active Witnesses today, we find that there are approximately three million sheep missing; about half of the total we count today. Is this a trivial matter in God's eyes? Remember Jesus' illustration of the one lost sheep. He holds his presumptuous "good-for-nothing" shepherds accountable for they have withheld vital God-provided food and water from his sheep (Matt. 24:48-51; 25:30):

^7-10 "‘"Therefore, YOU shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah, ‘"As I am alive," is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, "surely for the reason that my sheep became something for plunder and my sheep continued to be food for every wild beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my sheep, but the shepherds kept feeding themselves, and my own sheep they did not feed,"’ therefore, YOU shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah. This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘Here I am against the shepherds, and I shall certainly ask back my sheep from their hand and make them cease from feeding [my] sheep, and the shepherds will no longer feed themselves; and I will deliver my sheep out of their mouth, and they will not become food for them.’"

Jehovah has promised to act on behalf of his precious sheep. The proud self-feeding shepherds will suddenly be removed from their positions and replaced with genuine caring and loving ones. That final choosing and sealing of anointed replacement shepherds will take place immediately before the great tribulation begins. (Rev. 7:2,3) Also, please note, there is no mention anywhere that Jehovah will replace any of his sheep in the same way, is there? Instead, Jehovah will affirm his covenant with them:

^25-27 "‘"And I will conclude with them a covenant of peace, and I shall certainly cause the injurious wild beast to cease out of the land, and they will actually dwell in the wilderness in security and sleep in the forests. And I will make them and the surroundings of my hill a blessing, and I will cause the pouring rain to descend in its time. Pouring rains of blessing there will prove to be. And the tree of the field must give its fruitage, and the land itself will give its yield, and they will actually prove to be on their soil in security. And they will have to know that I am Jehovah when I break the bars of their yoke and I have delivered them out of the hand of those who had been using them as slaves."

Yes, Jehovah's sheep will be delivered out of the hand of "those who had been using them as slaves," the wicked shepherds who "had them in subjection, even with tyranny." The whole arrangement of the faithful 144,000 chosen ones, who eventually will rule with Christ Jesus in his heavenly kingdom, is for the benefit of "the sheep of [God’s] pasturing," "earthling men." (Luke 22:29,30; Rev. 5:9,10; 14:1,3; Ezek. 34:31, NWT) As the Scriptures point out, it is by means of this administration that “the tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Eph. 1:10,11; Rev. 21:3,4; compare Ezek. 34:22-30)

Take courage! You are a very precious sheep to Jehovah. It is in your behalf and for your benefit that Jehovah has chosen and anointed certain ones to serve you, to feed and encourage you, and to help enrich your relationship with your Creator. Only if these chosen servants of his do their job faithfully, to your and the master's satisfaction, will they be blessed with greater responsibility when their master arrives to settle accounts with them. Yes, only after having demonstrated the same care for the sheep as their master did will any of them qualify to rule with him in his heavenly kingdom and share in his glory. (Luke 12:42-48)

 

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