Shepherds in the Christian congregation are not rulers. However, in the nations professing to be Christian, there are rulers, both religious and governmental, who claim to care for the people as shepherds. And they are spoken of as shepherds in the Scriptures. Whether these stand in their position by God’s appointment or not, God holds those presenting themselves as shepherds highly responsible to him, because the lives and well-being of people are involved. If any such responsible men prove to be false, they will receive heavy judgment. (Jas. 3:1) For our comfort and to provide warning to those in such positions, God caused his prophet Zechariah to enact a drama foreshadowing things to come.

A PROPHETIC DRAMA

At that time Jehovah God had a “flock,” namely, his covenant people Israel. He made direct appointment of Zechariah as shepherd, saying: “Shepherd the flock meant for the killing, the buyers of which proceed to kill them although they are not held guilty. And those who are selling them say: ‘May Jehovah be blessed, while I shall gain riches.’ And their own shepherds do not show any compassion upon them.”​—Zech. 11:4, 5.

The flock belonging to God had been brought into a very bad condition by their shepherds, who had no interest in the flock’s welfare, nor compassion for their oppressed state. At the time that Zechariah was appointed he gave attention to some of these shepherds. He tells us: “I finally effaced three shepherds in one lunar month, as my soul gradually became impatient with them, and also their own soul felt a loathing toward me.” (Zech. 11:8) Just who these three shepherds were, we are not told. But because he had been appointed by the Most High God, Zechariah had the superior authority among them, so that he could dismiss the three men.

Zechariah was carrying out his shepherding job, as he said, “in your behalf, O afflicted ones of the flock.” (Zech. 11:7) He loved God’s flock. So when he became impatient, it was not with the afflicted sheep, but with the three delinquent shepherds. On their part, they “felt a loathing” toward Zechariah because of his faithfulness and compassion in shepherding the flock. On his part, he disapproved of their ways and schemes.

In being appointed as a shepherd, Zechariah foreshadowed the “fine shepherd,” the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus was sent by his Father to be a shepherd of God’s flock of Israel, their rulers, particularly the religious leaders, had been sadly mistreating the people. What situation did Jesus find? We read: “On seeing the crowds he felt pity for them, because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd.”​—Matt. 9:36.

Inasmuch as Jehovah took action against the false shepherds in the days of Zechariah and again when Christ was on earth, we can be assured that he will take action against the modern-day false shepherds. Zechariah was inspired to prophesy about the deserved judgment to come upon the “valueless shepherd”: “To the sheep being effaced he will give no attention. The young one he will not seek, and the broken sheep he will not heal. The one stationing herself he will not supply with food, and the flesh of the fat one he will eat, and the hoofs of the sheep he will tear off. Woe to my valueless shepherd, who is leaving the flock! A sword will be upon his arm and upon his right eye. His own arm will without fail dry up, and his own right eye will without fail grow dim.”​—Zech. 11:15-17.