Listen! The outcry of the shepherds, and the howling of the majestic ones of the flock, for Jehovah is despoiling their pasturage.

26. In that prophecy, who are the “shepherds” and the “majestic ones of the flock”?

²⁶ Does that prophecy make us think of clergymen who have been called pastors or spiritual shepherds and of their church congregations who have been called “flocks”? Likely so, but Jehovah is not here addressing himself to the religious leaders of the nations. In the Hebrew Scriptures the governmental rulers are spoken of as shepherds and their peoples or subjects are called their flocks. So “the majestic ones of the flock” would be the princes or the royally favored ones of the national flock. This must be the case in Jeremiah 25:34-38, for where in the whole chapter is there any mention of priests and Levites? Those to whom Jeremiah is ordered to hand Jehovah’s “cup” are described as “kings,” “princes,” and “kingdoms.” (Jer. 25:18-26) The approaching world “calamity” and “tempest” will strike, not just the clergy and other religious leaders, but also, finally, the political governmental elements of this system of things.

28. For whom are the “shepherds” and the “majestic ones” more concerned, and how is their pasturage despoiled?

²⁸ For mere selfish reasons those political “shepherds” and “majestic ones” will “howl,” yes, roll about on the ground. As the Sovereign Lord Jehovah calls them to account during the “great tribulation,” they will grimly realize that the day has come for them to be slaughtered and scattered. If there was a way of escape or a place of refuge to which to flee, they might not feel so disposed to “howl.” They do not care so much about what happens to the national “flock,” but are more concerned about being executed themselves. Their fat-paying jobs and high position must go! Their “pasturage,” the system of things by means of which they exploited their national flocks, gets despoiled, ruined.

30. By reason of what we hear by the ear of faith in Jehovah’s prophecy, what should we do now?

³⁰ Listen! With the ear of faith in Jehovah’s prophecy, do you hear it growing louder and louder? Down through the sound-collecting corridors of this “time of the end” we hear coming, from the foretold future, the howling of all the national “shepherds,” along with the pained outcries of “the majestic ones” of the flock of sheeplike humans. What, then, shall we listeners do? This: While the way of escape is still open and while there is still one place of refuge to which to flee, let us act! Let us find our haven of security and preservation in Jehovah’s kingdom by his appointed Shepherd, Jesus Christ.​—Ezek. 34:23, 24; Jer. 23:5, 6.