Of course, the illustration the WTS highlights is that of a shepherd, "the most tender of Jesus illustrations." They highlight how the sheep know the shepherds voice. The only way the "sheep" at the KH know the elders voice is from the platform.
Yep, and the Shepherd's voice is the one calling people out of the tombs in the end.....Only One is able to do that so it would seem we should follow that One.
I used to wonder how elders considered themselves "shepherds" ... they act more like the "hired men" illustration to me. When the wolf comes they abandon the sheep . They abuse the sheep. Why?, because the sheep don't truly belong to them.
Kinda what Paul was trying to get across when people were saying, "I belong to Paul, I to Appollos," etc. No, I belong to Christ and no one else...this excludes the elders from thinking they own people and helps people not to be followers of men.