By Nathan Jones for
Christ in Prophecy
When the Apostle John was caught up to Heaven, he revealed that God’s throne does not stand alone. Rather, it is situated at the center of a circle of lesser thrones.
He wrote, “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads” (Revelation 4:4). John, calling himself the Elder (2 John 1:1), had met the 24 Elders, and in doing so, presented a great mystery. Just who are the 24 Elders?
The first impulse is to identify the 24 Elders as a special elevated class of angels. Such a conclusion is problematic, though. The ancient origins of angels could have certainly earned them the title Elder, but then this would have been the only time in the Bible where angels are called elders.
If not angels, could the 24 Elders be members of humanity? And, if so, which humans? Some theorize that the 24 Elders could be comprised of the 12 sons of Jacob, Israel’s tribal patriarchs, plus the 12 Apostles, with the two groups representing God’s Old and New Covenants. That configuration has a certain logic to it. But, as the last living Apostle, John’s seat should have remained vacant, yet he still counted 24 Elders present.
If not a Patriarch-Apostle combo, what about the 24 Elders being comprised of still another group of men, ones unknown to us?
More
christinprophecyblog.org
Christ in Prophecy
When the Apostle John was caught up to Heaven, he revealed that God’s throne does not stand alone. Rather, it is situated at the center of a circle of lesser thrones.
He wrote, “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads” (Revelation 4:4). John, calling himself the Elder (2 John 1:1), had met the 24 Elders, and in doing so, presented a great mystery. Just who are the 24 Elders?
The first impulse is to identify the 24 Elders as a special elevated class of angels. Such a conclusion is problematic, though. The ancient origins of angels could have certainly earned them the title Elder, but then this would have been the only time in the Bible where angels are called elders.
If not angels, could the 24 Elders be members of humanity? And, if so, which humans? Some theorize that the 24 Elders could be comprised of the 12 sons of Jacob, Israel’s tribal patriarchs, plus the 12 Apostles, with the two groups representing God’s Old and New Covenants. That configuration has a certain logic to it. But, as the last living Apostle, John’s seat should have remained vacant, yet he still counted 24 Elders present.
If not a Patriarch-Apostle combo, what about the 24 Elders being comprised of still another group of men, ones unknown to us?
More
Identifying the 24 Elders of Revelation 4 | Dr. Nathan E. Jones
I believe these unknown men are representatives of the Church due to how John described the rewards these men hold, rewards promised only to the raptured Church.
christinprophecyblog.org
