Identifying the 24 Elders of Revelation 4

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

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

 

[mattfivefour]

Fascinating article, Rose. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. It has caused me to take a fresh look at this subject. Nathan Jones just may be on to something.

 

[Kaatje]

Interesting article, but I'd like to point out an inconsistancy.
Nathan says that if 12 of the Elders were the Apostles, then his own seat should be vacant.
But he also says that they could be Christians like you and me.
So if he saw you or me, that lived far beyond John's own life-time, than he surely could be among them.
Because he would be long dead and gone before this Heavenly scene played out.

But with all that, I don't say that Nathan's conclusion must be wrong, no.
We know there will be hierarchy in Heaven, and that God counts different than we do.
Just look at the parabels of the workers in the field (Matt 20), and the talents (Matt. 25).
And also what Jesus said about a certain widow:

And‭ Jesus‭ sat‭‭ over against‭ the treasury‭, and beheld‭‭ how‭ the people‭ cast‭‭ money‭ into‭ the treasury‭: and‭ many‭ that were rich‭ cast in‭‭ much‭.‭ ‭And‭ there came‭‭ a certain‭ poor‭ widow‭, and she threw in‭‭ two‭ mites‭, which make‭ a farthing‭.‭ ‭And‭ he called‭‭ ‭unto him‭ his‭ disciples‭, and saith‭‭ unto them‭, Verily‭ I say‭‭ unto you‭, That‭ this‭ poor‭ widow‭ hath cast‭‭ more‭ in‭‭, than all‭ they which have cast‭‭ into‭ the treasury‭:‭‭For‭ all‭ ‭they‭ did cast in‭‭ of‭ their‭ abundance‭‭; but‭ she‭‭‭ of‭ her‭ want‭ did cast in‭‭ all‭ that‭ she had‭‭, ‭even‭ all‭ her‭ living‭.

So maybe the Elder could be you or me, or an old lady in a wheelchair that was "useless" in the eyes of the world, but would pray without ceasing, or any one of which the Lord testifies:

Well done‭, ‭thou‭ good‭ and‭ faithful‭ servant‭: thou hast been‭‭ faithful‭ over‭ a few things‭, I will make‭‭ thee‭ ruler‭‭ over‭ many things‭: enter thou‭‭ into‭ the joy‭ of thy‭ lord‭.‭

 

[mattfivefour]

Interesting article, but I'd like to point out an inconsistancy.
Nathan says that if 12 of the Elders were the Apostles, then his own seat should be vacant.
But he also says that they could be Christians like you and me.
So if he saw you or me, that lived far beyond John's own life-time, than he surely could be among them.
Because he would be long dead and gone before this Heavenly scene played out.

Thank you! The same thought struck me, but I was too tired in the middle of the night to articulate it.

 

[Hobie]

Well, we see several text of the twenty four elders in scripture..
Revelation 4:10-11
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [and] twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

So what do these twenty four elders mean and where do they come from. The Levitical priesthood was divided into twenty-four courses and it was there at the time of Jesus. We see its continuance in Zacharias in Luke 1:5-9, when the angel came to tell him while he was in the temple that he would have a son, who was John the Baptist.
Luke 1:5-9
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

John in Revelation, saw four and twenty elders seated upon four and twenty seats, and they worshiped the Lamb, saying, “Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.. and hast made us unto our God kings and priests.”

Revelation 4:4
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Revelation 5:8-10
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

In this we see the antitype of the twenty-four courses of priests. The chiefs, or elders, of each course have seats of honor, and they are kings and priests after the order of Melchizedek. Now we see the following in Matthew 27:50-53..
Matthew 27:50-53
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

We see in Matthew the first fruits of those who rise from the dead after the resurrection of Christ, do they constitute the four and twenty elders? We see in Ephesians a clue:

Ephesians 4:8
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
The marginal reading is, he led a “multitude of captives.” Eph.4:8.

Is there a answer given here.

 

[Batman]

It's always been simple for me to say it's the disciples and patriarchs of the tribes. It's also always been simple for me to say I don't know and will be excited to learn the truth in eternity. I do like the 24 names on the foundation stones, gates, or whatever of New Jerusalem, but that doesn't make them the 24 elders. If others beyond those 24 men are in play, it would also be simple for me to say that Paul has to be one of the 24 elders. Good studies and thoughts above.