Who are the 24 elders ?

There's been a lot of speculation about who the 24 elders are. Some have suggested that it's the nation of Israel, tribulation believers or even angels.

In this post we are going to be investigating who the 24 elders are and who they represent.

Firstly let's read revelation 4.

John states in Revelation 4

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasperand ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in whiteand had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.

So let's a little dig deeper into the scripture.

Firstly verse 1 and 2 says

"After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it".

This is symbolic of the rapture of the church (also known as the great catching away. In the book of Thessalonians we are told that all believers dead and alive in Christ will be resurrected,changed and caught up to meet Jesus. This will all happen at the sound of a trumpets

1 Thessalonians 16-17

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

There are stunning similarities to what John witnessed in revelation. Notice how john hears a trumpet call and caught up, the church will also be caught up to heaven at the sound of a trumpet call.

Let's read verse 4

"Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in whiteand had crowns of gold on their heads."

Jesus promises the church crowns as a reward for hard work during their lives on earth.

I have taken some of the information below from a article I have included the link below

http://www.parsonplace.com/crowns.html

1. Crown of Righteousness (a.k.a. the Watcher’s Crown) For loving (longing for) the Lord’s appearing (2 Timothy 4:8)

2. Crown of Victory (a.k.a. the Victor’s Crown) For spiritual discipline and self-control (1 Corinthians 9:25-27)

3. Crown of Life (a.k.a. the Martyr’s Crown) For patiently enduring trials and/or death (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10)

4. Crown of Glory (a.k.a. the Elder’s Crown) Godly leaders who were good examples to their flock (1 Peter 5:2-4; Matthew 5:19)

5. Crown of Rejoicing (a.k.a. the Soul-winner’s crown) For leading others to accept Christ by sharing the Gospel of repentance and salvation (1 Thessalonians 2:19; Daniel 12:3; Proverbs 11:30)"

We are also warned about the possibility of losing our crowns too.

Warnings About Crowns and Rewards

• Do not let anyone take your crown (Revelation 3:11)

• Do not let anyone deceive you into forfeiting your crown or reward (2 John 1:7-8)

• Do not do your good deeds with wrong (self-centered or otherwise impure) motives (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16)


In revelation 3 Jesus talks about his promises to the church.


Revelation 3:5

The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Now We can start to see stunning parellels between the 24 elders and the promises Jesus gives to the church. The church will be dressed in white and so will the 24 elders. The 24 elders have crowns, the church are also given crowns.

Revelation 5: 8-9

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;

Notice in this chapter that they sing a song about being redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ.

The only people who are caught up to the throne, granted crowns, who are dressed in white, and are redeemed before the tribulation are the church.

Therefore the 24 elders can be no other entity than the church.

I hope this post was interesting.

God Bless