The 24 elders in God’s throne room are people.

Purpose

In Revelation 4, 24 elders sit on 24 thrones around God’s throne (Rev 4:4). Since thrones symbolize authority, they share in God’s rule of this world. The purpose of this article is to determine who they are, specifically, whether they are people of angels.

Summary

For the following reasons, this article concludes that the 24 elders are people and not angels:

“Elder” is a familiar Biblical title for the leaders of God’s people.

They sit on thrones, and Revelation promises that those who overcome will sit on thrones (Rev 3:21). 

They are “clothed in white garments,” which Revelation promises to God’s people (Rev 3:4-5).

They have victory crowns (stephanois) which, in Revelation, is the reward for overcoming (Rev 2:10).

The number 24 is equal to 12 + 12, and Revelation associates 12 with God’s people.

In contrast, angels are never called elders, are never shown as sitting on thrones, or wear crowns of any kind.

This article further concludes that the 12+12=24 elders represent the people of God from both the Old and New Testaments because Revelation merges the Church into Israel. For example, the New Jerusalem—the eternal home of God’s people in the new heavens and new earth—has written on it the names of both the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles.

The Elders are People.

Sit on Thrones

From time to time, Revelation embeds an outline of the next vision in the climax of the previous vision. As discussed, Revelation 3:21 is the climax of the messages to the seven churches and also provides an outline of the next four chapters. Therefore, it helps to explain Revelation 4. It promises that those who overcome will sit on thrones (cf. Rev 20:4), implying that the 24 elders sitting on thrones around God’s throne are overcomers.

White Garments

The 24 elders are “clothed in white garments” (Rev 4:4). Revelation often associates white robes with God’s people. For example, the overcomers in Sardis are promised white garments (Rev 3:4-5), and Laodicea is invited to “buy” white garments (Rev 3:18). [Show More]

Gold Crowns

The 24 elders have golden stephanos (Greek: stephanois) crowns. In the ancient world, the stephanos was a symbol of victory or a reward for exceptional conduct. It is best known today as the crown received by the winner in the Olympic games. It is in contrast to the royal crowns (Greek: diadêma) of rulers, as worn by the Beast (Rev 13:1). 

In Revelation, stephanos crowns are always worn by God’s people. For example, in the seven letters, it is the reward for the overcomers in Smyrna and Philadelphia and is called the “crown of life” (Rev 2:10; 3:11). [Show More]

Therefore, the stephanos crowns of the 24 elders imply that they are overcomers and, therefore, people. [Show More]

The Number 24

The number 24 could be based on the 24 divisions into which the Old Testament priests were organized (1 Chr 24:1-19). In Revelation, the 24 elders have “golden bowls full of incense” (Rev 5:8), implying that they function as priests.

However, it is more likely that the number 24 arises from a doubling of the number 12, which is the number symbolizing God’s people. In the book of Revelation, numbers often have a symbolic role. [Show More]

Specifically, the number 12 is associated with the people of God, for example, “the New Jerusalem,” which is equivalent to “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev 21:9-10), has 12 gates and 12 foundation stones, and on them are written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles (Rev 21:12, 14). [Show More]

Therefore, since 24 is equal to 12 + 12, the root number for the 24 elders is 12, which is the number symbolizing God’s people, implying that they represent God’s people.

Conclusion

The evidence that the 24 elders are people includes the fact that only God’s people are called elders, sit on thrones, wear white garments and gold crowns, and are associated with the number 24.

From both Israel and the Church

Both the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles are written in New Jerusalem (Rev 21:12, 14). The New Jerusalem, therefore, is the eternal home of both Israel and the Church, symbolically twelve each from Israel and the Church. This is one example of how Revelation merges the Church into Israel. [Show More]

Similarly, Jesus said that, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, His disciples “will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt 19:28, cf. Luke 22:30).

Since the 24 elders represent God’s people, and since the number 24 is equal to 12+12, and since Revelation merges Israel and the Church, it is proposed that the 24 elders represent God’s people from both before and after Christ. [Show More]

How did they get there?

Revelation 5 describes what happens in heaven when Jesus arrives after His ascension. (Read article) Assuming that Revelation 4 describes the time before Revelation 5 and that the 24 elders represent redeemed humanity, at what point did they enter God’s throne room? My response is that we should not interpret the vision too literally.

But if one wants a more literal answer, many of God’s dead people were raised to life when Jesus died. (Matt 27:51-53, NIV). Their existence was noticed as they wandered through Jerusalem’s streets after His resurrection (Matt 27:53). It is unlikely that they remained on earth afterward because their witness would have been widely noticed, but none of that is reported in the Bible. Neither would they have died again. Paul implies that when Jesus ascended, He took a host of people with Him (Eph 4:8). They might have been the people who were resurrected at His death. Among them might have been the 24 elders. 

However, the less literal response may be preferable because Revelation 4 is a timeless description of God’s throne room, not a specific event.


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