Who are the 24 Elders mentioned in the book of Revelation?
This question comes from Revelation chapters 4, and 5, the only place in the Bible where 24 elders are shown around the throne in heaven. Neither in Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1 nor Daniel 7 are the 24 elders shown around God’s throne. So this is new development taking place after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, revealed to John in AD 90 on his exile on the isle of Patmos.
The elders are first pictured around God’s throne in Revelation chapter 4. Then in Revelation chapter 5 John is shown that the elders are:
1) Redeemed (verse 9).
2) By the blood of the Lamb (verse 9).
3) From the nations of earth (verse 9).
With that in mind lets do some digging and see what we can find out from the Bible about these elders:
1) In the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, Jesus led a large group, “many” of the “saints” to heaven with Him (Matthew 27:52, 53).
“Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Ephesians 4:8; Psalm 68:18).
2) The throne room visions in Old Testament never include the 24 elders. This is significant because we know from the book of Job that representatives from other worlds have gathered together “before the Lord” (Job 1:6, 2:1). Apparently the 24 elders are a new group not noted in heaven until after the resurrection of Jesus. This indicates that the elders are the captives led to heaven by Christ as this ascension. Not until Jesus led the captive saints to the heaven from their graves is this group of 24 elders seen in heaven! This is beautiful picture in relation to our redemption and inclusion in heaven by this group of first-fruits or elders (Isaiah 6:1-4; Ezekiel 1:1-28; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).
3) The term elders is used approximately 175 times in the Bible to describe leaders among God’s people. There appears to be no Biblical reference that the word is used to describe angels or any other created beings. On this point alone we have a strong Biblical basis in favor of the 24 elders representing people.
4) The number is significant. Twelve is the kingdom number represented by 12 tribes of the Old Testament 12 disciples of the New Testament. God represents His kingdom or organized people on planet earth by the number 12. So these 24 elders likely represent the redeemed OT and NT. This idea is also seen in the 12 foundations and 12 gates of the New Jerusalem city, the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2,12, 14). Both points here suggest that the number 24 is representative of the redeemed who have a place in the city of God and in the throne room of God.
5) This next point shows a close connection between chapters 4 & 5 and the previous two chapters. The 24 elders possess things promised to the overcomers in the seven churches. The crowns, the white raiment, sitting on thrones, all correspond to the promises to the seven churches.
Having just finished writing to the churches, urging each one to overcome, John is then taken into a vision in heaven where he is shown 24 elders who have the very crowns, white raiment and thrones promised to the churches.
a)—Crowns
The crowns are Stephanos not diadems. Stephanoas implies victory over sin rather than leadership over territory. The Bible indicates that they are worn by those who overcomer, endure temptation, who are faithful to resist the devil unto death, those who are part of God’s church on earth:
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10; 3:11).
b)—Thrones
Jesus promises the Laodicean church a place on His throne (Revelation 3:21). Jesus also told the disciples that they would sit on thrones “judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). Following Christ’s connection between thrones and judgment Paul indicates that God’s redeemed will “judge angels.” Therefore the picture in Revelation 4 indicates the earnest of this reality:
c)—White Raiment
All the verses that identify “raiment” or “garments” in Revelation apply them to those who have not defiled them, who overcome and are written in the book of life, who need to buy garments from Jesus to be clothed, who watch and keep them in the battle of Armageddon, and also to the Lord whose garments were dipped in blood (Revelation 3:4, 5, 18; 16:15; 19:13, 16).
6) The phrase in Revelation 5:8 “Thou hast redeemed (agorazw agorazo-to buy in the marketplace, purchase)
us to God by Thy blood” is unique to mankind. It suggests the need for cleansing from sin and only this fallen world has that opportunity through the gift of Jesus Christ.
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 14:3, 4).
7)The next phrase, “redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,” mentioned in verse 9 is repeated in several ways throughout Revelation. It further indicates that the elders represent those who are redeemed from the earth, from among the nations of this world (Revelation 7:9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6).
“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Revelation 7:9).
8)Now looking at verse 10 of Revelation 5, the elders state:
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10).
This phrase and a variation of it in the Bible are also applied to redeemed human beings:
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9).
9) The phrase, “reign on the earth,” is also worth considering:
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10).
This is also a promise that has been made to redeemed humans:
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5; Revelation 22:5).
The Biblical evidence, especially from the book of Revelation, makes a strong argument in favor of the 24 elders being the resurrected representatives taken to heaven with Christ at His ascension. The crowns, thrones and raiment of the elders all speak of the promises to the overcomers in the previous two chapters as well as to their inclusion in the judgment process taking place in heaven. The fact that they are redeemed from the earth and made kings and priests speaks loudly to there being human beings. There inclusion in this eschatological picture of the throne room also makes sense when compared with their exclusion from previous throne room pictures as a group of humans numbering 24 had not been taken to heaven until the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our conclusion is that the 24 elders present to us a beautiful picture of an earnest of the human race redeemed by the grace of God. Praise God!
Conclusion:
Based on these 9 Biblical points the weight of evidence points to the 24 elders representing redeemed human beings who were taken to heaven with Christ at His resurrection. They are an earnest of the final innumerable host of the redeemed from all ages who overcome and are promised white robes, crowns and thrones.
Answers to Objections:
My Bible doesn’t say that the 24 elders are redeemed from the earth.
There is a key word that is changed in most of the New Bible translations like the NIV, RSV and ASV.
The Greek word that has been changed is the word “us.” It is found in the Greek manuscripts that make up the Textus Receptus. The Textus Receptus is the basis for the King James and New King James versions of the Bible. However the Greek word “us” is not present in the Westcott and Hort and Nestles Greek which is the basis for most of the newer Bible translations. The Westcott Hort (WH) and the Nestles (N) are based on the Vaticanus, Sinaitacus and Alexandrian Greek manuscripts. Though older, these manuscripts are filled with contradictions, scribal edits and are missing hundreds of verses from the New Testament. They also include the Apocrypha, the additional books not considered to be inspired but added to some Bibles including a version of the 1993 NRSV by Zondervon and the Catholic Latin Vulgate and Douay Reimes.
Why is this important? The Greek text of Revelation 5:9 is also an important part of the truth regarding the interpretation we give to the text. According to the Greek, verse 9 has the 24 elders saying that Christ has “redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”
The newer translations based on the Vaticanus, Sinaiticus and Alexandrians Greek is missing the Greek word for “us.” Not only that, but it adds the word “men” which is not supported by the Greek. Here is the verse:
9* And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with Thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, ASV, NAS95, NASB, NRSV, RSV.
Here is the Greek (WH/N) having no support for adding the word “men” to the English translations:
WH— 9* kai adousin wdhn kainhn legontev axiov ei labein to biblion kai anoixai tav sfragidav autou oti esfaghv kai hgorasav tw yew en tw aimati sou ek pashv fulhv kai glwsshv kai laou kai eynouv
So here is where we have a major problem in translation. The newer translations do not have the 24 elders representing the redeemed. The KJV and NKJV do. The implication here is huge because if we take the newer translations as our authority here, we can wiggle out of the clear Biblical identification that 24 elders are redeemed by the Lamb from the earth. Now it is important to understand that this major point of departure from the Greek is done again and again throughout the book of Revelation in the newer Bible translations causing other major problems.
In this case there are three points to consider with the newer translations:
- They contradict the KJV and NKJV based on the Textus Receptus which has proven to be true and tried and is based on the majority text.
- They do not have support, even in their own Greek text for adding the word “men.”
- They contradict the KJV and NKJV based on the Textus Receptus which has proven to be true and tried and is based on the majority text.