END OF TIME PROPHECIES 073

ROUNDABOUT THE THRONE.........24 Elders.     Revelation 4v4. 

"And  roundabout the throne were four and twenty seats (thrones): and upon the seats (thrones) I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment: and they had on their heads crowns of gold."

So what are these and what is their significance?   Their presence is mentioned throughout the book of Revelation, but there was no reference to them in the vision of Ezekiel chapter 1, so it appears they are additional to what was present then.   Their role is priestly, in that they worship God; but it is also governmental, for they are sitting on thrones, and have crowns on their head.   The combination of priesthood and kingship was forbidden in any one person in the Old Testament scriptures.   However in Revelation chapter 1 a group of people are said to have been made  "kings and priests unto God."   (Revelation 1v6).   This twin occupation of priestly service to God and administrative duty to man is hinted at in 1st Peter chapter 2 where the redeemed people of God are described in this twin role as a holy priesthood and secondly as a royal priesthood.   Thus they would point to the church.   That this is a fresh addition in heaven bears out the fact that a new body of people are now in heaven, which gives credence to the belief that the church as a unit has been transferred from earth to heaven. This dual role is only possible in men when Christ is glorified.  There is additional evidence as follows:

• The elders are distinct from the four living creatures.   Revelation 4v9&10
• The elder are distinct from angels.   This is made clear in Revelation 5v11 and revelation 7v11.  
• The last promise Jesus gave to the overcomer was that believers from the church would be granted to sit on his throne, and this fits exactly with the picture here.
• The elders are said to be clothed in white raiment; this resonates back to the church at Sardis "they shall walk with Me in white" and "they shall be clothed in white raiment."   Again also at Laodicea  "buy of Me white raiment that thou mayest be clothed."   the picture once again fits with the church.
• They had on their heads crowns of gold; the word for crown is stephanos which means a victor's crown, a crown that has been earned in conflict or in struggle; crowns which have been awarded for achievement.   This is as opposed to the word diadema which is the rightful crown reserved for a sovereign whose inherent right it is to rule.   Diadems only properly belong to deity and all who claim such rightful crowns have been granted it only by the will of God.   The crowns spoken of here have been won through the struggle on earth and will be given to the overcomers which are repeated seven times over in Revelation chapters 2 & 3.

What then of the number twenty four and what of the elders?   A clear picture of this is given in 1st Chronicles chapter 24 where king David established the temple service in connection with the throne.   The story runs from (1st Chronicles 24 - 1st Chronicles 27).   In chapter 24 king David appoints twenty four orders of priesthood for the service of the temple.   There were many more priests than just twenty four but in the chapter "chief men of the house of their fathers" were appointed as representatives of the whole body of the priesthood.   Their role was to act as "governors of the sanctuary" and "governors of the house of God."   (1st Chronicles 24v4-5).   Thus these twenty four orders of priests had heads, chief men, who were over the great number of priests on duty. Also   because they were appointed first before any other group, they were over the entire external administration of the kingdom.   This included all functions such as musicians, porters, administrators, and warriors for defence.   All this is found in the chapters mentioned.  

From this we see the meaning of the twenty four elders with crowns on their head; being representative of the whole body of the church.   Thus so far, we have seen the symbols as the covenant God of Israel and now the God of the church.   These twenty four elders are human beings who have been blessed by God and have achieved a high status in His kingdom.   They are already in heaven, the true Israel not yet there but the symbols of divine promise that all of God's people will one day be gathered.   As Jesus said in (John 10v16 ) "there shall be one fold and One shepherd."   This was confirmed by the high priest Caiaphas in (John 11v51) when he prophesied  "that Jesus should die for that nation and not for that nation only, but also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad."