‘And round about the throne were twenty four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and on their heads crowns of gold.'
These thrones might tie in with Daniel's description in Daniel 7, although Daniel only mentions them in passing. They are an indication that this is a particularly important occasion. All Heaven is participating in what is to happen. The description of ‘elders' shows the respect in which these figures were held. Their authority is depicted by the fact that they alone sit on thrones. Compare Revelation 20:4 where thrones are given to those who sit in judgment. The elders are probably the ones referred to as ‘thrones' in Colossians 1:16
In all ancient societies (e.g. Genesis 50:7; Numbers 22:7) older men were looked on as wise and to be respected. But the term elder was also an official one used of those who were given special overall authority, who were usually older men, but not necessarily so. In Exodus 24:1 Moses is assisted by seventy ‘elders', and later every city had its own ruling body of ‘elders'. The influence of ‘the elders' continued in the appointment of Saul and throughout the Monarchy, as representing the people (1 Samuel 8:4 on; 2 Samuel 5:3; 1 Kings 8:1; 1 Kings 8:3; 1 Kings 20:7; 1Ki 21:8; 2 Kings 10:1; 2 Kings 19:2; 2 Kings 23:1). Ezekiel had dealings with them in the captivity (Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 14:1; Ezekiel 20:1). There were also ‘elders of the priests' (Isaiah 37:2; Jeremiah 19:1).
In the time of Jesus ‘the elders' were a respected group, separate from the priesthood and the Pharisees (Matthew 26:3), men of influence, heads of important lay families who were represented on the Sanhedrin, and who were seen as the people's representatives (see Luke 19:47).
In the church the elders were a ruling body who looked after church affairs (Acts 11:30; Acts 14:23; Acts 15:2 and often; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1). Peter himself claims to be an elder (1 Peter 5:1) as does John (2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1). Thus elders were figures of authority and maturity who ruled over affairs on behalf of others and represented the people, or the priests, or the church or whoever had selected them.
But who are these elders? They are figures of royal authority in Heaven, but they continually cast their crowns down before the throne showing their total submission to God (Revelation 4:10). Thus they recognise the total rightness of His judgments and His position. They are clothed with white clothing emphasising their purity and righteousness. The crowns of gold on their heads represent their royal authority under God. They are the only beings who wear crowns in the presence of God.
The number twenty four links them with the courses of priesthood established by David under divine inspiration (1 Chronicles 24:3-5; 1 Chronicles 24:7-19 with 1 Chronicles 28:11-13; 1 Chronicles 28:19). That there were ‘elders of the priests' is confirmed in Isaiah 37:2; Jeremiah 19:1 - where they are distinguished from the elders of the people. The fact that they have a priestly role is confirmed by the fact that they sing praise to God (they are the only ones described as singing) (Revelation 5:9) and have golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of God's people (‘saints' in the New Testament is the name given to God's people as a whole. See Acts 9:13; Acts 9:32; Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10; Romans 1:7; Romans 8:27; Romans 12:13; Romans 15:25-26; Romans 15:31; Romans 16:2; Romans 16:15; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 6:1-2; 1 Corinthians 14:33 and often throughout Paul's letters; the regular introductions to Paul's letters; Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 13:24).
The twenty four elders continually worship God (Revelation 4:10) and sing of what He has done for His people, who parallel on earth what these represent in Heaven (Revelation 5:9-10). Thus they are a royal priesthood who in Heaven represent God's people on earth. They wear crowns because they represent those who are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), those who will one day share the throne of Christ.
On earth Israel were intended to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6), indicating that they had a ministry to the nations to minister for them and seek to bring them to God. Apart from their sacrificial duties one of the responsibilities of the priests was to teach the Law (Leviticus 10:11; Ezra 7:10; Malachi 2:7). This task then became the church's whom Peter declared to be a holy priesthood, and indeed a royal priesthood, who were to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ Jesus (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9). Thus they too are a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6).
So while in the number ‘twenty four' we may secondarily see a connection between the twenty four elders and the twelve tribes of Israel, headed by their patriarchs, combined with the twelve apostles (Revelation 21:12-14 - but notice that the two sets of twelve are distinguished there, not combined), it is not the main idea. The main stress is on the fact that the elders are a heavenly royal priesthood, although as with the church, they are interceding and worshipping priests, not sacrificing priests, for they recognise that the one sacrifice has been made once for all (Revelation 5:9). In that sense they represent the church of Christ and the saints of the Old Testament before God (for Old Testament ‘saints' see 1 Samuel 2:9; 2 Chronicles 6:41; Psalms 16:3; Psalms 30:4 and often; Proverbs 2:8; Daniel 7:18-27; Matthew 27:52).
The popular view that they are the church is based on hope (and a doubtful text in AV), rather than exegesis. This is evident from the fact that:
· The elders refer to the church in the third person (Revelation 5:9-10). (This later changed to the first person ‘us' in later manuscripts, as reflected in AV, because of the erroneous application to the church).
· An individual elder speaks to John (Revelation 5:5; Revelation 7:13). They are thus seen as individuals. But it is noteworthy that when the church is to be spoken of it is an elder and not an angel who speaks (Revelation 7:13).
· The majority of the church is still on earth.
· The resurrection has not yet taken place, therefore the righteous are still in ‘conscious soul sleep' and not resurrected in Heaven (Revelation 5:9-11). While this is conscious bliss it is never shown in Scripture to be ‘bodily'.
But the elders are representatives of the church before God, and the fact that the highest beings in Heaven apart from the Godhead (the only ones to have thrones and crowns) are seen as acting on behalf of the church, and bringing them and their prayers to attention before God, was intended to act as an encouragement to the church on earth in the time of tribulation to come.
As each church has its angel who watches over it and represents it before the Father, as demonstrated by the angels of the seven churches (and as angels represent and watch over little children who believe in Christ - Matthew 18:10), so the church of Old and New Testament believers are watched over by the twenty four elders, whose specific task concerns the universal church. But they too are servants of God and must not therefore be venerated directly (Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:9).