And round about the throne were four and twenty seats,
and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting,
clothed in white raiment.
And they had on their heads crowns of gold.
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne,
and worship him that liveth for ever and ever,
and cast their crowns before the throne.
And they sung a new song,
saying,
Thou art worthy.
John sees a throne, and around it twenty-four thrones. On them sit twenty-four elders, clothed in white, with crowns of gold. They fall, they cast the crowns, and they say that the Lord is worthy to receive glory and honour and power, because He created all things.
When the Lamb takes the book, they fall again and sing a new song. He was slain, and has redeemed them to God by His blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and has made them unto their God kings and priests. The song says “us” and “we.” That is the strongest line for reading the elders as the redeemed, not a silent order of angels. The living creatures and the angels are named beside them, not as them.
The number is not explained. Twenty-four is the courses of the priests, and it is twelve and twelve. The text does not say which. White and crowns are the dress. The thrones are the seats. The work John records is worship, and once an explanation of the great multitude.
Four and twenty elders.
Crowns cast before the throne.
Thou art worthy.
- Twenty-four thrones stand round the one throne.
- The elders are clothed in white and crowned with gold.
- They fall and cast their crowns.
- The new song says they were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
- Angels and living creatures are named beside them.
- The number is not given a verse of its own.
- The Seats – Twenty-four thrones.
- The Dress – White raiment, crowns of gold.
- The Act – They fall and cast the crowns.
- The Song – Thou art worthy.
- The Blood – Redeemed us to God.
- The Limit – The number is not explained.
- Revelation 4:4 – “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.”
- Revelation 4:10-11 – “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things.”
- Revelation 5:5 – “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book.”
- Revelation 5:8-10 – “The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb… Thou art worthy to take the book… for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
- Revelation 5:11 – “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders.”
- Revelation 5:14 – “And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.”
- Revelation 7:11 – “And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God.”
- Revelation 7:13-14 – “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? … These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
- Revelation 11:16-17 – “And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”
- Revelation 19:4 – “And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.”
- Revelation 1:6 – “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.”
- Revelation 3:21 – “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
- Revelation 20:4 – “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.”
- Exodus 24:9-11 – “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: and they saw the God of Israel.”
- 1 Chronicles 24:4-5 – “And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar… the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God.”
- Isaiah 24:23 – “The Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.”
- 1 Peter 2:9 – “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.”
Upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment.
They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy.
Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.
The elders sit, fall, and sing. The song says redeemed us. The number is not explained. Angels are named beside them, not as them.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.