Around God’s throne in Heaven are thrones for 24 elders. This devotional reading looks at who those elders might be and their job.
Nuggets
- The elders have been given a seat of honor from which they can lead the prayer and praise service 24/7/365/eternity.
- God had long made His presence known through lightning, thunder, and fire.
I probably should have hooked this first section onto the last devotion, but hey. I knew I was going for elders for this devotion. This talks about their thrones, not God’s, which we talked about last time.
So, let’s jump back in.
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Devotions in the Opening the Door of Heaven series
Thrones of the Elders
“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads” (Rev. 4: 4 ESV)
The elders have been given a seat of honor from which they can lead the prayer and praise service 24/7/365/eternity.
Twenty-Four Thrones
The thrones denote this as a place of honor for 24 beings. They get to sit down, giving them dignity. Because they are wearing white garments, we know that they have been glorified.
A throne also implies the one sitting on it has been given authority over others. This could include judging others. We had already said we were going to table that discussion until Revelation 21.
Sitting on a throne around the throne of Sovereign God would be, I think, designated for someone of deep commitment and faithful service. It would be someone with more than just a mustard-seed faith.
Think about what an honor that would be for mere humans to be in God’s entourage. They are going to be deemed that worthy to have an inner seat by God 24/7/365/eternity.
But the elders didn’t win the lottery and were just chosen to take the elder’s throne. They gained that right because of their spiritual condition.
I know. I’m a broken record. God’s priority for us is our spiritual condition.
The elders are said to be around the throne of God. Spurgeon equated this to the layout of the Sanhedrin. The council members formed a semi-circle around the Prince of Israel.
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If that is the case, the Sanhedrin is patterned after Heaven. I can see the thrones precisely placed so that no elder is closer or farther away than another. Not only does God not show favorites, but He is also very orderly.
Twenty-Four Elders
The 24 attendants around God’s throne are called elders. To me, that could mean a variety of things.
Who the elders are is never stated. Their identify goes is the UNR book — understanding not relevant. We will look at some prevailing thoughts in a minute.
We know from other references in the Book of Revelation that these elders worship God. “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” Rev. 5: 8 ESV).
Sons of Israel
I can see half of the elders being the sons of Israel (Jacob). It was on these men and their offspring that the nation of Israel was founded.
No, nowhere in Scriptures does it say that they will rule over others — just Joseph (and that was a prophecy to be filled in his present). Still, each tribe had a head that was the patriarch of that tribe.
Also, at first glance, we may question if they, Old Testament characters, would be part of the glorified future. Jesus hadn’t started fulfilling the Plan of Salvation when they were alive. Therefore, the Plan of Salvation couldn’t save people yet.
True, but how can Abraham, Moses, David, Mary, and Joseph not be in Heaven? They are Hall of Famers.
Besides, even though it is a parable, Jesus would not have said Abraham was in Heaven if he wasn’t. “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side” (Lk. 16: 22 ESV).
Old Testament faithful will have their place in Heaven if they are deemed righteous.
Apostles
We right away jump to thinking the elders are old dudes because they are called elders. I don’t think that is it.
If it is based strictly on chronological age, the Apostles probably wouldn’t be eligible for the honor. They all died young men – except John.
What all the Apostles were was elders in the faith. They are rooted and grounded in the faith. They have endured trials and tribulations to grow in God’s grace and knowledge.
They have reached spiritual maturity. In other words, they have been perfected.
I think that holds more interest to God. It is about their wisdom and experience in their walk with Him.
I know. At times, we had to wonder if Peter was ever going to settle down and grow in faith and knowledge. But the wild card did turn into a rock.
I can also see the elders being the 12 Apostles because Jesus told them this Himself. “Then Peter said in reply, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mt. 19: 27-30 ESV emphasis added).
But this brings up another point. Did John see himself on a throne around the throne of Sovereign God? Is this one reason why he didn’t identify the elders?
Oh, the Son of Thunder would have tooted his own horn at that. But I bet John (and James) had outgrown that nickname.
A second head-scratcher this brings up is if the Apostles are 12 of the 24 and are judging the tribes of Israel, and the sons of Israel are 12 of the 24, who are they judging?
Revelation 21: 12-14 seems to corroborate that the elders could be the tribes of Israel and the Apostles.
“It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed — on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21: 12-14 ESV).
Yeah, having your name on a gate and foundation is great. Isn’t it so much more of an honor if you are given a seat of honor and a job to do?
I, personally, like the idea of it being the sons of Israel and the Apostles. Young did, too. He wrote, “There is an enlargement of the Church implied in the number. He was then the God of Israel, but He is now the God of the whole earth.”
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God is not going to turn His back on Israel and just go with the New Testament Church. He told Abraham that the term of His covenant with him was forever. “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17: 7 ESV).
True, I believe the Israelis born since Jesus came need to confess Jesus as their Savior and Redeemer. God is not going to punish the Old Testament Israelites because they were born prior to the Savior’s arrival.
But it will still be dependent on faith and obedience.
Priests
I guess I can see the elders being priests. Priests have always been in charge of worshiping God.
“And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death” (Num. 3: 10 ESV).
The number 24 could represent the number of courses of priests and Levites who served at the Temple. This would mean that a full contingent is in place to ensure continuous worship of Sovereign God.
This may be one reason why the elders are considered to be priests. They offer prayer and praise at the throne of Sovereign God.
Why I don’t see this is that Israel’s priests were priests because they were born into the job. They were priests because God said so.
They might have been like the elf in the movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He didn’t want to be an elf. He wanted to be a dentist.
As I said in the last section, I think that God is more interested in the elders having the faith. This is especially true since Peter called all of us priests. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Pet. 2: 9 ESV).
I don’t think God would give this honor to just anyone. I think — if it isn’t the Apostles — it would be like the Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham type.
I don’t remember where, but I have also heard 12 described as angels and 12 described as mankind. Part of me would like to see the angels recognized for their service.
Would God choose them since, being angels, they didn’t have to go through the highs and lows of faith? I have no idea.
God will choose whom He wants to have the honor.
White Garments
White garments again. We talked several times in Revelation 2 and 3 about the white robes.
This, too, shows that the elders have been perfected.
Golden Crowns
Crowns again. We’ve talked several times about crowns as a reward to the seven Messianic congregations.
This recognition of their faithfulness is also validated by the golden crowns. This reward was mentioned a couple of times in God’s Word. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (Jas. 1: 12 ESV).
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Sounds from the Throne
“From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God” (Rev. 4: 5 ESV)
God had long made His presence known through lightning, thunder, and fire.
Lightning and Thunder
We go back to the Wilderness Wanderers at Sinai. God orchestrated the light and sound show to prove His presence.
God does reveal Himself to us. It is called theophany. This is a temporary occurrence but can be either a physical form or personal event.
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That is what God was doing that day on Mt. Sinai.
“On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder” (Ex. 19: 16-19 ESV).
What is the same here in Revelation 4: 5?
- Flashes of lightning
- Rumblings and peals of thunder
- Torches of fire
Yes, God is consistent.
What was God doing that day on Mt. Sinai? He was giving the Ten Commandments. We might could say that they were the beginning of the law.
We could also say that it has gone full circle: the presentation of the law to the judgment of the law.
Seven Torches of Fire
I think it is significant that this is another use of light. We know Jesus is the light of the world. “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (Jn. 8: 12 ESV).
Here, the seven torches are symbolizing the seven spirits of God. Some believe the seven spirits to be the Holy Spirit. Some think seven spirits to be Jesus.
It is also significant that the number seven has been used again. It means divine completion and perfection.
What I almost missed was where it says “… before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God” (Rev. 4: 5 ESV). Nothing I read helped me understand this.
The Holy Spirit is torches.
Why would One part of the Trinity be identified as torches? To me, this isn’t symbolism. It is more a reality statement.
I get the part where the torches are ringing the throne. They are an integral part.
We talked about the Holy Spirit being identified as seven spirits in greeting in Revelation 1. “… from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth …” (Rev. 1: 4-5 ESV).
I am going to reuse the verse we looked at in that devotion. “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11: 2 ESV).
Wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear do not tie into torches in my mind.
For me, this is just one thing that won’t get answered at this time — if ever.
Making the Connections
The job of the elders is to lead worship. I like the idea that they are the sons of Israel and the Apostles.
Think about it. Jacob’s sons weren’t the cream of the crop. Reuben staged a coup. While some response was appropriate, Simeon and Levi slaughtered a whole town (Gen. 34: 25-27). Judah slept with his daughter-in-law. True, she was disguised, but his actions led to her deceit.
Do I need to go on? We are only a third of the way through the list.
The Apostles weren’t the cream of the crop, either. None of them were scholars. In fact, most were uneducated.
Most worked with their hands and the sweat of their brow.
In other words, they were just like Tom, Sally, and Elaine. They struggled with their faith. They messed up – sometimes, big time.
But they accomplished the tasks God had for them. They worked out their salvation. They believed in God and that He had a plan to save us.
How Do We Apply This?
- Have a faith such as the elders have.
Father God. We aren’t looking for the recognition. We are looking for the relationship with You. Help us to grow to have a faith like that of the elders. Amen.
What do you think?
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