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“Imperishable Crowns”
Categories: NEW TESTAMENTWho are the twenty-four elders?Sincerely,
Taking Role
Dear Taking Role,
The twenty-four elders seen in Rev 4:4 are before the throne of God. They are identified as wearing white garments and wearing crowns of gold. These details lend toward them being representative of the saved because God promises the faithful imperishable crowns (1 Pet 5:4) and robes of white (Rev 3:5). The book of Revelation is highly symbolic, and it is important to not get too bogged down in looking for specifics when the book is intended to give a bigger picture of the church’s persecution and eventual victory over Rome. Having said that, to us, the most plausible thing that the twenty-four elders represent is a combination of the redeemed from both the Old and New Covenants… twelve elders symbolic for the twelve tribes of Israel and twelve elders standing for the saved under the teachings of the twelve apostles. Both the faithful of the Old and the New Testaments are saved together in Christ (Heb 9:15, Heb 11:40), and all the faithful cast their crowns down before God (Rev 4:10). For an in-depth study of the book of Revelation, please feel free to download our class series on that subject at http://www.mvchurchofchrist.org/sermons.
