Transcription
So, who are the 24 elders? What do they represent in the book of Revelation?
There's only three groups of people that are kings and priests. Melchizedek was, Jesus Christ is, and we will be.
Are we the 24 elders? Who are they? I think you can make a when you study this, they make a clear case they represent. Chuck Missler explains the 24 elders, guys. And let me tell you, it will blow you away. It's so fascinating to hear Chuck Missler explain who these elders are. So, let's get right into it. Shout out to Chuck Missler and into Konier House for being so amazing. Let's get into it.
When you get to the book of Revelation, you're treated to a visit to the throne room of the universe. And one of the prominent features of that you discover in Revelation 4 and following. It says, "And round about the throne, that is the throne, were four and 20 thrones or seats. And upon the seats I saw four and 20 elders sitting clothed with in white raiment. And they had on their heads crowns of gold."
Now, as we undertake the book of Revelation, we know that the book of Revelation has 404 verses that include over 800 allusions from the Old Testament alone. Wow. Every one of these elements are amplified or explained somewhere else in the scripture. The reason the book of Revelation seems so strange to our ears because we haven't done our homework in the Old Testament. That's so true. All the time we're like, "Yeah, the New Testament is pretty normal. There's no genocide. Jesus is preaching all about love and and he's dying on the cross for our sins." But then you get to Revelation, you're like, "What in the world?" But the Old Testament has plenty of crazy things. Read Ezekiel, read Isaiah. I mean, read Joshua. Read Genesis. Great point.
Well, where on earth do we find four and 20 elders? There's many commentators conjecture, gee, we've got 12 tribes and 12 apostles. 12 and 12 make 24. Well, that sounds fine, but give me an example where that applies to scripture. No, the only place you find 24 elders or 24 seniors sitting or impaneled is in the priesthood. But don't confuse it. That's we're talking Levitical priesthood. That's just a model. These are not Levitical priests. What are they? They'll identify themselves. The word, by the way, for those seats are also thrones. We're going to discover as they talk, they aren't just sitting there as observers. They are in some respects ruling. They're assigned to these seats as kings or judges. Okay? And notice on their heads, they have crowns of gold. Okay? 24 elders.
David divides the priesthood into 24 courses in 1 Chronicles 24. By the way, there were non-Levitical priesthoods in the Old Testament. This shocks many people. Jethro was a priest of Midian. He wasn't a Levite. What kind of priest was he? We don't know. Jacob gave tithes in Genesis 28. I'd love to know to whom. We don't know much about that. In Genesis 14, we have a very interesting guy show up by the name of Melchizedek. Just a couple verses and he would disappear to obscurity except for the fact that Psalm 110 makes an allusion to him that Jesus Christ will be a priest after the order of Melchizedek, not after the. And my wife and I were reading Hebrews and it's just so fascinating to talk about Melchizedek and the correlation between Jesus and Melchizedek, just like Melchizedek had no, at least records of father and mother or lineage, and Jesus was kind of like that. He's the high priest, but he's the priest that will reign forever. Aaron or Levitical. Hebrews chapter 5 and chapter 6 and chapter 7 hammers away for three chapters, dwells on this fact that the Melchizedek priesthood was a king and a priest. He's the only one that was a king and a priest. Levitical, the the the Israel was divided. The priests were Levites. The rulers were Judah. They're not the cross. But the Messiah is both. Not after Levi, not after Levi, but after Melchizedek.
So, who are the 24 elders? What do they represent in the book of Revelation? Well, from 1 Chronicles 24, we're going to presume that they represent in some sense a completed group somehow. They're the leadership of some kind of segment here. What we know they cannot be is they cannot be tribulation believers. Somebody, well, they're believers from the tribulation. No, we'll see in Revelation 7, not so. Because in Revelation 7 it says, "One of the elders answered, saying to me, what are these which are robed in white robes? And whence came they?" And I said, "Sir, you know." He said to me, "These are they which came out of the great tribulation, have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." In other words, one of the 24 elders explained to John who those tribulation saints are. So, they're not tribulation saints, is the point. Okay.
See, one of the elders answered. Well, something else they can't be. They can't be angels. Well, they're a bunch of angels. No. No, they're not. Because in Revelation 7:11, it says, "All the angels should round about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts, the four living creatures that fell before the throne." So they're distinct from them, all the angels. So it can't be angels. Well, maybe they're spiritual beings. I don't think they are, but because the council is different than the elders, two different things. The nation Israel, no, chapter whole chapter 7 deals with that. Chapter 7 and 12.
What are the distinguishing characteristics of the 24 elders? They're sitting on thrones, Revelation 3:21. They have white raiment, which so they're righteous. They have crowns of gold, and that's mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 as well as 4 and 5. They sing the song of the redeemed. We're going to look at that in a minute in chapter 5. And they're called elders. And they're also called kings and priests. Very key thing. There's only three groups of people that are kings and priests. Melchizedek was, Jesus Christ is, and we will be.
In Revelation chapter 5, came forth and took the book out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. They sung a new song, saying, "Thou art worthy to take the book to open the seals thereof. 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."
I want you to notice something. Second person, first, excuse me, first person plural. "Thou hast redeemed us." These are the redeemed. How have they been redeemed? By thy blood out of what group? Out of every kindred, tongue and people and nation. And has made no way. So he's saying that the elders are the believers. Is that what he's getting at? Are we going to be elders, rulers, us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth? That's what these elders are singing. The 24 elders, who are they? I think you can make a when you study this, they make a clear case they represent us redeemed. Now that's based off of that though, based off of them speaking in uh not third person, second person, saying like that's them talking right there. Wow.
What do you guys think? I would love to know because this is fascinating. There's something very important to understand. The tribulation, the great tribulation is when the seals get opened and they and that starts the seven. You got the seven seals, you got the seven trumpets, seven all that starts chapter six on. The tribulation doesn't start until the book is opened. The book isn't opened until the Lamb receives the book. And when he receives the book, the redeemed are casting their count their crowns on the glassy sea. So the redeemed are in heaven before the tribulation starts. Very simple thing, very fundamental. There's a lot more to prove that, but the the the lampstands of fire that were in chapter 1 were on the earth in chapter 2 and 3 are in heaven in chapter 4 and so on.
That's I encourage you to study the book of Revelation on your own and come to your conclusions. Shout out to Chuck Missler for that. So fascinating. So are we the 24 elders that Revelation is talking about? The Christians, the believers. So, yeah, I would love to know what you guys think. But at the end of the day, I just want to encourage you all to keep on trusting Jesus during whatever trial, whatever tribulation that you're going through. It might be hard, it might be difficult, but I just want you to know Jesus loves you and he's longing to have a relationship with you, guys. Put him first. It will be the best decision you could ever make. Always remember, guys, Jesus loves you. And if you've never decided to follow Jesus, I encourage you to do that today. It will be the best decision you could ever make. So, click the link in the description below. It will help you to decide to follow Jesus for the first time. Do that today.