Twenty-Four Elders

Last updated
12th century A.D., France. The Portal Royal of the Chartres Cathedral, with Christ at the center, surrounded by the Four Evangelists with the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse above (with others). Chartres - portail royal, tympan central.jpg
12th century A.D., France. The Portal Royal of the Chartres Cathedral, with Christ at the center, surrounded by the Four Evangelists with the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse above (with others).
Circa 1265-70 England. Douce Apocalypse - Bodleian Ms180. Angel with the seventh trumpet. Christ proclaimed by the elders. (Revelations 11: 15-17) Douce Apocalypse - Bodleian Ms180 - p.039 Christ proclaimed by the elders.jpg
Circa 1265-70 England. Douce Apocalypse - Bodleian Ms180. Angel with the seventh trumpet. Christ proclaimed by the elders. (Revelations 11: 15-17)

The Twenty-Four Elders are figures from the Book of Revelation who appear in the Revelations 4, 5, 7, 11 and 19 of the Christian Bible; in white robes and golden crowns they on sit with musical instruments on thrones before God during the Apocalypse and praise and worship him. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Religious scholars have pointed out the thrones indicate that these are beings of power and authority in Heaven, the crowns indicate that their faith has been tested and the white robes indicate that they are clothed in righteousness. [6] [7]

They are described in the King James Bible, Book of Revelation 4 as: [1]

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.
10 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,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

From Revelation 5: [2]

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

From Revelation 11: [4]

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17 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.
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Depiction in artwork

See Revelation's four living beings
Illumination from the Book of Kells, showing the Four Evangelists, Matthew (the Winged Man or Angel), Mark (the Winged Lion), Luke (the Winged Ox or Bull), and John (the Eagle). KellsFol027v4Evang.jpg
Illumination from the Book of Kells, showing the Four Evangelists, Matthew (the Winged Man or Angel), Mark (the Winged Lion), Luke (the Winged Ox or Bull), and John (the Eagle).

The Elders are often depicted in medieval and Renaissance artwork with musical instruments.

The same medieval and Renaissance artwork draws from Revelation 4, showing the Elders with Christ. That artwork also depicts the "four beasts" who surround Christ. [1] [8] [9]

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever

The eagle, lion, calf and man may be the symbols of the Four Evangelists or their Gospels. [10] Alternatively they may be the four cherubim from Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 10. [10] [11]

Non-Christian allegorical interpretation

Champat Rai Jain, a 20th-century Jain writer claimed that the "Four and Twenty Elders" mentioned in the Christian Bible are "Twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras ". [12] In his book, Jainism Christianity and Science, he wrote:

Briefly, the beasts represent the different kinds of souls that are embodied in the four elements (of matter), namely, the earth-bodied (represented by the lion, since he walks on earth), the air-bodied (represented by the eagle who flies in the air), the water-bodied (represented by the calf, which here is the young of the sea-mammals), and the fire-bodied (represented by the sun which is painted as the face of a man). Wings are a symbol for time, since it flies; and the number six is descriptive of the six aras (spokes) or a half-cycle in which four and twenty Tirthamkaras appear and preach the Truth. Plainly put, the significance of the secret teaching is only this that Life is Divine, and its divinity is manifested most perfectly and fully in the case of four and twenty Tirthamkaras, who appear in a half-cycle of time, consisting of six aras, and preach the Noble Truth to and for the benefit of the souls embodied in material bodies. [13]

However, this is a view which comes out of Jainism. [13] It doesn't come from the Bible or Christian tradition.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Revelation 4". The Bible: King James Version. biblegateway.com. [Note: text is marked public domain on the website: Version Information In 1604, King James I of England authorized that a new translation of the Bible into English be started. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into English appeared (Tyndale, 1526)...The King James Version present on the Bible Gateway matches the 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States.]
  2. 1 2 "Revelation 5". The Bible: King James Version. biblegateway.com. [Note: text is marked public domain on the website: Version Information In 1604, King James I of England authorized that a new translation of the Bible into English be started. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into English appeared (Tyndale, 1526)...The King James Version present on the Bible Gateway matches the 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States.]
  3. ↑ "Revelation 7". The Bible: King James Version. biblegateway.com. [Note: text is marked public domain on the website: Version Information In 1604, King James I of England authorized that a new translation of the Bible into English be started. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into English appeared (Tyndale, 1526)...The King James Version present on the Bible Gateway matches the 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States.]
  4. 1 2 "Revelation 11". The Bible: King James Version. biblegateway.com. [Note: text is marked public domain on the website: Version Information In 1604, King James I of England authorized that a new translation of the Bible into English be started. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into English appeared (Tyndale, 1526)...The King James Version present on the Bible Gateway matches the 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States.]
  5. ↑ "Revelation 19". The Bible: King James Version. biblegateway.com. [Note: text is marked public domain on the website: Version Information In 1604, King James I of England authorized that a new translation of the Bible into English be started. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into English appeared (Tyndale, 1526)...The King James Version present on the Bible Gateway matches the 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States.]
  6. ↑ Haynes, Clarence L, Jr. (13 January 2023). "Do We Know Who the 24 Elders of Revelation Are?". biblestudytools.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Davey, Stephen (3 June 2022). "Who are the 24 Elders of Revelation 4?". wisdomonline.org. The promise of Christ to the church has come true. He promised us that we will be robed in white garments (Revelation 3:5 and 3:18); that we will be rewarded with crowns upon our heads (Revelation 3:11); and that we will be seated on thrones (Revelation 3:21). The twenty-four elder in John's vision represent all of us who will be doing exactly what is described.
  8. ↑ The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne: Description. Tate. Retrieved on November 05, 2008.
  9. ↑ Vining, Noble (2008-09-24). Bible Textionary on Revelation. p. 26. ISBN   9781572585164.
  10. 1 2 Dipippo, Gregory (28 October 2015). "Symbols of the Four Evangelists". New Liturgical Movement.
  11. ↑ Eichrodt, Walther (2003). Ezekiel: A Commentary. Westminster: John Knox Press. p. 55. ISBN   9780664227661.
  12. ↑ Jain 1930, p. 78.
  13. 1 2 Jain 1930, p. 78-79.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.