Twenty-Four Elders
{{Short description|Group in the Bible's Book of Revelation}}
File:Chartres - portail royal, tympan central.jpg, with Christ at the center, surrounded by the Four Evangelists with the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse above (with others).]]
File:Douce Apocalypse - Bodleian Ms180 - p.039 Christ proclaimed by the elders.jpg
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.{{cite book |publisher= biblegateway.com|title= The Bible: King James Version |chapter= Revelation 7 |url= https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2011&version=KJV |quote=[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.]}}{{cite book |publisher= biblegateway.com|title= The Bible: King James Version |chapter= Revelation 19 |url= https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2019&version=KJV |quote=[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.]}}
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.{{cite web |website= biblestudytools.com |title= Do We Know Who the 24 Elders of Revelation Are? |first= Clarence L, Jr.|last= Haynes |date= 13 January 2023 |url= https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/do-we-know-who-the-24-elders-of-revelation-are.html}}{{cite web |website=wisdomonline.org |title= Who are the 24 Elders of Revelation 4? |date= 3 June 2022 |first= Stephen |last= Davey |url= https://www.wisdomonline.org/blog/24-elders?lang=English&srsltid=AfmBOoreWr4KoowohEZe8V1WQvHc4fGKnjOecSe1NQ52_enkFQSFUDMe |quote= 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. }}
: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.
: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.
: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''
File:KellsFol027v4Evang.jpg, 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.{{cite AV media|url=http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=1149&tabview=work|title=The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne|format=Painting|via=Tate|access-date=5 November 2008|first1=William|last1=Blake|year=1803–1805}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-TJ9FXO1bt8C&pg=PA26|page=26|title=Bible Textionary on Revelation|isbn=9781572585164|last1=Vining|first1=Noble|date=2008-09-24}}
: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.{{cite web |website= New Liturgical Movement |date= 28 October 2015 |title= Symbols of the Four Evangelists |first= Gregory |last= Dipippo |url= https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2015/10/symbols-of-four-evangelists.html?m=1}}Alternatively they may be the four cherubim from Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 10.{{cite book| last=Eichrodt |first= Walther |date=2003 |title=Ezekiel: A Commentary |place=Westminster |publisher= John Knox Press |isbn= 9780664227661 |page= 55}}
Morgan Beatus, Vision of the Lamb Metro.jpg|Circa 925-968 A.D., Spain. Illumination from Commentary on the Apocalypse, showing the Vision of the Lamb, the four cherubim and some of the 24 elders. Morgan Beatus, Ms. 644
File:Vision of the Lamb perspective, cropped.jpg|Circa 1175 A.D., Spain. Illumination from Commentary on the Apocalypse, Rylands Beatus. Elders with musical instruments and bowls, next to the Four Beasts (Revelations 4). The Lamb of God (center) beneath God the Father. Angel talking to John (bottom). Four Cherubim (or seraphim) on the corners.
File:Elders with rebecs, Santo Domingo de Soria.jpg|Elders of the apocalypse with rebecs (substitute for harps) and vials. Santo Domingo de Soria
File:Santiago 21II2007 4.jpg|1188 A.D., Spain. Portico of Glory from the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, featuring Christ surrounded by the Four Evangelists, the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse overhead.
File:Tímpano de la Portada del Sarmental, Catedral de Burgos.jpg|1230-1240 A.D., Spain. Tympanum of the Sarmental Portal, Burgos Cathedral, with Christ, the Four Evangelists, the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse (with musical instruments), angels, and others.
File:York Minster - Elders.jpg|1405-1408 England. York Minster, Great East Window showing 24 Elders of the Apocalypse.
File:Dome of Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence).jpg|Circa 1430, Florence, Italy. Image of heaven with the Twenty-Four Elders looking down from vaulted center.
File:Apocalypse figurée des ducs de Savoie - Escorial E Vit.5 - Vision of God.jpg|15th century A.D. Vision of God. 24 Elders of the Apocalypse gather around Christ. From the Figurative Apocalypse of the Dukes of Savoy.
File:Dionysiou monastery - Apocalypse. 24 elders.jpg|16th century A.D., Mount Athos, Greece. Apocalypse scente at the Dionysiou Monastery. The 24 Elders cast their crowns before God.
File:Houghton Typ Inc 2121A - Dürer, Apocalypse, 21.jpg|1498, Germany. Saint John kneeling before Christ and the Twenty-Four Elders. Engraving by
File:The Four and Twenty Elders (William Blake).jpg|The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne, c. 1803–5. William Blake, Tate. 354 x 293 mm.
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".{{sfn|Jain|1930|p=78}} In his book, Jainism Christianity and Science, he wrote:{{quote|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.{{sfn|Jain|1930|p=78-79}}}}
However, this is a view which comes out of Jainism.{{sfn|Jain|1930|p=78-79}} It doesn't come from the Bible or Christian tradition.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
Sources
- {{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.30923|title=Jainism, Christianity and science|last1=Jain|first1=Champat Rai|year=1930|author-link=Champat Rai Jain|publisher=The Indian Press Ltd.|location=Allahabad}}
External links
- John P. Burke, [https://watch.pairsite.com/24-elders.html The Identity of the Twenty-Four Elders: A Critical Monograph on Revelation 4:4]
{{Book of Revelation|state=collapsed}}