If you will turn to Rev. 5:8-10,8And 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 odors, which are the prayers of saints. 9And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and 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; 10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:8‑10) you will find the answer. When the Lord, as the slain Lamb, took the book with the seven seals, preparatory to breaking them, and releasing their judgments upon the earth, we read, " 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 odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, ' Thou art worthy to take the book, and 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.
Here the saints are "kings [basileus] and priests ", who will reign in a future day, when associated with our Lord in His reign.
Angels cannot sing the glad song of redemption. Sinners saved by grace are alone entitled to take such language upon their lips, and the Church is composed of sinners saved by grace, so we have the four and twenty elders telling us themselves who they are. Such testimony cannot be gainsaid.
And yet in face of all this a Tribulation writer has the audacity to tell us, "There is absolutely no evidence, that these twenty-four elders are human beings at all, or have any connection with the redeemed." There are none so blind, as those, who are "willingly ignorant." It is simply childishness to ask us to believe a statement so far removed from the plain teaching of Scripture.
Quite recently there appeared in a well-known religious magazine a letter from a correspondent, saying after 28 years' study of prophecy he would furnish a 'personal testimony for believing that the Church of God will be given the honor of witnessing right through the Great Tribulation. We will only examine No. 5 of his nine reasons. These are his words, bold type and capitals as they appear in his letter: " (5) Resurrection, NOT rapture, is the first great event after the Lord Jesus rises up from God's right hand (1 Thess. 4:16,16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (1 Thessalonians 4:16) last clause)." We turn to 1 Thess. 4:16,16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (1 Thessalonians 4:16) last clause, to ascertain what is the Scripture he relies on for his bold statement. We read, "The dead in Christ shall rise first," and there he stopped.
This Tribulationist would have been saved from making a most egregious blunder, if he had only read on, and noticed the context of the Scripture, which he quoted. We read, " Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up TOGETHER with them (the raised saints) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord " (1 Thess. 4:1616For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (1 Thessalonians 4:16)). Here it is plainly Resurrection AND rapture, spite of his saying "Resurrection NOT rapture." How much is his 28 years' study of prophecy worth, when he can make such a blunder on such a serious matter.
Why Are There Four And Twenty Elders?
It is interesting to see in the Old Testament how this unusual number was seen in the Jewish priestly service, setting forth the whole range of Tabernacle and Temple ritual worship (1 Chron. 24:7-197Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, 8The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 9The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, 10The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, 11The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, 12The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 13The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 14The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 15The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses, 16The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel, 17The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul, 18The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah. 19These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the Lord, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him. (1 Chronicles 24:7‑19)). Twelve, however, is the number that characterizes both Jewish and Christian economies. As a number it signifies administration.
There were twelve tribes in Israel. Twelve was the symbolic number of the stones, that shone in the breastplate of the High Priest, representing before God the whole nation. Twelve was the number of the loaves on the Table of Shewbread, signifying how God would sustain His people.
The number twelve is just as prominent in the New Testament. Twelve was the number of the Apostles of the Lamb. In the vision that John saw, "that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God " (Rev. 21:1010And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (Revelation 21:10)), he tells us of its cubic measurement. Its length, breadth and height was 12,000 furlongs, that is one thousand times twelve. It had twelve foundations, with which the twelve apostles were identified. It was garnished with twelve manners of precious stones. Twelve pearls were its gates. The wall was 144 cubits high, the square of twelve.
Everything points to the twenty-four elders, representing the dead saints raised, and the living saints changed, all caught up together at the rapture—twelve representing the Old Testament saints, and twelve the New Testament saints. How happily this is brought out in 1 Corinthians 15: 23, where we read, "Christ the Firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming."
Surely, "they that are Christ's " includes Old and New Testament saints alike—all who have found pardon and peace and shelter by faith, and by Christ's most precious blood.