The twenty-four (24) elders in Revelation – Who are they?

TL;DR:

The twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:4 are believers who cast their crowns before God's throne and acknowledge His sovereignty. They likely represent the church, Israel, or a combination of the twelve patriarchs and apostles.

what does the bible say?

The twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:4 are human, male believers who sit on thrones before the Lord, wearing white garments, which symbolize righteousness. They are distinct from angels and are described as wearing crowns, a privilege granted to believers. While the Bible doesn't explicitly identify them, they are often interpreted as representing either the church, Israel, or a combination of the twelve patriarchs and twelve apostles. One view ties the number twenty-four to the twenty-four priestly groups from 1 Chronicles 24:1–5, possibly symbolizing the "kingdom of priests," who will worship God in heaven during the tribulation. The twenty-four elders serve as a picture of God's people, worshiping Him after being raptured and escaping the tribulation.

from the old testament

The twenty-four elders are only mentioned in the New Testament.

from the new testament

Revelation 4:4 mentions twenty-four elders who sit upon twenty-four thrones before the Lord. The Bible does not specifically provide the identity of these elders; however, some information is provided that allows us to rule out some possibilities and consider a few options.
The twenty-four elders are described as human, male elders. They are not angels, creatures, or females, as John specifically uses male terms to describe these beings, and they are distinct from angels in other places in Revelation (7:11).
The twenty-four elders are clearly believers in the Lord. They are in heaven and wear white garments, something that symbolizes God's righteousness (Revelation 3:5, 18; 19:8). They worship the Lord (Revelation 4:11).
The twenty-four elders are also described as wearing crowns (Revelation 4:4), something not said of angels in Scripture and which believers are said to receive (1 Corinthians 9:24–25; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10).

implications for today

The twenty-four elders represent those who worship the Lord. More specifically, they may represent 1) the church, 2) representatives of Israel, or 3) the twelve patriarchs and twelve apostles (Matthew 19:28). One variation of these views is that the use of twenty-four elders may come from 1 Chronicles 24:1–5, in which the priests were organized into twenty-four groups. If so, this "kingdom of priests" represents the church that dwells in heaven with the Lord during the tribulation period.

This would also help alleviate the concern of Israel being represented in heaven during the tribulation period when Israel had not yet believed in the Lord Jesus on a large scale. Further, it would remove the problem of these elders representing the apostles since John himself, an apostle, was the one having the vision (Would he have seen himself as one of the twenty-four elders and not mentioned it?).

Again, while not specifically explained, the information in Scripture most likely identifies these twenty-four elders as representatives of the church, those who will dwell with the Lord during the tribulation period while God's judgments take place on the earth. Further, this fits the historic view of elders representing leadership of local churches (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9), offering a picture of God's people worshiping Him after escaping the tribulation as a result of the rapture (John 14:1–3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:51–58).

understand

The twenty-four elders in Revelation are human believers who worship God and acknowledge His sovereignty.
The twenty-four elders are described as wearing white garments and crowns.
The twenty-four elders are interpreted as representing either the church, Israel, or a combination of the twelve patriarchs and apostles.

reflect

How does the worship of the twenty-four elders encourage you in your worship of God?
How can you personally demonstrate humility by casting your "crowns" before God in daily life?
What does it mean to you to be a part of the "kingdom of priests," and how does that impact your sense of purpose and mission?

engage

What can we learn about worship from the twenty-four elders?
How do you think the representation of the elders as wearing white garments and crowns reflects the relationship between righteousness and reward in the believer's journey?
How might the interpretation of the twenty-four elders as representatives of the church, Israel, or both influence how we view God's overarching plan for His people throughout history?