24 Elders and the Four Living Creatures. Who Are They?

Who are the 24 elders?

„Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders (4245) dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads.” – Revelation 4:4

„the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne and worship the One who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say, Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive Glory and Honor and Power, because You have created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” – Revelation 4:10-11.

„Then the twenty-four elders (4245) and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah!” – Revelation 19:4.

„The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Armies will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and He will display His Glory in the presence of His elders.” – Isaiah 24:23.

„To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Yeshu our Savior. The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders (presbyterous – 4245) in every town.” – Titus 1:5.

„When they had appointed elders (presbyterous-4245) for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” – Acts 14:23.

Word 4245 means

biblehub online dictionary:

• presbyteros – properly, a mature man, having seasoned judgment (experience); elder, presbyter.
• The NT defines elders as men. The feminine singular, presbytera, never occurs in the Bible. The feminine plural, presbyteras, occurs in 1 Tim 5:2. This refers to women of advanced years, i.e. not women with official church office or title.

Strong’s paper dictionary:

• those who managed public affairs and administered justice in individual cities,
• those who led Christian communities, i.e. communities of believing people. The NT uses interchangeable terms: bishops and elders, overseers (presbyters),
• twenty-four overseers in Heaven, sitting on thrones around God’s throne.

What role do elders play?

Let us note that the elders and the living Beings have the great honor of being with Christ.

Verse ten suggests that the elders and the living creatures will reign on the earth and be priests:

„Then I saw one like a slaughtered Lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. He went and took the scroll out of the right hand of the one seated on the throne. When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God by Your Blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a Kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.” – Revelation 5:6-11.

In chapter seven, the elder explains to John what will happen:

„I said to him, “Sir, you know.” Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” – Revelation 7:13-14.

The 24 elders are yet another group of saints than the 144,000 chosen ones:

„They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb.” – Revelation 14:3-4.

The 24 elders are the victorious ones, the servants of the Most High God. They are dressed in white garments, meaning they are without sin. On their heads are golden wreaths/crowns of victory. They sit on their thrones around the main throne belonging to the Father and the Son. They bow to God and praise Him. These are spiritual figures serving the true God.

Who are the Four Living Creatures?

The four creatures are described by many prophets: John, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel.
• The first creature resembled – a lion,
• The second creature was – an ox.
• The third creature had – a human face.
• The fourth creature was – an eagle.

„Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. Four living creatures (2226) covered with eyes in front and in back were around the throne on each side. The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like an ox; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne, the One who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne and worship the One who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say…” – Revelation 4:6-10.

Here we have a description of similar living creatures. They stood before God and praised Him. They were named: Seraphim:

„In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; His Glory fills the whole earth.” – Isaiah 6:1-3.

Here we have the description of these creatures from the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel:

„The likeness of four living creatures came from it, and this was their appearance: They looked something like a human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, sparkling like the gleam of polished bronze. They had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead. Their faces looked something like the face of a human, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle. That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body. Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, they went without turning as they moved. The likeness of the living creatures was like the appearance of blazing coals of fire or like torches. Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it. The creatures were darting back and forth like flashes of lightning. When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures. The appearance of the wheels and their craftsmanship was like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their appearance and craftsmanship was like a wheel within a wheel. When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. Their four rims were tall and awe-inspiring, completely covered with eyes. When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, for the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose alongside them, for the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Over the heads of the living creatures the likeness of an expanse was spread out. It gleamed like awe-inspiring crystal…” – Ezekiel 1:5-22.

„Each one had four faces: one was the face of a cherub, the second the face of a human, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.” – Ezekiel 10:14.

„The first was like a lion but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human heart.” – Daniel 7:4.

What role do the four living Creatures play?

Here, the four beings are Christ’s helpers, sending out riders to accomplish tasks:

„Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, ’Come!'” – Revelation 6:1.

„One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives to the ages of the ages.” – Revelation 15:7.

Summary

The Elders and the Living Beings are spiritual figures serving the true God. They reside in Heaven at the throne of God. This is an incredible honor for them. Their attitude, faithfulness to the truth and behavior have earned them such a high rank in the hierarchy of Heaven, in the hierarchy of God.
The Elders, as well as the Living Beings, not only praise God, but also help fulfill the prophecies. One of the Elders explains the meaning of the prophecies to John, and the Living Beings help the Lamb send the four horsemen to perform specific tasks.
We can assume that each of the four Living Beings who sends a given rider controls what he does, but also helps, perhaps even manages a given action on behalf of Christ. The task of the rider is to perform the task not according to his will, but exactly as God the Father planned.