24 elders in the Bible

[jenny_griswold]

Who are the 24 elders in Bible?

 

[Mystophilus]

jenny griswold:

Who are the 24 elders in Bible?

The Bible is rather a long text, but I guess that you might mean these guys:Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. (Revelation 4:4)
As for who they are, I am sorry, but I have no idea. However, 24 is a symbolic number…

 

[Fidelis]

The Navarre Bible Commentary on Rev 4:4 says:

1. God’s sovereignty over the world–as symbolized by the throne–is
   shared in by others whom the vision also portrays as seated on thrones.
   They are symbolically described as twenty-four elders who act as a kind
   of heavenly council or senate. These elders appear frequently in the
   course of the book, always positioned beside God, rendering him tribute
   of glory and worship (cf. 4:10; 5:9; 19:4), offering him the prayers of
   the faithful (cf. 5:8) or explaining events to the seer (cf. 5:5; 7:13).
   It is not clear whether they stand for angels or saints; the Fathers and
   recent commentators offer both interpretations.

The symbolic number (twenty-four) and the way they are described suggest
that they stand for saints in the glory of heaven. They are twenty-four
–twelve plus twelve, that is, the number of the tribes of Israel plus
that of the Apostles. Our Lord in fact promised the latter that they
would sit on thrones (cf. Mt 19:28). The twenty-four elders, then,
would represent the heavenly Church, which includes the old and the new
Israel and which, in heaven, renders God the tribute of perfect praise
and intercedes for the Church on earth. The number twenty-four has also
been seen as reflecting the twenty-four priestly classes of Judaism,
thereby emphasizing the liturgical dimension of heaven (cf. 1 Chron 24:
7-18; 25:1, 9-13). Whichever is the case, the white garments indicate
that they have achieved everlasting salvation (cf. 3:5); and the golden
crowns stand for the reward they have earned (cf. 2:10), or the
prominence among Christians, who have been promised that, if they come
out victorious, they will sit on Christ’s throne (cf. 3:21).

The New American Bible notes say:

[4] Twenty-four elders: these represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles; cf Rev 21:12-14.

Finally, the Douay-Rhiems/Haydock commentary has this:

Ver. 4. About the throne were four and twenty seats, or lesser thrones, twenty-four seniors or senators upon them, representing the illustrious saints both of the Old and New Testament, clothed in white garments, in token of their innocence, and crowns of gold, signifying the glory of the heavenly inhabitants. (Witham) — These four and twenty elders sitting around the throne of God, represent the judgment which the Almighty was about to pass upon the enemies of his Church. Thus in Daniel, when he was about to pronounce sentence against Antiochus Epiphanes, “thrones were placed, and the ancient of days sat,…the judgment sat, and the books were opened.” (Daniel vii. 9, 10.) They represent kings and priests who attend on the Sovereign Judge. It appears as if God intended to designate by the number the ancient patriarchs and the twelve apostles, who judge with the Lord, and condemn the injustice of their persecutors. (Calmet)

 

[At_His_Feet]

Jenny - Welcome to the forum!

The K of C booklet “Revelation a Divine Message of Hope” by Fr. Bruce Vawter says:

“The twenty-four elders who appear throughout the Apocalypse symbolize the elect of both the old and new covenants”. (p. 17)

Downloadable as a PDF file here (scroll down 'till you get to “Revelation a Divine Message of Hope”): http://www.kofc.org/un/publications/cis/publications/veritas/list.cfm

Hope that helps. AHF