Revelation 4:4

Revelation 4:4. In the next part of the description we are told that there were round about the throne twenty-four thrones, and upon the thrones twenty-four elders. It is important to observe the word ‘thrones' (not as in the Authorised Version, ‘seats') here used by St. John, for there can be no doubt that it is deliberately chosen in order to bring out the fact that the glorified Church of Christ is placed in no lower position than that of the Saviour's and the Father's throne (comp. Revelation 3:21). These twenty-four thrones were like the rainbow ‘round about the throne.' It may be a question whether they were within or without the circle of the rainbow. Chap. Revelation 3:21 seems to determine against the latter. But perhaps we are even to think of them as set in the very circle of the rainbow in order to denote standing in the covenant of grace. The thrones were occupied by twenty-four elders; and, as these unquestionably represent the one Church of Christ in its triumphing condition in heaven, the number must be taken from some idea which presented itself to the mind of the Seer as a suitable expression for the whole Church of God. The twenty-four divisions of the sons of Aaron, described in 1 Chronicles 24, might have suggested it, the only difficulty being that this classification of the priest hood belongs to the time of the Temple rather than of the Tabernacle. It seems better, therefore, to have recourse to the doubling of the number twelve, so that the whole number twenty-four may represent the Church in her double aspect as at once the Church of the Old Covenant and of the New. We have already met with this principle of doubling, although in a somewhat different form; and there does not appear to be anything unnatural in resorting to it now. The twenty-four elders, thus embodying the conception of the Church of Christ in her perfected condition, have three characteristics. (1) They are sitting, the attitude of rest and honour. (2) They are clothed in white garments, the robes of perfect purity, the robes of priests. (3) They have on their heads golden crowns, those of chaps. Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:11, and Revelation 14:14, in which last passage the same ‘golden crown' is assigned to the Son of man. Like Him, they are not only priests but kings. At chap. Revelation 6:11 the ‘white robe' alone, without the golden crown, is given to the souls under the altar; but the reason is obvious. These souls are waiting. Here the time of waiting is past. The Church is before us in her triumphing condition.