In Ezekiel 1:26-27, Yahweh gave to Ezekiel a similar vision of Himself on His throne. Ezekiel wrote, “He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance.”
In Exodus 28:17–21, Israel’s high priest wore jasper and sardius gemstones along with ten other gemstones on his chest. Each gemstone represented a tribe of Israel. As the high priest wore the tribes of Israel symbolically on his chest, so Jesus, our High Priest carries us on His heart.
Jasper and sardius are the first and last gems, respectively, on the high priest’s garments, thus reinforcing the truth that Jesus is the “first and the last” mentioned in Revelation 1:8 and 22:13. Israel began with God and ends with God.
An emerald rainbow encircles the throne. The green color represents life. Life emanates from God. The rainbow forms an unbroken circle around God’s throne representing life without end.
In Genesis 9:12-13, God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.”
God showed Noah a rainbow after the flood. John sees a rainbow before the current heaven and earth are replaced by the new ones. He wrote in Revelation 21:23, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”
The rainbow reminds us of God’s grace. Hebrews 4:16 urges us to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need.
Revelation 4:4: “Around the throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones I saw 24 elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.”
The 24 elders represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles. In Revelation 21:12, New Jerusalem is described as having 12 gates with the name of a tribe of Israel written on each gate. In Revelation 21:14, it is described as having walls with 12 foundations with a name of an apostle written on each foundation. The 12 tribes and 12 apostles represent the Old and New Testaments, respectively. Nations have ambassadors who represent them. The 24 elders represent His redeemed people before His throne.
The 24 elders have crowns. The New Testament mentions five specific heavenly crowns. [1] An imperishable crown in 1 Corinthians 9:25 for exercising self-control and spiritual discipline; [2] A crown of rejoicing in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 for winning souls and leading others to Christ; [3] A crown of righteousness in 2 Timothy 4:8 for lovingly longing for Christ’s return; [4] a crown of life in James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10 for enduring trials faithfully even unto death; [5] a crown of glory in 1 Peter 5:4 for elders and church leaders who faithfully shepherd God’s people.
The Lord uses the twelve Jewish tribes of Old Testament and twelve Jewish apostles of the New Testament to faithfully shepherd us through their stories and teachings which are recorded in the Bible.
In Revelation 12:17, the Lord reveals that the devil is at war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The devil sifted these people like wheat, but Jesus prayed for them and their faith did not fail.
The 24 elders have kingly crowns. In Revelation 1:5-6, tribute is proclaimed to Him who loved us, washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God. In Revelation 5:9-10, the 24 elders sing a new song to Messiah, singing, “You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God.”
The white robes of the 24 elders indicate the righteousness of Christ. They have been sanctified by the blood of the Lamb.
The 24 elders are worshippers of God. They appear when John is in the Spirit and when He sees God on His throne. The 24 elders sit on thrones around the throne of God.
In Revelation 4:10-11, the 24 elders fall down before God and worship Him. They cast their crowns before His throne, and tell Him that He is worthy to receive glory, honor and power because He created all things, and by His will they exist.
In Revelation 5:6, the Lamb of God and the sevenfold Spirit of God are amidst the 24 elders.
In Revelation 5:11-12, the 24 elders join with millions of angels and four living creatures in saying with loud voices, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
In Revelation 7:9-12, the 24 elders are on their faces before the throne worshipping God.
In Revelation 7:14, one of the elders explains to John that the great multitude which he sees in heaven standing before the throne and before the Lamb came out of the great tribulation. “They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
In Revelation 11:16, the 24 elders fall on their faces and worship God after a seventh angel blows his trumpet, and after it is announced, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
In Revelation 19:1-4, the 24 elders bow and worship God after He eliminates the great whorish empire of Babylon.
Two things stand out to me about the 24 elders around God’s throne.
The first is that they love and adore the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. They magnify His Name and give to God all the glory.
Secondly, they are permanent fixtures around God’s throne thanks to Jesus. Their names are inscribed on the gates and foundations of New Jerusalem. We don’t have fear a regime change in heaven. Our heavenly representatives will always faithfully love and serve the Lord, and give to Him all the glory.
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