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The 24 Elders_ Who They Are and What Their Role Is Before the Throne _ Explanation of Revelation 4 · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: Imagine standing at the edge of eternity, where the boundary
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  Speaker 1: between Heaven and Earth dissolves before your eyes. The apostle
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  Speaker 1: John found himself thrust through an open door in the sky,
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  Speaker 1: summoned by a voice like a trumpet, into the very
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  Speaker 1: throne room of God. What he witnessed there defied all
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  Speaker 1: earthly description, a throne blazing with colors beyond imagination, surrounded
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  Speaker 1: by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. But among
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  Speaker 1: all the celestial wonders, one mysterious group captured his attention.
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  Speaker 1: Twenty four figures seated on thrones, clothed in white robes,
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  Speaker 1: wearing golden crowns. Who are these enigmatic elders? Are they
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  Speaker 1: ancient patriarchs, angelic beings, representatives of humanity itself? For two
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  Speaker 1: thousand years, scholars and believers have debated their identity. These
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  Speaker 1: elders hold a privileged position, closer to God's throne than
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  Speaker 1: any other created beings, continuously casting their cuds before the
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  Speaker 1: Almighty in an eternal act of worship. They hold golden
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  Speaker 1: bowls filled with the prayers of the saints, serving as
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  Speaker 1: mediators between Heaven and Earth. Their presence in revelation I
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  Speaker 1: is no accident. It holds profound meaning for understanding our
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  Speaker 1: own destiny and role in God's eternal kingdom. Today we
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  Speaker 1: unlock the mystery of the twenty four Elders and discover
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  Speaker 1: why their story is also our story. John was on
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  Speaker 1: the island of Patmos, a rocky prison where Rome had
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  Speaker 1: sent him for preaching about Jesus. He was alone, separated
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  Speaker 1: from the churches he loved, cut off from the communities
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  Speaker 1: he had nurtured and taught. The island was harsh, isolated,
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  Speaker 1: a place where Rome sent people they wanted to silence.
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  Speaker 1: But God had not forgotten John. On the Lord's Day,
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  Speaker 1: while John was in the spirit worshiping despite his circumstances,
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  Speaker 1: something extraordinary happened. A door opened in Heaven itsself. Not
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  Speaker 1: a symbolic door, not a dream image. John saw an
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  Speaker 1: actual door standing open in the sky above him. It
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  Speaker 1: was real, tangible, unmistakable. The boundary between Heaven and Earth
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  Speaker 1: had been pulled back, and John could see through into
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  Speaker 1: another realm. This was an invitation, a summons, a divine
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  Speaker 1: appointment that God had sovereignly ordained. Then he heard a voice,
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  Speaker 1: clear as a trumpet blast, cutting through the air. It
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  Speaker 1: was loud, commanding, impossible to ignore. The voice carried authority
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  Speaker 1: that made John's entire being stand at attention. This was
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  Speaker 1: the voice of the risen Christ, calling his beloved apostle
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  Speaker 1: into a new experience. The voice said, what we find
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  Speaker 1: in Revelation chapter four, verse one, Come up here, and
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  Speaker 1: I will show you what must take place after this.
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  Speaker 1: The invitation was simple but profound. Come up here, not
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  Speaker 1: look up or imagine this, but come up an actual
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  Speaker 1: call to ascend, to leave the earthly realm behind and
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  Speaker 1: enter the heavenly realm. And there was a purpose. John
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  Speaker 1: wasn't being called just to see beautiful sights. He was
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  Speaker 1: being called to witness what must take place after this,
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  Speaker 1: to see the future, to understand God's plan, to receive
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  Speaker 1: revelation about events that would unfold in the ages to come. Immediately,
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  Speaker 1: John found himself caught up in the spirit. One moment
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  Speaker 1: he was on that lonely island. The next moment, he
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  Speaker 1: was standing in a place beyond anything earthly. He had
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  Speaker 1: crossed from the physical realm into the spiritual realm, from
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  Speaker 1: time into eternity. This wasn't a metaphor. John was actually
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  Speaker 1: there experiencing what few humans have ever witnessed. He was
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  Speaker 1: about to see the throne room of God himself. The
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  Speaker 1: transition was instant. There was no journey through clouds, no
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  Speaker 1: gradual assense. John simply found himself there, standing in the
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  Speaker 1: presence of ultimate reality. Everything he had known before suddenly
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  Speaker 1: seemed small compared to what was unfolding before his eyes.
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  Speaker 1: He was standing at the center of all existence, and
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  Speaker 1: what he saw would change how he understood everything. The
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  Speaker 1: first thing John saw was a throne. Not just any throne,
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  Speaker 1: but the throne. In Revelation four, verse two, John writes,
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  Speaker 1: at once I was in the spirit, and there before
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  Speaker 1: me was a throne in heaven, with someone sitting on it.
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  Speaker 1: Before John noticed anything else, his eyes were drawn to
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  Speaker 1: this throne. It dominated everything, commanded all attention, was the
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  Speaker 1: focal point of the entire realm. The throne wasn't empty.
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  Speaker 1: Someone sat upon it, someone so glorious that John couldn't
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  Speaker 1: even describe his face or form directly. John had walked
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  Speaker 1: with Jesus on earth, had seen him in his earthly ministry,
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  Speaker 1: had even seen him glorified at the beginning of Revelation.
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  Speaker 1: But what John saw now transcended all previous experiences. The
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  Speaker 1: glory was so intense that John could only describe what
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  Speaker 1: it looked like to look at him, not what he
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  Speaker 1: actually looked like in himself. The one on the throne
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  Speaker 1: had an appearance like jasper and ruby. Think of the
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  Speaker 1: clearest crystal you've ever seen, flashing with fire inside it.
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  Speaker 1: Think of deep red gems that seemed to hold light
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  Speaker 1: within themselves. These weren't decorations. This was what God himself
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  Speaker 1: looked like. To John's eyes. The colors shifted and blazed,
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  Speaker 1: too brilliant to capture in simple words. The jasper stone
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  Speaker 1: was typically clear or translucent, like diamond. It represented purity,
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  Speaker 1: absolute holiness without shadow. The ruby, deep red and rich,
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  Speaker 1: represented life, perhaps even the blood of redemption. Together these
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  Speaker 1: stones painted a picture of God's nature, wholly and pure,
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  Speaker 1: beyond comprehension, yet alive with passionate love. This was the
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  Speaker 1: God who created light itself, and John was seeing him
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  Speaker 1: as pure, concentrated glory. Then John noticed something else. Surrounding
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  Speaker 1: the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.
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  Speaker 1: This wasn't the multi colored rainbow we see after rain
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  Speaker 1: This was a single band of brilliant green light circling
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  Speaker 1: the throne like a halo, like a promise made visible.
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  Speaker 1: Green is the color of life, of renewal and hope.
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  Speaker 1: This rainbow reminded anyone who saw it of God's covenant faithfulness,
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  Speaker 1: his promises that never fail, his mercy that endures forever.
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  Speaker 1: The rainbow was complete, forming a full circle, unlike the
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  Speaker 1: half arcs we see from earth. In heaven, everything is complete, whole, perfect.
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  Speaker 1: The rainbow encircled the throne entirely, an unbroken band of
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  Speaker 1: green glory, proclaiming that God's covenant mercies have no beginning
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  Speaker 1: and no end. The atmosphere around the throne was alive
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  Speaker 1: with power. Revelation four verse five tells us from the
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  Speaker 1: throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder.
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  Speaker 1: This wasn't a peaceful, quiet scene. The throne room shook
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  Speaker 1: with raw energy. Lightning bolts shot out from the throne
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  Speaker 1: in all directions. Every flash declared his power, Every rumble
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  Speaker 1: of thunder announced his authority. This was the same God
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  Speaker 1: who had spoken to Moses from Mount Sinai when the
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  Speaker 1: whole mountain trembled. But now John was seeing the source
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  Speaker 1: of that power direct and unshielded. John's eyes adjusted to
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  Speaker 1: the overwhelming glory, and then he noticed something unexpected. There
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  Speaker 1: weren't just one throne in this place. Surrounding the great
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  Speaker 1: throne were other thrones, smaller but still magnificent. John counted
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  Speaker 1: them twenty four thrones ere ranged in a circle around
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  Speaker 1: God's throne in Revelation four, Verse four. John records Surrounding
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  Speaker 1: the throne were twenty four other thrones, and seated on
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  Speaker 1: them were twenty four elders. These weren't footstools or benches.
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  Speaker 1: They were thrones thronoi in Greek, actual seats of royal authority.
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  Speaker 1: God had given these positions of incredible dignity to others,
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  Speaker 1: allowing them to sit in His presence to share in
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  Speaker 1: the glory of his throne room. These weren't empty thrones
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  Speaker 1: waiting to be filled someday. They were occupied. Twenty four
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  Speaker 1: elders sat on them right now, actively fulfilling whatever role
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  Speaker 1: God had assigned them. The number twenty four were specific
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  Speaker 1: and intentional. Nothing in heaven happens by accident, and this
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  Speaker 1: number carried deep meaning that connected to God's people throughout
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  Speaker 1: all of history. The arrangement was deliberate and orderly. The
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  Speaker 1: twenty four thrones formed a complete circle around the central throne,
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  Speaker 1: so that all the elders could see God clearly and
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  Speaker 1: could see each other. No one had a better position
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  Speaker 1: than another. They were equally distant from the throne, equally honored.
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  Speaker 1: The circle was unbroken. No gaps existed in the arrangement.
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  Speaker 1: The elders formed a continuous ring of authority surrounding the
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  Speaker 1: source of all authority. Wherever God looked, he saw these elders.
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  Speaker 1: They were always in his sight, always in his presence.
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  Speaker 1: Each throne was occupied and active, Every position was filled,
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  Speaker 1: every role was functioning. This was the permanent reality of
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  Speaker 1: Heaven's government and worship. Now John looked closely at who
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  Speaker 1: was sitting on these thrones. He saw twenty four figures,
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  Speaker 1: and he called them elders presbyteroi in Greek, the word
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  Speaker 1: meant someone with authority, wisdom, and honor, not necessarily someone
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  Speaker 1: old in years, but someone who carried weight and respect.
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  Speaker 1: These were beings who had earned their position through faithfulness.
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  Speaker 1: The first thing John noticed was their clothing. Every elder
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  Speaker 1: was dressed in white robes. Revelation four, verse four describes
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  Speaker 1: them as dressed in white. These weren't ordinary white garments,
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  Speaker 1: They were brilliant, pure, spotless, white, the kind that seems
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  Speaker 1: to glow with its own light. White clothing in scripture
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  Speaker 1: always represented righteousness, purity, and victory. These elders wore the
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  Speaker 1: uniform of the redeemed, the clothing of those who had
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  Speaker 1: been made clean. The white robes were complete garments, flowing
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  Speaker 1: and dignified, befitting those who sat on thrones. They weren't
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  Speaker 1: work clothes or battle gear. They were the robes of
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  Speaker 1: priests and kings, of those who served in God's presence
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  Speaker 1: and ruled with his authority. Every fold was perfect, unsteady, aimed, unmarred.
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  Speaker 1: There was no dirt, no wear, no tear. These robes
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  Speaker 1: spoke of a finished work, of a battle, I of
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  Speaker 1: a race completed. All twenty four wore the same white robes.
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  Speaker 1: No elder was dressed differently. They were unified in their appearance,
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  Speaker 1: equal in their honor, matching in their purity. This wasn't
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  Speaker 1: a hierarchy where some dressed better than others. This was
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  Speaker 1: a company of equals who had all received the same
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  Speaker 1: gift of righteousness, the same honor of being clothed in
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  Speaker 1: white before God's throne. The uniformity spoke of Heaven's unity,
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  Speaker 1: where every distinction based on earthly status had been erased.
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  Speaker 1: But the elders wore more than white robes on their heads,
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  Speaker 1: sat crowns. John specifically notes in Revelation four, verse four
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  Speaker 1: that they had crowns of gold on their heads. The
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  Speaker 1: Greek word is stephanos, which was a victor's crown, the
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  Speaker 1: kind given to winners, to overcomers, to those who had triumphed.
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  Speaker 1: It was the crown placed on an athlete who won
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  Speaker 1: the race, or a soldier who showed valor in battle.
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  Speaker 1: These crowns represented achievement and reward. They weren't inherited crowns
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  Speaker 1: passed down through bloodlines. They were earned crowns, given to
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  Speaker 1: those who had striven and succeeded, who had fought and conquered.
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  Speaker 1: Every crown testified to some victory one, some trial, endured,
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  Speaker 1: some test past. The crowns were made of gold, the
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  Speaker 1: most precious metal, representing royalty and eternal value. Gold doesn't
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  Speaker 1: tarnish or fade. These golden crowns would shine forever, reflecting
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  Speaker 1: glory for all eternity. Each crown was solid, real, not
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  Speaker 1: a symbol, but an actual crown of actual gold. You
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  Speaker 1: could have reached out and touched them, felt their weight.
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  Speaker 1: Every elder wore a crown. All twenty four had been crowned,
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  Speaker 1: not some, but all. Every single one had overcome, something
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  Speaker 1: had won, something had achieved victory. They weren't spec or servants.
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  Speaker 1: They were crowned royalty, seated on thrones, honored by God
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  Speaker 1: with the marks of victory and authority. The crowns caught
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  Speaker 1: and reflected the light from God's throne. As the lightning flashed,
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  Speaker 1: the twenty four golden crowns gleamed and sparkled. They formed
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  Speaker 1: a circle of golden fire around the central throne, twenty
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  Speaker 1: four points of light honoring the one at the center.
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  Speaker 1: The sight must have been breathtaking. White robes, golden crowns,
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  Speaker 1: all focused toward the blazing glory of God. The positioning
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  Speaker 1: of these elders revealed something crucial about Heaven's order. They
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  Speaker 1: sat on thrones surrounding God's throne. As noted in verse four,
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  Speaker 1: The words surrounding kyklotan in Greek means they encircled the
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  Speaker 1: throne completely. Wherever God looked, he saw these elders. They
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  Speaker 1: were always in his sight, always in his presence, But
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  Speaker 1: they weren't at the same level as God's throne. While
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  Speaker 1: doesn't give exact measurements, the language makes clear that God's
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  Speaker 1: throne was central, elevated, supreme. The elder's thrones surrounded it,
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  Speaker 1: but didn't compete with it. There was no question about
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  Speaker 1: who was sovereign. The arrangement proclaimed God's supremacy, one great
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  Speaker 1: throne at the center, twenty four lesser thrones arranged around
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  Speaker 1: it in submission and honor. The elders faced toward the throne.
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  Speaker 1: Their thrones weren't randomly scattered or facing different directions. Every
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  Speaker 1: elder was oriented toward God, positioned so they could constantly
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  Speaker 1: see him and worship him. Their seating meant they had
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  Speaker 1: their backs to everything else, to the universe, to Earth,
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  Speaker 1: to all creation. Their focus was singular and complete. This
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  Speaker 1: positioning also meant the elders could see each other as
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  Speaker 1: they sat in their circle. Each could see across to
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  Speaker 1: the others, could witness each other's worship, could join in
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  Speaker 1: unified praise. They weren't isolated in private chambers. They were
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  Speaker 1: a community, a council, an assembly gathered around their king.
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  Speaker 1: Their position between the throne and the rest of creation
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  Speaker 1: suggested they might serve as mediators or channels through which
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  Speaker 1: God's authority was expressed. John's attention was drawn to four
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  Speaker 1: other beings in this throne room. In Revelation four, verse six,
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  Speaker 1: John describes in the center around the throne were four
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  Speaker 1: living creatures. These creatures occupied a space even closer to
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  Speaker 1: God's throne than the elders. While the elders sat in
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  Speaker 1: an outer circle, these creatures were positioned at the throne itself,
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  Speaker 1: one at each side, like guardians at the four corners
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  Speaker 1: of God's presence. They were the innermost circle, the closest
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  Speaker 1: beings to God. If you were to draw a diagram,
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  Speaker 1: you would place God's throne at the center, then the
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  Speaker 1: four living creatures immediately around it, then the twenty four
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  Speaker 1: elders in a wider circle, then the sea of glass
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  Speaker 1: spreading outward. John describes them in detail. Verse six continues,
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  Speaker 1: they were covered with eyes in front and in back.
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  Speaker 1: Their bodies were covered with eyes, not just in their heads,
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  Speaker 1: but eyes all over. These eyes represented complete awareness, perfect perception,
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  Speaker 1: total knowledge of everything happening in heaven and earth. Verse
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  Speaker 1: seven describes each creature. The first living creature was like
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  Speaker 1: a lion. The second was like an ox. The third
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  Speaker 1: had a face like a man. The fourth was like
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  Speaker 1: a flying eagle. Each had a different form. The lion
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  Speaker 1: represented wild strength and royal power. The ox represented domestic
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  Speaker 1: service and patient labor. The man represented intelligence and dominion.
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  Speaker 1: The eagle represented soaring freedom and heavenly perspective. Together they
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  Speaker 1: encompassed all of creation. Verse eight adds more. Each of
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  Speaker 1: the four living creatures had six wings and was covered
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  Speaker 1: with eyes all around, even under its wings six wings each.
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  Speaker 1: Like the seraphim Isiah had seen, these creatures never stopped
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  Speaker 1: worshiping day and night without pause. They proclaimed Holy, Holy,
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  Speaker 1: Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is
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  Speaker 1: and is to come. The threefold repetition of holy was
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  Speaker 1: the Hebrew way of expressing the ultimate superlative, perfectly, completely,
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  Speaker 1: absolutely holy, beyond comprehension. They proclaimed God's eternality, who was
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  Speaker 1: and is and is to come. This was continuous worship
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  Speaker 1: that never paused and never would. The relationship between the
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  Speaker 1: creatures and the elders was one of harmony. The creatures
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  Speaker 1: were closer to the throne, leading worship with their constant praise.
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  Speaker 1: The elders responded to this worship. Together they formed the
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  Speaker 1: inner court of Heaven, the being's closest to God's presence,
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  Speaker 1: experiencing his glory most directly. John noticed one more feature
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  Speaker 1: that completed the picture. Before the throne, extending outward was
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  Speaker 1: something he'd never seen before. Revelation four, verse six describes
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  Speaker 1: also in front of the throne, there was what looked
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  Speaker 1: like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. This wasn't
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  Speaker 1: water as we know it. This was something unique to Heaven,
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  Speaker 1: combining the vastness of a sea with the solidity of
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  Speaker 1: glass and the clarity of crystal. The sea of glass
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  Speaker 1: was perfectly clear, transparent like crystal. You could see through
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  Speaker 1: it as if it weren't there yet. It was substantial
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  Speaker 1: and real. When the lightning flashed from God's throne, the
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  Speaker 1: sea caught that light and multiplied it, sending reflections in
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  Speaker 1: every direction. When the rainbow glowed, the sea mirrored those colors.
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  Speaker 1: It was like standing on a surface that captured and
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  Speaker 1: displayed the glory of God. The vastness of this sea
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  Speaker 1: suggested it extended beyond what John could see. It stretched
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  Speaker 1: from the throne in all directions, forming the foundation of
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  Speaker 1: the throne room. You could imagine the twenty four thrones
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  Speaker 1: positioned around this sea, with the throne of God and
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  Speaker 1: the four creatures at the center rising above it. This
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  Speaker 1: sea was perfectly calm. No waves disturbed its surface, no
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  Speaker 1: ripples marred its clarity. Unlike earthly seas that toss and rage,
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  Speaker 1: this sea was completely at peace, completely still, completely under control.
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  Speaker 1: The calm sea represented the perfect peace that exists in
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  Speaker 1: God's presence. On earth, the sea often symbolizes chaos and danger,
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  Speaker 1: but in Heaven even the sea was transformed into something
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  Speaker 1: peaceful and beautiful. The arrangement was now complete. At the
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  Speaker 1: center sat God on his throne, bleed, gazing with glory
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  Speaker 1: like jasper and ruby, surrounded by the emerald rainbow sending
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  Speaker 1: forth lightning and thunder. Closest to him stood the four
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  Speaker 1: living creatures, covered with eyes, each with six wings, never
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  Speaker 1: ceasing their worship. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
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  Speaker 1: who was and is and is to come and beround them.
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  Speaker 1: In a perfect circle, sat the twenty four elders on
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  Speaker 1: their thrones. Clothed in white robes crowned with gold crowns.
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  Speaker 1: They faced the throne, their attention fixed on God, their
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  Speaker 1: position one of both honor and submission, and Beneath it all,
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  Speaker 1: stretching in every direction, lay the sea of glass, clear
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  Speaker 1: as crystal, perfectly calm, reflecting the glory above. This was
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  Speaker 1: the Throne Room of heaven, the center of all reality,
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  Speaker 1: the place where worship never ceased and glory never dimmed.
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  Speaker 1: John had been invited to see it, called up to
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  Speaker 1: witness it, chosen to record it. The heavenly Throne Room
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  Speaker 1: stood revealed, and at its heart sat the One worthy
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  Speaker 1: of all honour, all power, and all praise. For centuries,
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  Speaker 1: scholars and Bible students have wrestled with a fundamental question,
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  Speaker 1: who exactly are these twenty four Elders. The debate has
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  Speaker 1: centered on two main possibilities. Are they angels serving in
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  Speaker 1: God's heavenly court, or are they redeemed human beings who
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  Speaker 1: have been glorified and given positions of honor. This question
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  Speaker 1: matters because the answer affects how we understand our own
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  Speaker 1: future and our place in God's eternal kingdom. Those who
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  Speaker 1: believe the Elders are angels point to several facts. Angels
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  Speaker 1: do serve in God's presence and have done so since
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  Speaker 1: before humanity was created. The Bible shows us angels organized
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  Speaker 1: in ranks. And hierarchies, with different groups serving different perpose. Daniel,
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  Speaker 1: chapter seven, verse ten describes thousands upon thousands of angels
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  Speaker 1: attending God. Angels are called holy ones and participate in
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  Speaker 1: heavenly councils. In Job chapters one and two, we see
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  Speaker 1: the sons of God presenting themselves before the Lord, which
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: many interpreters angelic beings in a council setting, but others
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: point to compelling evidence that these elders are redeemed humans,
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: not angels. The word elder presbyteros is almost always used
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: in scripture to refer to human leaders, not angels. In
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: both the Old and New Testaments, elders were human beings
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: who led communities and represented the people. The Jewish Sanhedrin
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: consisted of elders. The early Church was governed by elders.
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: To call these beings elders suggests they are human in nature.
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: More importantly, these elders where white robes and golden crowns.
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: In Revelation chapter three, verses four and five, Jesus promises
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: to the church in Sardis, they will walk with me
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: is victorious will like them be dressed in white. This
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: is a promise to believers, to overcomers, to redeemed humans.
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: The white robes represent the righteousness given to those who
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: have been saved by grace through faith. The crowns also
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: point to redeemed humanity. In Revelation chapter two, verse ten,
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: Jesus tells the church in Smyrna, be faithful even to
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: the point of death, and I will give you life
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: as your victor's crown. The crown Stephanos is the reward
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: promised to faithful believers who overcome. Paul writes in two
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: Timothy chapter four, verse eight, Now there is in store
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: righteous Judge, willard to me on that day, and not
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: only to me, but also to all who have longed
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: for his appearing. Angels don't receive crowns for faithfulness because
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: they haven't been tested in the same way humans have.
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: They haven't lived by faith, haven't walked through suffering, haven't
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: overcome the world. Grounds are rewards for victorious faith, and
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: that applies to redeemed humanity. When we see twenty four
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: elders wearing crowns, it suggests these are glorified believers who
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: have run their race and won their prize. Later in Revelation,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: these same elders do something that helps clarify their identity.
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: In Chapter five, verse nine, they sing a new song
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: about the Lamb who was slain, celebrating redemption in a
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: way that suggests they are among the redeemed, not merely observers.
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: The most convincing view is that these twenty four elders
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: represent redeemed humanity saints who have already been gloored, horrified,
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: and given their reward. The number twenty four isn't random.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: In scripture, numbers often carry symbolic weight and connect to
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: historical patterns God established. The number twenty four appears in
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: a significant place in the Old Testament, in the organization
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: of the priesthood under King David. This connection helps us
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: understand what these elders represent and what role they play
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: in Heaven's worship. When David organized worship in Israel, he
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: divided the priests into twenty four groups. First Chronicles, Chapter
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: twenty four tells this story. David was preparing for the
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: temple that Solomon would build, and he wanted to establish
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: an orderly system for the priests to serve there. Were
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: too many priests for all of them to serve at once,
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: so David divided them into courses that would rotate their service.
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: First Chronicles, Chapter twenty four, Verses three and four explain,
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: with the help of Zadok, a descendant of Eliaza, and Ahimalk,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: a descendant of Ishamar, David separated them into divisions for
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: their appointed order of ministering. A larger number of leaders
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: were found among Eliaza's descendants than among Ihamar's, and they
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: were divided accordingly. Sixteen heads of families from Eliaza's descendants
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: and eight heads of families from Ishama's descendants. The total
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: came to twenty four divisions. Verses five through nineteen then
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: list all twenty four divisions by name. They cast lots
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: to determine the order of service. Ensuring fairness, each division
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: would serve in the temple for one week twice a year,
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: plus during major festivals. This meant the worship of God
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: in the temple was continuous and orderly, with each priestly
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: division knowing exactly when their time to serve would come.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: This system continued for centuries. Even in the New Testament.
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: We see it still functioning in Luke Chapter one, verses
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: five and eight to nine, we read about Zechariah, the
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: father of John the Baptist. In the time of Herod,
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. Once, when Zechariah's
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: division was on duty and he was serving as priest
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: before God, he was chosen by Lot, according to the
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: custom of the priesthood, to go into the Temple of
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: the Lord and burn incense. The twenty four divisions of
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: priests were representatives. They represented all the priests of Israel,
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: and through the priests, they represented all the people of
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: Israel in worship before God. When one division served, all
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: Israel was symbolically present before God through them. The twenty
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: four elders in heaven seemed to fulfill a similar representative role.
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: They don't worship alone. They represent all the redeem deemed
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: in their worship before God's throne. The connection becomes clearer
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: when we remember what priests did. They offered sacrifices, but
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: they also led worship. They sang and played instruments. They
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: burned incense, which represented prayers rising to God. They stood
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: between God and humanity. Mediating and interceding. The twenty four
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: elders do similar things. Later in Revelation, we'll see them
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: of the saints. The parallel is intentional. Just as David
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: established twenty four divisions to ensure continuous worship in the
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: earthly temple, God has established twenty four elders to lead
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: continuous worship in the heavenly Temple. The earthly priesthood was
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: a shadow of heavenly realities. Hebrews Chapter eight, verse five
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: says that priests serve at a sanctuary that is a
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: copper and shadow of what is in heaven. The number
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: twenty four can be understood another way as twelve plus twelve.
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: This breakdown reveals another layer of meaning. Throughout Scripture, the
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: number twelve is fundamentally connected to the people of God.
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: It appears first in the twelve Tribes of Israel, the
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: twelve sons of Jacob, whose descendants became God's chosen nation.
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: The twelve tribes were more than just family groups. They
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: represented the fullness of God's people under the Old Covenant.
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: When Scripture wanted to speak of all Israel, it would
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: mention the twelve tribes and dine. God's promises to Abraham, Isaac,
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: and Jacob were fulfilled through these twelve tribes. The land
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: was divided among them. The stones on the high Priest's
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: breastplate represented them. Jacob blessed his twelve sons before he died,
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: and those blessings in Genesis chapter forty nine became prophetic
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: statements about what each tribe would become. Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: zebulun Isakar, Dan, gad Asher, Naftali, Joseph, and Benjamin. These
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: names were the identity markers of God's covenant people. When
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: Moses led the people out of Egypt, he organized them
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: by their twelve tribes. When they camped in the wilderness,
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: the tribes were arranged in a specific order around the tabernacle,
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: three tribes on each side, north, south, east, and west,
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: with the tabernacle at the center. This showed that God
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: dwelt in the midst of his people, surrounded by the
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: twelve tribes. When Joshua led the people into the promised land,
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: he set up twelve stones from the Jordan River as
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: a memorial. Joshua chapter four, verses two through three records
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: God's command choose twelve men from among the people, one
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: stones from the middle of the Jordan. These stones represented
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: the twelve tribes and their crossing into God's promise. The
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: number twelve continued to mark God's people throughout Israel's history.
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: Elijah repaired the Altar of the Lord with twelve stones,
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: one for each tribe. According to First Kings Chapter eighteen,
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: verse thirty one, even when the kingdom divided, the ideal
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: of the twelve tribes remained. Prophets spoke of a future
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: restoration when all twelve tribes would be regathered. The Book
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: of Revelation itself emphasizes the twelve tribes. In chapter seven,
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: John hears about one hundred and forty four thousand sealed
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: from the twelve tribes of Israel, twelve thousand from each tribe.
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: Later in chapter twenty one, when John sees the New Jerusalem,
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: it has twelve gates, and verse twelve tells Us on
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: of Israel. Jesus chose twelve apostles deliberately. The number wasn't coincidental.
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: He was making a statement about the new community he
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: was forming. Just as Israel began with twelve sons of Jacob,
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: Jesus was beginning a new Israel with twelve apostles who
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: would become the foundation of his church. The number twelve
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: connected the new Covenant to the old. Matthew Chapter ten
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: lists the twelve Simon, Peter, Andrew, James and John, Philip,
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: Bartholomew Thomas, Matthew James, son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot,
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: and Judas Iscariot. These men came from different backgrounds, but
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: Jesus called them all to follow him. They walked with him,
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: learned from him, witnessed his miracles, and were trained to
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: carry his message to the world. The twelve apostles had
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: a unique role. They were eye witnesses of jesus ministry,
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: death and resurrection. They could testify we saw him, we
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: touched him. This first hand testimony was foundational for the church.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: Ephesians Chapter two, verse twenty says that the household of
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: God is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. After Judas
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: betrayed Jesus and killed himself. The remaining eleven knew they
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: needed to maintain the number. Twelve Acts Chapter one, verses
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: twenty one through twenty six describe how they chose Matthias
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: to replace Judas they prayed and cast lots, and Matthias
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: was added to the eleven, restoring the number to twelve.
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: Jesus emphasized the significance of the twelve in Matthew chapter nineteen,
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: verse twenty eight. He made them a remarkable promise. Truly,
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones,
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This promise directly connects
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: the twelve telve Apostles to the twelve Tribes. The apostles
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: would have authority in God's kingdom sitting on thrones. Luke
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: chapter twenty two, verses twenty eight through thirty records a
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: similar promise. During the Last Supper. Jesus said, you are
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: those who have stood by me in my trials, and
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: I confer on you a kingdom, just as my father
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: conferred one on me. So that you may eat and
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The Book of
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: Revelation confirms the lasting significance of the twelve Apostles. When
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: John sees the New Jerusalem in Chapter twenty one, verse fourteen,
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: he observes the wall of the city had twelve foundations,
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: and on them were the names of the twelve Apostles
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: of the Lamb. The eternal city is built on twelve
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: foundations bearing the apostles names. Now consider the twenty four elders.
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: If we see them as representing twelve plus twelve twelve
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: tribes and twelve Apostles, the picture becomes clear. They represent
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: the complete people of God from both covenants. The twelve
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: tribes represent everyone saved under the Old Covenant, the twelve
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: Apostles represent everyone saved under the New Covenant. Together, these
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: two groups equal twenty four, encompassing all the redeemed throughout history.
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: Understanding the Elders as representatives helps us grasp their significance.
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: They aren't just twenty four individuals enjoying a private blessing.
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: They stand for something larger. They represent every person who
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: has ever been saved, from every time period, from every nation.
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: When the twenty four Elders worship, all the Redeemed are
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: worshiping through them. This concept of representation runs throughout Scripture.
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: God has always worked through representatives. Adam represented all humanity,
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: Abraham represented his descendants, Moses represented Israel. The High Priest
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: represented the entire nation when he entered the most holy place.
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: Jesus is the ultimate representative. Romans Chapter five, verses eighteen
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: through nineteen explain how one man's actions can affect all.
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: The twenty four Elders function similarly. They are the Heavenly Council,
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: the assembly of the Redeemed, the corporate body of all
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: who have been saved. When John sees them, he's seeing
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: the entire Church, past, present, and future represented in visible form.
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: The number twenty four is symbolic, not a literal, count
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: of how many Redeemed people exist. Revelation Chapter five, verse
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: nine shows the elders singing about the Redeemed from every
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: tribe and language and people and nation. They're celebrating the
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: world wide scope of God's salvation. The elders aren't isolated
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: from the rest of the Redeemed. They are connected to them,
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: they speak for them, they worship on behalf of them.
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: This means that in a real sense, we are already
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: there through our representatives. Believers are already seated in heavenly places.
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: Evisians chapter two, verse six says that God raised us
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: up with Christ and seated us with him in the
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Through our union with Christ
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: and our representation by these elders, we have a place
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: in Heaven's worship even while we still walk on earth.
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: The elders also represent the continuity of God's people. There
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: aren't two separate groups with different destinies. There is one
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: people of God, one family, one body of believers, stretching
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: across all of history. Ephesians chapter two, verses fourteen through
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: sixteen declare for He himself is our peace, who has
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier,
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: the dividing wall of hostility. The twenty four elders in
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: body this unity, Old Testament Saints and New Testament Saints,
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: Jews and Gentiles all are represented together. They sit on
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: equal thrones, where identical white robes bear matching golden crowns.
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: No distinction separates them. The white robes the elders wear
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: carry deep symbolic meaning. Throughout Revelation. White clothing represents righteousness,
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: not righteousness people achieve by their own efforts, but righteousness
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: given by God as a gift to those who believe.
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: In Revelation Chapter three, verse five, Jesus promises, the one
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: who is victorious will like them, be dressed in white.
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: I will never blot out the name of that person
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: from the book of Life. Being dressed in white is
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: a gift from Jesus to those who overcome. It's not
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: something they weave for themselves. Later in Revelation, John C.
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: Lease this explained more clearly. Chapter seven, verses thirteen and
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: fourteen describe a great multitude standing before the throne dressed
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: in white robes. One of the elders explains, these are
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: they who have come out of the great tribulation. They
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: have washed their robes and made them white in the
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: blood of the Lamb. This is a beautiful paradox. How
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: do you make something white by washing it in blood?
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: Blood stains and darkens, But the blood of the Lamb
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: has the opposite effect. It cleanses and purifies. This blood
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: removes the stain of sin and clothes. Believers in the
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: righteousness of Christ. Isaiah chapter one, verse eighteen promised, though
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: as snow. The white robes represent imputed righteousness. This means
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: God credits Christ's righteousness to believers accounts. When God looks
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: at someone who has faith in Jesus, he sees the
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: perfect righteousness of Christ covering them. Tewo Corinthians chapter five,
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: verse twenty one explains God made him who had no sin,
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: to be sin for us, so that in him we
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: might become the righteousness of God. The fact that all
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: twenty four elders wear the same white robes means they
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: all have the same righteousness. They all stand before God
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: on the same basis. It doesn't matter if one was
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: Abraham and another was a thief who repented moments before death.
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: They all wear white. They all have Christ's righteousness. They
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: all stand equally excepted. This is the great equalizer of salvation.
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: Romans chapter three, verses twenty two through twenty four make
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: this clear. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: jew and gentile. For all have sinned and fall short
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: of the glory of God, and all are justified freely
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: by His grace. The golden crowns tell a different but
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: complimentary story. While the white robes represent the free gift
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: of righteousness that saves us, the crowns represent rewards that
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: faithful service earns. Both are important. Salvation is free, but
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: rewards are earned. Righteousness is imputed, but crowns are awarded.
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: Jesus spoke often about rewards. Matthew chapter six, verses nineteen
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: through twenty record his instruction, do not store up for
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: where thieves break in and steal, but store up for
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: yourselves treasures in heaven. There are treasures in heaven, rewards
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: that last forever. Paul writes about rewards. First Corinthians Chapter three,
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: verses twelve through fifteen describe how believer's works will be tested.
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: If any one builds on this foundation using gold, silver,
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: costly stone, would hay, or straw, their work will be
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: shown for what it is because the day will bring
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: the fire will test the quality of each person's work.
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: If what has been built survives, the builder will receive
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: a reward, the crown. Stephanos appears multiple times as a
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: promised reward. First Corinthians chapter nine, verse twenty five mentions
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: a crown that will last forever. James chapter one, verse
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: twelve promises the crown of life to those who persevere.
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: Two Timothy chapter four, verse eight describes the crown of
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: righteousness for those who have longed for Christ's appearing. These
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: crowns aren't identical participation trophies. They are awards for specific achievements,
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: for running the race well, for persevering through trials, for
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: faithful ministry. Not every believer will receive every crown. The
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: rewards match the service. Yet even these earned crowns will
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: ultimately be returned to God. Revelation chapter four, verse ten
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: previews what the elders will do. They will cast their
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: crowns before God's throne. This acknowledges that even their faithful
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: service was empowered by God's grace. The combination of thrones,
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: white robes, and golden crowns reveals the duell roll these
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: elders fulfill. They are both priests and kings, royal priests,
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: combining both functions in one office. This matches what God
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: has always intended for his redeemed people. When God brought
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: Israel out of Egypt, he told them his purpose. Exodus
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: chapter nineteen, verses five and six record his words. Now,
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: out of all nations, you will be my treasured possession,
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: although the whole earth is mine. You will be for
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation God.
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: God's goal was to make Israel a nation where everyone
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: functioned as a priest. Israel failed to fulfill this calling.
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: The priesthood became limited to one tribe, Levi. Only certain
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: people could serve as priests. The ideal of a kingdom
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: of priests remained unfulfilled in the Old Testament, but God's
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: purpose didn't change. Peter, writing to the Church, declared in
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: First Peter Chapter two, verses five and nine, you also,
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: to be a holy priesthood. But you are a chosen people,
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: a royal priesthood, a holy nation. God's special possession. Revelation
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: makes this explicit. Chapter one, verses five and six praised
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: Jesus to him who loves us and has freed us
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: from our sins by his blood, and has made us
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: and Father. Believers are already constituted as a kingdom of
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: priests through Christ's work. The twenty four Elders demonstrate this
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: in fully realized form. They sit on thrones, which is
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: what kings do. They rule and reign, exercising authority. This
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: fulfills jesus promise in Revelation chapter three, verse twenty one,
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: to the one who is victorious, I will give the
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: right to sit with me on my throne. But they
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: also function as priests. They are clothed in white robes.
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: They lead worship and fall down before God. In Revelation
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: chapter five, verse eight, they hold golden bowls full of incense,
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: which are the prayers of the saints. This is priestly work,
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: bringing prayers before God's throne. Jesus combines both offices perfectly.
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: He is King of kings and our great high priest.
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: Because believers are united to him, they share in his
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: dual office. They become royal priests. The twenty four Elders
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: model this reality, showing us what all believers will become
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: the worship in Heaven's throne. Room never stops. It flows
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: like a river that never runs dry, like a song
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: that never ends. At the center of this eternal worship
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: are the four Living creatures, those beings covered with eyes
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: who stand closest to God's throne. They set the rhythm
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: and tone for everything that happens in heaven, day and night,
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: without pause, without rest. They proclaim the same message over
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: and over. Revelation chapter four, verse eight describes their continuous worship.
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: Each of the four living creatures had six wings and
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: was covered with eyes all around. Even under its wings,
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: day and night, they never stop saying, Holy, Holy, Holy
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: is to come. This isn't worship that happens once a
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: week or on special occasions. This is worship that never ceases,
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: not even for a moment. The creatures don't get tired,
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: they don't need breaks, they don't run out of things
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: to say. The same declaration paused from them constantly, eternally,
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: without end. The message they proclaim is simple but profound.
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: Three times they declare God's Holiness, Holy, Holy, Holy, Now
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: in Hebrew thought, repeating something three times was the ultimate
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: way to emphasize it, to declare it in the strongest
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: possible terms. Not just holly, not even very holy, but holy, holy, holy, perfectly,
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: completely absolutely holy, beyond all comprehension or comparison. This is
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: who God is at his core. This is his essential nature.
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: He is separate from all creation, pure, beyond measure, perfect
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: in every way. Then the creatures identify him the Lord
• 48:05
  Speaker 1: God Almighty, nowan This is the God who has all power,
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: all authority, all might. Nothing is too hard for him,
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: nothing can stop him, nothing can resist his will. He
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: is all mighty, holding all might in his hands, possessing
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: all strength, controlling all power. The creatures worship him not
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: just for who he is in his character, but for
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: what he is in his capability, and they declare his eternality,
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: who was, and is and is to come. He existed
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: in the past without beginning. He exists in the present
• 48:43
  Speaker 1: without change. He will exist in the future without end.
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: Time doesn't limit him because he created time. Age doesn't
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: weaken him because he is ageless. He spans all of history,
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: encompasses all of existence, and will outlast everything that has
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: ever been created. The creatures worship the eternal God, who
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: never changes, never fails, never fades. This continuous worship creates
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: the atmosphere of Heaven. It's like background music that never
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: stops playing, except it's not background at all. It's the
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: main event, the central focus, the primary activity of Heaven.
• 49:25
  Speaker 1: Everything else happens within the sound of this worship. The
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: lightning flashes and the thunder rolls while the creatures cry holy.
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: The rainbow glows and the throne blazes while they proclaim
• 49:38
  Speaker 1: his eonality. Heaven is filled with this sound, saturated with
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: this declaration, immersed in this worship. The creatures lead, but
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: they don't worship alone. Their constant praise triggers a response
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: from others in the throne room. When they give glory
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: and honor and thanks to God, something happens. The twenty
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: f four elders respond. The creature's worship sets something in motion,
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: creates a pattern, establishes a rhythm that others follow. They
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: are the worship leaders of Heaven, the ones who initiate
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: the praise, the ones whose constant devotion sparks devotion in others.
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: This is how worship is meant to work. It's not
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: isolated or private. It's contagious and communal. When one begins
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: to worship God truly, others are drawn in. When one
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: declares God's worth, others are reminded of it and join in.
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: The four living creatures understand this perfectly. They worship without ceasing,
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: and their worship calls forth worship from everyone else in
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: God's presence. The response of the twenty four elders to
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: the creature's worship is immediate and physical. They don't just
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: gnad in agreement or sing along from their seats. They
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: do something dramatic, something that demonstrates complete surrender and total reverence.
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: John describes what happens in Revelation chapter four, verse ten.
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: The twenty four elders fall down before Him who sits
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: on the throne, and worship Him who lives forever and ever.
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: The phrase fall down is important. This isn't a casual
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: bow or a slight inclination of the head. This is
• 51:20
  Speaker 1: a complete prostration, a full bodied gesture of worship and submission.
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: The elders leave their thrones and fall on their faces
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: before God's throne. They abandon their positions of dignity and
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: authority to humble themselves in God's presence. They willingly take
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: the lowest position possible, putting themselves face down on the
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: crystal sea, acknowledging that no matter how honored they are,
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: they are nothing compared to God. This happens repeatedly. The
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: verse says they fall down, using a tense that indicates
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: continuous or repeated action. Every time the living creatures give
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: glory and honor and thanks to God, the elders respond
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: by falling down in worship. It's a pattern, a rhythm,
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: a cycle of worship that repeats over and over. The
• 52:10
  Speaker 1: creatures cry holy, the elders fall down. The creatures declare
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: God's eternality. The elders prostrate themselves. On and on it
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: goes forever. Notice who they worship. They fall down before
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: him who sits on the throne. Their worship is directed
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: to God himself, not to anyone or anything else. They
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: don't worship the throne, or the rainbow or the glory.
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: They don't worship each other or the four living creatures.
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: Their faces are turned toward the one on the throne,
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: the source of all glory, the origin of all power,
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: the center of all reality. Everything they do points to him,
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: and they worship him who lives forever and ever. This
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: phrase echoes what the living creatures proclaim about God's eternality.
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: The elders are responding to and agreeing with the creature's declaration. Yes,
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: God lives forever, Yes he is eternal, Yes he will
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: never end. The elders add their worship to the worship
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: of the creatures, creating harmony, building layers of praise, multiplying
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: the glory given to God. The physical act of falling
• 53:21
  Speaker 1: down matters. In the ancient world. This was how subjects
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: showed respect to kings, how servants showed submission to masters,
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: how worshipers showed reverence to God. But in heaven there's
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: no pretense, no empty ritual, no forced compliance. The elders
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: fall down because they want to, because they must, because
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: they cannot do anything else when confronted with God's overwhelming
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: glory and holiness. They sit on thrones, but they leave
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: those thrones to worship. They wear crowns, but they bow
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: low despite those crowns. They have been given honor and authority,
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: but they will set all that aside to honor the
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: one who gave it to them. This is true worship,
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: not clinging to our dignity or position, but surrendering everything,
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: holding nothing back, giving God the complete devotion and reverence
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: he deserves. The elder's example teaches us what worship should
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: look like. It should be physical, not just mental. It
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: should be wholehearted, not half hearted. It should cost us something,
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: require something of us, move us out of our comfort zone.
• 54:33
  Speaker 1: The elders don't worship from a distance or with reservation.
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: They throw themselves completely into it, giving God everything they have,
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: holding nothing back. The elders do something even more striking
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: as they fall down in worship. They don't just bow
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: their bodies. They do something with those golden crowns they wear,
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: those rewards they earned, those symbols of their victory and
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: faithful service. Yon records what happens in the second half
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: of Revelation, chapter four, verse ten. They lay their crowns
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: before the throne. Picture this scene twenty four elders, each
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: wearing a golden crown, each honored by God with this
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: symbol of victory. One by one, or perhaps all at once,
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: they remove those crowns from their heads. They hold them
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: in their hands for a moment, these precious rewards that
• 55:27
  Speaker 1: represent everything they accomplished, everything they overcame, everything they suffered
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: and endured and won, and then they lay them down.
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: They placed them on the crystal sea before God's throne,
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: giving back to God what he had given to them.
• 55:44
  Speaker 1: This isn't a rejection of the crowns or a denial
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: of their achievement. God gave them those crowns because they
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: truly did overcome, truly did run well, truly did remain faithful.
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: The crowns are real rewards for real victory. But the
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: elders understand something crucial. Even their victories were won only
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: by God's grace and power. Even their faithful service was
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: enabled by God's strength. Even their crowns were earned only
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: because God gave them the ability to earn them. So
• 56:16
  Speaker 1: they give the crowns back not because the crowns aren't valuable,
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: but because God is more valuable. Not because they don't
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: deserve the crowns, but because God deserves even more glory
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: than the crowns represent. Not because the crowns are worthless,
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: but because God is worthless beyond comparison, and the crowns
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: are worth everything only because He gave them. This act
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: of casting their crowns before the throne happens repeatedly just
• 56:43
  Speaker 1: like their falling down in worship. Every time the living
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: creatures give glory to God, the elders respond by falling
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: down and laying their crowns before the throne. It's part
• 56:55
  Speaker 1: of the rhythm of Heaven's worship. Receive the crown from God,
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: wear it with gratitude, then cast it before him in worship,
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: acknowledging that he deserves all the credit, all the glory,
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: all the praise. The crowns lying before God's throne create
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: a beautiful picture twenty four golden crowns arranged around the
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: base of the throne, glittering in the light that flashes
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: from it, forming a circle of surrendered glory, a ring
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: of returned honor. They testify to God's faithfulness in rewarding
• 57:27
  Speaker 1: his servants, but they also testify to the servant's faithfulness
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: in giving God all the glory. This is the opposite
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: of pride. Pride says, look what I did, Look what
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: I achieved, Look what I earned. The elders could say
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: all those things truthfully, but they don't. Instead, they say,
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: through their actions, you did this through me. You gave
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: me the strength, you enabled the victory. Here, take it
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: all back. You deserve every bit of glory obriam. This
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: is true humility, not denying what God has done through us,
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: but making sure He gets the credit for it. The
• 58:11
  Speaker 1: act also demonstrates that heaven isn't about us building our
• 58:15
  Speaker 1: own kingdoms or accumulating our own glory. It's about God's
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: kingdom and God's glory. Whatever rewards we receive, whatever crowns
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: we earn, whatever honors we are given, they all ultimately
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: belong to God. We are stewards of his gifts, recipients
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: of his grace, channels of his power. In the end,
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: everything goes back to Him. After the elders fall down
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: and cast their crowns before the throne, they don't remain silent.
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: They sing. Worship in Heaven includes words, declarations, songs that
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: express why God deserves all this praise and honor. The
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: elders speak, and what they say reveals what moves them
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: to worship so completely. Revelation chapter four, verse eleven records
• 59:01
  Speaker 1: their song, You are worthy our Lord and God to
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things,
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: and by your will they were created and have their being.
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: This is a declaration of God's worth an explanation of
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: why he deserves the worship. Their giving him a theological
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: statement wrapped in worship language. They begin with direct address,
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: You are worthy, our Lord and God. They're speaking to
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: God himself, not about him. This isn't third person theology.
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: This is second person worship. They look at him on
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: his throne and tell him directly what he means to
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: them and why he deserves everything they're giving him. The
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: word worthy is crucial. It means deserving, meriting, having the
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: right to receive something. God isn't worthy because we decide
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: he is. He is worthy because of who he is
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: and what he has done. His worth is intrins built
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: into his nature, undeniable and absolute. The elders recognize this
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: worth and declare it openly. They identify what God is
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 1: worthy to receive glory and honor, and power. Glory means praise,
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: acclaim recognition of his excellence. Honor means respect, reverence acknowledgment
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: of his supremacy. Power means authority, dominion, the right to rule.
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 1: God deserves all three in unlimited measure from every creature
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: He has made. Then comes the reason, the foundation for
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 1: their declaration. For you created all things. This is why
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 1: God is worthy. This is why he deserves glory and
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: honor and power. He is the creator. Everything that exists
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: came from him. The universe didn't create itself, Life didn't
• 1:00:56
  Speaker 1: spontaneously generate. Matter and energy and time and space. All
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: had a beginning, and God is that beginning. He spoke
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: and worlds came into existence. He commanded, and galaxies formed.
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: He breathed, and life appeared. The elders elaborate, and by
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: your will they were created and have their being. Creation
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 1: wasn't an accident or an experiment. It was an act
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: of God's will, a deliberate choice, an intentional decision. God
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: wanted to create, so he did. His will was enough,
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: his desire was sufficient. Nothing forced him or compelled him
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: or required him to create. He chose to, and that
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: choice brought everything into existence. More than that, everything continues
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: to exist by your will. Creation isn't just about the past,
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: about what happened long ago. It's about the present, about
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: right now. Everything that exists continues to exist only because
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 1: God wills it to. If he withdrew his will, if
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: he sustaining creation, everything would cease. The universe depends on him,
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: not just for its beginning, but for its continuation. Every atom,
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: every star, every living thing exists moment by moment because
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: God wills it to exist. This is the foundation of
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: all worship. God is the creator. We are the creatures.
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: He made us. We didn't make him. He existed before us.
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: We exist because of him. He needs nothing from us.
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: We need everything from him. This fundamental reality means He
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: deserves our worship, our praise, our devotion, our lives. The
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: Elders understand this perfectly, and their song declares it. The
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: song also unites the Throne room in a common confession.
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: Everyone present, the four living creatures, the twenty four Elders,
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: every angel, every being in heaven can agree on this
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 1: one thing. God created all things. It's the starting point
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 1: for everything else, the foundation for all theology, the basis
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 1: for all worship. If God is Creator, then everything else follows.
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: He has the right to rule, He deserves to be praised.
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: He is worthy of all glory. As the Vision continues
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: into Revelation chapter five, the Elders play a crucial role.
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: In a dramatic moment, John sees a scroll in the
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: right hand of God sealed with seven seals. A mighty
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: angel proclaims with a loud voice in verse two, who
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 1: is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: No one in heaven, or on earth or under the
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: earth can open it or even look inside it. John
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: begins to weep bitterly because no one is found worthy.
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: Then one of the twenty four elders intervenes. Verse five
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 1: records what happens. Then one of the elders said to me,
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: do not weep. See the lion of the tribe of Judah.
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: The root of David has triumphed. He is able to
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: open the scroll and its seven seals. This elder speaks
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: directly to John, comforting him, redirecting his attention, pointing him
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: to the solution. The elder knows something John doesn't know yet.
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: There is someone worthy. There is someone who can open
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: the scroll. The elder identifies this worthy one with two titles. First,
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This connects to
• 1:04:36
  Speaker 1: the ancient prophecy Jacob gave about his son Judah in
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: Genesis chapter forty nine, Verse nine. You are a lion's cub, Judah.
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: You return from the prey my son like a lion.
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: He crouches and lies down like a lioness who dares
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 1: to rouse him. The Messiah would come from the tribe
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: of Judah, and he would be like a lion, powerful, victorious, royal. Second,
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: the Root of David. This connects to prophecies about the
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: Messiah coming from David's line. Isiah chapter eleven, verse ten
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: promised in that day the Root of Jesse will stand
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: as a banner for the peoples. The nations will rally
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: to him, and his resting place will be glorious. Jesse
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: was David's father, so the Root of Jesse is the
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: descendant of David, who would rule forever. The elder knows
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: that this promised Messiah has come, has triumphed, and is
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: able to open the scroll. The Elder's role here is significant.
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: He acts as an interpreter, a guide, a teacher for John.
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 1: Even though John is an apostle, even though he walked
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: with Jesus on earth, he needs help understanding what's happening
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: in this heavenly vision. The elder provides that help, explaining
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 1: who can open the scroll and why. This suggests that
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 1: the elders in heaven serve as teachers or explainers, helping
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: others understand God's plans. And purposes. When John looks, he
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: sees a lamb standing at the center of the throne,
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: looking as if it had been slain, with seven horns
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: and seven eyes. This is Jesus. The lion described by
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: the elder appears as a lamb, the one who conquered
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: through sacrifice, who triumph through death. The imagery is powerful,
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: the lion is a lamb. Strength comes through weakness, victory
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 1: comes through surrender. Verse seven describes what happens next. He
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: went and took the scroll from the right hand of
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 1: him who sat on the throne. The lamb takes the scroll.
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: He is worthy, he can open it, and when he
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: takes it, everything changes. Heaven irrupts in worship. The four
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: living creatures and the twenty four elders respond to this
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 1: momentous event. The moment the lamb takes the scrollrole, the
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: elders and the living creatures fall down before him. This
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: is significant. They worshiped God on the throne earlier, and
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: now they worship the lamb. This reveals that the lamb
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: is divine, worthy of the same worship that belongs to
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: God alone. Revelation Chapter five, verse eight describes the scene
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 1: and when he had taken it. The four living creatures,
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: and the twenty four elders fell down before the lamb.
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: Now the elders are holding something new, the verse continues.
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 1: bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people.
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: The elders have two items. First, harps, musical instruments for
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 1: worship and praise. Second, golden bowls filled with incense. John
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 1: immediately tells us what the incense represents, the prayers of
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: the saints. This is a priestly function, bringing the prayers
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: of God's people before his throne. But before we explore
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 1: that more in the next section, notice what the elders
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: do with their harps. They sing. Verse nine records their
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: new song. You are worthy to take the scroll and
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: to open its seals, because you are slain, and with
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: and language, and people and nation in This is called
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: a new song because it celebrates something new, not creation,
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: which they sang about before, but redemption. This song couldn't
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 1: be sung in the Old Testament. It couldn't be sung
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: before the cross. It required the death of the lamb
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 1: the shedding of his blood, the accomplishment of redemption. Now
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: that redemption is complete, the elders sing this new song,
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: celebrating what the Lamb has done. They declare him worthy
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 1: for a specific reason, because you were slain Undiu. The
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 1: Lamb's death is the foundation of his worthiness. To open
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 1: the scroll. He didn't earn this right through raw power
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: or political maneuvering. He earned it through sacrifice, through giving
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 1: his life, through dying for others. His death qualified him.
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: His blood purchased something precious. The song explains what the
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: blood purchased, persons from every tribe and language, and people
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: and nation. The Lamb's death wasn't limited to one ethnic
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: group or one nation. It reached across all human divisions,
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: every tribe, every ethnic and familial group, every language, every
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 1: linguistic and cultural community, every people, every racial category, every nation,
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: every political entity. No one is excluded. The redemption is
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 1: universal in scope, available to all who believe. The song
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: continues in verse ten, You have made them to be
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: will reign on the earth. The Lamb didn't just save
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 1: people from something, He saved them for something. He created
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 1: them into a kingdom, a realm where they belong to
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: the King, where they live under his rule, where they
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: share in his authority. And he made them priests, giving
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: them direct access to God, the ability to worship him,
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 1: the privilege of serving in his presence. The future promise follows,
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 1: and they will reign on the earth. Those who were
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: redeemed won't just float on clouds forever. They will reign,
• 1:10:35
  Speaker 1: exercise authority, govern rule, and they will do it on earth.
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: God's plan includes redeeming not just people, but the entire creation,
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: restoring Earth to what it was meant to be, and
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: giving his redeemed people the role of ruling over it
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: with him. This new song is the song of redemption,
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: the anthem of the saved, the celebration of what the
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: Lamb accomplished through his death. The elders sing it with
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: understanding and joy, declaring the Lamb's worthiness and the scope
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: of his salvation. Back in verse eight, John noticed something
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: specific about what the elders held. Each one had a harp,
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: are the prayers of God's people. Let's focus on these
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: golden bowls and what they represent This detail reveals an
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: important function the elders serve in heaven. The bowls are
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: made of gold, the precious metal that appears throughout Heaven's
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: throne room. These aren't cheap clay pots or simple wooden containers.
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 1: They are golden bowls, beautiful and valuable, worthy of the
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: precious contents they hold. The gold itself speaks of the
• 1:11:50
  Speaker 1: value God places on what's in the bowls. The bowls
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: are full of incense. In the Old Testament, incense was
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: used in temple worship. The priests would burn incense on
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: the altar of incense, which stood before the veil that
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: separated the Holy Place from the most Holy Place. The
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: smoke would rise up, creating a sweet smelling aroma that
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: filled the sanctuary. Incense represented prayers rising to God, supplications
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: ascending to heaven, the cries of God's people reaching his ears.
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: Psalm one hundred forty one, Verse two makes this connection explicit.
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 1: May my prayer be set before you like incense. May
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: Prayer is like incense. It rises to God, It's pleasing
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 1: to him. It fills heaven with its aroma. The sweet
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: smell of incense symbolizes the acceptability of prayer to God.
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 1: John tells us plainly what the incense in these bowls represents.
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: The prayers of God's people. Every prayer ever prayed by
• 1:12:58
  Speaker 1: every believer is somehow contained in these bowls. Every cry
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 1: for help, every plea for mercy, every expression of thanksgiving,
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: every confession of sin, every request for guidance. All of
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: it is there, preserved, valued, held before God's throne in
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: golden bowls. Think about what this means. When you pray.
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: You might wonder if your prayer matters, if it goes anywhere,
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: if God even hears it. The golden bowls answer those questions.
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: Your prayers do matter, They do go somewhere. God does
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: hear them. They are collected like precious incense in golden
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: bowls and presented before God's throne by these twenty four elders.
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: The Elders serve as priestly intercessors. They hold the prayers
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 1: of the saints and present them to God. They stand
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 1: between Earth and Heaven, receiving prayers from God's people and
• 1:13:53
  Speaker 1: bringing those prayers into God's presence. This is one of
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: their key functions in Heaven to represent the prayers of
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: all believers, to carry those prayers before the throne, to
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: ensure that every prayer reaches its destination. This also means
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: that no prayer is lost, no sincere cry to God
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: vanishes into nothing. Every prayer is heard, recorded, preserved, valued.
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: The golden bowls are full of incense, which suggests an
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: accumulation of prayers over time, all of them precious, all
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: of them important, all of them kept by God. Later
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 1: in Revelation, these bowls of incense appear again. Chapter eight.
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 1: Verses three and four describe another angel who takes incense
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: and offers it with the prayers of all the saints
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 1: on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke rises
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 1: before God, and then the angel fills the censer with
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 1: fire from the altar and hurls it on the earth,
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: triggering thunder, lightning and an earthquake. The prayers of the
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: saints have power. They affect what happens on earth. They
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: move God to act. The elders holding these bowls reminds
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: us that prayer is a priority in heaven. It's not
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: an after thought or a minor activity. It's central to
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 1: what happens in God's presence. The Elders, these honored, crowned,
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: enthroned representatives of all the redeemed, spend their time holding
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: and presenting the prayers of the saints. If prayer is
• 1:15:24
  Speaker 1: that important in heaven, it should be that important to
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: us on earth. The activities of the twenty four Elders
• 1:15:31
  Speaker 1: throughout these chapters reveal what they do in heaven. Their
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: role isn't passive or inactive. They have an ongoing ministry,
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 1: an eternal function, a continuous service before God's throne. Understanding
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 1: their ministry helps us understand what awaits all believers and
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: what heaven is really like. First and foremost, the Elders worship.
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: This is their primary activity, their men function, their constant occupation.
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: They fall down before the throne. They cast their crowns
• 1:16:06
  Speaker 1: before God. They sing songs declaring his worthiness. They join
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: with the living creatures in proclaiming His holiness. Worship isn't
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 1: just something they do occasionally. It's what they're always doing.
• 1:16:19
  Speaker 1: It's their purpose, their joy, their privilege. This worship is responsive.
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 1: The four living creatures initiate worship, and the elders respond
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 1: when the creatures give glory and honor and thanks to God.
• 1:16:33
  Speaker 1: The elders fall down when momentous events happen, like the
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: lamb taking the scroll, the elders respond with new songs
• 1:16:40
  Speaker 1: of worship. They are attentive, aware, engaged, ready to respond
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: to what God is doing with fresh expressions of praise.
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 1: The worship is also varied. The elders don't just repeat
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: the same actions mechanically. They have different songs for different occasions.
• 1:16:57
  Speaker 1: They sing about creation in chapter four, they sing about
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: redemption in chapter five. Later in Revelation, they will sing
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: about God's judgments and his righteousness. Their worship responds to
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: the full range of who God is and what he does. Second,
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 1: the elders serve as priests. They hold golden bowls of incense,
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: representing the prayers of the saints. This is priestly work,
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 1: mediating between God and his people, bringing prayers into God's presence,
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: standing in the gap. Just as the priests in the
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 1: Old Testament brought the prayers and needs of Israel before
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: God through offerings and incense, the elders bring the prayers
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 1: of all believers before God's throne. This priestly function isn't
• 1:17:41
  Speaker 1: hierarchical in a way that separates the elders from other believers.
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 1: All believers are priests, as we discussed earlier, but the
• 1:17:49
  Speaker 1: elders represent that priesthood invisible form. They demonstrate what all
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 1: believers are and do. We all have access to God.
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: We all can bring prayers before him. We all serve
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: in his presence. Third, the elders serve as teachers or interpreters.
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 1: When John was confused about the scroll, one of the
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 1: elders explained it to him. When John saw the great
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 1: multitude in white robes, one of the elders explained who
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: they were. The elders have knowledge and understanding that they
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: share with others. They help make sense of what God
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 1: is doing. They provide insight and explanation. Fourth, the elders
• 1:18:30
  Speaker 1: participate in the events of heaven. They aren't just spectators
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: watching from a distance. When the lamb takes the scroll,
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: they fall down in worship. When God's judgments unfold, they
• 1:18:42
  Speaker 1: respond with songs acknowledging his justice. They are active participants
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 1: in the unfolding of God's plan, witnesses to his works,
• 1:18:52
  Speaker 1: responders to his actions. This ongoing ministry reveals something important
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 1: about eternity. Heaven isn't static or boring. It isn't sitting
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 1: on clouds doing nothing forever. It's dynamic, active, responsive, filled
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 1: with worship and service and participation in what God is doing.
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: The elders model this. They are constantly engaged, constantly worshiping,
• 1:19:18
  Speaker 1: constantly serving, constantly responding to God. Their ministry is also eternal.
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 1: It doesn't end, it doesn't get old, it doesn't become tiresome.
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 1: The elders never stop worshiping because God never stops being
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 1: worthy of worship. They never run out of reasons to
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: praise Him because his glory is inexhaustible. They never get
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 1: tired of serving him because serving Him is what they
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 1: were made for, what brings them joy, what fulfills their purpose.
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: This is the destiny of all believers. What the elders do,
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: we will do what they experience. We will experience what
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: they enjoy. We will enjoy the before. Elders are representatives
• 1:20:01
  Speaker 1: of all the redeemed, showing us our own future. We
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: will sit on thrones, we will wear white robes and
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 1: golden crowns. We will fall down in worship. We will
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 1: cast our crowns before God. We will sing new songs.
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 1: We will hold the prayers of the saints we will
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 1: participate in God's eternal kingdom, serving him and worshiping Him forever.
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 1: If this video help you understand the mystery of the
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 1: twenty four Elders and their role in God's eternal Kingdom,
• 1:20:31
  Speaker 1: please subscribe to this channel and share this video with
• 1:20:34
  Speaker 1: others who need to hear this truth. Help us spread
• 1:20:37
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• 1:20:41
  Speaker 1: to know what Scripture really says about heaven, worship and
• 1:20:45
  Speaker 1: our eternal destiny. Hit that subscribe button, click the notification bell,
• 1:20:52
  Speaker 1: and share this video with your friends, family, and church community. Together,
• 1:20:57
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• 1:21:01
  Speaker 1: in God's Word.