Immediately at the end of the Church Age – Revelation 4:1-4
The Heavenly Door Revelation 4:1
1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
The scene now changes to Heaven. John tells us that after this, after his Vision of Christ in the midst of the Seven Candlesticks, and his foreview of the history of the Christian Church, as outlined in the messages to the Seven Churches, which brought him to the end of the Church Age, he looked, and behold a door was standing open in heaven,” and the same voice, the voice of Jesus (Rev. 1:10-13), that spoke to him from the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks, said with the clearness of a trumpet: , “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” And then John adds: 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
In this “rapture” of John we have a type of the rapture of the Church, and it is at this place in the Book of Revelation that the rapture of the Church takes place.
The “Rapture” of the Church is described in 1. Thess. 4:16-17. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Note how John’s taking up corresponds with this. He was summoned by the voice of Jesus, and it will be the shout of Jesus that will summon the saints at the rapture. It was with a loud voice that Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb. John 11:43. And as it was a trumpet like voice that summoned John, so it will be a trumpet call that will summon the Saints at the rapture.
As proof that the Church is caught out at this time and place, we have in the description of the Throne, the statement that the Holy Spirit is back in heaven. In none of the Epistles is the Holy Spirit invoked along with the Father and the Son, except in 2. Cor. 13:14, because He is viewed as abiding on the earth with the Church, convicting of sin, comforting believers, and gathering out the elect, but here He is no longer on the earth but back in Heaven, and before the Throne. This is the strongest kind of evidence that the Church at this time has been “caught out” and is no longer on the earth, because when the Holy Spirit goes back to Heaven, He will take the Church with Him. And the presence of the Holy Spirit in Heaven is conclusive evidence that the events that follow are to take place after the Church has been caught out, and therefore the Church is not going to pass through the Tribulation.
The Heavenly Throne Revelation 4:2-3, 5-6
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne… 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
The Twenty Four Elders Revelation 4:4
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
Who are these “Elders” and what do they represent? They are not a heavenly and unfallen order of beings, like the angels or “Living Creatures” that surround the Throne, they are the representatives of redeemed mankind. The name Elder is never applied to angels, neither do angels have “crowns” and sit on “thrones.” Only redeemed men are promised “Thrones” and Crowns.” Matt. 19:28. Rev. 3:21. Rev. 20:4. Rev. 2.10. 1. Pet. 5:2-4. 2. Tim. 4:8. These “Elders” then must be representatives of the Saints, who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. This will be made clearer as we consider their position, dress, and song.
They are seated on “thrones,” not ordinary seats, The thrones that John saw were occupied by crowned Elders. Then those Elders must have passed the test of the Judgment of Reward (2. Cor. 5:10, 1. Cor. 3:11-15), and received their crowns.
There are Five Crowns
The Incorruptible Crown (The Victor’s Crown) 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
The Crown of Life (The Martyr’s Crown) Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Crown of Glory (Elder’s Crown) 1 Peter 5:2-4 “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
Crown of Righteousness (For Those Who Love His Appearing) 2 Timothy 4:8 “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Crown of Rejoicing (Soul Winners Crown) 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.”
Further evidence that these “Elders” were redeemed men was the song they sung.
9 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Rev. 5:9-10.
This could not be said of angels, or any other created heavenly beings, because they have not been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, nor are they to be “Kings” and “Priests” on the earth.
While the elders sit on Thrones and wear Crowns, they are not dressed in royal robes but in “white raiment,” the garment of a Priest. They are the members of a Royal Priesthood. 1. Pet. 2:9. That the time has not yet come for them to reign is clear because they are engaged in Priestly duties
It is clear that the “Elders” will be given the right of Judgment. Writing to the Corinthians Paul says: 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? (The Fallen Angels.) 1. Cor. 6:2-3. The time when this right of Judgment is conferred on the “Elders” (Saints) is given by John as after the binding of Satan, and just before the Millennium: 4 I saw thrones (the first resurrection saints, the elders) on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Rev. 20:4.
The word “Elder” in the majority of places where it is used in the Scriptures means the representative head of a city, family, tribe or nation. But why 24 elders? Twenty-four is the number of the priestly lots as given in 1. Chron. 24:1-19. When David distributed the priests into lots he found there were 24 heads of the priestly families, and these 24 heads he made to represent the entire priesthood. So the twenty-four elders here represent the entire priesthood of believers.
