The 24 Elders of Revelation, Part 3: The Setting of the Heavenly Throne

According to the ancient Hebraic understanding, a king voluntarily lowers himself whenever he comes to sit upon his throne of judgment, because there he exposes his glory to subjects having a lesser dignity and honor than himself. Therefore, such occasions are limited in number and duration. Only twice in the history of the world – once at Mount Sinai, and then again here in the end of the Christian Age – is God to PERSONALLY and PUBLICLY expose His nature to the lower worlds all the way down to include earth. (At other times in the past, such as described in Job 1 - 2 and Ezekiel 1 ff., God only appeared in heavenly venues, which cannot be seen by the natural man.)

This coming second and last earthly appearance for judgment will be immediately preceded by the blast of a shofar/trumpet, just as was the first. Matt. 24:31; 1 Thes. 4:16; Ex. 19:16 That is why the coming blast is called “the LAST trump” (1 Cor. 15:52): this knowledge was revealed to Hebraic sages before the birth of Christ. See https://worthychristianforums.com/blogs/entry/840-the-last-shofar-the-latter-horn-of-redemption/

Although God’s heavenly appearance upon His throne first begins to be seen in Revelation 4, it is not until after the initial events of the 6th Seal that He and His Son will reveal themselves unto the realm of earth. Rev. 6:12-17; 1:7 Up until that time, preparatory events must first be carried out in heaven. That period covers the span from Revelation 4:1 to 6:14.

In Revelation 4, the major heavenly participants in the judgment appear in their places on and around the throne: God, the 24 Elders, the seven spirits of God, and the four Living Creatures. Later, in Revelation 5:11, myriads of angels are revealed to have been surrounding these central participants. Those who are allowed and enabled to approach the closest to God are those who have the greatest holiness. Therefore, this heavenly portrayal reveals that the 24 Elders exceed the angels of heaven in preeminence:

Hebrews 1:14 Are they [the angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for the sake of those who shall inherit salvation?

Revelation 4 provides the opening scene for God’s End Time judgments. Next we will move on to Revelation 5, wherein an event takes place that will directly lead to earthly consequences.