An interpretation has long been put forth by scholars who hold to the common pre-trib view that the twenty-four elders (e.g., Rev. 4:4) represent the raptured Church in Heaven.  However, I have never been able to find satisfaction with this.  For me, something much more in harmony with Scripture is that these elders are the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, plus the twelve apostles of the Lamb.  In other words, the Heads of Jehovah's Nation under the Old Covenant and the Heads of Jesus' Church under the New Covenant.  Whatever is ultimately found to be so, it is quite apparent that these twenty-four hold a very significant place in Heaven, as John's account of what he saw concerning the New Jerusalem attests.  Consider from Revelation 21:

​

 10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God,

 11  Having the glory of God:  and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

 12  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are THE NAMES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL:

 13  On the east three gates;  on the north three gates;  on the south three gates;  and on the west three gates.

 14  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them THE NAMES OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE LAMB.

​

     It may be wondered, if the twenty-four elders included the 12 apostles, why would not John's seat have been empty?  Or, if John was seeing himself in his seat (e.g., in his future), how could he not have recognized himself?

     By way of brainstorming some of the possibilities, perhaps God allowed John to see himself after his death, when he would have taken his rightful place with the other 11 apostles and 12 tribal fathers.  With The Revelation, he was certainly shown much from a future perspective.  On the question of why he would not have recognized himself, perhaps he did, or perhaps he wasn't for sure if he did or not.  Really, there is no indication one way or the other.  Perhaps he didn't recognize himself at all, simply because he would have been seeing himself glorified.  He (along with the others) had not even recognized Jesus in His resurrection body till Jesus gave them a little help (Lk. 24:13-31ff, Jn. 20:11-16ff, and Jn. 21:1-4ff).  Recall that John had even wrote these words: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:  but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him;  for we shall see Him as He is" (I Jn. 3:2).

     Personally, I am inclined to understand the event that John got to witness (Rev. 4-5) as being in real time.  Concerning the question of the angel, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof ?" (Rev. 5:2), I see this as being more of a rhetorical question on the order of a proclamation.  In other words, EVERYONE IN HEAVEN KNEW RIGHT WELL WHO THE WORTHY ONE WAS, AND NOW JOHN WAS ABOUT TO SEE!  This was a grand ceremony on a heavenly scale!  But, what about John's seat?  I can easily imagine that someone like Paul might have been desirous to sit in it for the ceremony.  Or, perhaps it was "Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus" (Acts 1:23).  I'm sure neither the Father nor John would have objected, especially from a Heavenly family point of view!

     Of course, when the "great multitude" of Revelation 7:9-17 is recognized as being the just raptured Church in Heaven, there ceases to be any need (?) to seek evidences of the raptured Church in the twenty-four elders of chapters four and five.

​

(origin is OUTLINE OF THE REVELATION)

​