The 24 Elders
Redeemed Men or Angels

Are the 24 ‘Elders’ and their accompanying ‘Crowns’ mentioned in Rev. 4:4, 10, et. al. a direct reference to the Rapture of the Church and a subsequent rewarding of the Saints (their Crowns) or something else?  

Rev. 4:4
    And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.  

Rev. 4:10
    The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying…  

It must be noted that these 24 Elders as seen by John in Heaven around the Throne of God existed before the Book of the 7 Seals of the Great Prophecy had ever been opened by the Lamb.  Thus, these 24 Elders existed in Heaven (in the then present) even before the arrival of John himself. 

Therefore, if they are not to be considered as a part of the Prophecy contained WITHIN the Book of the 7 Seals, which in and of itself includes the Resurrection and subsequent Rapture of the Church, then, who are they (the 24 Elders), how did they arrive in Heaven before John and how did they receive their Crowns? 

We must consider there has already been a small but profound fulfillment of a ‘partial part’ of the 1^st Resurrection following the Resurrection of Jesus Himself. 

Matthew 27:52-53
    And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, [53] And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.  

In Rev. 20:6 declares that the ‘Redeemed’ of the 1^st Resurrection will ‘reign’ with both God and Christ. 

Rev. 20:6
    Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

However, there are many who suggest that the 24 Elders are NOT Redeemed Men but rather Angels.

In Rev. 5:10 many mistranslate the word KINGS as KINGDOM – the word is used as a PLURAL (Kings 935) and NOT as a SINGULAR (Kingdom 932) in most cases and there is also NO preceding indefinite article ‘A’ (only articulated) in any of the Greek Texts. (emphasis added)  βασιλεις^{935 N-APM}  Noun – Accusative, PLURAL, Masculine, hence (KINGS)

Meanwhile, the only Text to use the word βασιλειαν^{932 N-ASF}  KINGDOM is the Westcott-Hort Greek NT.    

Rev 5:10 You have appointed them [autous] as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 

Below is a listing of my Greek NT sources regarding Rev. 5:10.

Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Greek NT
Rev 5:9  και^{2532 CONJ}  αδουσιν^{103 V-PAI-3P}  ωδην^{5603 N-ASF}  καινην^{2537 A-ASF}  λεγοντες^{3004 V-PAP-NPM}  αξιος^{514 A-NSM}  ει^{1510 V-PAI-2S}  λαβειν^{2983 V-2AAN}  το^{3588 T-ASN}  βιβλιον^{975 N-ASN}  και^{2532 CONJ}  ανοιξαι^{455 V-AAN}  τας^{3588 T-APF}  σφραγιδας^{4973 N-APF}  αυτου^{846 P-GSN}  οτι^{3754 CONJ}  εσφαγης^{4969 V-2API-2S}  και^{2532 CONJ}  ηγορασας^{59 V-AAI-2S}  τω^{3588 T-DSM}  θεω^{2316 N-DSM}  ημας^{1473 (plural 2248) P-1AP} ( Us - hemas) εν^{1722 PREP}  τω^{3588 T-DSN}  αιματι^{129 N-DSN}  σου^{4771 P-2GS}  εκ^{1537 PREP}  πασης^{3956 A-GSF}  φυλης^{5443 N-GSF}  και^{2532 CONJ}  γλωσσης^{1100 N-GSF}  και^{2532 CONJ}  λαου^{2992 N-GSM}  και^{2532 CONJ}  εθνους^{1484 N-GSN}  

Rev. 5:9 translation - …has redeemed to the God Us

Rev 5:10    και^{2532 CONJ}  εποιησας^{4160 V-AAI-2S}  αυτους^{(846)  P-APM}  (them - hemas) τω^{3588 T-DSM}  θεω^{2316 N-DSM}  ημων^{1473 (plural 2257) P-1GP} (we - hemon) βασιλεις^{935 N-APM}  (Kings) και^{2532 CONJ}  ιερεις^{2409 N-APM}  και^{2532 CONJ}  βασιλευσουσιν^{936 V-FAI-3P}  επι^{1909 PREP}  της^{3588 T-GSF}  γης^{1093 N-GSF}   

Rev. 5:10 translation
And he has made them to the God of we Kings and Priests and they shall reign on the earth. 

Westcott-Hort GreeK NT
Rev 5:9  και^{2532 CONJ}  αδουσιν^{103 V-PAI-3P}  ωδην^{5603 N-ASF}  καινην^{2537 A-ASF}  λεγοντες^{3004 V-PAP-NPM}  αξιος^{514 A-NSM}  ει^{1510 V-PAI-2S}  λαβειν^{2983 V-2AAN}  το^{3588 T-ASN}  βιβλιον^{975 N-ASN}  και^{2532 CONJ}  ανοιξαι^{455 V-AAN}  τας^{3588 T-APF}  σφραγιδας^{4973 N-APF}  αυτου^{846 P-GSN}  οτι^{3754 CONJ}  εσφαγης^{4969 V-2API-2S}  και^{2532 CONJ}  ηγορασας^{59 V-AAI-2S}  τω^{3588 T-DSM}  θεω^{2316 N-DSM}  εν^{1722 PREP}  τω^{3588 T-DSN}  αιματι^{129 N-DSN}  σου^{4771 P-2GS}  εκ^{1537 PREP}  πασης^{3956 A-GSF}  φυλης^{5443 N-GSF}  και^{2532 CONJ}  γλωσσης^{1100 N-GSF}  και^{2532 CONJ}  λαου^{2992 N-GSM}  και^{2532 CONJ}  εθνους^{1484 N-GSN}  

Rev. 5:9 translation - …has redeemed to the God (Omits 1473/2248 altogether) – that solves the problem!

Rev 5:10    και^{2532 CONJ}  εποιησας^{4160 V-AAI-2S}  αυτους^{(plural 846) P-APM}  (them - hemas) τω^{3588 T-DSM}  θεω^{2316 N-DSM}  ημων^{1473 (plural 2257) P-1GP} (we - hemon) βασιλειαν^{932 N-ASF} (Kingdom) και^{2532 CONJ}  ιερεις^{2409 N-APM}  και^{2532 CONJ}  | βασιλευουσιν^{936 V-PAI-3P}  | βασιλευσουσιν^{936 V-FAI-3P}  | επι^{1909 PREP}  της^{3588 T-GSF}  γης^{1093 N-GSF}   

Rev. 5:10 translation
And he has made them to the God of we Kingdom and Priests and they shall reign on the earth. 

Greek NT
Rev 5:9  καὶ ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν λέγοντες· ἄξιος εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσφάγης καὶ ἠγόρασας τῷ Θεῷ ἡμᾶς ^{1473 (plural 2248) P-1AP} ( Us - hemas) ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους,

Rev. 5:9 translation - …has redeemed to the God Us

Rev 5:10    καὶ  ἐποίησας  αὐτοὺς  ^{(plural 846)} (them - autos) τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν  ^{(plural 2257)} (we - hemon) βασιλεῖς^{935 N-APM} (Kings) καὶ ἱερεῖς, καὶ βασιλεύσουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 

Rev. 5:10 translation
And he has made them to the God of we Kings and Priests and they shall reign on the earth. 

1894 Scrivener Textus Receptus NT
Rev 5:9 και αδουσιν ωδην καινην λεγοντες αξιος ει λαβειν το βιβλιον και ανοιξαι τας σφραγιδας αυτου οτι εσφαγης και ηγορασας τω θεω ημας ^{1473 (plural 2248) P-1AP} ( Us - hemas) εν τω αιματι σου εκ πασης φυλης και γλωσσης και λαου και εθνους

Rev. 5:9 translation - …has redeemed to the God Us

Rev 5:10   και  εποιησας  ημας ^{(plural 2248)} (Us - hemas) τω θεω ημων ^{(plural 2257)} (we - hemon) βασιλεις ^{935 N-APM} (Kings) και ιερεις και βασιλευσομεν επι της γης 

Rev. 5:10 translation
And he has made us to the God of we Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the earth. 

Textus Receptus Greek NT
Rev 5:9  και^{2532 CONJ}  αδουσιν^{103 V-PAI-3P}  ωδην^{5603 N-ASF}  καινην^{2537 A-ASF}  λεγοντες^{3004 V-PAP-NPM}  αξιος^{514 A-NSM}  ει^{1510 V-PAI-2S}  λαβειν^{2983 V-2AAN}  το^{3588 T-ASN}  βιβλιον^{975 N-ASN}  και^{2532 CONJ}  ανοιξαι^{455 V-AAN}  τας^{3588 T-APF}  σφραγιδας^{4973 N-APF}  αυτου^{846 P-GSN}  οτι^{3754 CONJ}  εσφαγης^{4969 V-2API-2S}  και^{2532 CONJ}  ηγορασας^{59 V-AAI-2S}  τω^{3588 T-DSM}  θεω^{2316 N-DSM}  ημας^{1473 (plural 2248) P-1AP} ( Us - hemas) εν^{1722 PREP}  τω^{3588 T-DSN}  αιματι^{129 N-DSN}  σου^{4771 P-2GS}  εκ^{1537 PREP}  πασης^{3956 A-GSF}  φυλης^{5443 N-GSF}  και^{2532 CONJ}  γλωσσης^{1100 N-GSF}  και^{2532 CONJ}  λαου^{2992 N-GSM}  και^{2532 CONJ}  εθνους^{1484 N-GSN}  

Rev. 5:9 translation - …has redeemed to the God Us

Rev 5:10    και^{2532 CONJ}  εποιησας^{4160 V-AAI-2S}  ημας^{1473 (plural - 2248) P-1AP}  (Us - hemas) τω^{3588 T-DSM}  θεω^{2316 N-DSM}  ημων^{1473 (plural 2257)  P-1GP}  (we - hemon) βασιλεις^{935 N-APM}  (Kings) και^{2532 CONJ}  ιερεις^{2409 N-APM}  και^{2532 CONJ}  βασιλευσομεν^{936 V-FAI-1P}  επι^{1909 PREP}  της^{3588 T-GSF}  γης^{1093 N-GSF}   

Rev. 5:10 translation
And he has made us to the God of we Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the earth. 

In summary, which of the Greek MS do we follow – Textus Receptus (they are the Redeemed - NOT Raptured) or the others (they could be angels)?  

As can be seen from the various Greek NT postings of Rev. 5:9 regarding the words of the ‘new song’, the song is referring to the ‘REDEEMED’ (the Us).  However, the burden of proof as to whether the 24 Elders could actually be Angels or Redeemed is probably in who is singing the new song – the They. 

The wording to the new song is clearly ‘Us’ in Rev. 5:9 while the same new song continued in Rev. 5:10 uses (depending on which greek MS used) ‘them and they’ or ‘Us and We’.  (see previous email for Rev. 5:10)   

Should we look for consistency in grammar?  As you can see below Westcott-Hort solved this consistency dilemma by simply tossing out the ‘Us’ (1473/plural 2248) of Rev.5:9 but kept the them/they of Rev. 5:10.  That is problematic.  

Thus, here is the difference between the two.  IF we follow the Textus Receptus then the 24 Elders are without question Redeemed Men and CANNOT be Angels.  However, if we choose to follow the Other Greek Texts then the 24 Elders ‘May or May NOT’ be Redeemed and May or May NOT be Angels, leaving it a ‘JUMP BALL’ without any hope of a definite identity.