Twenty-four Elders on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Twenty-Four Elders appear in the
In the centre of a huge hall is placed a throne: round about the Throne are four and twenty seats on which sit four and twenty Elders, robed in white and wearing crowns of gold. In this Assembly is introduced the Lamb that is to be initiated. In front of the Throne are four remarkable beasts (
''The Identity of the Twenty-Four Elders: A Critical Monograph on Revelation 4:4''
{{Book of Revelation, state=collapsed Biblical exegesis Book of Revelation Christian apocalyptic writings
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...
(4:4) of the Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
.
They are described as follow:
:before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal... round about... were four beasts full of eyes... The four and twenty elders fall down before him... and worship him that liveth for ever and ever.
Hall of initiation
In the centre of a huge hall is placed a throne: round about the Throne are four and twenty seats on which sit four and twenty Elders, robed in white and wearing crowns of gold. In this Assembly is introduced the Lamb that is to be initiated. In front of the Throne are four remarkable beasts (living creatures
In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fungi; ...
): one of them is like a lion, another resembles an eagle, the third has the appearance of a calf, and the fourth has the face of a man. These beasts have six wings each, and are full of eyes all over; and they rest not night and day, but keep on blessing the One on the Throne.
Allegorical interpretation
Champat Rai Jain
Champat Rai Jain (6 August 1867–2 June 1942) was a Digambara Jain born in Delhi and who studied and practised law in England. He became an influential Jainism scholar and comparative religion writer between 1910s and 1930s who translated and ...
, a 20th-century Jain writer claimed that the "Four and Twenty Elders" mentioned in the Christian Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
are "Twenty-four Jain ''Tirthankara
In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a ' ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the '' dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable pass ...
s''". In his book, Jainism Christianity and Science, he wrote:
See also
*The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne
''The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne'' is a pencil drawing and watercolour on paper by the English poet, painter and printmaker William Blake. Created circa 1803–1805, the drawing has been held in Londo ...
References
Sources
*External links
* John P. Burke''The Identity of the Twenty-Four Elders: A Critical Monograph on Revelation 4:4''
{{Book of Revelation, state=collapsed Biblical exegesis Book of Revelation Christian apocalyptic writings