THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS

     On the 20th day of July 2023, at the wee hours I was waiting on the Lord Jesus and then I heard, "Come up higher" ! Immediately, I was caught in the Spirit to the heavenly realm to meet with the Lord. We talked about many things. Then He asked me what I wanted and I told Him, "I want You"!. Then I told Him to give me trusted workers. Just then, as we talked, I looked behind us and I saw some many people coming down to us. They were adorned with priestly garments and had their tiaras on their heads. I did not see them in crowns but the tiaras looked like what the bishops on earth wear. I asked the Lord who they were, "The 24 elders", He replied. The 24 elders then made a circle around us. As the Lord began to speak, immediately, then one elder who was right before us knelt down before the Lord. And the Lord said to him, "Get trusted workers for her". The elder then woke up and the Lord gave them a signal to leave. They all left one after another. The Lord said He would get me workers and when I meet them, I will just know. We were together with the Lord for quite some time. Then He told me that it was time to leave. He woke up and started to walk back up as I watched Him. He would look back at me from time to time until He was caught up in the clouds and the vision ended. 

     The twenty-four elders are members of the heavenly Sanhedrin. Their work is: to worship the King at the Throne continually... Revelation 4:10; Revelation 11:16; 19:4; to sing with harps unto the Lord.. Revelation 5:8; to hold the incense/prayers of God's people. I believe my request for trusted workers was represented as incense at the Throne and I will receive what I asked for... V8b; they are members of the heavenly court or counsel and in Greek, Sanhedrin. All these functions are a priest's responsibility... yours and my responsibility. 

     In Jesus’ day, the Jewish Sanhedrin/high council/the elders were most powerful religious and political body. They handled religious disputes and some civil disputes. They made many of the local decisions affecting daily life. They were made-up of 71 of Israel's religious leaders. It was assumed that these men would be just. Instead, they showed great injustice in the trial of Jesus... Mark 14:55. Even to the point of making up lies to use against Him.  But there was one - Joseph of Arimathea - who was a secret follower of Jesus... Luke 23:50. He was bold enough to burry Jesus when Jesus's Disciples ran away. 

      It is believed by many that the members of the 24 elders are the representatives of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles of the Lamp. But this is erroneous because John, the one who narrates Revelation 5:5 would have recognized this one elder of the 24 elders who spoke to him. Secondly, John was a member of the 12 apostles... the Scriptures clearly say that the members of Heavenly Sanhedrin were already 24. Was Jesus's beloved left out?

     An ‘elder’ simply means older. Why were the 24 elders in my vision dressed like the bishops today? Apostle Peter writing to the believers in Asia Minor, he identified himself as an elder... 1 Peter 5:1ff… though he was an apostle. A bishop is an overseer and is also an elder... Philippians 1:1. An apostle is an elder. Jesus is the Bishop/Overseer of our souls... 1 Peter 2:25, "For you were going astray like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian (the Bishop) of your souls". NKJV... “For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer [Greek 'Episkopos' ] of your soul's”. Therefore, 'bishop, overseer, elder, guardian' have the same meaning and function... Titus 1:7 NLT says 'elder', AMP says bishop/overseer, Bilingual Version say 'bishop' or 'askofu' in swahili. Does it mean the 24 elders are Bishops? Yes! By their responsibilities to the saints. 

     An elder/bishop/overseer according to Scriptures represents each town because the Church is known by each town e. g. the 7 Churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3: the Church at Ephesus, the Church at Sardis, the Church in Nairobi, the Church in Stockholm etc. An elder/overseer/bishop then: must leave a blameless life, must be faithful to his wife, his Children are believers who are not rebellious, he is a manager of God's household, he is not arrogant or quick-tempered, must not be a drinker, violet, dishonest with money...Ephesians 5:18, must enjoy having guests in his house and love what is good, he must live wisely and be just, he must live a devout and disciplined life, must be able to teach... Titus 1:6-9, he is for the flock... 1 Peter 5:2-3. 

     Therefore, we can call the 24 elders bishops, overseers [probably, of our prayers in heaven]... Revelation 5:8, "And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God's people (the saints)”. The fact that they are twenty-four is significant. 

     The spiritual meaning of Number 24 is the number of priesthood. To write twenty-four in Hebrew, they wrote two Hebrew letters, kaph-daleth. These signify the open palm in the act of opening a door, signifying an open hand showing and offering to us the door of priesthood and access into the Sanctuary of God. Even as the number 12 is the number of governmental perfection, its multiple (24) is the number of priesthood, wherein lies the call to spiritual government. It is a heavenly government of priesthood, rather than a political government of kingship. It's a no wonder, the 24 elders in my vision were wearing Priestly garments. But, when they are on their thrones, surrounding the Throne, they are in white robes and wear their golden Crowns. 

     God revealed to David the pattern of the heavenly Temple, so that he could draw the blueprints for the temple on earth that his son, Solomon, was to build. Among these patterns was a change in priesthood from 12 to 24 courses of priests... 1 Chronicles 24:1-18. For this reason also, we read in Revelation 4:4 of the 24 elders around the throne, after which the earthly manifestation was patterned.

     In 1 Chronicles 24:1-18, where David divided the priesthood into 24 courses, we find another natural division. The 24 courses are composed of 16 men of the family of Eleazar and 8 of the family of Ithamar... verse 4. The number 16 speaks of Love, while the number 8 speaks of New Beginnings. The number 24, then, which signifies priesthood, cannot be understood apart from the context of a new beginning (8) of spiritual rebirth and Love as the foundation of their character.

     Eleazar’s descendants were divided into 16 groups as opposed to Ithamar’s 8 for three reasons: Eleazar received the birthright since his two older brothers, Nadab and Abihu, had died before the Lord for burning the wrong kind of fire… Leviticus 10:1ff. The birthright included a double portion of the father’s estate. Therefore, Eleazar’s descendants were greater in number than Ithamar’s and they also had greater leadership ability. These 24 priests gave order to the functioning of the house of the Lord. Each group served two-week shifts each year and the rest of the time they served in their hometowns. This system was still in place in Jesus’ day… Luke 1:5-9 – Zachariah forefather was Abijah [the 8th lot… 1 Chronicles 24:10b]. 

     In my vision, Jesus told the 24 elders to get trusted workers for me. This is significant: the prayers of the saints/believers serve as incense in honor and reverence to God, Revelation 5:8, “…the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb …they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints). My prayer together with those of the saints are a sweet-smelling odor worship to God. The other day, the Lord told me that the prayers I make are His food. Our prayers are like the Old Testament’s sacrifices of bulls and all. As they burnt these animals, the smell was a sweet-smelling odor, a worship acceptable to God at that time. The 24 elders presented my prayer unto Jesus as a sweet-smelling odor… no wonder the Lord promised to get me trusted workers. He also promised to always go with me, “I will never leave you…”. 

Come Lord Jesus!