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The Revelation of Jesus Christ The word "seats" in the Revised Version is translated "thrones." But who are the four and twenty elders? When we come to the fifth chapter, we read that the four and twenty elders sang, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred." Therefore, we know that they are not the holy angels, who have never sinned, but that they are those whom Christ had redeemed with His shed blood. You will remember the account in the twenty-fourth chapter of I Chronicles of the appointing of twenty-four elders; that is, the division of the Levitical priesthood into twenty-four orders, so that each order could minister for "two weeks at a time in the temple that was to be built." The priest hood numbered thousands. Of course, all of those priests could not go into the temple at one time; so the priesthood was represented every two weeks by an order of twenty-four priests-twenty-four elders. When those twenty-four were in the temple and were ministering, they were a representative body. What John saw, therefore, was a representative body, standing for the entire company of men and women who had been washed in the blood of Jesus. In the Old Testament days, there were twelve patriarchs; in the New Testament days, twelve apostles. Likewise, here we have a representa tive body of the saints of the Old Testament and the saints of the New Testament, translated, washed, clothed in white raiment, and singing praise to God. "And they had on their heads crowns of gold." Why did they have crowns on their heads? Because John was projected into the future, and it was as though the judgment seat of Christ had already taken place, and the rewards for service had been given. There are five crowns for service: the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, the crown of life, the crown of rejoicing, and the incorruptible crown. Our Lord will not be "unmindful" of the "work and labour of love" of His faithful servants! A THRONE OP JUDGMENT "And out of_the throne proceeded lightnings and thunder~ logs and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne" (verse 5) . John beheld a throne, not of grace, but of judgment. Our
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