Good News Authority - Revelation 4 (Part 2)

Revelation 4:4 (NIV)

⁴ Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.

"The twenty-four elders are an otherwise unknown class of heavenly beings created for the express purpose of worshiping God in his heavenly court," so writes K. Easley. [1] There are other interpretations of these 24 elders but Beale rightly concludes, I think that "the elders certainly include reference to OT and NT saints. They are either angels representing all saints or the heads of the twelve tribes together with the twelve apostles, representing thus all the people of God." [2]

If the four living creatures are representative of all creatures, then it seems that the twenty-four elders probably are or represent the Church from all ages.  The whole Church is dressed in white and has received crowns.  "“Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders . . ..” (Revelation 4:4a, NIV).  The Church represented in this image is not only clothed in white and having received their crowns -- they are seated on thrones.

Paul understood this reality as recorded in Ephesians 2:4–8 (NIV)

⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

"Believers have been “made alive together” (v. 5), “raised together” (v. 6), and now “seated together” with Christ. Believers share Christ’s position of authority at the right hand of God by virtue of their union with Christ." [3] "God has allowed his people even now to share in a measure of the authority that Christ has, seated at the right hand of God (cf. 1:20–22; 6:10–18; James 4:7; 1 John 4:4)." [4]

In a world of rebellion and false philosophies, Christ still reigns and He reigns with and through His Church. The Church shares in Christ's authority and particularly in ways wherein the Gospel is given liberty to go into all the world. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:18–19, NIV).

The Church has "evangelistic authority."   The Church has Καλή νέα αρχή -- good news authority.

Father You are eternal.  I am a creature of time. There are some things You have done that are done, yet are not done yet.  You have promised that we will reign with Christ, yet we reign today -- not as we will, but yet we do.  You, Father, reign in the midst of Your enemies, even as we do.  We have many enemies.  But we are more than conquerors and the Gospel has authority and power to transform enemies into friends.  Help me today to go out with confidence in Your authority.  May souls be translated into the Kingdom of Christ, for the glory of Your Son and for our eternal joy.

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1. Easley, K. H. (1998). Vol. 12: Revelation. Holman New Testament Commentary (76). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
2.  Beale, G. K. (1999). The book of Revelation: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (322). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
3. Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Eph 2:6). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software
4. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2264). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.