Revelation 11:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,

NIV: And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

NASB: And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

CSB: The twenty-four elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God,

NLT: The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him.

KJV: And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

NKJV: And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,

This verse tells us how the twenty-four elders who sit on thrones in front of God respond to the declaration that Christ will reign forever and ever. But first we need to identify the twenty-four elders. Some believe they represent all believers throughout history. Others believe they are the twelve patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel plus the twelve apostles. Still others believe they are all the redeemed of the church age.

It is impossible to identify these persons with absolute certainty. All we know is they are victors and humble worshipers of God. They acknowledge God as the supreme and holy ruler by falling on their faces and worshiping him. These are the same twenty-four elders we read about in Revelation 4 and 5. In Revelation 4:10 they "fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.," and in 5:14 they "fell down and worshiped." If the twenty-four elders do represent all believers throughout history or all believers of the church age, their act of worship previews one aspect of the Christian's life in heaven.

Revelation 11:15–19 ends the parenthesis between the sixth and seventh trumpets. Christ is ready to take possession of the kingdoms of the world. This expectation causes the twenty-four elders to lie prostate and give thanks to the eternal Lord. Soon He will judge the dead and reward His servants. The elders' praise is reminiscent of their praise in Revelation 5:8–10. The imminent judgment is executed in Revelation 20:10–15, and the rewarding of the Lord's faithful servants is described in 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 and 2 Corinthians 5:10. The apostle Paul associated the giving of rewards with Jesus' prophesied appearing.

This chapter continues the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments. John received a measuring rod and was told to measure the temple, the altar, and the worshipers. However, he was told not to measure the court outside the temple, because the Gentiles would overrun it for three and a half years. During that time, two divinely authorized witnesses would prophesy. They would have power to summon fire from heaven and to strike the earth with plagues. At the end of their testimony the beast from the pit will kill them and leave their bodies in a street in Jerusalem. But, three and a half days later, God will resurrect their bodies and draw them up to heaven. At that time a powerful earthquake will level a tenth of Jerusalem and kill seven thousand people. When the seventh trumpet sounds, loud voices in heaven proclaim Jesus as the possessor of the world's kingdoms, and the twenty-four elders praise Jesus as the Lord God Almighty who will begin to reign. He will judge the dead but reward His servants. The chapter ends with the opening of the temple in heaven.

The eleventh chapter of Revelation provides information about an event that transpires between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets. It involves two powerful witnesses that God raises up in the middle of the tribulation. These two witnesses minister throughout the second half of the tribulation. They are martyred, but God raises them up and lifts them to heaven. Concurrent with their ascension a mighty earthquake destroys one tenth of Jerusalem and kills seven thousand people. This is the second woe. The first woe is described in chapter 9 as an invading army of locusts.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''