Q
I have a question regarding Revelation 4. If the 24 elders are believed to represent the raptured church, what’s the significance of the number 24?
A
While the 24 elders represent the entire Church, I don’t think their presence around the throne is meant to symbolize millions of elders sitting on thrones there. 12 is the Biblical number of government and being a multiple of twelve, 24 expresses the same thing in a higher form. It is the Biblical number associated with the heavenly government and with worship, two duties to which the Church is called.
A prophetic example of this was David’s division of the Levitical priests into 24 courses (groups) for temple service (1 Chron. 24:1-19).