And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,
Parallel translations
- WEB The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
- 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,
- NASB And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
- NLT The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The twenty-four elders fall on their faces and worship God. Heaven responds to the kingdom's coming with profound worship.
Overview
The twenty-four elders, representing the redeemed people of God (Revelation 4:4), bow in worship before the throne. Their prostrate adoration is the fitting response to the announcement of God's triumphant reign. It models how creatures should answer the establishment of the kingdom—with humble worship, not pride. This scene draws the reader into the worship of the God who reigns.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Rev 4:4Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white, with golden crowns on their heads.
- Rev 4:10the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
- Rev 7:11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God,
- Rev 19:4And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying: “Amen, Hallelujah!”
- Rev 5:14And the four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
- Rev 5:5–8Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 11:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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