And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Parallel translations
- WEB The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
- BSB And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped 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 4:4And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
- Rev 4:10The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
- Rev 7:11And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
- Rev 19:4And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
- Rev 5:14And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
- Rev 5:5–8And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.