I realize you were quoting from a website. But I tend to lean in the direction, that they have more a symbolic meaning.

This last Sabbath, a speaker grew quite eloquent about these 24 elders being resurrected humans serving as priests in heaven.

My problem is that I have read a few samples of Alice Bailey's ( a new age priestess) predictions (which she supposedly received from a master) She talks about preparing the world for the coming "masters".
These masters are supposedly people who lived many ages ago, and are now spirit beings coming to improve the world and led humans into a more elevated state of humanity.

So why are we interpreting the bible to say there are "elders" (ancient departed saints, similar to what these masters claim to be) in heaven, whose duty is to explain things to people?
Or what about the "bowls of incense" with the "prayers of saints", that these elders have?. If they are perceived to be departed saints could this be a way to convince people to pray to these elder/saints in heaven to petition Jesus to rule in our favor??

I don't know -- but I just got a very strange feeling that this nice sounding interpretation of the 24 elders was a wedge into Adventism to prepare them to receive the spiritualistic manifestations of the last days.

Remember, even though that interpretation was around during the SDA pioneer days, Ellen White never once endorsed their interpretation. Indeed -- in at least two places she substituted the word "angel" in the place of the world "elder" when referring to Rev. 7:13.

It certainly was more than symbolically for the Jews, as they saw the literal part of it and it showed how the true tabernacle of God in heaven and place of the Judgement process given in the example of the day of Atonement would be. I think as we begin to understand the meaning of the Heavenly Tabernacle and why a copy for Moses to follow was shown to him, it becomes more real to us. I always wondered why I heard this from so many Adventist and only now am I beginning to grasp a true understanding of it and what the various parts meant, and Satan likes to bring up substitutes (as he reads whats in Gods Word too) to divert us from the truth so I wouldnt put too much worry about the new age predictions.

Here is more that I came across...

"The earthly sanctuary symbolized God?s presence in a covenantal relationship with Israel, His chosen people (cf. Exod. 15:17, 25:8). Through the sanctuary, Israel would commune, worship, and interact with God. As with the tabernacle in the wilderness, Solomon?s temple became the locus of God?s Shekinah glory and the center of Israel?s worship; all the furniture and details of the tabernacle in the Holy and Most Holy places were transferred to the temple.

God?s presence demanded obedience from His people, beginning with their leader, be it Moses, Aaron, David, or Solomon. God?s dwelling in the earthly sanctuary by extension meant that He chose to dwell with His people, and this dwelling expected that His people, beginning with the king as their representative, would follow God?s law (1 Kings 6:12, 13). In fact, as long as the temple stood, the prayers of His people in or toward the temple were heard and answered by God from His heavenly abode (1 Kings 8:30, 39, 43, 49; 2 Chron. 6:21, 30, 33, 39; Ps. 102:19). God?s omnipresence demonstrates His ability to examine everything (cf. Prov. 15:3; Job 34:21; Jer. 16:17). While God is said to fill both heaven and earth, He is usually portrayed as looking from heaven (cf. 2 Chron. 16:9; Ps .34:15). God?s concretization of His presence was through His glory while filling the temple (cf., Lev. 9:6, 23; Exod. 40:34; 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chron. 5:14; Ezek. 43:2). Therefore, His real dwelling would remain in heaven, whereas the earthly sanctuary was a representation and an assurance of God?s presence among His people (1 Kings 9:3)....

"As with Moses, David received every detail of Jerusalem?s temple through God?s inspiration. God explicitly directed Moses that he should build the sanctuary ?according to the pattern? that was given to him ?on the mountain? (Exod. 25:40; 26:30; 31:18).4 Moses? heavenly vision and later David?s special inspired directives stand in parallel to underscore the fact that the sanctuary in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem were both directed by God?s disclosure of the sanctuary and the temple plans. When the chronicler states that ?David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat,? the chronicler makes sure that Solomon knows the source of all these plans. He says, ?And the plans for all that he had by the Spirit? (1 Chron. 28:11, 12). This undoubtedly refers to God as the source of understanding and direction that David had for the construction plans of the temple. Ellen White says it well: ?David gave Solomon minute directions for building the temple, with patterns of every part, and of all its instruments of service, as had been revealed to him by divine inspiration.?5

In 1 Chronicles 28:19, David says that the ?Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.? Thus, David acquired a capacity for a deep intuitive understanding of the plan for the temple. In addition, the Yhwh ?lay, ?Yahweh upon me? (v. 19) refers to a direct and divine activity through God?s Spirit (cf. Isa. 61:1; Ezek. 3:14; 2 Sam. 23:1, 2).6 This is a characteristic mode of expression for a prophet entering into a state of prophetic vision (cf. 2 Kings 3:15; Ezek. 1:3; 3:14, 22; 8:1; Isa. 61:1). Hence David, like Moses, received the instructions and insights for building the sanctuary through divine intervention.7

The Old Testament certainly shows that the sanctuary in the wilderness was patterned according to a heavenly model. Moses was not the originator of the tabernacle in the desert; rather, he built the sanctuary according to the pattern and the purpose of God (cf. Exod. 25:8; Lev. 20:3; Ps. 78:69). While it is true that David?s plan for the temple was not identical to the sanctuary in the wilderness in terms of size and materials, still both developed from a single sacred prototype concept of compartments?the Holy and the most Holy. God?s involvement in both, perhaps, presupposes a temple of heavenly origin, at least from human perspectives."... https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2016/08/The-Heavenly-Sanctuary

Yes, the earthly sanctuary was patterned after the heavenly and helps us understand the heavenly and the awesome work Christ is doing in the heavenly.
It's by studying the earthly sanctuary that brings meaning to what the New Testament reveals.

There is obviously a heavenly sanctuary from which God deals with sin, not just in saving us, but in demonstrating to the whole universe the awful problem of sin, and His absolute justice, love and righteousness, of being able to destroy sin and redeem sinners.

However, the earthly is NOT the heavenly. The earthly things are definitely symbolic of things in heaven. The earthly could never do the REAL ridding of sin from the people, or from the universe. The earthly was rather limited, and could only offer a promissory note that the REAL would come, and by offering a lamb, they were putting their trust that the INFINITE LAMB OF GOD would come and bring redemption.

This thread is "Who are the 24 elders"?
And the above, though informative, interesting and important information, especially pertaining to the Sabbath School lessons this week studying the judgment in heaven. Yet it does not really address the question of the thread.

In the book of Hebrews we realize the priesthood in the earthly sanctuary ALL represent CHRIST.
Christ alone is our high priest.
We don't pray to any saints or petition any resurrected (or earthly) humans for salvation, or to put in a good word for us in the heavenly courts.
It is Christ by which we MUST be saved.

Revelation 4 and 5 does not focus on 24 priests, it focuses on all the beings of heaven bowing, worshipping and praising Christ, the Lamb of God, who was slain and has redeemed "US" that is all who are reading the message in faith that they will be in heaven!

On earth there were many priests. Why? Again due to earthly limitations.
Because those priests were mortal humans who couldn't do all the work. They tired and needed a break. They died, and new ones would take their place.


Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men was ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
10:4 But it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

7:21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
7:23 And they were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
7:24 But this High Priest, because he continues ever, has an unchangeable priesthood.
7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.


So who are the 24 elders?
We really are not told by any inspired writer.

How is it that we have so many warnings that satan will impersonate important people, people who were influential in the past but have died and demons will personate them to deceive thousands. Yet we teach that the ancient holy men are acting as priest in heaven right now?
So what would should we do if an impressive being showed up and said, "I'm Ezra the earthly priest back in Nehemiah's day, now I'm one of the 24 elders in God's throne room and have come to guide you in these last troublous times, just as I guided the returned exiles back then"?

But in order for the Jews and us, for that matter, to understand, it had to have a copy here on earth. Thus upon seeing the true one in heaven whether in vision or at the end, we would know what we were looking at, so having 24 elders here, made for recognition of those 24 elders in heaven, whether actual humans or not. But having 24 elders with no connection to earth or from some distant part of the universe makes no sense, only if they were from earth, real humans that had gone through the trials and tribulations of man, would it become clear in showing it in prophecy.

Yep. She calls them strong angels. Men, even resurrected ones, are not angels.
I maintain that they are representatives from unfallen worlds that Adam would have been a member of, had he not sinned.
Love what you wrote about departed saints-- very good point.

Is this the SOP you are referring to....
"The Scriptures declare that upon one occasion, when the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan came also among them (Job 1:6), not to bow before the Eternal King, but to further his own malicious designs against the righteous. With the same object he is in attendance when men assemble for the worship of God. Though hidden from sight, he is working with all diligence to control the minds of the worshipers. Like a skillful general he lays his plans beforehand. As he sees the messenger of God searching the Scriptures, he takes note of the subject to be presented to the people. Then he employs all his cunning and shrewdness so to control circumstances that the message may not reach those whom he is deceiving on that very point. The one who most needs the warning will be urged into some business transaction which requires his presence, or will by some other means be prevented from hearing the words that might prove to him a savor of life unto life."... The Great Controversy (GC 518.3)

Then there us Pastor Stephen Bhor's series on the 24 elders, where he concludes that they are the representative of the unfallen world.

Specifically, he also quotes Ellen White's account in the Desire of Ages:

"There is the throne, and around it the rainbow of promise. There are cherubim and seraphim. The commanders of the angel hosts, the sons of God, the representatives of the unfallen worlds, are assembled. The heavenly council before which Lucifer had accused God and His Son, the representatives of those sinless realms over which Satan had thought to establish his dominion,?all are there to welcome the Redeemer. They are eager to celebrate His triumph and to glorify their King." DA 834.1

This is from the manuscripts...
"This roll was written within and without. John says: 'I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon' [verse 4]. The vision as presented to John made its impression upon his mind. The destiny of every nation was contained in that book. John was distressed at the utter inability of any human being or angelic intelligence to read the words, or even to look thereon. His soul was wrought up to such a point of agony and suspense that one of the strong angels had compassion on him, and laying his hand on him assuringly, said, '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' (12MR 296.1).

But then you have Christs words...
"Matthew 22:28-30
King James Version
28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Mark 12:23-25
King James Version
23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

We may have to wait till we get there to see...

The word "angel" means messenger. What stronger messenger is there than the testimony of the 12 tribes and the testimony of the 12 apostles, i..e. the Holy Bible that brings present truth from God's throne in heaven to His church on earth?

The things in heaven were already there when it was described to Moses.
The things on earth are patterned after things in heaven.

Thus -- the twenty four elders would have been in heaven from the beginning.

Then why did the earthly sanctuaries have the Levites, including the priests where Revelation 4 and 5 has the 24 Elders?