Who are the 24 elders in the book of Revelation?

The apostle John wasn’t told who they were. In Revelation 4:4 we read

Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.

It would be speculation from my side to tell who they are (you are right, no one knows). And yet, we can go a bit further based on the details given:

Human beings.
They are called elders. Not seraphim, not cherubim, not any other creature. They are called using an earth-related term, elder. This implies they are human. Even more, they are people of prestige, as were the elders in Israel of old (in the New Testament they are called “presbyteros”, meaning the same, elders). Most probably they were leaders.

Symbolic number.
The number of the thrones and the number of the elders —24— looks very much symbolic. It sounds like the number of the priestly groups that served the temple (see in 1 Chronicles 24). We can speculate here saying 12 tribes of Israel of old and 12 apostles in the times of Jesus…

White clothing.
The 24 elders are dressed in white. That is a symbol of righteousness. They were victorious, as you can see the promise in Revelation 3:4-5. See a similar attire in Revelation 6:11. An interesting case is in Revelation 7, where one of the elders (!) asks John about the identity of a great multitude. The process is explained:

These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple.

From all the above we can think of the 24 elders as representative of God’s people from all ages. Some having been resurrected (maybe like Moses) and some having been taken to heaven while alive (like Enoch, Elijah) and others (see Matthew 27:51-53).

Very interesting, the Revelation also says:

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:9-11)

These elders have been given crowns. And yet, when comparing their martyrdom to the sacrifice of their Lord, the are casting their crowns before the throne. They know who their Saviour is!

To conclude, I trust I haven’t answered your question but opened even more perspectives, and that is very good for study. One author, Ellen White, was asked about the identity of the 144,000 (by the way, they are also dressed in white robes, see Revelation 14 and 15). She didn’t answer specifically, but her answer nailed it. I want to use the same, this time related to the identity of the 24 elders:

Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand. And let us do all that we can to help others to gain heaven.

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