24 Elders

I have no explanation myself and I've never heard this before but it could be plausible. 24 being a multiple of 12 (12 x 2) is certainly important because 12 is a number related to governmental perfection. I suppose this is where you heard the link to the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles. It's a solid educated guess, especially given that these 24 figures sit upon a throne and have golden crowns. Not to mention their location so near God. On the other hand, perhaps this just as easily could be 24 members of the host of heaven. It's very difficult to say.

Stumbled across this passage: this answers part of the question. Luke 22:30That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This was said by Jesus to the disciples. Interesting thing to note here is that Judas was at the table when this was said. That certainly accounts for 12/24 eh?

I'll check those out Broken, thanks. Getting back to the Pre-tribulation idea of a Rapture, I think it's a bit of a stretch and here's why. I Corinthians 15:52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. I Thessalonians 4:16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: The dead in Christ rise first - the 24 elders (made up of the leaders of the 12 tribes [most likely] and the disciples) would be in this mix and arguably would go first so they'd be in a position to sit and judge. There's no room for a pre-trib rapture (the last trump and since Satan comes at #6). There's no reason to believe that 24 elders - particularly from the Greek Presbuteros - are any type of symbolic number. They are 24 spiritual bodies that hold high rank.

We do not practice censorship here, and it's easy to make mistakes. In regards to your posting about the attire of the 24 elders, we're all going to be wearing white robes when the time comes in the spiritual body: Revelation 17:13-14And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. To save room, I did not post the entire chapter of Revelation 7 here, but you can see in context that this is the 144,000 still on Earth and sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads. We are told by one of the elders, in fact, that they have passed through the "great tribulation." We know from Acts 1:10 that the angels wear white. Jesus himself stated: Revelation 3:5He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Getting back to Revelation 4, though, check the beginning of the chapter. Revelation 4:1After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. I've highlighted hereafter (Gr. meta) for a reason. Hereafter what? The only and obvious conclusion is in the prior verses of Revelation 3. Revelation 3:20-22Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. I think we'll will agree that Jesus's hand is reaching right up to that metaphorical door to begin knocking from what we have been told. Regardless, this is speaking to "him that overcometh" just as he did. Now I admit and can say you cannot directly infer that there is no pretrib rapture from this passage, but I can certainly not find evidence for one through these passages either. It's also of worth to point out that the Greek is specifically in the future tense - the wording here captures the future tense but disguises it a bit. Think of it as "shall fall," "shall worship," and "shall cast" which all gives it a future meaning which again doesn't prove one way or another. However, when you take that into account with the rest of Scripture, there is just no pretribuational rapture.

Well that's exactly why I always say just know the Scriptures regardless of what you believe. Know the signs given out to you in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. That way, when it unfolds, you will know what's going on regardless.