EVIDENCE #5 - TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS REDEEMED

From: http://www.geocities.com/stat23mj/prophecy/pretrib.html

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." (REVELATION 5:9-10)

THEY SANG A NEW SONG refers to the 24 elders who in verse 8 each had a harp and were holding golden bowls full of incense which were the prayers of the saints. As I look at this I can't help but remember a song I usually sing at church. Here it goes:

There's a song in my heart that the angels can't sing
Redeemed, Redeemed Redeemed, Redeemed
I was washed with the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed, Redeemed
I was washed with the blood of the Lamb

Only human beings can ever have a praise of redemption in the vicarious death of our Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST. As you see further, the 24 elders were redeemed men. In another translation NKJV reads Revelation 5:9-10 as:

And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."

The scripture says FOR YOU WERE SLAIN, AND HAVE REDEEMED US TO GOD BY YOUR BLOOD. Clearly these are redeemed men who are going to reign on the earth with Christ. Paul says that we will judge angels (1 CORINTHIANS 6:2-3) and that we will shine like the Sun in the kingdom of the Father (MATTHEW 13:43). From we see of this, the 24 elders are representative of the Church, the Judgment Seat of Christ passed because the 24 elders already have crowns, and that they are REDEEMED MEN. Since all this (Revelation 4 - 5) occurs before the Tribulation (Revelation 6) then the PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE is possible.