"CASTING DOWN GOLDEN CROWNS"

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I "Casting Down Golden Crowns" Four Living Attributes of God "Four and Twenty Elders"

Part II "Elders" in the Old Testament I Chronicles 24:3,4 — I Chronicles 25 David Is Divinely Instructed "Elders"—"Thrones"—Crowns Why "Elders" and Not "Priests"

Part III "Cast Their Crowns Before the Throne" "Who Is Worthy?" "One of the Elders" "Harps" and "Golden Vials" How Can the 144,000 Sing before the "Elders"? "Elders" and the "144,000" Sing the Same New Song "Golden Vials" "What Are These in White Robes?" "We Give Thee Thanks" Last Mention

Part IV Prophecies of the Old Testament Brother Russell's View Twenty-two Books of the Bible

Part I

"Casting Down Golden Crowns"

"And 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." Revelation 4:4

    No activity is implied here unless one considers being "seated" an activity.

"And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

"And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

"And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." Revelation 4:6-8

   Who are these four "beasts" (living creatures)?
   The number four pertains to God. Bible students generally agree these "four beasts" represent the four living attributes of God which surround His throne and to which God must always answer.   

The Four Living Attributes of God

 

LION		GOD'S JUSTICE
OX		GOD'S POWER
MAN		GOD'S LOVE
FLYING EAGLE		GOD'S ACTIVE WISDOM (Up high where it can see everything.)

   "The 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,
   "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:10, 11

   The twenty-four elders worship the One on the throne and sing of God’s glory and honor. The Revelator earnestly tries to share the almost overwhelming vision with us.

"Four and Twenty Elders"

    Who do these twenty-four "elders" represent?
    The view that has had some acceptance by Bible Students is that first expressed by Bro. W. I. Mann in Reprint 529. He said: "There have been, as we count, twenty-four prophets that have prophesied of 'things pertaining to the kingdom of God.'"
    Bible Students have taken this statement of Bro. Mann and concluded that because Bro. Russell published Bro. Mann’s views that he must have concurred in his viewpoint. We do not, however, find this to be the case. Never does Bro. Russell express that viewpoint, hence, it was not his view. Bro. Russell had many contributors in the early Towers, many of whom later differed with Bro. Russell and they had a parting of the ways.
    In the opening Tower, Bro. Russell listed the contributors of that time as being J. H. Patton, W. I. Mann, B. W. Keith, H. B. Rice, and A. D. Jones. Then he says, "In no case will the Editor be responsible for all sentiments expressed by correspondents, nor is he to be understood as endorsing every expression in articles selected from other periodicals."
    Here, we see the Pastor distancing himself from his contributors. It was a wise move, for many of these later parted from the Tower. W. I. Mann was one of those with whom Bro. Russell had a troubled relationship. Yet, Bro. Mann contributed several articles, namely, Reprint 528, 587, 615, 633.
    In 1885, W. I. Mann was listed as Vice President of the Society. He wrote one further article in Aug. 1888, Reprint 1052, "Letters to Our Children," refuting the Trinity, and signed it, Papa, W. I. M. That seems to be the last of his contributions. We do not know how the editors missed the signature Papa, but they did and it slipped into the Tower. It must not have set well with Bro. Russell, and it seems to have ended Bro. Mann’s contributions. The last thing we needed was a titled Papa among us. This information does not disqualify what Bro. Mann had written, but is submitted merely to show Bro. Russell did not necessarily concur with Bro. Mann’s thoughts. Certainly, not the title Papa.

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"Casting Down Golden Crowns" Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV

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Revelation 4

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