Round the throne were twenty-four thrones: normal English usage requires “… twenty-four other thrones” (Good News Translation, New International Version; also Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). See 1.4 for comments on the translation of throne.

Twenty-four elders: the Greek word means, generally, “older (person).” In a specific sense the word indicates not only advanced age but also the authority and prestige that such a person has. The problem in translation is that of finding a term that fits this context; in English elders are usually certain church officers. A further complication is that the specific “(older) men” or “(older) people” should not be used; these are not human but angelic beings. In many languages it will be natural to translate elders as “important elderly leaders” or “elderly leaders with great prestige.” In languages such as these a distinction can also be made between the thrones that these elders sat on and the other throne in the middle. There is no general agreement on the significance of the number twenty-four. One may say “In a circle around the high chief’s chair were twenty-four lesser chiefs’ chairs.”

White garments: these may indicate purity, or victory, or immortality (see 3.5).

Golden crowns: these are not wreaths of victory, as in 2.10, but the kind of crowns that kings wear. In certain languages crowns in this context will be rendered as “king’s hat” or “high chief’s hat.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• In a circle around that throne (or, high chief’s chair) stood twenty-four other thrones (or, lesser chiefs’ chairs). Twenty-four important elderly leaders were sitting on these chairs. They wore white clothes and chiefs’ hats (or, crowns) on their heads.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .