31.The Presbytery and the two dozen Elders

The Presbytery and the two dozen Elders in the Trinity’sBook of Revelation In Rev 1:10-20; Rev 2:1to3:20 f, one finds a beautiful picture of Presbyterian Church Government. For there, seven different Congregations reflecting both the Oneness and the Manyness of the Triune God Himself (Rev 1:4-6) are organically and indissolubly con- joined within the same Presbytery as seven different Branches of one and the same golden Candlestick. Cf.Exo 25:31-40; Exo 37:17f.

Dr. John Owen too (XV:512) saw that "all Christians were originally of one mind...unto joint communion.... The discipline of the Church...consists in the due exercise of that authority and power which the Lord Christ...hath granted unto the Church for its continuance, increase and preservation in...order and holiness according to His appointment.... Rev 2:2;Rev 2:20." In Rev 4:4f (cf.Rev 5:8-14) the Apostle John saw in heaven "four and twenty seats [or thrones], and upon the seats...four and twenty Elders sitting." Now here, the New Testament Greek has thronous eikosi tessaras Presbuterous katheemenous where thronous means "thrones" and Presbuterous means "Elders" and katheemenous means "thoroughly seated"

(alias ’in Session’). The Vulgate here has sedilia (which means "seats") and Seniores (which means "Senators"). In Rev 11:16f, the twenty-four "Elders...sat before God on their seats." Here, the New Testament Greek has Presbuteroi hoi enoopion tou Theou katheemenoi epi tous thronous autoon where Presbuteroi means "Elders" and where katheemenoi means "thoroughly seated" and thronous means "thrones." The Vulgate here has Seniores (which means

"Senators" alias "Elders") and sedent in sedibus suis which means ("sat in their seats"). Cf. too also Rev 19:4f. In Rev 21:12-14f (cf.Rev 4:4-11; Rev 5:8-147:2-8; Rev 14:1; Rev 19:422; Rev 4:4), it is made plain that the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel (cf. their Provincial Assemblies) and the names of the twelve Apostles (cf. their General Assembly or Synod) are both equally written on the gates and foundations of the City of God called ’New Jerusalem.’ This shows that Christ’s Biblical Church is grounded in both the Older Testament represented by the twelve Patriarchs and the Newer Testament represented by the twelve Apostles and further reflected by the twenty-four Elders of the Presbyterian Church of all ages (B.C.

4004 till A.D. 1995f).

Finally, in Rev 22:16f (cf.Rev 1:12-20; Rev 2:1to3:22), Jesus testifies of these things in all of the Congregations in His Presbyterian Church. He then adds that no man may add to His Book (as does the non-presbyterial Romish Church with her vain traditions), and that no man may take away from His Book (as do the congregationalistic sects of Dispensationalists which take away the Old Testament foundation from the government of the New Testament

Church).