The twenty-four elders on their thrones likely represent all of God's people. They may correspond to the twelve tribes of the old covenant and the twelve apostles of the new (see Revelation 21:12–14). Some people associate them with the twenty-four divisions of the Israelite priesthood (1 Chronicles 24:1–19).
In this vision, the elders speak and worship in an antiphonal way, which means that two groups take turns speaking or singing.