Revelation 4:9-11 ASV
And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever, (10) the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.
When I read through the verse that you've quoted, it appears that only 24 elders are going to have a crown, and they are going to throw it before the throne of He that liveth forever and ever.
I think that one of the problems that may be causing misunderstanding and confusion is that the things that are written in Revelation have already come to pass and is a letter written in signs, in my belief. As witness to that affect, I offer the first three verses of the letter:
Revelation 1:1-3 ASV
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John; (2) who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw. (3) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.
The language in this passage is very clear about this being in signs(signified here means to "sign-ify") and something that will happen very shortly.