Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven.
Parallel translations
- WEB The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky,
- KJV And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
- NKJV The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven
- NASB Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven,
- NLT Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The angel standing on sea and land raises his right hand to heaven. He takes the posture of one about to swear a solemn oath.
Overview
Lifting the hand to heaven is the gesture of oath-taking (Genesis 14:22; Deuteronomy 32:40). Standing astride sea and land, the angel again signals God's universal authority as the setting for this solemn declaration. The verse prepares for the weighty pronouncement of verses 6-7. It assures the reader that what is about to be sworn rests on God's own unchangeable faithfulness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 29
- Dan 12:7And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, and times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been shattered, all these things will be completed.”
- Deut 32:40For I lift up My hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever,
- Acts 14:15“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
- Rev 16:17Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”
- Rev 4:11“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.”
- Rev 10:2He held in his hand a small scroll, which lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.
- Rev 14:7And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”
- Rev 1:18the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
- Rev 4:9And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne who lives forever and ever,
- Gen 1:1–2In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- Ps 95:3–6For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods.
- Exod 20:11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
- Neh 9:6You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.
- Gen 14:22But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
- Acts 17:23For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.
- Rom 1:20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
- Ps 148:1–7Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the highest places.
- Gen 22:15–16And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time,
- Exod 6:8And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!’”
- Ps 146:5Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
- Heb 6:13When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,
- Ezek 20:5and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’
- Ezek 36:7Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I have sworn with an uplifted hand that surely the nations around you will endure reproach of their own.
- Ezek 47:14You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with an uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will fall to you as an inheritance.
- Jer 10:10–13But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
- Ezek 20:28When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked Me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings.
- Ezek 20:42Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give your fathers.
- Ezek 20:15Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands—
- Ezek 20:23However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 10:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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