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Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven.
Revelation 10:5 · New Living Translation
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,
  • BSB Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right 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,

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 12:7I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have finished breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
  • Deut 32:40For I lift up my hand to heaven and declare, as I live forever,
  • Acts 14:15“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
  • Rev 16:17The seventh poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
  • Rev 4:11“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!”
  • Rev 10:2He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.
  • Rev 14:7He said with a loud voice, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!”
  • Rev 1:18and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
  • Rev 4:9When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever,
  • Gen 1:1–2In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
  • Ps 95:3–6For Yahweh is a great God, a great King above all gods.
  • Exod 20:11for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
  • Neh 9:6You are Yahweh, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you.
  • Gen 14:22Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,
  • Acts 17:23For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.
  • Rom 1:20For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.
  • Ps 148:1–7Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh from the heavens! Praise him in the heights!
  • Gen 22:15–16Yahweh’s angel called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,
  • Exod 6:8I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.’”
  • Ps 146:5Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Yahweh, his God:
  • Heb 6:13For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,
  • Ezek 20:5and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, ‘I am Yahweh your God;’
  • Ezek 36:7therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: I have sworn, Surely the nations that are around you, they shall bear their shame.
  • Ezek 47:14You shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers: and this land shall fall to you for inheritance.
  • Jer 10:10–13But Yahweh is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth trembles, and the nations are not able to withstand his indignation.
  • Ezek 20:28For when I had brought them into the land, which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their pleasant aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings.
  • Ezek 20:42You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers.
  • Ezek 20:15Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
  • Ezek 20:23Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Revelation videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Revelation 10:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RevelationMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.