Revelation 10:2: Trust God's authority?
How does Revelation 10:2 encourage us to trust in God's ultimate authority?

Setting the Scene

“He held in his hand a little scroll that lay open. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,” (Revelation 10:2)


Symbolic Actions That Shout Sovereignty

- Right foot on the sea, left foot on the land

- Echoes Psalm 95:5—“The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.”

- Declares ownership of all creation; nothing lies outside God’s rule.

- The mighty angel’s confident stance

- Represents delegated authority from God (see Hebrews 1:14).

- Serves as a visible reminder that heavenly power governs earthly realities.


The Open Scroll: God’s Unstoppable Plan

- “Little scroll … lay open”

- God’s purposes are not hidden; His Word stands revealed (Isaiah 55:11).

- Its small size suggests ease of transmission—what God decrees reaches every corner.

- Contrast with the sealed scroll of Revelation 5; this one is already open, stressing immediacy and certainty.


Foot on Sea and Land: Total Dominion

- Sea often symbolizes chaos (Isaiah 17:12), land stability—both under His command.

- Reinforces Matthew 28:18 where Jesus affirms, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

- Encourages believers to rest in the knowledge that no realm—physical or spiritual—escapes God’s jurisdiction.


Trust Built on Proven Authority

- Creation testifies: Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness.”

- History testifies: Daniel 4:35, “He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.”

- Scripture testifies: 2 Timothy 3:16—every word God-breathed, therefore utterly reliable.


Living It Out Today

- Anchor your confidence in God’s revealed Word—the “open scroll” accessible through daily reading.

- Face uncertainty with the image of God’s foot on sea and land; He reigns over every storm and shore.

- Share this assurance with others, pointing them to the sovereign Lord who holds creation—and our lives—secure.

What Old Testament connections can be drawn from the imagery in Revelation 10:2?
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