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Revelation 10:5
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5 And [kai] the angel [aggelos] which [hos] I saw [eido] stand [histemi] upon [epi] the sea [thalassa] and [kai] upon [epi] the earth [ge] lifted up [airo] his [autos] hand [cheir] to [eis] heaven, [ouranos] KJV-Interlinear
5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, NASB
The gesture of lifting up ones hand to heaven, is the action of making a solemn vow in the name of Him who is able to keep that vow.
In Matt. 5:34-35, Jesus warned against the making of vows, primarily because most folks that make vows do so in a deceptive or self-righteous fashion, somehow suggesting that they know or can cause God to fulfill their words as they state them, and such is not the case.
Many folks lift their hands and arms heavenward to curse God or life in general. But there again, the warning against the making of vows applies, because no one can fulfill their vow, or curse, as the case may be.
As a general rule, God is the only person who can make and fulfill any vows or promises made. No one else can make that claim.
However, we now have an angel who has descended from heaven, with all of the authority and credentials required to make a legitimate vow in Gods name, because God gave him that permission and instruction.
Angels are typically messengers working for God, performing their duties as directed by God, and this angel is no different.
However, this particular vow (in the next verse), is going to be one of finality for human rule in this world. There will be no more do-overs. No more history adjustments through wars and famines and economic turmoil and such, designed to bring people back to their senses and a relationship with God.
For all of human history has been here to bring people from each respective generation, to Christ and their spiritual life. God looked down through the tunnel of time and saw all of the positive volition that would occur, from generations near and distant. God allowed history to continue so that each individual who would believe, regardless of when they would live in history, would have that chance.
And history will run its course, until the very last generation that will be alive in the Tribulation, and God will squeeze out the very last person who will believe, separating them from those who will never believe.
This chapter is making it very clear in drawing out the events immediately preceding the final judgments, that this is the final curtain call, the final act, the end of history under Satan’s and mans rule.
And so the gesture heavenward, and the final vow to end it all.
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