Revelation 10:2

The little scroll in his hand may be different from the scroll Jesus Christ unrolled (Revelation 5:1; Revelation 6:1). John used a different and rare Greek word to describe it (biblaridion, not biblion). The tense of the Greek verb translated "was open" (perfect passive) indicates that someone had opened it and it was then open in his hand. It probably represents a new revelation from God (cf. Ezekiel 2:9 to Ezekiel 3:3; Jeremiah 15:15-17). The angel stood astride the earth and the sea symbolizing his authority over the whole world (Revelation 10:5; Revelation 10:8; Revelation 7:2; cf. Exodus 20:4; Exodus 20:11; Deuteronomy 11:24; Psalms 68:22; Psalms 69:34). The implication is that his message involves the whole world. Other less likely views, I think, are that his stance symbolizes the universality of the message, [Note: Morris, p. 137.] or that he was defying the sea’s instability. [Note: Swete, p. 127.]