“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet” (Hebrews 10:12-13 ESV).
This reference to the “right hand of God” in Hebrews 1:12 represents another image that periodically reappears over the course of this epistle. This passage finds our author quoting once again from one of his favorite Old Testament resources, Psalm 110:1: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'” We saw this same imagery earlier in Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 1:13, and Hebrews 8:1. This word-picture will also make one final appearance later in Hebrews 12:2.
As mentioned previously, the symbolism associated with the “right hand of God” is important, for it finds its origin in an ancient, cross-cultural symbol of authority and power. Since the right hand serves as the dominant hand for most people, the right hand (or right arm) eventually came to be associated with the greatest degree of skill and strength in the ancient world.
This eventually led to a further identification with the concepts of favor, importance, righteousness, blessing, and sovereignty. In fact, we continue to acknowledge this ancient imagery today whenever we refer to a person who serves as the “right hand” of someone in authority. Other New Testament authors employ this imagery as well, further attesting to the powerful nature of this metaphor..
In a similar manner, this reference to a footstool conveys an image of complete subjugation of one’s enemies. Today, we might use the analogy of a combatant who places his foot on the neck of a vanquished opponent to communicate a similar idea. However, there are some other aspects to this idea that we would do well to contemplate…
“Isaiah 66:1 records the Lord as saying, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.’ God used this metaphor to help us comprehend how great He is and how insignificant we are by comparison. If our entire planet is nothing but a footstool to our Creator, how small are we in the grand scheme of things?
…A footstool in the Bible is a symbol of lowliness, humility, and unimportance. It signifies that the one using the footstool is far superior to the footstool itself. It’s amazing that, while God calls the earth His footstool, He still humbled Himself and took on human flesh to become One who lived on that footstool. And He requires that kind of meekness and humility in each of His followers (Philippians 2:5–11).” (1)
(1) GotQuestions.org, “What is the significance of a footstool in the Bible?” Retrieved 18 October, 2022 from https://www.gotquestions.org/footstool-in-the-Bible.html