Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at My word. (Isaiah 66:1-2)

Nothing But A Footstool

The earth is one of nine planets in the solar system traveling around the sun. It would take about a million earths to fit inside the sphere of the sun. The equatorial circumference of the earth is 24,902 miles. Traveling an average speed of 66,00 miles per hour, the earth moves around the sun in 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, and 9.54 seconds. The earth stays about 93 million miles away from the sun. Walking around the circumference of the earth would take 345.85 days of continuous walking (which is impossible for him to do). The earth is huge compared to the size of a man. Astronauts have witnessed the earth from space, but only half can be seen at one time. The area of the earth is 196,940,400 square miles, with 71% covered by water and only 29% by land. About 5,100,00 square miles of land is in Antarctica, which is too cold to be settled.

A footstool is a low stool for resting the feet on when sitting. The function of the footstool is either as furniture or support used to elevate the foot. It is a secondary piece of furniture that serves more a function than a necessity. At its best, a footstool is a small, insignificant but useful tool to rest a foot upon. To this figure, the Lord draws attention to the expanse of the earth where all men dwell. The angels are bemused by the pride of man as the earth is a vast place for men to inhabit and yet it serves as nothing more than a footstool in the presence of God. There is no comparison to the magnitude of the Lord God and the existence of a man. God can hold the universe in His hand. A man can barely hold a clump of dirt in his.

Perspective helps men identify the vastness of God’s existence and the puny efforts of humankind to exalt themselves above their station. Isaiah declares the earth is nothing more than a footstool to God. The earth is not unimportant to the Lord God, but the immense feeling of grandeur men feel of their place on earth is nothing compared to the whole world being a place for God to rest one foot. How can a man be filled with pride when there is nothing to boast about? Heaven is the throne of God and earth is His footstool. One of the most significant accomplishments of human wisdom is the International Space Station. There are times the reflection of the ISS can be seen by the naked eye on a dark sky. What can also be seen are the trillions of stars surrounding the small reflected light that God holds in His hands. And lest man boasts in his wisdom, the Lord has a name for every star.

Understanding the place of man begins by knowing how big God is. The Lord did not only give the universe to declare how great He is but to remind man how small he is. Earth is nothing more than a footstool. The heavenly look down upon the human race as ants upon a small hill in the middle of a vast field. There is no comparison. Heaven is the place of the glory and majesty of the One who created the earth and placed it three rocks away from the sun. As a faint blue dot in a universe of blackness, God sent His Son to His footstool to save its inhabitants. Thank God for His love. Praise God for His power. Bow in the presence of the one who is so incredibly huge, the expanse of the earth is nothing more than a footstool.