HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE

The verse below is puzzle for many and to clarify; I want to shed some light on it.

Ephesians 4:8  - Wherefore he said, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended what it is but that he also descendedfirst into the lower parts of the earth?)

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.

Lord was not saying a “parable” talking about “the rich man and Lazarus.” (Luke 16:20). It should be called a saying instead of a parable. This was not truly a parable, but a reality. A parable is when natural events point to an invisible world, a supernatural one. This story was visible to Jesus and did not need an example from the natural world.

The Old Testament saints (inner men) could not enter the heavenly paradise, since they were not born again. “Heavenly paradise” is a synonym for Heaven. No one can enter into Heaven without being born anew. The saints of Old Covenant were held captive in captivity, which was located underground next to the Hell, but separated with great gulf (Luke 16:26). After the death of Jesus, He did not enter that part of underground Paradise – called the bosom of Abraham. Jesus went to Hell, where He spent three days and three nights. He suffered with separation being “spiritually dead” (because of our sin) and then since He never sinned, spoke like Jonah the Word of God and Hell could not hold Him in. Then He fought the battle and won, crushed the skull of Satan according to Scripture (Genesis 3:15). At the same time He stripped Satan from the authority given to him by Adam and took the keys of Hell and death from him.

After the resurrection He brought to Father His own blood as a High priest. Then He came back to the earth and went to the “prison” where the Old Testament saints were in the bosom of Abraham. He introduced Himself as their Messiah, who was expected and He let them out. There is no record that any of saints of Old Covenant refused to believe.

The Lord spent additional time with His disciples, talking specifically about the kingdom of Heaven and also being seen over 500 witnesses before He ascended to the Heaven.

Jesus has to take on Himself our sin, which was spiritual not only physical. It was the spiritual where the faith and trust in Word of God was broken in paradise – the Garden of Eden. If Jesus would suffer only physically and finally die He would not satisfy universal justice since we also die for our physical sin which is the curse, the result of sin. If Jesus would pay only by physical death then it would be double pay. The spiritual sin had to be dealt with. Going to the center of earth is only possible after physical death (Matthew 12:40).

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

Verse 10 of Ephesians indicating: “He might fill all things” means it was planned ahead and the solution was not possible any other way.

If what Jesus said was not the truth, then we might take a pair of scissors and cut off as we please His sayings as invalid about Jonah and His saying of the rich man and Lazarus. 

Going to Hell or Heaven is real. After His resurrection and His work He did for us, our born again, inner man can enter into Heaven.

Trust Him, believe in Him and it will change your eternal place for you forever.

No. 100610-1

© 2010 Vladimir Uhri