8 Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."
9 (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)
V. 8 - “Therefore it says, ‘WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.’ "
This was quoted from (Psa 68:18, see note 1, below), see also, Heb 4:14; Acts 1:9 - Here is a sample of prophecy fulfilled, from the OT. Christ ascended into heaven after appearing to the apostles and others to show that He had raised from the dead. It is noted in the NT that the graves would open and all those who had believed in God (before Christ’s birth) would be raised up with Him. (See: Mat 27:52-53; John 5:28-29) Their faith and wait was honored. (See: Note 2, below)
“Gave gifts” - Christ did not leave us here to just barely make it, but He is with us, the Holy Spirit is given to strengthen. Not only that, Jesus has given us tools to help build that body.
V. 9-10 - (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) <\font>
These two verse are definition of, and an explanation of the phrase, “He ascended...”. (See: John 3:13; Psa 63:9, 37:38; Isa 44:23) We know that Jesus descended from heaven (Phil 2:5-12), and has returned to sit at the right hand of the Father. These verses by Paul seem also to indicate that not only did Christ descend from heaven to be a man, but that He also descended into the pit itself, into Sheol, or Hell!
Jesus took the sin of the world upon Himself to pay the just cost required by God. Think of the wonderful matchless power and love of God that He was able to raise Christ from the dead; to reach to the depths of Hell and raise Christ to life (Psa 16:10).
I feel that Satan did not know that this was God’s method, that His plan was to raise Christ from the dead. Since Satan is only an angel (although fallen), he is not all-powerful, nor able to see the future as God can. He cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of his defeat or destruction.
Note 1: quoted from GNMM = Good News for Modern Man translation, or New English Translation)
Note 2: An interesting note is that in 1 Thessalonians, Paul deals with the question of those believers that have died before Christ returns. Some in the church there were worried that if you died before Christ comes again that you might not go to heaven. The worry was that you had to be alive when Christ returns, and what happens if you died too soon? Paul advised they didn't need to worry, dead believers would precede those of us living. (I will study this in more detail when doing the notes for 1 Thessalonians.)
***
No comments:
Post a Comment