Ephesians 4:7-10
“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ In saying, “He ascended, ”what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.”
This is a very interesting passage that, when linked with other scripture, shows the extent—literally the depth and height—of Christ’s victory over sin and death.
After his crucifixion and before his resurrection and ascension, Jesus “descended into the lower regions” to proclaim his victory and to liberate OT believers.
The Old Testament refers to the place of the departed dead as Sheol (Deut. 32:22; Job 26:6; Ps. 16:10). Part of Sheol was a place of torment and evil, occupied by the unrighteous dead and by the demons who had been confined and bound there because of their wicked cohabitation with women during the period before the Flood (Gen. 6:2-5; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6).
Another part of Sheol was a place of blessing … it was the holding place of the righteous dead who had believed in God and died in faith. “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22-23) and “paradise” (Luke 23:43) were common designations for this part of Sheol. The righteous dead of the Old Testament could not be taken into the fullness of God’s presence until Christ had purchased their redemption on the cross, and thus OT saints who died in faith had waited in the paradise side of Sheol for His victory on that day.
When Christ descended to Sheol, he proclaimed his victory to the spirits imprisoned there, because “He had disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them, having triumphed over them” (Col. 2.15; 1 Peter 3.19). At that time Jesus announced to the demons, both bound and loose, that they all were subject to him (1 Peter 3.22; Ephesians 1.20-21).
Thus after announcing his triumph over demons in one part of Sheol, he then opened the doors of the paradise side of Sheol to release the godly “captives.” Like the victorious kings of old, Jesus recaptured the captives and liberated them, and they now live in heaven as eternally free children of God.
Paul is reminding us that the observable, physical world is not all there is. There is an unseen realm of the spirit that is just as real as the physical realm and that must be taken into account in God’s kingdom strategy. The central message is that the redeeming and liberating power of Jesus’ death and resurrection extends even into the depths of Sheol.
