Ephesians Lesson 27 of 39 part 2

Ephesians 4:8-10

"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended (to the Holiest of All), what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended* is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things.)"

*into the lower parts of the earth, Abraham's bosom are the story of Lazarus in Luke 16:20-25 and John 11:1-4 reveal. As stated before Jesus descended to the old hold place of the physically dead, where their soul or spirit was awaiting His death, as they foresaw it. He there proclaimed His completed mission and took them from this place into the Holiest of All. In other words Abraham's bosom is no longer in the earth but is now in the Heavens. It is this way because all things are now spiritual and NO longer just external, earthy, natural and, material. Because they are already passed into spiritual Life. He washed them with His Blood in the Holiest place thusly cleaning them there. As a witness to its power, before the angels, who knew not the mystery. Which Colossians and Hebrews bear witness to.

You may ask, What in the world is he talking about? Well come back with me first to Matthew chapter 12. And we will look at verse 40. Here Jesus is speaking in His earthly ministry to Israel and is responding to the Jewish inquisition of sorts. He had just faced off with the Pharisee's after His disciples ate some grain and then He entered the synagogue as it was the Sabbath. Once inside He saw a man with a withered arm and hand. Then having healed the mans arm and hand, though actually He did nothing of the sort. The mans faith in the spoken Word healed them, when He was told to stretch them forth. If he had not done so they would have remained withered. Then the passage quotes from Isaiah 42:1-4, 10:11 and there is brought to His a man posed of a blind and dumb devil, who He restores both understanding and sight to by casting out the devil from him. Keep in mind that this is a Sabbath, in which Jewish custom and Law states that there is NO work to be done. So the Religious Pharisee's accuse Him of being the leader Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

This then bring another face off, where He puts them in their place by calling them sons of Beelzebub themselves. He tells them that they are unfruitful trees worthless and corrupt and due to be cut down and thrown into the fire. He tells them that those who oppose Him and do not gather with Him are such trees. He goes on to call them vipers, in reference to the serpent of the garden who tempted woman. Because from their hearts all manner of sedition's were spoken because they opposed God and His law. He then tells them that by every word is man judged and it is these words that will condemn them.

Matthew 12:40

"For as Jonas (Jonah) 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."

That is plain English isn’t it? The analogy is, that just as sure as Jonah went into the depths of the sea, in the whale’s belly. He went through a semblance of death of three days and three nights before the whale spit him out upon the shore, and in type that also is a picture of a resurrection. Jonah went on then to finish his ministry in Nineveh. Here, Jesus not only prophesied His own experience that is going to come about, but He also adds His stamp of approval to the story of Jonah, which much of Christendom ridicules. Have you ever thought of that? The Lord Himself puts the stamp of approval on the story and book of Jonah, as He also did on Enoch. No references are made because Enoch, they removed by one of the churches early councils. It was an actual happening or He would not have said it. So what happened?

As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly and went into the deep, and came out alive, so also must the Messiah. Jesus also must be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. So our question is, what was it like in the heart of the earth? To find out this we must go to Luke chapter 16. This is not called a parable, but rather we have to feel that Jesus was talking about an actual happening. Today we call these things "little windows" of opportunities. And the opportunity here is we get a little a glimpse of the state of those who have died. Those of the bygone era from Adam through to the cross, just as Jesus told the remorseful thief who hung next to Him when He said, to day you will be with Me in Paradise.