EPHESIANS 4.7-11 – CAPTIVITY AND MILLENIAL KINGDOM

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.  Wherefore he says, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, 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.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers… Eph 4.7-11

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Ps 68.18

Psalm 68 is a hymn describing God’s victory over His foes and His choice of Jerusalem as the place of His dominion. It draws on the ancient poem in Judges 5 about warring against God’s enemies and invokes themes from the Exodus and conquest of Canaan. Ref: Jewish Study Bible.

This verse in Ephesians concerns the Lord defeating Satan on the cross and leading him into captivity. Yeshua then gave gifts unto men. This picture in Ephesians refers to our ascended Messiah who is triumphant over Satan and his host of demons. The Lord led Satan captive and distributed gifts to His people to assist us in functioning in the spirit. It is preparation for the Millennial Kingdom and Yeshua’s thousand year reign.

In Psalm 68 David is saying that God delivered His people from Egypt and their enemies, bringing them out with treasures. These treasures or gifts were used by the people to build the tabernacle in the wilderness where God would dwell amongst them. The Psalm also shows God’s people defeating other enemies and bringing the spoils to the Temple of God.

The Bible expands on this further through Paul in Colossians 2.13-15

And you, being dead in your sins and the un-circumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Paul was speaking about a tradition from ancient times that appears in Ps 68 that the Romans elevated to an art form. When a Roman general returned victorious from battle he was given an honor called a Tribute. He passed before a review stand where Caesar and the royal court were seated. The spoils of war were paraded in front of the stand—wagon loads of plunder, the nobles and generals which had been defeated, and all the slaves which had been captured bound in chains. The conquering general was leading his captives into captivity!

This is a picture of Yeshua defeating Satan by His death on the cross and leading him into captivity. He then shares the spoils by giving us gifts to assist us in the battle here on earth until the reality of the MK is established at the end of this age. This is what the Apostles were asking in Acts 1.6-8:

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Look at Ephesians 4.30 for further clarification: And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Paul has just gone through a list of how we are to act having received these gifts. He is telling us we are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the Day of Redemption. Our knowledge and understanding of the Feasts of the Lord opens our understanding: The Day of Redemption is the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur—the last day. This is the day the wicked dread—but it is our day of redemption.

This is resurrection day! We arise from our sleep and enter into eternal life along with our Lord to usher in the Millennial Kingdom! Now look at these verses for added clarity:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive, But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 1 Corinthians 15.22-24

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thess 4.13-17…we are not forever with the Lord before this time because we have been asleep!

The Jewish Nation as Captives

So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.

 ¶ And the Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity because they rebelled against me, and I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their enemies; so they all fell by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their rebellions have I done unto them and hid my face from them.

Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: Now I will turn the captivity of Jacob and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel and will be jealous for my Holy Name.  After they shall feel their shame and all their rebellion by which they have rebelled against me when they dwelt safely in their land, and no one made them afraid.

When I bring them again from the peoples and gather them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many Gentiles.  And they shall know that I am the LORD their God when after causing them to be led into captivity among the Gentiles; I shall gather them unto their own land, without leaving any of them there any longer.  Neither will I hide my face any longer from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, said the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 39.22-29

In these verses and many more in the scriptures we see Israel as captives scattered among the Gentile nations. The gathering together of the Jewish people is in preparation for the Lord’s return and the establishment of the MK which the Apostles were asking Jesus about in Acts 1.

Yeshua said…”And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21.24…This would be the Lord’s return and establishment of the MK.

When you visit the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem you see thousands of graves facing the East Gate of the old city. These are the graves of thousands of Jews. They are buried with their feet forward facing the East Gate because they know when Messiah returns He will enter Jerusalem by the East Gate. They will resurrect from the dead facing the gate so they can rejoice as the Messiah enters into the city!

I quote from Judaism for Dummies: “One of the biggest surprises in Judaism is that the Bible, the foundation of the faith of Christianity and Islam, has nothing to say about what happens after you die. Heaven, hell, purgatory, reincarnation--these are all concepts which are foreign to the Torah, though not necessarily foreign to Judaism. The Bible itself…is concerned with how to live in this world, and the idea of an after hasn’t been central to Jewish belief. Many Jewish teachers suggest that basically nothing happens after death but that our souls and bodies will be resurrected …in that Messianic time.” (In other words hades is the grave. My notation.)

We too look for the thousand year Millennial Kingdom (MK) and reigning with Yeshua. Until then we are asleep in the grave waiting to hear His voice…John 5.28-29