(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

In verse 8, Paul cites Psalm 68:18 which says When he ascended on high….

Verses 9-10 explain parenthetically what that means. In saying “He ascended,” that must bean that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth. Why? Because Christ came from on high and had no where else to ascend to. So, if he ascended, it must mean that he had first descended.

After having descended, the fact that he ascended means that he ascended all the way back up, far above all the heavens, to the dwelling place of God Himself. And then the verse goes on to say “that he might fill all things.” Jesus is God, and God fills all things, even as we saw in Ephesians 1:23.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:55 AM January 19, 2021.