Ephesians 4:9 – the lower parts of the earth

Now the ‘He ascended’, what is it except that He first descended also into the lower parts of the earth?

Here Paul builds on the verse from Psalm 68, he just quoted. In this Psalm Is prophetically spoken of the going up of the Messiah. Paul wonders: what does that ‘going up’ mean more than that he also ‘went down’? It is reminiscent of what he writes in Philippians 2: 5- 11: Christ emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, also, God highly exalted Him.

Yet Paul not only speaks of a moral exaltation and indignity. No, for Christ also literally ascended from the Mount of Olives. But that’s not all. Did you know that the lake of Galilea, the Jordan river and the Dead Sea are the lowest parts of the entire world? About 200 to 400 meters under sea level. Jesus’ ministry started with his baptize in the Jordan and later he moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, at the lake of Galilea (Matthew 4: 13). There his indignity started and he literally descended ‘into the lower parts of the earth”.

Delen: