You are kidding me....right???
Nope. Dead Serious.
With just a little Bible study we can find out who is right here and who is wrong....
On that point I wholeheartedly agree.
The statement "he led captivity captive" (Ephesians 4:8) is a prophecy of redemption.
Rather it is a statement of then present/Past Victory. It is not a prophesy of some future, yet to be realized event.
"All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24).
Nice verse.
Jesus said, "For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). He paid the price to release people from captivity in sin, and to purchase them as his own slaves to righteousness. Thus "He led captivity captive".
You are speculating, and fabricating a definition for "he lead captivity captive" that is polar opposite to Direct Scriptural teaching on what that phrase means.
I detailed this previously but will be happy to provide a refresher for our readers:
The "captivity" that a triumphant King would "lead captive"
was his bound enemies. The victorious king would lead a parade through town, marching his bound prisoners in a public display to shame them and gloat over them (Col 1:15 uses this concept too). That is why bible expositors discussing Eph 4:8 often point to the broken dominion of the enemies Satan (1 Jn 3:8; Col 1:15), sin (Rom 6:14), and death (Rom 6:9 ) -- these were the "captivity" that Christ led away as his captives.
So the "captivity" one leads captive are one's enemies who have been triumphed over. This notion is also the sense of Psalm 68:17-18 concerning the exodus, Sinai and the defeat of the pagans in the promised land.
Additionally, in the spectacle of the public parade the King receives gifts in homage (Ps 68:18,29,31) and he generously distributes the spoils of war to his own citizens (Ps 68:19). With Christ, he distributes the spoils of his war unto the Church in the form of the charismata given unto mankind, making them Chosen apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers with him (Eph 4:8,11)
Again, please enjoy this fine scholarship from
Matthew Henry on the subject for your edification:
"As great conquerors, when they rode in their triumphal chariots, used to be attended with the most illustrious of their captives led in chains, and were wont to scatter their largesses and bounty among the soldiers and other spectators of their triumphs, so Christ, when he ascended into heaven, as a triumphant conqueror, led captivity captive. It is a phrase used in the Old Testament to signify a conquest over enemies, especially over such as formerly had led others captive; see Jdg. 5:12. Captivity is here put for captives, and signifies all our spiritual enemies, who brought us into captivity before. He conquered those who had conquered us; such as sin, the devil, and death. Indeed, he triumphed over these on the cross; but the triumph was completed at his ascension, when he became Lord over all, and had the keys of death and hades put into his hands."
And also some more Scholarship from the link YOU previously provided:
"The verse [Ephesians 4:8] is very clear—both in English and in Greek. It doesn’t mean that Christ freed those who were in prison, those who were captive."
As Scripture plainly testifies, Contrary to your assertion, The "captivity" that Christ "lead away captive" were His defeated enemies, and not the saved souls in Hades.
Again friend,
Resurrection is the ONLY vehicle by which the saved dead are RAISED from Hades into the Heights of Heaven. That does not happen, indeed CAN NOT HAPPEN, until
1 Corinthians 15:55-56 and
Revelation 20:12-15 are FULFILLED.
Highlighting, and proving the point I made in my initial post you first chimed in on.
Namely that Futurists need to have it both ways for their doctrine to work:
Immediate Judgement and Resurrection upon death, enabling the departed saved soul to be Raised to Heaven, fully cleansed and pardoned, instead of going to Sheol/Hades/Purgatory to await Judgment as Scripture MANDATES, AND a yet future Judgement that necessitates everyone must go to Hades/Sheol/Purgatory upon death to await.
Such twisted, unrecognizable arglebargle ought be untenable to any Honest Bible expositor.