Donna,

Thank you for your response.

I had mentioned John 3:13 in reference to Jesus' omnipresence as God.

I wasn't thinking about his humanity being omnipresent; his humanity, I believe was only in once place at a time.

btw - as a side note, you had written:

Also Bible scholars believe that Ephesians 4:8, "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men" means that when Jesus ascended into heaven that he took those captives in Abraham's Bosom with Him to Paradise which was now in heaven.

Ephesians 4:8 says, "led captivity captive", i.e the captivity was led captive.

It does Not say that the captivity was led free, but, that the captivity was led captive.

Didn't Jesus come to set the captives free, and not lead them captive?

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Because, until someone is saved, aren't they captive of the devil?

II Timothy 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Hebrews 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

But, instead, to be led from that captivity to be further captive doesn't sound like it's going in the right direction.

People are generally taken captive by an enemy, against their will.

Even when Israel went into captivity, it was because of their transgressions that the LORD allowed Israel's enemies to take them captive:

Lamentations 1:5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

Ezekiel 39:23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.

I find it hard to consider that Noah, Abraham, Joshua, David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, had to go into captivity in the lower parts of the earth.

And then to think that they would be led from that captivity to being further led captive by Jesus.

Wasn't Ephesians 4:8 first referring back to:

Judges 5:12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

  13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

Didn't Barak go with Deborah to defeat Sisera, and Jabin's army, which had been oppressing Israel in their own land?

The army was defeated, and any remaining people of Jabin's kingdom were subsequently under the dominion of Israel?

Were then those Canaanites the captivity that were led captive?

Then, the verse which Ephesians 4:8 lines up with, is in Psalm 68:

Psalms 68:1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

  12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

  17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

  18 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.

  21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

  30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

Again, is it not the LORD's enemies that are led captive, in this Psalm?

So, by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, did he not defeat the enemy?

Colossians 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

The old testament doesn't describe the land of Israel teeming with countless devils/demons.

But the four gospels do describe that, as if those devils were allowed to be there specifically for the manifestation of the power of the Son of God.

After the resurrection, were many of them, but not all, put away, somewhere, until the tribulation?

Whether that's the case, or not, Ephesians 4:8 is referring to two different groups:

Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

First, there is the captivity, which are led captive.

Secondly, there are the people that Jesus gives gifts to.

It does Not say, "led captivity captive, and gave gifts to them", nor says, "led captivity captive, and gave gifts to the captivity".

Whether paradise was in the lower parts of the earth, or not, is a separate subject.

Maybe it's just me, but I was only considering, that those Bible scholars referring to paradise as captivity, seems a little like an oxymoron.

If Noah, Abraham, Joshua, David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, were in paradise, why call that a captivity?

Or conversely, if Noah, Abraham, Joshua, David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, were in captivity, how could that be paradise?

And even more so, if a captivity is then led captive, is referring to those people being taken to heaven, is also like an oxymoron.

How can being taken to heaven be similar to being led captive?

At the blessed hope, we meet Jesus in the air, but it doesn't say that then he leads us captive.

So, why would, Noah, Abraham, Joshua, David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, being taken to heaven, be considered being led captive?

Is anyone in heaven captive?

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