He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Parallel translations
- WEB He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
- KJV He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
- BSB He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
- NASB He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)
- NLT And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Christ who descended has now ascended above all the heavens so that he might fill all things. His exaltation is total and his reign universal.
Overview
Paul completes the descent-ascent contrast: the humbled Savior is now exalted to the highest place. His purpose 'that he might fill all things' speaks of his sovereign presence and lordship over the whole creation and his church. From this position of cosmic supremacy he pours out the gifts described in the verses that follow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- Heb 7:26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
- Heb 4:14Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession.
- Eph 1:20–23which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
- Col 2:9For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
- Heb 9:23–24It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
- 1 Tim 3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
- Matt 24:34Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.
- Col 1:19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;
- Acts 1:9When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
- Rom 15:9–13and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore will I give praise to you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
- Eph 3:19and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- Heb 8:1Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
- Acts 13:32–33We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,
- John 19:24Then they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide whose it will be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, “They parted my garments among them. For my cloak they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
- John 1:16From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
- Acts 2:33Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.
- John 19:36For these things happened, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “A bone of him will not be broken.”
- Acts 3:18But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.
- John 19:28After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.”
- Acts 1:11who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
- Luke 24:44He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”
- Rom 16:25–26—
- Rom 9:25–30As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
How Ephesians 4:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.