Psalms 68:18, commentary and pictures

The verse speaks of Christ's ascension after His death and resurrection, after spending forty days in the world in His risen body, ascending from the Mount of Olives with His hands outstretched in blessing upon His disciples while they stood gazing upward to catch the last glimpse of their ascending Lord. He ascends as a mighty conquering King, Prince, and victor over death and the grave, attended and escorted by the heavenly host and a myriad of angels to the city of God. He is welcomed through heaven's gates with shouts and celestial praise.

His ascension is His return to appointed honor and enthronement before the heavenly universe and the unfallen worlds. Having humbled Himself, taken human form, become poor for human sake, and conquered the world, He as Commander of all the heavenly host returned to His own dominion and the home He had left, again possessing the exalted stature He had before coming to earth. He was received by the heavenly throng into the rejoicing ranks of cherubs and seraphs amid great demonstrations and glorious reception. The chariots of God accompanying Him are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands, escorting Him who is the Resurrection and the Life. He ascended not for His own interest but as the covenant Redeemer of those made His by faith in His name.

"Led captivity captive" means He led up to heaven a multitude of captives raised from their graves and from death at His resurrection as His trophies, accompanying and following Him to join the armies of heaven. Those captives were summoned to arise when the voice that cried It is finished pierced the walls of the sepulchers. They went into the city and appeared to many in resurrected form and testified that Jesus had risen and they had risen with Him, attesting His victory over death and the grave. The resurrected saints are trophies of His victory and witnesses to His resurrection, presented before the Father as representatives of the redeemed who will be raised at His second coming, giving a pledge and earnest of the resurrection of all the righteous dead. Unlike those Jesus had raised during His ministry, they received everlasting life and will never again die or suffer sorrow.

Having ascended, He received and gives gifts for men, even for the rebellious who humble themselves before God, so that the Lord God might dwell among them. He bestowed spiritual gifts on the church to build it up and bring it to unity and maturity until that goal is reached. He gives the power for genuine repentance which does not come from human effort, and those who receive Him by faith are given power to become God's children and share in the divine nature through His mercy and the grace of the Holy Spirit. His royal victory on behalf of humanity and God's past deliverances assure His people of help in present and future trials when they surrender to Him.