Ephesians 4:8 isn't speaking of Jesus taking any resurrected person with him to heaven.
When Paul used the expression “gifts in men,” he was quoting King David, who had said of Jehovah: “You have ascended on high; you have carried away captives; you have taken gifts in the form of men.” (
Psalm 68:18) After the Israelites had been in the Promised Land for some years, Jehovah figuratively “ascended” Mount Zion and made Jerusalem the capital of the kingdom of Israel with David as its king. But who were the “gifts in the form of men”? They were men taken captive during the conquest of the land. Some of these captives were later made available to the Levites to help with the work at the tabernacle.—
Ezra 8:20.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul indicates that the psalmist’s words have a greater fulfillment in the Christian congregation. Paraphrasing
Psalm 68:18, Paul writes: “Now to each one of us undeserved kindness was given according to how the Christ measured out the free gift. Wherefore he says: ‘When he ascended on high he carried away captives; he gave gifts in men.’” (
Ephesians 4:7, 8) Paul here applies this psalm to Jesus as God’s representative. Jesus “conquered the world” by his faithful course. (
John 16:33) He also triumphed over death and over Satan by reason of God’s resurrecting him from the dead. (
Acts 2:24; Hebrews 2:14) In 33 C.E., the resurrected Jesus ascended “far above all the heavens”—higher than all other heavenly creatures. (
Ephesians 4:9, 10;Philippians 2:9-11) As a conqueror, Jesus took “captives” from the enemy. How so?
When on earth, Jesus demonstrated his power over Satan by delivering those held in bondage to the demons. It was as if Jesus invaded Satan’s house, bound him, and seized his goods. (
Matthew 12:22-29) Just think, once resurrected and entrusted with ‘all authority in heaven and on earth,’ what plundering Jesus could then do! (
Matthew 28:18) Starting at Pentecost 33 C.E., the ascended Jesus, as God’s representative, began despoiling Satan’s house by ‘carrying away captives’—men who had long been in slavery to sin and death and under Satan’s control. These “captives” willingly became “Christ’s slaves, doing the will of God whole-souled.” (
Ephesians 6:6) Jesus, in effect, wrenched them from Satan’s control and, on Jehovah’s behalf, gave them to the congregation as “gifts in men.”