Prisoners of Hope

"Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die." (Psalm 79: 11 KJV)

There is probably not a worse life on earth than to be a captive or a prisoner. The sighs and groans heard among prisoners are uniquely horrendous.

There are different kinds of prisoners, but there are nevertheless things commonly shared among prisoners.

There are "lawful" (or 'legal') prisoners, those who have been justly condemned for willful crimes against the authority that binds them, but there are also prisoners who have been falsely judged, and imprisoned for the crimes of others, being innocent. These would be "unlawful captives." There are also "prisoners of war," those who have been captured by the enemy. There are also those captives who are kidnapped and held for ransom.

Some prisoners have some hope of release, while others are condemned to spend all their remaining life in prison or else are "on death row," being those whom the Psalmist said were "appointed to die," or "condemned to death." These latter are in the worst possible shape as prisoners.

Throughout history there have been many prisoners who, by divine providence, have "escaped" or been "set free" from their captivity. There are many instances in the holy scriptures where the Lord delivered his servants from the prisons where they were unlawfully held for preaching the gospel.

But, there is another kind of prisoner and another kind of captivity and imprisonment of which the sciptures calls our special attention.

"Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children." (Isaiah 49: 24, 25 KJV)

Who is meant by the "lawful captive"? It is one who is held captive by the law, in this case, the law of God under which are all men. Thus, man is a prisoner or captive to the law which condemns him for his rebellion against the Lord through willful violation of his just and holy law. But, not only does Isaiah identify the sinner as a lawful captive to the law, or one who is justly and rightly imprisoned, but also as a "prey," which is another form of being a "captive" or "prisoner."

Sinful man is a prisoner to the law, and is held captive by evil powers, by the power of sin, and the sinful flesh, or corrupt nature, and by Satan and evil rulers.

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." (II Timothy 2: 24-26 KJV)

Prisoners or captives of Satan, or the devil! His "prey"! "Taken" by him in his "traps" and "snares" that have been "set" for sinners, who are "easy pickens" for him. He "holds hostage" every lost soul.

Sinners are "recovered," saved or rescued, from the imprisonment of the devil, from being held in his "clutches," when they are graciously given faith and repentance from the Messiah. It is the heart or mind of sinners that is held captive and bound in chains of depravity. The impenitent and unbelieving heart (mind) is chained by sin, and shackled by carnal lust, and firmly fastened by unbelief towards God.

"But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." (Galatians 3: 25 NIV)

"The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name." (Isaiah 51: 14, 15 KJV)

"For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem." (Psalm 102: 19-21 KJV)

These verses describe the horrible life of a prisoner. The misery and the sufferings in prisons are infamous. Most prisons, historically, have been made by digging "pits" in the earth. In this hole in the ground prisoners were subjected to the most barbaric cruelties. The "food" ('bread') and "water" of prisoners is known as being the worst possible for human consumption. Their clothes are generally "filthy rags." Moans, groans, sighs and tears, are all known to prisoners. Those prisoners who are "serving time" are anxious for the day of their "release," the day of their freedom and deliverance.

"Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me." (Psalm 142: 6, 7 KJV)

"Bring my soul out of prison"! That is the prayer of every sinner who has ever been rescued. It is not a request to be set free from the calamities resulting from sin, but from sin itself. It is not a plea to be set free for the purpose of committing the same crimes again. The precious promise of the word of God is that he will hear and deliver the soul that is bound by sin, Satan, unbelief, and hardness of heart, when that soul cries out for the Lord to rescue him!

"Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous." (Psalm 146: 6-8 KJV)

"The Lord sets free the prisoners" of the devil, the prisoners of sin! He not only brings them out of the dungeon of depravity, but he cleanses them of the moral stench and spiritual filth that clings to them. He also takes away their prison "rags" and gives them beautiful garments! Like Joseph, they are taken from prison and made to sit on thrones!

"I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house...But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore. " (Isaiah 42: 6, 7, 22 KJV)

Again, there is here a vivid description of prison life in the "pits." In this pit one mostly "sits in darkness," rarely seeing the light or has room to move around, for prisons have been generally overcrowded. Their eyes grow weak and unable to endure the light. This is a picture of the sinner too. The sinner is a slave or captive to sin. Yet, he may, by God's gracious invitation, be set free any time! All he has to do is confess his crimes, repent of his sins, and accept God's proffered mercy in Christ. So, why is it that all sin's prisoners do not cry out at once for the Lord to rescue them?

Perhaps it is because they love their confinement? Certainly this is true with some real life prisoners. Some who have been offered release in old age, have refused it, they having made prison their home, and have no hopes for any other. Many would rather stay in the prison, an environment they know and feel relatively secure in, than face a world they have not known in perhaps fifty years. Some sinners are this way also. Other of sin's prisoners perhaps refuse the invitation out of unbelief, thinking the whole thing is a cruel joke.

"The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. 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. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." (Psalm 68: 17-19 KJV)

"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." (Ephesians 5: 8-12 KJV)

"They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam." (Judges 5: 11, 12 KJV)

All these verses speak of a victor in battle "leading captivity captive." What does that mean? First, it refers to the post victory parades that took place when the victor returned home with both the spoils of war and the "prisoners" taken. Some of these "prisoners" were the captured soldiers of the enemy. Some of them were "political prisoners" whom the conquerer "liberated." They were once prisoners and slaves of others, but now they are captives of a new monarch.

The words of the Psalm were a prophecy of Christ, the super Victor over the enemies of God and his people, over sin, the law's condemnation, death, evil, and Satan. Paul cites those words as being fulfilled in the career of Christ, in his first coming, when he descended into Hades, and when he ascended into heaven.

When Christ ascended into heaven, he took back various companies of souls with him. These were souls that he liberated from their imprisonment or captivity. Who were these people? Certainly they were only believers, for only believers could be said to have ascended with Christ in a mystical parade through the glorious gates of Heaven. Peter spoke of one of these companies as being "spirits in prison" (I Peter 3: 19) in Hades. Matthew also records this striking phenomenon as occurring after the resurrection of Jesus.

"And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." (Matthew 27: 52, 53 KJV)

"And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23: 42, 43 KJV)

It seems that "many," if not all, believers who had died prior to the resurrection of Christ, were also resurrected. Together with Christ they form the "firstfruits" of the resurrection. These had their "souls" taken from "Sheol" (or "Hades"), the place where all the departed went, with few exceptions, prior to the resurrection of Jesus. In Hades, as Jesus taught, some were in "comfort," and some were in "torment." (Luke 16: 19-31) For the soul in torment, as the unrepentant and unbelieving "rich man," in the story of "dives," he is in a "prison" and place reserved for the guilty. Lazarus, on the other hand, though confined, was not in any suffering. In the lesson of Christ he is viewed as relaxed while waiting for his official release.

Certainly those "captives" whom the Lord "led away captive" to him when he "ascended on high," were those "souls" or "spirits" that he took from Hades and from Paradise, and the "bodies" he took from the grave. What a glorious prison rescue! What an escape from the snare!

So, the believer in Jesus experiences liberation from the prison and captivity of sin when his heart is unchained from sin and Satan and enjoys freedom in Christ. But, he also can expect full liberation when his body is resurrected and shares in the glorious redemption of Christ.

"Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them." (Isaiah 49: 8-10 KJV)

"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; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." (Isaiah 61: 1-3 KJV)

This is the "good news" for all those who desire to be liberated from sin and from death! Oh how many billions lie in the prison house of the grave even now! More "inmates" joining them every day! How many also are captives of Satan, doing his will, rather than the will of God! Oh that they would look to Jesus to free them!

"As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee." (Zechariah 9: 11, 12 KJV)

Who is a "prisoner of hope"? Any prisoner who is yet hearing the gracious invitation of the heavenly "warden"! He is now saying to all the spiritual prisoners and captives of sin - "loosen the shackles, open the iron bars, and come forth! Your release and pardon has been secured by the good deeds of another on your behalf"!

"Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified." (Matthew 27: 15-23 KJV)

"Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison." (Luke 23: 19 KJV)

Barabbas, the real justly confined prisoner goes free and Christ, the innocent one, takes his place! This is a grand illustration of what takes place with regards to those who are "lawful captives" and held fast by sin and Satan. They, though really guilty, get the opportunity to go free! What good news!

Friend, are you bound by sin and by the devil? Then, take comfort, for I am happy to tell you that Christ has set you free if you but avail yourself of his salvation.