Senders & goers

Plunder Hell, Populate Heaven: Why the Great Commission Needs Senders

Jesus did not send His church to hold the line but to storm the gates. What the Bible says about rescuing people from darkness, why every goer needs senders, and how to partner in the harvest.

By · 8 minute read · Updated 2026-10-05

The short answer

To plunder hell and populate heaven is to take Jesus at His word: the gates of Hades will not prevail against His church, and the gospel rescues people from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of God's Son. The plunder is people — set free by Christ, not by our cleverness. And Scripture is clear that this work is done by goers and senders together: how will they preach unless they are sent? Those who pray and give so others can go share in the same harvest. Everyone has a part. No one sits this one out.

Scripture anchors: Matthew 16:18 · Matthew 12:29 · Acts 26:18 · Colossians 1:13 · Revelation 7:9–10 · Romans 10:14–15 · 1 Samuel 30:24 · Philippians 4:15–17 · 3 John 5–8 · Luke 10:2

Step by step

1. The gates will not hold

Gates do not attack. They defend. When Jesus said the gates of Hades would not prevail against His church, He was describing a church on the offensive, and a kingdom of darkness that cannot keep its captives in. He spoke of binding the strong man and plundering his house, and Paul tells us that God has already delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. The battle is real, but the victory was won at the cross. We do not go out hoping to win; we go out because He already has.

  • Read Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 12:29 side by side
  • Read Colossians 1:13 and 2:15 — what has Christ already done?
  • Go out from victory, not toward it

2. The plunder is people

Jesus told Paul exactly what his mission was: to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins. That is what plundering hell means. It is not hype, aggression or a technique. It is a person hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins and raised from the dead, and being set free by it. The gospel is the power of God for salvation. We carry the message; God opens the eyes. The phrase was made famous by the evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, but the heart of it is as old as Acts 26.

  • Read Acts 26:16–18 and Romans 1:16
  • Keep the gospel itself at the centre of every conversation
  • Pray for eyes to be opened — salvation is God's work

3. Heaven will be full

John was shown the end of the story: a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and crying out that salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb. That multitude is not a hope. It is a promise. The Lord is patient, not wishing that any should perish, and heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents. When we go to the streets of one city, we are taking part in something God has already guaranteed will fill heaven.

  • Read Revelation 7:9–10 aloud
  • Read Luke 15:7 and 2 Peter 3:9 — see the heart of God
  • Ask God for the people He wants you to reach this week

4. How will they hear unless someone is sent?

Paul builds the chain one link at a time: people cannot call on One they have not believed in, cannot believe in One they have not heard of, cannot hear without someone preaching, and cannot preach unless they are sent. Every gospel conversation on a street corner rests on that last link. Behind every evangelist who goes are people who sent them — who prayed, who gave, who carried the weight at home. The Great Commission has never been carried by goers alone.

  • Read Romans 10:13–15 slowly, link by link
  • Notice the word 'sent' — someone has to do the sending
  • Ask: am I called to go, to send, or to both?

5. Those who stay by the supplies share alike

When David's men returned from battle, some did not want to share the plunder with those who had stayed behind guarding the supplies. David refused: the share of the one who goes down into the battle shall be the same as the share of the one who stays by the baggage. The New Testament carries the same heart. Paul calls the Philippians partners in the gospel because they gave, and says he seeks the fruit that increases to their credit. John says that when we send workers on their way in a manner worthy of God, we become fellow workers for the truth. Sending is not a lesser calling. It is shared fruit.

  • Read 1 Samuel 30:21–25
  • Read Philippians 4:15–17 and 3 John 5–8
  • See your prayer and giving as a share in the harvest

6. Partnership begins on your knees

Before Jesus sent out the seventy-two, He gave them a prayer: the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few, so pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers. Prayer is the first way anyone partners in the mission, and it costs nothing but faithfulness. Paul asked again and again for prayer — for open doors, for boldness, for the right words. Pray for the people who go out, by name. Then ask the Lord what else He would have you give.

  • Read Luke 10:2 and Colossians 4:2–4
  • Choose a few evangelists or missionaries to pray for by name
  • Ask God how He wants you to partner beyond prayer

Full disclosure: this is our story too.

Katie and I are one of those teams that goes because others send. Everything below is what we have shared publicly at KD-Ziedins.com — nothing added, nothing rounded up.

  • 2014 — Love on Hamilton began — the gospel and practical love on our city's streets
  • 12+ — years in ministry together
  • 50+ — people now coming together weekly to evangelize in Hamilton
  • 2022 — Overflow launched — a Sunday evening service where the Holy Spirit was given full permission to move

What began as a small outreach grew into Love on The World, taking the same mission to other cities. We partnered with e3 Canada — in collaboration with I Am Second — an organization dedicated to equipping believers to evangelize and establish multiplying, life-changing churches around the world. Every year the Jesus Festival gathers people in Hamilton to worship and hear the message of Jesus. And this map exists so that anyone, anywhere, willing to go can find people to go with.

We have watched God heal, break chains of addiction, deliver, and bring people to faith in Christ — baptisms and salvations are regular testimonies of His grace. To God be all the glory. If the Lord puts it on your heart to stand with us — to pray, or to partner monthly through e3 Canada — we would be honoured to labour alongside you.

We believe Canada is on the brink of its greatest revival, and we all have a part to play in this divine movement.

Daniel & Katie Ziedins, KD-Ziedins.com

Read our story at KD-Ziedins.com · Partner with us through e3 Canada

Giving is handled by e3 Canada, our sending organization.

Field notes

  • Pray before you give. Partnership that starts in prayer lasts longer than partnership that starts in a feeling.
  • Give cheerfully, never under pressure. God loves a cheerful giver, and no one should be guilted into the harvest (2 Corinthians 9:7).
  • Your local church is your spiritual family. Partnering with missionaries and evangelists flows alongside your life there, not in place of it.
  • Partner with people whose fruit you can see and who serve under accountability, such as a sending organization that handles giving properly.
  • Ask for updates and actually read them. Testimonies are fuel for your prayers, and praying specifically is easier than praying vaguely.
  • Sending is not a substitute for obedience in your own life. Every believer is called to be a witness — find people to go with near you.

Common questions

What does 'plunder hell and populate heaven' mean?

It is a phrase made famous by the evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, drawn from what Scripture says about the gospel: Jesus binds the strong man and plunders his house (Matthew 12:29), the gates of Hades will not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18), and the gospel turns people from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). It is not about violence or hype. It means people being rescued from darkness and brought into God's kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ.

Is it biblical to financially support evangelists and missionaries?

Yes. Paul thanked the Philippians for their partnership in the gospel through giving (Philippians 1:5; 4:15–17), hoped the Romans would help him on his way (Romans 15:24), and John wrote that supporting those who go out for the sake of the Name makes us fellow workers for the truth (3 John 5–8). Jesus also taught that the labourer deserves his wages (Luke 10:7).

Do those who send share in the reward of those who go?

Scripture points that way. David ruled that those who stayed with the supplies share alike with those who went into battle (1 Samuel 30:24). Paul told his supporters that he sought the fruit that increases to their credit (Philippians 4:17), and Jesus said whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward (Matthew 10:41). Our motive is the glory of God and the salvation of people, but God does not overlook those who send.

How can I partner with Daniel and Katie Ziedins?

Start by praying for them and for the people they reach. You can read their story and sign up for their updates at KD-Ziedins.com, and if the Lord leads you to give, monthly partnership is arranged through their staff page at e3 Canada, which handles the giving.

What is e3 Canada?

e3 Canada is the organization Daniel and Katie serve with, in collaboration with I Am Second. In their words, it is dedicated to equipping believers to evangelize and establish multiplying, life-changing churches around the world.

Can I go as well as send?

Yes, and most people should. Every believer is called to be a witness (Acts 1:8). Find an outreach group near you on the map, go with them, and keep praying and giving for others who go further. Goers and senders are not two kinds of Christians; most faithful believers are both.

Partner with Daniel & Katie · Find a group to go with · All evangelism guides

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