By: Gen. Jim – 9/2/24
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, & the violent take it by force.” – Mt. 11:12 – KJV.
What did this author mean, the violent takes the Kingdom Of Heaven (KOH) by force!? Lets read this vs. from the Amp. Bible: “And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time the KOH has endured violent assault, & violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize] – a share in the heavenly Kingdom is sought for with most ardent zeal & intense exertion.”
Luke 16:16 refers to this same thing: “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the Kingdom of God has been preached, & everyone is pressing into it” – NKJV.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible uses the words, “& everyone tries to enter it by force” (Lk. 16:16); The words, “& the violent take it by force” are used in Mt. 11:12. No matter what version. We read from, violent/violence pressing into are found. The word “storm” is found in Wuest N.T. (Mt. 11:12): “… the KOH is being taken by storm, & the strong & forceful ones claim it for themselves eagerly…”
Word Study
Violent/Violence: nouns –
1. Bia (Βία) denotes force, violence, said of men (see Acts 5:26; 21:35; 24:7; of waves, 27:41);
2. Hormēma (ὅραμα) denotes a rush (akin to hormaō, to urge on, to rush), is used of the fall of Babyon (Rev. 18:21, A.V., “violence,” R.V., “mighty fall;”
3. Biastēs (βιαστής), a forceful or violent man, is used in Mt. 11:12 (our target text) note: In Heb. 11:34, A.V., dunamis (power, from which the word dynamite comes) R.V., is rendered “violence.”
Verbs:
1. Diaseiō (διασείω), to shake violently, is used in Lk. 3:14, “do violence,” including intimidation.
2. Biazō (βιάζω), in the passice voice, is rendered “suffereth violence” (Mt. 11:12, our target text). Another word, “force” can be used. Some, e.g., Cremer (Lexican) & Dalman (words of Jesus, pp.139, tf.) hold that the reference is to the antagonism of the enemies of the Kingdom, but Lk. 16:16, “The law & the prophets were until John. Since that time the KOG has been preached, & everyone is pressing into it” – (middle voice: R.V., “entereth violently”) indicates the meaning of VIOLENT opposition. (see “Press”). (Taken from W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words).
Violent: (Mt. 11:12/NKJV) (Greek, from Strong’s Concordance, Biaios/βίαιος) = energetic, a forcer, from Biazō = to force, to crowd oneself (into), press, suffer violence;
Violence (Mt. 11:12 = same as above)
Ok, we get it. Mt. 11:12 has nothing to do with physical violence but spiritual violence, pressing, forcing one’s self into the KOH or KOG. Luke 13:24 puts it like this: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter & will not be able.”
Salvation is the prize! Salvation thru Christ alone, not by works! (see Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12)
Grace & faith! (see Jn. 6:44; Rom. 5:1; 2 Cor. 6:1; Eph. 2:5; Eph. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 3:5; Rom. 4:1-4; 5:15,16; Gal. 3:1-3 et al).
Early Church Father Irenaeus wrote: “The Lord declared that the Kingdom of Heaven (KOH) was the portion of ‘the violent.’ He says, ‘The violent take it by force.’ By ‘the violent,’ He means those who by strength & earnest striving are on the watch to snatch it away in the moment… This able wrestler, therefore, exhorts us to enter the struggle for immortality. He does this so that we may be crowned, and so we may deem the crown precious – for it is that which is acquired by our struggle… Since, then, this power has been conferred upon us, the Lord has taught & the apostle has commanded us even more to love God, so that we may reach this for ourselves by striving after it,” (he wrote this in 180 A.D., 1:520. He was Bishop of the Ekklesia at Lyons (France).
Another Church Father, Clement of Alexandria, wrote the following: “The ‘violent who storm the Kingdom’ are not persons who are argumentative in speeches. Rather, they are said ‘to take it by force’ because they continue in a right life & in unceasing prayers. They thereby wipe away the blots left by their previous sins.” (Clement was born in 150 A.D. & died in 215 A.D. He penned this in 195 A.D., 2:448).
Adam Clarke, renowned theologian/scholar, LL.D., F.S.A. comments on Mt. 11:12: “The tax-gatherers & heathens, whom the scribes & Pharisees think have no right to the Kingdom of the Messiah, filled with holy zeal & earnestness, seize at once the proffered mercy of the Gospel, & so take the Kingdom as by force from those learned doctors who claimed for themselves the chiefest places in that Kingdom. Christ Himself said, “The tax-gatherers & harlots go before you into the Kingdom of God.” (see Lk. 7:28,29,30). He that will take, get possession of the Kingdom of righteousness, peace, & spiritual joy, must be in earnest: all hell will oppose him in every step he takes; & if a man be not absolutely determined to give up his sins & evil companions, & have his soul saved at all hazards, & at every expense, he will surely perish everlastingly. This requires a VIOLENT earnestness!”
Some theologians have a hard time with Mt. 11:12. They say that text is hard to understand – they cannot be sure of its true meaning. They say Matthew interprets the verse as referring to events of his own time. The oppressors may be earthly rulers or demonic powers (I believe they were/are demons in human bodies, i.e. demonic powers working in & through evil persons who despise the Gospel.)
History tells us that from John’s time until the Messiah’s time (giving up His earthy life so as believers could receive eternal life), zealots/revolutionists have sought to seize God’s Kingdom [i.e. tried to establish His Sovereignty by violent/forceful means] & by so doing they are only ravaging it.
[note: one can read Josephus’ Antiquities XVIII.1.6; XX.5; XX.8.5-7; His Jewish War II.8:1; II.12.4; II.13.2-7 et al. He writes about revolts in first-century Palestine].
As already stated, βιάζεται is taken as a middle, not a passive verb: “The law & the prophets were until John; since then the Kingdom of God βιάζεται (“suffers violence” or “exercises its power”). All they can be sure of is that the saying contrasted the previous age with the new & spoke of VIOLENT power in connection with the Kingdom.
One thing we’re assure of, after Jesus’ death many Jews, facing death themselves for believing in Christ, stormed heaven with vehement determined zeal, as soldiers storm a town in war time. The WAR had begun in earnest: the “religious” Jews/leaders & the Roman powers were out to STOP the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord! (see all my articles on Militant/Aggressive Christianity).
Jesus raised the wrath of the “religious” of His day when He declared that Abrahamic descent was no passport to God’s favor & Kingdom! He told the Pharisees & Sadducees, “And think not to say within yourselves, ‘we have Abraham to our father’: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham,” – Mt. 3:9.
The “religious” (Jews without Jesus) trusted to their descent. The same can be said of many today (in Protestant & Roman Catholic Churches). They think mere Church memberships saves them. Really? Both Jesus & John said you must REPENT (Mt. 3:2; 4:17); Jesus taught that one MUST BE BORN AGAIN before one can go to heaven (Jn. 3:3,5). We have a downright masquerading of religion (by this I mean, pretending to be “Christian” when one has never repented/forsook his/her sins). The “religious” of Jesus’ day trusted in Judaism, not in Judaism’s Messiah. Respectability or Church membership is not good enough. These will not give you everlasting “fire insurance.” Too many are under this false assurance. No amount of false assurance saves us from the flames of Hell!
There is NO substitute for TRUTH. David had this revelation when he penned Ps. 51:6: “Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts…” Having “truth” in the heart/spirit is what counts, not in the head.
What did Jesus mean, “Do not think that I came to bring PEACE on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a SWORD.” – Mt. 10:34. He clarifies His statement in vs. 35-39. The main impart of His Words are not literal: the confession/repentance will bring persecution: the SWORD (His Word/Spirit) will, WILL bring division (see Lk. 12:51. Both the KJV & NKJV use “division”). There are ancient Babylonian inscriptions which endorse this as well. Rev. 1:16 shows a sharp two-edged sword (Word/Spirit) coming out of Jesus’ mouth. Jesus’ doctrine is either TRUE or FALSE. His life & death was either a pathetic and ironic tragedy or a saving redemption/revolution.
True Biblical Christianity as opposed to Churchianity is a venture of virtue, it defies the “old world order” and brings us into the “New World Order.” Persecution, even prosecution cannot be avoided if we truly follow Jesus: the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence – βιάζεται – vim patitur, like the violence of an army taking a city or town by storm.
Clement of Alexandria went on to say that “The Kingdom belongs pre-eminently to the violent. They reap this fruit from investigation, study, & discipline, so that they may become kings.” (195 A.D., 2.515). He adds: “The Kingdom of Heaven (KOH) does not belong to sleepers & sluggards. Rather, ‘the violent take it by force.’ For this alone in commendable violence – to struggle with God & to take life from God by force. And He knows those who persevere firmly, or rather violently, & He yields & grants. For God delights in being conquered in such things.” (195 A.D., 2.597).
I’ll end this article with a quote from Tertullian: “offering up prayer to God with united force, we wrestle with Him in our supplications. God delights in this ‘violence.’” (197 A.D., 3.46).
So, what do we take away with all this? First, one cannot become a true Christian UNLESS one repents of his/her sins & asks for forgiveness; one after confession /repentance /forgiveness /justification, must fight the good fight of faith (as 1 Tim. 1:18 & 6:12 tells us). We strive to enter the straight gate that leads to Eternal life. The “violence” is not a physical, with carnal weapons, but spiritual with a determined zeal to enter the KOG/KOH.