Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (NIV)

 Although I am familiar with this passage of scripture it can be difficult to explain. Therefore I sought the Lord for some clear answers and He took me to some places I had not even thought of before! So I will share with you what I have received from Him:

The first thing to notice in this verse is the time frame that Jesus is referring to; He said, "From the time John the Baptist began preaching until now". Jesus was referring to the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new! John was the last prophet of the Old Testament but he had an important job, this is why Jesus said that he was the greatest of all Old Testament prophets.  His job was to declare the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New and said it so clearly when he said about Jesus: "I must decrease, he must increase". 

Why is this important? The bible says, "For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality." The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves (Heb10:1).

Hebrews 8:5 "They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven."

The kingdom of Israel, like most things in the Old Testament,  Was just a type and shadow of the real things to come - the real kingdom where Christ the messiah is King. It is the kingdom that both patriarchs and prophets of old have been waiting for thousands of years. Speaking of the coming kingdom Daniel said:

" And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." Daniel 2:44

Let's look at the time frame again here! In the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom. But how will this new kingdom interact with the existing kingdoms of the world? Will it coexist with them? No, Daniel is clear here, ", but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms".

It is not a kingdom that is coming in peace; it is a kingdom that will wage war against the existing kingdoms. It is a kingdom that is coming to break and consume the other kingdoms. Why? What's wrong with the other kingdoms of the world?

Ephesians 2:2 reads:" wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience".

1 John 5:19:"We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one." 1John5:19

It is clear that the issue here is not the human kingdoms as such because we read that the new kingdom is for human beings as well. Rather the issue is that all the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of the prince of the power of the air. And the whole world is under the control of the evil one. So this war is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6) but "against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

So when you read, "the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence" who do you think is responsible for that violence? Jesus was saying that the new kingdom has come under heavy fire. The kingdom of darkness has been dreading this time. Satan has kept his most powerful weapons for such a time. Do you remember what the demons said to Jesus once?

Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon-an evil spirit-began shouting at Jesus, 34 "Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One sent from God!" Luke 4:33-34

Why was the demon scared that Jesus was there to destroy them? Why was he saying that he knew Jesus? What was the point? How did he know who Jesus was?

The answer lays way back in Genesis 3:15:

"And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."

Right here we see the two kingdoms and the kind of relationship they would have! God declared that the two kingdoms would be at war. Satan will have the chance to strike Jesus' heel but in the end Jesus will be victorious by bruising his head.

It simply means that the coming of the kingdom of heaven would revive and rekindle that old war. A war that already existed through the wars that the kingdom of Israel (which was just a shadow of the real kingdom) was waging with the surrounding kingdoms. They were constantly at war! But because the king and His kingdom were not there yet, Satan wasn't worried. He kept his bazookas for the real war, which would be made official by the coming of the King Himself.

John's mission was to introduce Christ the messiah to the Jews. In fact he was probably the first prophet to preach clearly about the kingdom of heaven. The minute John came and started to preach, Satan knew that the big war that was prophesied had already started and so he started to put pressure on the new kingdom. He wanted to make sure that the King could not be even born into this world.

So when Jesus speaks about the kingdom suffering violence He is referring to the reaction of the kingdom of darkness against the kingdom of God. He was referring to the attacks and oppositions the kingdom was facing. John, who introduced Christ and the new kingdom to Israel, was already facing that violence. Remember that it was from his jail that he sent his disciples to Jesus to confirm that he was indeed the messiah. You know that later John would be beheaded. He was the first preacher of the new kingdom and he was the first to face the wrath and violence of the kingdom of darkness.

So from the time John started to preach about the Kingdom, Satan had already mobilised his troops for what he thought was the final show.

Peter and John share a bit about how the kingdom of darkness is on maximum alert because the Kingdom that would break his kingdom into pieces and consume it had arrived. Here is what they say,

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation12:7-12

Peter says that the devil prowls around like a roaring line looking for someone to devour and John reinforces it by saying that the devil is actually full with "great wrath", why? Because HIS TIME IS SHORT! He doesn't have much time left. So he has unleashed his armies and forces against the kingdom of God. It is interesting that in the same passage Peter links the state of the kingdom of darkness to the suffering of believers around the world. 

So far we have covered extensively the first part of the verse i.e. "the kingdom suffers violence." Now you know what it means. You know what the violence is all about and where it comes from. What about the second part? What does "the violent take it by force" or  " forceful people lay hold of it" mean?

According to Strong's Concordance take it by force means, "to seize, carry off by force, to snatch out or away". And the violent mean the strong, the forceful. So who are the strong? Who are the violent who take the kingdom by force? Could they be Satan and his demonic forces? Let's read a couple of scriptures that will help us understand.

20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe-22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.

23 "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me. Luke 11

I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 1 john 2:14

In Luke chapter 11 Jesus shows that both those in the kingdom of darkness and those in the kingdom of God are strong and violent. He calls Satan "a strong man". But he makes it clear that being just as strong is not enough to overpower him, it takes someone far stronger, far more aggressive and violent to overcome him. John makes it clear that we as believers are strong and have overcome the wicked one. In fact we overcome because we are stronger and become He who is in us is greater, stronger and more powerful than he that is in the world.

So in both kingdoms there are is violent and strong people. For one kingdom to overpower the other it needs to be more powerful and stronger.

"The violent take the kingdom by force", means that it takes courage, unwavering faith, determination, and endurance to enter, stay and extend the kingdom of God because of the growing opposition levelled at believers. It means believers need to be aggressive against the kingdom of darkness. Remember it is not a battle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.

Paul, uses his own example to illustrate what it means to be spiritually violent and aggressive:

 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Violence against the kingdom of darkness means violence over flesh that can get in the way, and pressing on with endurance and determination. In Acts 14:22 Paul said,

"We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."  Why is that? Because of the constant opposition that we face from the kingdom of darkness! In fact being spiritually aggressive and violent is not an option; it is a must if we are to be victorious.

 Taking the kingdom by force means we need to have the attitude of overcomers. This is what Jesus said to the 7 churches of Asia in the book of revelation.

To the church of Ephesus He said, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Rev2:7

To the church of Smyrna He said, "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."  Rev 2: 11

To the church of Pergamos He said, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." Rev 2:17

To the church of Thyatira He said, "26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star." Rev 2:26-28

To the church of Sardis He said, "5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." Rev3:5

To the church of Philadelphia He said, "12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." Rev3:12

And finally to the church of Laodicea He said, "21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Rev3:21

Aren't we saved by grace through faith? Of course we are. So why do we need to overcome? Because the kingdom of God, our kingdom, suffers violence! Because our kingdom is to invade and overthrow the kingdoms of this world ruled by Lucifer; because we need to reclaim what Lucifer stole from us in the Garden of Eden; because we are at war!

Jesus said, "34 "Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword." Mt 10:34

Isn't this a contradiction? Isn't Jesus supposed to be the Prince of Peace? Of course He is! So why did He not come to bring peace? If you have been following me until now, you already have the answer.

Solomon's name means "peace" and during his reign, the Bible says that there was peace in Israel. But remember, before there was peace, there was war. David His father, the warrior king, conquered all the nations around him and subdued them first and handed over to His son Solomon.

Jesus is the son of David, He is to sit on the throne of David His father. He is the king of kings. There is war right now, the bible says,

"Sit in the place of honour at my right hand

until I humble your enemies,

making them a footstool under your feet." Heb 1:13

12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honour at God's right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. Hebrews10:12

Yes, Jesus has finished the work of Calvary and He now sits at the right hand of the Father. What is He waiting for before He comes back? "There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet."

How can His enemies be humbled and made His footstool when He is sitting up there? Who is going to do it? How is He going to achieve this?

Here is the Answer:

"8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:" Eph3:8-11

God wants to manifest His manifold wisdom to principalities and powers through the Church. Christ is here through His Body, the Church. He is the head of the Body. He is the warrior king who conquers. But He conquers through His body. He will overcome through His body as it is written,

"11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.

And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die." Rev 12:11

Yes, we the church, the body of Christ shall overcome but not without Him. We shall indeed overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. The battle is so fierce that we must not live to love our own, neither be afraid to die for Him. It means that in this battle, just like Stephen, many of us would loose their lives. But the good news is that the victory is ours.

The final result or outcome of this confrontation of the two kingdoms is expressed in Rev.11: 15

""The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.""

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

17The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

20He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
      Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:17,20.