What does it mean that the kingdom of God suffers violence?

Answer

Jesus’ statement that the kingdom of God suffers violence is found in the context of His commendation of John the Baptist: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” «And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. », (Matthew 11:12, NKJV).

Other translations put it like this: “The kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it” (NIV).

“Violent people have been trying to take over the kingdom of heaven by force” (CEV).

“The kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence, and [the] violent seize on it” (Darby).

This is indeed a puzzling verse at first. How can God’s kingdom suffer, and what do violent people have to do with it?

A basic rule of hermeneutics is that context is king. As already mentioned, Jesus is speaking to the crowds about John the Baptist’s ministry. Immediately before His statement that the kingdom of God suffers violence, Jesus honors John as the greatest prophet « Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. », (Matthew 11:11). Immediately following His statement (verses 13–14), Jesus signifies that John was the capstone of the Old Testament revelation and the one who fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi 4:5. Jesus then speaks the famili

Are the words “whoever has ears, let them hear” (verse 15)—words that suggest He has been speaking figuratively.

Another rule of hermeneutics is to compare Scripture with Scripture. One thing that had characterized John the Baptist’s ministry was the large number of people who came to hear him: “And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River” (Mark 1:4-5). This crowd was as loyal as it was diverse. Those who responded to John’s message of the coming Messiah included people who some thought would never repent, including tax collectors and prostitutes and Roman soldiers (Matthew 21:31-32;Luke 3:14). This crowd believed John to be a true prophet of God, and they were adamant about it (Matthew 14:5;Mark 11:32).

The pressing multitudes that had followed John continued to follow Jesus’ ministry (Luke 5:15;Luke 12:1). This is the key to understanding Jesus’ statement that the kingdom of God suffers violence. Pointing to the huge crowds that followed John and that were now following Him, Jesus likens them to an invading army surrounding a city to capture it.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now,” there has been an extraordinary rush of people pressing in from all sides, eager for a blessing. The “kingdom of heaven suffers violence,” figuratively speaking, in that people were so thronging to hear the gospel that they resembled an army trying to besiege a city. And the “violent take it by force”; the people entering the kingdom were not violent lit.

Generally, their eagerness to witness the arrival of the Messiah was intense, as if they were besieging a city and breaking down the doors to enter.

Jesus’ declaration that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence” vividly illustrates the zeal and excitement stirred by the teachings of John the Baptist and Jesus. People were craving the truth and would not be deterred. Throughout the centuries, God’s prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah, and now that the Messiah had arrived, nothing could stop the influx of people entering the kingdom. We witness some of this fervor in Luke 5:18–19, where some men literally tore through a roof to reach Jesus, and in John 6:15, when a crowd “sought to come and make him king by force.”

We should take heed of the response of the faithful in Jesus’ time and emulate their fervor. The gift of eternal life is unparalleled. The knowledge that Christ has come should ignite a sense of urgency in us and a desire to draw nearer to Him. There is no room for indifference or uncertainty in the follower of Jesus Christ.