The Gospel of Matthew was written to the Jews, revealing Christ as the King of the Jews. Matthew used "the kingdom of heaven" more than the "kingdom of God", because of his first readers. He used the former 32 times, while the latter 5 times. Some believed that there is no difference between the two.
However, if we look at the context of what Matthew wrote, there seems to be a difference between the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:19-20; 11:12) and the kingdom of God (Matt 6:33; 12:28). All believers are in the kingdom of heaven but not all are in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is where the Lord reigns in and through the life of a believer on earth. It speaks of the present instead of the future.
"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the KINGDOM OF GOD has come upon you." - Matt 12:28 (emphasis added)
Today, however, many taught and believed that the kingdom of God has to be taken or seized by force. You hear people saying, "We need to take the kingdom by force! We got to press into it! We got to contend for it!"
The verse is often quoted from Matthew 11.
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." - Matt 11:12
As mentioned, a word without the context becomes the pretext for a proof text. If the kingdom of heaven is different from the kingdom of God, the common belief that you have to take it by force is not true. Because you enter the kingdom of heaven by grace through faith. There is no force needed. There is no need for contending or striving. It is based on the finished works of Christ.
However, supposed that we take the kingdom of heaven AS the kingdom of God, we need to read the context of this passage in the preceding and following verses.
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" - Matt 11:11-15
John the Baptist was known to be the greatest man during Jesus' time, because he pointed everyone to the King (Jesus). But Jesus added, "he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John." Why? John was NOT born again. He was born into earth by his mother, but he wasn't yet born again into heaven by the Spirit of God. John was living in the Old Covenant. (Note: Don't confuse New Testament with New Covenant.)
Thus, anyone IN the kingdom of heaven is greater than John because he/she is BORN AGAIN - with the Spirit of God in him/her.
Jesus continued in verse 12 - "And from the days of John the Baptist UNTIL NOW the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." (emphasis added)
The timeline Jesus gave is very clear. "From the days of John the Baptist UNTIL NOW" - until the time when Jesus was on earth. In other words, this period DOES NOT include the New Covenant period after Jesus' resurrection.
Verse 13 gives us the confirmation. "FOR all the prophets and the law prophesied until John." (emphasis added)
The word 'for' is used as a reason. It can also be interchanged with the word 'because'. You can read it like this - "Because all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John, (therefore), from the days of John UNTIL NOW the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
In the Old Testament, the prophets and the Law pointed to the coming of the King of the Jews (Jesus). However, during the Inter-Testament Period (believed to be about 400 years from prophet Malachi to John the Baptist), there was no prophetic word spoken by God to the people.
With this context, you can imagine how the people would respond when John the Baptist came preaching "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" - Matthew 3:1
Many received John's message and came forward to repent. "Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins." - Matthew 3:5-6
This is why Jesus said in Matthew 11:12-13 - "And from the days of John the Baptist UNTIL NOW the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John." (emphasis added)
The word 'violence' in Greek means 'to press into; to force; to seize." And the word 'the violent' means 'the forceful, the eager ones'.
In other words, Jesus is saying, "This is the TIME where you see the kingdom of heaven being pressed into, and those who are eager after the kingdom of heaven are seizing it."
What Jesus said is simply a confirmation of Matthew 3. People from Jerusalem, ALL Judea and ALL the region around the Jordan pressed into and seized the kingdom of heaven. They included the tax collectors and harlots. (Matt 21:31-32)
These people did not know anything about the kingdom of God because they were NOT born again. They didn't have the Spirit of God in them. God would not be able to reign IN and THROUGH their lives because the Spirit of God would only be given after Jesus resurrected. They probably only understood about entering into the kingdom of heaven.
Yet today, we are using this Scripture verse to talk about having MORE of the kingdom of God by 'forcing, pressing into, contending' for it. That, to me, is really interesting.
The whole game changed when Jesus died and resurrected. We are now living in the New Covenant. (Note: Even the Sermon on the Mount taught by Jesus was largely based on the Old Covenant.) Today, we are born again. We HAVE the Spirit of God - His fullness. The kingdom of God can reign IN and THROUGH us.
Today, we no longer take the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God by force. We don't press into or strive or contend for it. We receive the kingdom of heaven or God by grace through faith.
Because Jesus had gone to the Cross and did a perfect and complete work, we are restored as sons and daughters of the Most High (Gal 4:6). We are joint heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17). We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Him (Eph 1:3). We are accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6). It is the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Lk 12:32). He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Jesus, freely and graciously GIVE US all things? (Rom 8:32)
If you still want to strive and contend for the kingdom, go ahead. I'll learn to receive because it's already my inheritance. We receive by believing. It's by grace through faith. You either wrestle or rest.
And I choose rest. #identity #kingdom #grace #faith #believing
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