violence in the kingdom of heaven

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violence in the kingdom of heaven

12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. could somebody explain this to me please.?
 
The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence - The tax-gatherers and heathens, whom the scribes and Pharisees think have no right to the kingdom of the Messiah, filled with holy zeal and earnestness, seize at once on the proffered mercy of the Gospel, and 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 and harlots go before you into the kingdom of God. See the parallel place, Luk 7:28-30. He that will take, get possession of the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and spiritual joy, must be in earnest: all hell will oppose him in every step he takes; and if a man be not absolutely determined to give up his sins and evil companions, and have his soul saved at all hazards, and at every expense, he will surely perish everlastingly. This requires a violent earnestness

Adam Clarke, LL.D., F.S.A., (1715-1832) in his book "Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible."
 
Perhaps a better translation would be "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been advancing with power and powerful men seize it.

It is the forceful who seize the opportunity to enter the kingdom of heaven. Remember the last words of Jesus to John the Baptist are "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me" Matt. 11.6 John the Baptist preached the Kingdom as something "near", and from that time on the kingdom had been advancing until its implementation through the death and resurrection of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Being a Christian requires power, and that power is given to us by the Holy Spirit. The force of the Holy Spirit is unstoppable and the Kingdom will go on advancing until that great day when the Lord appears and it is complete.
 
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