How "violence" pertains
to the Kingdom of Heaven

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers [allows] violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12

This verse must be taken in the context of Jesus' remarks about John the Baptist, who had been imprisoned and slain for pointing to Christ, reminding the people of John's lifestyle of never giving up. Like Jacob, when he battled with the angel, those seeking God are not to give up until they are blessed.

To paraphrase, the scripture:

Ever since John the Baptist pointed to Jesus' coming until the present, the lifestyle that Jesus advocates encounters opposition, even to the point of being slaughtered by those who oppose Him. His followers, in turn, fight just as hard, one might say violently, though in an opposite way, to win in the face of all opposition, not letting anything keep them from following Jesus.

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