What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence?

What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence? Brethren, 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” (Matthew 11:12, NKJV). Other translations have it written as:
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize]” (AMP).
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” (ESV).
“The kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence, and [the] violent seize on it” (Darby).
“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).

A basic rule of hermeneutics is that context is king. Notice that Jesus Christ is speaking to the crowds about John the Baptist’s ministry. Just before His statement that the kingdom of God suffers violence, Jesus honors John as the greatest prophet (Matthew 11:11). Following His statement (Matthew 11:13–14), 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 familiar words “whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 11:15) – a phrase that suggests He has been speaking figuratively.

What it Means that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

For a better understanding of Matthew 11:12, we know that another rule of hermeneutics is to compare Scripture with Scripture. One thing that 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). The crowd was as loyal as it was diverse. Those who responded positively 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). Behold, this crowd believed John to be a true prophet of God, and they were adamant about it (Matthew 14:5; Mark 11:32).

The Bible teaches us that the pressing multitudes that had followed John continued to follow Jesus’ ministry (John 1:35-37; Luke 5:15; Luke 12:1). Brethren, this is the key to understanding Jesus’ statement that the kingdom of God suffers violence. Pointing to the huge crowd that followed John the Baptist and that was now following Him, Jesus Christ 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 heavenly blessing. The “kingdom of heaven suffers violence,” figuratively speaking, in that people were so thronging to hear the Gospel or Good News about God’s Kingdom that they resembled an army trying to besiege a city.

More Biblical Facts

Another figurative phrase is the “violent take it by force”. Behold, the people entering the kingdom were not literally violent, but their eagerness to see the coming of the Messiah was so overwhelming that it was as if they were attacking a strong city and breaking down the doors to enter at all cost. Brethren, Jesus’ statement that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence” is a graphic picture of the enthusiasm and excitement generated by John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ teachings. In fact, people were hungry for the Truth and would not be kept away from it. For many centuries, God’s prophets had predicted the Messiah’s Coming, and now that the Messiah was here, nothing could hold back the flood of people pressing into the kingdom.

Behold, the long-awaited Messiah whose coming was long announced by the prophets was around with John the Baptist being His forerunner, the people were overwhelmed with joy and excitement. Some of this fervor is observed in Luke 5:18–19 when some men literally tore through a roof to get to Jesus, and in John 6:15, when a crowd “intended to come and make him king by force.” As such, we should take note of the response of the believing people in Jesus’ day and share their passion. God’s special gift of Eternal Life to Believers in Christ is beyond compare. As Followers of Christ, we should rejoice and thank God for the Sacrifice of His beloved Son on the Cross of Calvary as atonement for our sins.

What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence?

Matthew 11:12 – “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.“

1 Chronicles 29:11 – “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Ephesians 2:19-20 – “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

Matthew 4:17 – From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 19:14 – Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Luke 12:32 – “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

Group 1 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Isaiah 33:22 – “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.”

Matthew 16:19 – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”

Psalm 24:10 – “Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty—he is the King of glory.”

Isaiah 52:7 – “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!””

Matthew 5:10 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“

Mark 1:15 – “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Zechariah 14:9 – “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.”

Luke 10:9 – “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

John 3:3 – Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Group 2 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.“

2 Peter 1:10-11 – “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Revelation 20:6 – “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”

1 Timothy 1:17 – “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Mark 1:15 –And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Romans 14:17 – “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

John 18:36 – Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Luke 17:20-21 – “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.””

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Group 3 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Matthew 12:28 – “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Daniel 7:27 – “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’”

Acts 28:31 – “Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”

1 Corinthians 6:9 – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,”

Matthew 16:19 – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Revelation 11:15 – “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”“

Daniel 2:44 – “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,”

Matthew 4:17 – “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””

Group 4 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Psalm 103:19 – “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Matthew 6:9-13 – Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Matthew 25:34 – “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Matthew 6:10 – “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Zechariah 14:9 – “And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.”

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 10:9 – “Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

Luke 17:21 – “Nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

John 3:3 – Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Group 5 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Acts 28:23 – “When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.”

Matthew 5:10 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

1 Corinthians 15:50 – “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”

Revelation 21:1-4 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Matthew 5:20 – “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Group 6 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Romans 2:6-8 – “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

Matthew 4:23 – “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

Matthew 13:44 – “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Luke 11:20 – “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Luke 16:16 – “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.”

Matthew 19:14 – But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

1 Corinthians 4:20 – “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.”

Mark 1:14-15 – “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

Matthew 13:11 – And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”

Matthew 3:2– “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Group 7 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Luke 12:32 – “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Luke 9:2 – “And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”

Galatians 5:19-21 – “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Mark 9:1 – And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

Matthew 10:7 – “And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Matthew 24:14 – “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Luke 13:28-29 – “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

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Group 8 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Luke 1:31-33 – “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Galatians 1:8-9 – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

Matthew 13:24 – He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,”

Matthew 13:1-58 – “That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down, And the whole crowd stood on the beach, And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ...”

Group 9 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

Psalm 45:6 – “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;”

John 3:1-36 – “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. …”

Group 10 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Amos 9:11 – “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old,”

Mark 1:14 – “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,”

1 Corinthians 6:10 – “Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Romans 4:13 – “For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.”

Matthew 18:3 – And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Mark 4:30-32 – And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

2 Thessalonians 1:5 – “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—”

Acts 28:30-31 – “He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”

Group 11 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Acts 8:12 – “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

Mark 12:34 – “And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.”

Matthew 19:28 – Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Matthew 9:35 – “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.”

John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Isaiah 32:1 – “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.”

Matthew 13:47-50 – “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Group 12 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Acts 19:8 – “And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 11:12 – “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

John 18:36-37 – Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Colossians 1:13 – “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,”

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Matthew 5:19-20 – “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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Group 13 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Micah 4:1-3 – “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore;”

Revelation 20:4-6– “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Group 14 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

John 3:13 – “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.”

Revelation 5:10 – “And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Romans 1:1-32 – “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …”

Isaiah 11:1-9 – “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. ...”

Group 15 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Revelation 21:3-4 – “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Luke 4:43 – But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

Matthew 6:9-10 – Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Galatians 3:27-29 – “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Philippians 3:20 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,“

Hebrews 12:28 – “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,”

Hebrews 12:22 – “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,”

Group 16 – What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence

Ephesians 5:5 – “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

Romans 8:17 – “And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Luke 8:10 – He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’”

Psalm 115:16 – “The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.”

2 Peter 3:13 – “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Acts 1:6 – So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 14:17-19 – “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”