The Kingdom of God cannot literally be taken by force but the wicked can verbally force their way in

You didn't answer my question in the other thread. ... Are you a Jehovah's Witness?

Matthew 11:12-15 NIV84: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Please consider the possibility of a different interpretation of Matthew 11:12 based on the context of the passage of scripture. Here is a quote from a devotion the Lord gave me on that passage in 2014. The devotion is titled, "Forcefully Advancing." Here is the quote:

"John set a great example for us for how we should live our lives here as strangers on this earth. Scripture says we are to come out from the world and to be separate; no longer conformed to its ways. God said we are to be holy as he is holy. Holy means to be set apart (unlike; different) from the world, and we are to be set apart to God and to his service. If we have been born of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and his Holy Spirit now dwells within us, and we are Christ’s Body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, then we are Christ’s representatives to the people around us. We are his witnesses. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. By our lives, our actions and our words we should be spreading throughout the earth the teachings of Jesus Christ and those of the apostles.

"As well, we should be safeguarding, upholding and defending the truth of God’s Holy Word against all evil and opposing forces, in particular against all that would malign the word of God and would try to bring it into disrepute, or that would try to distort the truths of scripture in order to deceive and to persuade people to follow after lies. We should also be maintaining and continuing in our walks of faith with Jesus Christ, and we should not be guilty of straying from his word or from our pure devotion to him. We should be faithful and steadfast in faith. Our very lives, as well as our words, should be influencing the world around us away from lifestyles of sin, and to faith in Jesus Christ – to repentance and obedience to his commands – all in the power and working of the Spirit of God within us.

"This (above) is truly the meaning behind verse 12, where it states in the NASB that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” Some interpret this that this is speaking about those coming against the kingdom of God, yet in context, it does not lend itself to that interpretation. In context, this is speaking of John as a messenger of God, preparing the way for Christ, and of the prophets who came before him, who were also God’s messengers. These men, in the power of God, advanced the kingdom of God forcefully, i.e. persuasively, powerfully, insistently, and urgently, and with much determination, faithfulness, and purpose of heart and mind. And, this is what we should be doing, too, as Christ’s Body, his representatives, and his messengers in this world."

You can read the whole devotion here:
https://www.christianforums.com/threads/run-with-it.7818130/page-5#post-66127944
It is #86.

StevenMerten said:

Jesus' meaning when He says that people are forcing their way into heaven since John the Baptist started baptizing.

Jesus tells us that from the time John the Baptist started baptizing, that there were evil people abusing John's baptism to force their way into the kingdom of God. The Pharisees were there, following Jesus and John the Baptist, during their ministries. The Pharisees were getting baptized as Christians. It was not until Jesus and John pointed out that the Pharisees, due to their unrepentant wickedness, were not entering into the kingdom of God, through Baptism, but the repentant tax collectors and prostitutes were, entering into the Kingdom of God, that, the Pharisees, then sought to murder Jesus.

The Jewish term "Pharisee" means "the separated". The Pharisees abused John the Baptist's, baptism to verbally force their way into, the Kingdom of God, that John the Baptist spoke of. The Pharisees ruthlessly exalted and separated themselves from other people as God's chosen (baptized) sons in possession of eternal life. It is the Pharisee's lust for worldly exaltation as God's (baptized) sons, in possession of God's kingdom, that the Pharisees violently crucified the Jesus to protect.

The Pharisees did not literally force their way into heaven. The Pharisees only verbally exalted themselves as in possession of the kingdom of God that John the Baptist spoke of. Jesus tells us that because the Pharisees exalted themselves as in possession of heaven, through 'eucharisteo', above others, they are not 'justified' (going to heaven). 'Eucharisteo' is the Greek word Jesus uses to describe the Pharisees 'thanks to God' in their self righteous prayers.

Matthew 3:8
They were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. When he saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were stepping forward for this bath, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who told you to flee from the wrath to come? Give some evidence that you mean to reform. Do not pride yourselves on the claim, 'Abraham is our father.' I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these very stones."

Luke 16:16 The Law.
"The law and the prophets were in force until John. From his time on, the good news of God's kingdom has been proclaimed, and people of every sort are forcing their way in. It is easier for the heavens and the earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a letter of the law to pass.

Matthew 11:11
"I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the least born into the Kingdom of God is greater than he. From John the Baptizer's time until now the kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force."

Matthew 21:37
"Finally he sent his son to them, thinking, "They will respect my son.' When they saw the son, the tenants said to one another, 'Here is the one who will inherit everything. Let us kill him and then we shall have his inheritance!" With that they seized him, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him."

Matthew 12:14
When the Pharisees were outside they began to plot against him to find a way to destroy him.

Luke 18:9 The Pharisee and the tax collector.
He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank [eucharisteo] you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Eucharisteo​

"Eucharisteo; with the dative it always stands where there is implied a kindness done, a favor, a charis, a grace for an undeserved gift received where it appears as thanks for any good experience.

Charis; from chairio, to rejoice, or chara, joy, favor, acceptance, a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude, grace. A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; unearned an unmerited favor.

Quoted from: Lexicon to the Old and New Testaments, Copyright 1984 by Spiros Zodhiates, TH.D AMG publishers. D/B/A AMG Publishers. Baker book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
​

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Christ took the Kingdom of Heaven by force at His Crucifixion and Resurrection.

It takes some study and maintaining the context, but the OP critically misunderstands the verse.

"I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the least born into the Kingdom of God is greater than he. From John the Baptizer's time until now the kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." -- Matthew 11

Most of the understanding lies in misunderstanding the use of the English language itself, as well as the archaisms of language and society that were maintained from Jesus' time until King James, but have finally faded away today.

You've heard of the term "gentleman." Up until the early 1900s, the term "gentleman" had a very specific and narrow meaning. It denoted a man who had a "pedigree" of upper class ancestors and who had himself been carefully taught the manners of upper-class society. A "gentleman" was in a distinctly different social class from "vulgar society."

The opposite of "gentle" is "violent," and linguistically, the opposite of "the gentlemen" were "the violent"--the low-class, the vulgar, the uncouth.

The other error of linguistic archaism is the use of the word "suffer." In the past, suffer meant "to carry" or "to bear" or "to carry." It's used that way frequently in scripture, such as "...suffer the little children..."

So let's look at the verse with understanding:

From John the Baptizer's time until now the kingdom of God has been accepted by the uncouth, lower-class people, and the uncouth, lower-class people carry it energetically.

What Jesus is actually saying is that John's message was not accepted by the hoity-toity upper-classes. It was the lower classes--the thieves and tax collectors and prostitutes-- who snatched John's message and "ran with it like they stole it."

RDKirk said:

It takes some study and maintaining the context, but the OP critically misunderstands the verse.

"I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the least born into the Kingdom of God is greater than he. From John the Baptizer's time until now the kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." -- Matthew 11

Most of the understanding lies in misunderstanding the use of the English language itself, as well as the archaisms of language and society that were maintained from Jesus' time until King James, but have finally faded away today.

You've heard of the term "gentleman." Up until the early 1900s, the term "gentleman" had a very specific and narrow meaning. It denoted a man who had a "pedigree" of upper class ancestors and who had himself been carefully taught the manners of upper-class society. A "gentleman" was in a distinctly different social class from "vulgar society."

The opposite of "gentle" is "violent," and linguistically, the opposite of "the gentlemen" were "the violent"--the low-class, the vulgar, the uncouth.

The other error of linguistic archaism is the use of the word "suffer." In the past, suffer meant "to carry" or "to bear" or "to carry." It's used that way frequently in scripture, such as "...suffer the little children..."

So let's look at the verse with understanding:

From John the Baptizer's time until now the kingdom of God has been accepted by the uncouth, lower-class people, and the uncouth, lower-class people carry it energetically.

What Jesus is actually saying is that John's message was not accepted by the hoity-toity upper-classes. It was the lower classes--the thieves and tax collectors and prostitutes-- who snatched John's message and "ran with it like they stole it."

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That's it.

StevenMerten said:

Jesus' meaning when He says that people are forcing their way into heaven since John the Baptist started baptizing.

Eucharisteo​

"Eucharisteo; with the dative it always stands where there is implied a kindness done, a favor, a charis, a grace for an undeserved gift received where it appears as thanks for any good experience.

Charis; from chairio, to rejoice, or chara, joy, favor, acceptance, a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude, grace. A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; unearned an unmerited favor.
​

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Great post and thanks for bringing up one of the most beautiful words in the NT

The total amount of times the different forms of "eu-chris" is used in Revelation is just 3 times,

Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

2168. eucharisteo from 2170;
to be grateful, i.e. (actively) to express gratitude (towards); specially, to say grace at a meal:--(give) thank(-ful, -s).
2095. eu neuter of a primary eus
(good); (adverbially) well:--good, well (done).
5485. charis khar'-ece from 5463;
graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act
5463. chairo a primary verb;
to be "cheer"ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, e
G2168 εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō), occurs 41 times in 38 verses

The exact form of #2168 is used in 3 verses, including just 1 time in Revelation

Colossians 1:3
We are thanking/eucaristoumen <2168> to the God and Father of the Lord of us Jesus Christ always concerning ye, praying for ye
1 Thessalonians 1:2
We are thanking eucaristoumen<2168> to the God always concerning all of ye, mention of ye making on our prayers,

Revelation 11:17
saying "we are thanking/eucaristoumen <2168> to Thee Lord! the God, the Almighty, the One being and the One was.
That Thou hast taken Thy great power and Thou reign".
=====================
2169. eucharistia from 2170;
gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship):--thankfulness, (giving of) thanks(-giving).
Rev 4:9
Whenever the living-ones should be giving glory and honor and thankgiving<2169> to the One sitting upon the throne, to the One living into the ages of the ages Amen.
Rev 7:12 saying:
“Amen! the blessedness and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving<2169> and the honor and the power and the strength to the God of us into the ages of the ages Amen.

2170. eucharistos from 2095 and a derivative of 5483;
well favored, i.e. (by implication) grateful:--thankful.
G2170 εὐχάριστος (eucharistos), occurs 1 times in 1 verses

Col 3:15
And the peace of Christ be arbitrating in your hearts, into which also ye were called in one body and thankful be ye becoming!