KJV Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Have you ever sat at a dinner table and spied the last piece of desert in the center of the table and wanted it; then just as you are about to move someone else at the table move so fast that the cake is gone before you could even get your hand out there?
Have you ever headed for an open parking place that you spotted after circling for the fifth time to find one only to have another smaller car dash into the slot just before you arrive?
Have you ever see the footage on a street magician pick pocket who is able to take the watches and wallets of unsuspecting participants as he merely shakes hands with the pats them on the back and turns to the audience to show the object that is now in his possession?
THIS is the imagery that Jesus was trying to get to when ye spoke the words in the verse above. HARPAZO is the root word used for TAKE IT BY FORCE. It is a fast snatching, a quick retrieval when the victim and the audience is not watching. It is the lightening speed at which a predator overtakes the prey; a monsoon comes into shore and assaults a house; a lightning bolt can strike from the sky.
While the religionists of the day weren’t looking, ZIP the average person ran into the Holy of Holies and SNATCHED the most prize possession that religion thought is was covering up and protecting; THEY STOLE THE KINGDOM OF GOD right out from underneath the noses of the establishment, the self-righteous, and the spiritually stupid.
In the time of Jesus the spiritual “K”-MART opened its kingdom-sized doors and the people which had been waiting for so long for the K(ingdom) busted through the doors to carry away the spiritual stores in the MART. They knew a good thing when they saw it!
FREE HEALINGS – no doctors.
FREE SALVATION – no more rituals and hard sayings.
FREE DELIVERANCE – no more wrestling with demons all alone.
FREE WATER – The Holy Spirit available to all who ask!
With those kinds of things now being INSTANTLY AVAILABLE, who would dare to NOT SNATCH IT OFF THE TABLE — BEFORE THE OTHERS COULD EVEN THING TO GRAB FOR IT.
And to those who only got the crumbs off the table at that time, even they were blessed because at least they had the good sense to come to the TABLE OF THE LORD, while the rest of the ‘house’ was asleep! Warning! Don’t fall asleep in the time of GREAT BLESSING. Take it for yourself!
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M., Th.M. 11/14/2004