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.
NIV translates this…the Kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.
The greek word for violence is biastai. It can be translated as violent, forceful or aggressive. In greek grammar there is passive and active verbs. The NIV translates the verb in the active sense; that is the Kingdom is aggressively and forcefully advancing and aggressive men like John and Jesus and others were laying hold of this aggressive and forcing Kingdom. The Kingdom was aggressively advancing through these forceful men. This is true of the gospels, Acts and especially the apostolic historical advance of the Kingdom. Other translations use the passive sense; that is the Kingdom is suffering violent and aggressive opposition by violent opponents. This is also true of the gospels, Acts and church history. I believe both are true and valid translations.
In other words as the Kingdom aggressively advances there is also violent opposition to it.
Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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.”
Jesus is building his Church/Ecclesia upon the rock of revelation of who He is and what He says as revealed by the Father. The gates of hades and their opposition will ultimately fail and can not overcome what is build on this revelation. Like the house built on the rock, we can not build without applying what is revealed of Jesus’ words. Just to have revelation and not apply it is building our house on sand and the storms will come and destroy it all. The word ecclesia is key, it means the government of a city. Called out ones who gathered to represent their city and it’s needs. The ecclesia would then discuss the actual issues/problems facing their city and then pass legal decrees of binding and loosening. Binding means to render illegal. Loosening means to render legal or to release. These were common terms used by government exercising legal authority. It was then the members and the ecclesia and the law enforcers who would go out to enforce these legal decrees.
In regards to God’s kingdom we participate in this process by gathering discussing and praying for our city, the words of God must be decreed in order to bind and loose. Yes, we must be led by the Spirit in this process but let us not get too hyper spiritual, the Bible is very clear on what behaviours and activities God considers illegal or legal.
So here we see an example of the Church as the Kingdom of Heaven’s representative, actively engaging and opposing the gates of hades and their demonic influences into our cities and nations. This is how church should function, not a social club. The earthly ecclesia and the heavenly ecclesia actively working together in agreement. Bind in earth then it will be bound in heaven, loose in earth and it will be loosed in heaven. The Hallman’s Christian Standard Bible gives an alternate translation, What is bound on earth is already bound in heaven and what is loosed on earth is already loosed in heaven.
The binding and loosening activity of the ecclesia is next mentioned in, Matthew 18:18
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
It is clear here that the exercise of the authority to bind and loose is released by prayer, that is to ask the Father.
Jesus used the command to loosen in deliverance of the woman bound by the spirit of infirmity. Please note, agreement is not primarily amongst believers with believers but believers in agreement with King Jesus as He from his throne initiates the process; remember revelation of His words builds the power base of the ecclesia so the gates of hades are overcome. This agreement guarantees that King Jesus himself now stands with us in the ecclesia releasing the spirit of God and holy angels to go forth and enforce the decree of the ecclesia. Heaven will not move however, until agreement is found with an ecclesia in the earth… 2 or 3 required.
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. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Jesus says that the evidence of the Kingdom of God manifesting is that demons are being driven out of people’s lives, human systems and regions. He does this by the power of the Spirit of God. To drive out in greek is ekballo, which means to aggressively , forcefully, and violently drive something out of something. It isn’t a passive word, it is Kingdom violence against demonic powers. This is why the Kingdom forcefully can advance but it requires saints with bold aggressive spirits.
Please note, again, the demonic strongmen must be bound in order to plunder the territory for the Kingdom of God.
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. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.
Now Jesus emphasises this must be done by the figure of God. Who is the figure of God??? The Ecclesia body of Christ. Jesus himself became the human agent through who the power of God’s Kingdom moved to drive back these demonic strongmen. This process starts in the place of prayer, then moves into Apostolic, Prophetic and Evangelistic actions. Apostolic action of pastors and teachers is also required.
A 5 fold invasion and plundering force.
Here Jesus emphasises the need to disarm the demonic powers and principalities. That is to remove the legal rights they claim to have to bind up peoples and regions. This comes from unrepentant sins, iniquities and trespasses etc. This will first be done in intercessors standing in the gap and identificational repentance, then by preachers calling the people to repentance as John and Jesus did. From the days of John and Jesus the Kingdom forcefully advanced. Sin must be addressed to disarm the powers. Please note, Jesus the one stronger then the strongmen has already come and in His name we enforce the victory but people still need to respond by faith and repentance for ultimate victory to manifest.
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. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.”
Jesus when advancing the Kingdom invasion and noted to His disciples the great harvest but lack of labourers. So it is today, many look at the harvest, pray for the harvest but are unwilling to work hard to bring in the harvest of nations.
This includes Labourers in the 7 mountains of influence over cities and nations.
1] Family.
2] Education, Science and technology.
3] Religion and ideologies.
4] Government and politics including police force, judicial system and military etc.
5] Media and communications.
6] Art, entertainment and sport.
7] Business and commerce.
Just being a successful christian in business doesn’t make you a kingdom businessman, the same as being a successful politician doesn’t make you a Kingdom Government representative etc. I don’t have time to unpack this but to say if your’e not actively doing what the ecclesia here is commissioned to do in your sphere then you are not a labourer your’e just a tourist, worse still you may be employed by the enemy to advance the Gate of Hades agenda in your city. I call the 7 mountains the 7 battle fields. The enemy will aggressively oppose our advance. Expect opposition and slanderous attacks. You want to take the mountain of government for Jesus, the demons like Pharaoh in Egypt will not let go of their slaves without a power confrontation. That includes the Education systems, Judicial systems etc etc.
Jesus said, “Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers.” The word send is ekballo. Yes, Pray for the Lord to aggressively, violently and forcefully lay hold of the saints in their comfort zones to shaken and awaken them to go forth to do the work of the kingdom.
Mark 1:12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
Here the Holy Spirit ‘ekballoed’ Jesus into the wilderness to confront the god of the fallen world system Satan himself. Yes the word here is ekballo, Jesus felt a powerful aggressive force of the Spirit within driving him to confront the one who ruled the mountains of the kingdoms of the earth.
When we pray to the Lord of the Harvest, He send power from on high, the Holy Spirit , who empowers the saints with heavenly violence and force to move forward as the fist of God to smash demonic strongholds and bind demonic strongmen to set captive nations free.
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
No Apostolic Kingdom building work can be accomplished without 1st ministering to the Lord of the harvest, praying, interceding, worshiping, hearing His voice and then with anointing being apostolo-ed/sent forth.
