John The Baptist & Kingdom Force

In Matthew 11 we have Jesus description of John the Baptist and His role in the kingdom. 

As well as His comment, 

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom has been subjected to violence and violent people have been raiding it. 

Or the violent take it by force.

(Violence 971, violent 973, force 726 harpazo strongs concordance Greek)

This word force has been taken out of context and interpreted by charismatic teachers to mean forceful preaching 

or aggressive confessions of faith 

or making forceful demands upon the kingdoms blessings. 

I say "out of context" because Jesus ends His discussion of John by describing His own way and His own yoke as being "gentle & humble" in heart. 

In Jesus' description of John.... let's ask what represents the Kingdom of heaven? 

It's The River Jordan. Jordan means "descender". Jesus contains and brings  heaven to earth by descending to us...in human form....

And giving all of Himself as a River pours out its substance to bring life, life, life.

The "force" or "harpazo" here is the force of the Living Waters which is washing away our sin by baptism. We enter the water as testimony that we are willing to experience Jesus life thru death burial and resurrection. We are "choosing" by our force of will to experience a new birth in Christ. 

So we have the force of the waters and the force of our free will combining in baptism. 

And we have the force of John's guiding hands to help the individual in submersion or burial under the waters. 

This is why Jesus identified John as a prophet like Elijah. A prophet who dunks sinners under God's flow of Word & Spirit....The River...The Kingdom.

The waters represent The River which flows from His Throne & Sanctuary as in Rev. 22 & Ez. 42. This is an expression of God's kingdom. His thoughts, His rule, His character, His intentions, His good will in bringing us salvation. His good will in pouring out His life for us. 

Harpazo is the word they interpret as rapture or catching up. If you trace this Greek word back to its root...you begin to understand that "force" is not solely human charisma or will but the "catching up" of His life force. It is a capitulation to His will and His ways... life flowing over us in waves and waves of His very essence. 

As it says in Psalms 42....

Deep calls to deep....All your waves and billows have swept over me...in the roar of your waterfalls. 

His voice and His love sweeps over us in the waters flow.

This is why Jesus completes His comments about John the Baptist by saying....

Come to me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you & learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart." 

This negates the idea that you can "take" the kingdom by human aggression or force. Yes you make a "choice of will" to submit to the river (the kingdom) but the force is the flow of His mighty River of goodness, truth and His glorious presence in our lives. Never ending grace and refreshing mercies which are new every morning. 

You make a committment to yield under His River's eternal flow. This is the "force", the "harpazo",  the "rapture"... which carries us through life and on into eternal realms of glory.