Matthew 11:12 (KJV)

Passage

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Nearby Context

Matthew 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

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.

Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Matthew 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "days", "john", "baptist", "until", "kingdom", "heaven", "suffereth", and "violence". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "days" and "john", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Verily I say unto you Among them..." into verse 13's "For all the prophets and the law...", so "days" and "john" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "days" and "john" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.