The Pope, The War, & The Transfigured Kingdom of David

As a Catholic, I have spent the last week reflecting on Pope Leo XIV’s comments about violence, war, and prayer. Here is what he said, “war is an 'atrocious', 'mad' endeavor driven by a 'handful of tyrants' that ruins humanity, with God rejecting the prayers of leaders whose 'hands are full of blood.'”

Now, the Catechism (§ 2307-2317) states that while war is not forbidden in all cases (allowing for legitimate self-defense), its destructive nature means it must be avoided.

But the real question for me is, what does the Bible say about his statement? I want to understand its Biblical theology behind his stamen, so let’s dig in.

1 Chronicles 22:8 and 1 Chronicles 28:3 – We learn that although David has the heart of God and desires to build the temple, he is forbidden by the Lord because he is a man of war, and his hands are stained with blood.

• 1 Chronicles 22:88 But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.

• 1 Chronicles 28:33 But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’

For those who study the Bible, David and the Davidic Kingdom are often viewed as the earthly representation of the Messiah and the messianic Kingdom to come. The kingdom of David suppressed and ruled over all the surrounding kingdoms through war and God’s divine influence. This resulted in relative internal peace for the kingdom, but being at war, his hands and those of his soldiers were stained with blood. In the Transfigured Kingdom of David, the one that is to come and be ushered in by the Messiah, the expansion of God’s Divine Kingdom, which is, “in this world, but not of this world,” will be exclusively through the divinity and glory of God as seen in Daniel 2,7 & 9.

This new, everlasting kingdom is depicted as a divine kingdom that replaces human empires. It spreads by supernaturally crushing earthly kingdoms, growing from a small stone into a mountain that fills the earth. This is known as the transfigured Kingdom of David, as Christ will take it up as the Divine King and supernaturally transform its structure and spread (through mercy and sacrifice), as noted in Daniel 7:13-14.

• Daniel 2:44-45: God sets up a kingdom in the days of these kings (interpreting the statue of four kingdoms) that will never be destroyed, will not be left to other people, and will crush all other kingdoms, enduring forever.
• Daniel 2:34-35: A stone "cut out without hands" strikes the statue's feet, breaking it into pieces, and then the stone grows into a great mountain that fills the whole earth.
• Daniel 7:13-14: One like the "Son of Man" comes with clouds of heaven and is given an everlasting dominion, glory, and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages will serve.
• Daniel 7:27: The greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

Now, the significance of David not being able to build the Temple is a small foreshadowing of the importance of how the new Kingdom and Temple will be built and spread throughout the world. The new Kingdom under the New King will be spread not by war, violence, and bloodshed but by peace, mercy, love, and sacrifice.

Jesus will describe his kingdom and how it spreads throughout the earth in the New Covenant.

• The Parable of the Mustard Seed: Jesus explains that his kingdom starts in a small, obscure fashion but eventually grows to an extraordinary size, like a tiny seed becoming a massive tree.
• The Parable of the Leaven/Yeast: Jesus compares the kingdom to leaven hidden in flour, highlighting its hidden, inward, and powerful influence that spreads throughout society.
• The Parable of the Sower: The kingdom grows as people hear and receive the "word of the kingdom," which then bears fruit in their lives.
• Internal Transformation & Action: The kingdom is described as "within you" or in people's hearts and actions, growing as people surrender to God's rule and live out his love and justice.
• Spiritual Authority (Not Physical): The kingdom spreads through Jesus's ministry and the casting out of demons by the "finger of God".
• Through His Followers: It is spread by believers who are "co-laborers" with Christ, acting as ambassadors to advance the Gospel to all nations.

And just like the rituals and practices of the Old Covenant and Laws, he no longer responds to, he no longer responds to the Old Covenant ways of building the kingdom of God, and no longer responds to those prayers:

• Prayers of forgiveness through animal sacrifice – and the old sacrificial system
• Prayers to promulgate the spread of his church through war and bloodshed
• Prayers to conquer our enemies through violence and war

We cannot fit new wine into old wine skins! (Mathew 9:17) We now live in the Transfigured Kingdom of David, where we advance his kingdom and worship at the new temple (Christ himself) by:

visiting the sick, feeding the poor, spending time with widows and orphans, and loving one another as ourselves. That is the main mission – expansion of his church as it supernaturally crushes all other kingdoms. Like David, he forbids us to build his church (A house and a new Kingdom in his name) with bloodied hands.

So blessed we have a leader who not only knows the Scriptures and Biblical theology but also knows his Catholic theology. Bravo Poe Leo XIV and thank you!