The words of the young Israeli soldier couldn't have been chosen better. He told the Fox News correspondent they were at "war with the world." And, according to the Bible, that's exactly the case.

It's funny how the world is seeing this current crisis in the Middle East different. Many are actually debating if we're seeing the beginning of World War Three, Four or Five. But, from the biblical perceptive, it's the same old war -- the one that's been raging from humankind's very beginning.

Yes, Israel is at war with the world. As those intimate with God's Word know, God has His own language when speaking about geo-political events -- a language that's never been improved upon. Speaking about this ancient war, God says:

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days (Revelation 12:1-6 New American Standard Bible).

Of course, like with any new language, it has to be learned to be understood. This is where years of reading God's Word -- the Bible -- is the only proven method. And, unfortunately, even a degree in Bible is no substitute. That's why, even for biblical scholars, the N. T. book of Revelation remains so difficult.

No, I don't claim to have the meaning of the book down. Nevertheless, over the years, I have developed some basic understanding. And, it's summed up in the passage quoted above.

I believe, for us students of prophecy who came after the time of Christ and the Apostles, the next great sign of prophecy that we were to be watching for is the rebirth of the nation Israel -- the woman. Of course, this happened in 1948. And, after this happens, we were to expect that old enemy of God's people to also reappear -- the dragon. I believe this began to happen shortly after Israel was reborn with the Schuman Declaration in 1950, which many considered the beginning of the European Union.

Like I said before, it's an old war -- one from the beginning. It started in the Garden of Eden when God's people were few and Satan was only a little serpent. Today God has people all around the world and the serpent has become a great dragon. Yet, when it comes to the language of prophecy, God is very specific. His primary focus is as it was from the beginning, on a certain group of people from whom the world's Savior would someday come -- the Jewish people and their nation.

You see, once God has chosen a people, He doesn't forget. While speaking about God's eternal choice of the nation Israel, the Apostle Paul says:

From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:28-29). 

In fact, after Jesus' crucifixion, He appeared to His disciples to give them their new orders. One of the first things that Jesus was asked was if it was at this time He was restoring the kingdom to Israel. He told them that the timing wasn't for them to know. But, unlike some teach, He never said He wasn't going to do it (Acts 1:6-7). 

And Paul explains:

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery -- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation -- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS" (Romans 11:25-27).

Are you catching on? Notice where Paul says the deliverer will come from -- Zion. Do you think our old enemy would like to see this happen. If not, what would we expect him to do? You see, the young Israeli solder is right.

They're at war with the world.