Gourmet Theft

The Third Seal - Famine

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;” Revelation 6:15

What kills more people in war-torn regions than all the weapons of warfare? Famine. When people are busy running for their lives and fighting to survive, there is no time to cultivate crops. Even an industrialized region can be swept by famine in a time of prolonged conflict. Consider what happened in large areas of Europe during WWII.

“And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” Revelation 6:5-6

Listen to the voice that John heard as he watched the rider with a pair of balances in his hand. A measure of wheat for a penny, or a denarius. A measure of wheat was one days’ supply. A denarius was a days’ wages. It requires more barley to sustain life. Three measures of barley is a days’ supply. In other words it will take a day's wages to purchase a day's supply of food.
Under Roman Government, this penny (Denarius), would be a day’s wages in Palestine. “And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.“ Matthew 20:2

This wage would buy 8-measures of wheat, or 24-measures of barley. Under these famine conditions, the same wage will buy only 1-measure of wheat, and only 3-measures of barley. In other words, there will be an 1/8 of the normal supply of food.

What would life be like if you worked all day to merely earn enough food to survive for another day? There is no way to make any advances in life or civilization. Mankind is reduced to basic survival instincts.

This is what existence will be like for much of the world during the tribulation. You and I have never seen or known an existence like this. Other third world nations have seen it. This could be the lot of the average person anywhere on earth. It will be caused by the devastation of war.
“Hurt not the oil and the wine…” Revelation 6:6

At this point, I am unsure as to whether this verse speaks about crops that will require less cultivation, hence they become a precious commodity during this time because they continue to bear fruit without man’s intervention or;

This could be an ironic twist! Luxury food items will be in abundance, and of course, the majority of the people on earth will not be able to afford these gourmet delights.

The Fourth Seal - Death and the Grave

“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Revelation 6:7-8

Who is the next rider to gallop into the picture? Death himself. Who is right behind him? Hell, Hades, the grave. With all this war and famine, are we surprised to read that death and the grave gallop across the landscape?

How many perish during the opening days of the tribulation period? A fourth of the earth’s population will die. What would that be today? The number would be one and one half billion people or so. What method does the old boy use? The sword, hunger, and the beasts of earth. Can you imagine a world so out of kilter that wild beasts are no longer afraid of humans?

Perhaps they grow accustomed to eating humans due to the large numbers of dead on the battlefields.

When the Spirit is withdrawn and the Church raptured, the Antichrist is the first to come out of the closet. He will be revealed as a great diplomat and peacemaker. But the peace he brings is short-lived. Before you can say “boo” the people of the world will be back at one another’s throat like never before.

The next riders are inevitable, since the world has rejected the Prince of Peace, war, famine, and death will sweep the globe. One fourth of the world’s population will perish due to the sword, hunger, and wild beasts. Men will work all day to earn barely enough food to sustain their own lives. Those unable to work will perish of starvation.

If you don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour, this might be in your future. And the future might be closer than you think!

But, there is always an opportunity for hope; If you are not 100% sure you will go to heaven when you die, why don’t you settle it now? You can have peace! Please go to “My Favorite Links” and click onto “How Can I Know?”

If you trust Christ today, if you bow your head and ask Him into your heart - then let me rejoice with you now. Please write to me. I would love to hear about your salvation.

I Love You,
Deborah