Third Seal: Famine and Economic Crisis

5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." (Rev. 6:5-6)

Black horse: speaks of sorrow, sadness and mourning. Famine and economic crisis follow war.

Pair of scales in his hand: speaks of economics. This passage prophesies the greatest economic crisis with the most severe famine in history. This is the hour in which the Church will multiply food like when Jesus fed the 5,000. Moses witnessed a supernatural food and water supply.

Quart of wheat for a denarius: a denarius was equivalent to wages for one day of work. The message was that a day of work will earn enough money to buy food for one person for one day. A quart of wheat is the amount for one person to eat for one day (very minimal diet).

Three quarts of barley for a denarius: Wheat and barley were the common foods in John’s day. Wheat is superior in taste and nutrition to barley. One could purchase three times the amount of barley (inferior grain) for the same price. Barley is cheaper, but less nutritious and tasty.

The economic crisis will result in one’s earning power being reduced to working all day to afford food for one day. This represents about ten times less buying power than in the world today.

Do not harm the oil and the wine: the famine will not touch the ruling class. Luxuries will be enjoyed by a very few who will prosper in this famine. Only those in the Antichrist’s hierarchy will be the wealthy elite.

1. The kings of the earth and the great merchants will continue to have abundance and luxury (Rev. 18). The Antichrist will buy their cooperation with luxuries.

2. The vast majority of the people on earth will lack the necessities life while few greatly prosper. The social inequity between the rich and poor will result in civil strife in his kingdom. Most revolutions begin because of food shortages.

A voice in the midst of the four living creatures: Jesus is in control of all. This voice declares the nature of the famine. Jesus is releasing this famine.

1. He is working for the eternal good of the people and the earth itself. He sees this extreme measure as absolutely necessary.

2. God’s voice is speaking so we are clear that God is in control and God is carefully monitoring what is coming. God will be attentive. He will be distant and uninvolved.

The Antichrist will control many of the world economies (Rev. 6:5-6). The Antichrist will persecute all who resist his global economic policies especially those who refuse his mark.

This will set up the emergency mode that allows the mark of the Beast to be received much faster. He will “solve” the economic crisis by using the mark of the Beast.

The famine may be imposed by governmental policies, as Stalin’s famine in the 1930s that starved nearly 10 million people. However, it did not affect the ruling class.