REVELATION 6.5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand. 6.6 I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A liter of wheat for a denarius, and three liters of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!” -WEB Bible.
The Black Horseman carries a pair of measuring scales.
This Horseman causes food shortages and inflation, as well as damage to many
crops, but the oil and wine are spared. Famine is not specifically mentioned,
although it is implied.
SUPPLY CHAIN. We have experienced food shortages off and on
during the Covid pandemic because of supply chain issues. We may be facing even
worse shortages in the future if food is simply not available.
PROCESSING PLANTS. Recently various news outlets have
expressed concerns about food processing plants being destroyed in the USA,
Canada and many other places around the world. Nearly 2 dozen food processing
plants were destroyed across North America in the first four months of
2022! All of these events were accidents: there is no connection between them
and no hint of terrorism. But authorities are puzzled: what in the world is
going on?
WAR. The Executive Director of the United
Nations World Food Programme, David Beasley, has warned that the war
in Ukraine will send global food prices soaring. The ones who will suffer the most are the
world’s poor. "Just when you think hell on earth can't get any worse,
it does," he said.
INFLATION. Already we’re seeing a sharp increase in inflation, which is partly due to the rising cost of fuel. The cost of rent for housing is causing much concern and consternation for people who can’t even afford a place to live. The price of eggs has become a social media joke, but the rise in the price of eggs is very real: caused by avian flu which has destroyed huge flocks of chickens on egg farms. Grocery prices are scary.
INFESTION & DROUGHT. Infestation of various insects and
plant diseases has caused harm to entire agricultural industries in recent
decades. Drought or other devastating weather conditions have caused massive
crop failures in some countries in Africa.
It does seem like staging for the Black Horseman is being
arranged, and quickly.
We shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but Jesus did expect us to
monitor the signs of the times. Global events are likely to have far-reaching
impacts that will hit close to home.
DEUTERONOMY 28:15, 20-22 "But if you
will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his
commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then .. The LORD will
send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do,
until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your
deeds, because you have forsaken me. The LORD will strike you with
pestilence... and with drought and crop diseases." ESV
Bible.
GOD IS IN CONTROL. In Deuteronomy 28 (and throughout
all the scriptures) God emphatically states that He controls calamity. It's not
that God generates calamity, but He allows it. And He does set limits on it. In
the book of Job: God allowed disasters to wreck Job's life, but he set limits.
Satan was allowed to do certain things and forbidden to do any more than that.
God was in control during Job's trial of faith.
The Four Horsemen each have a specific job to do. The
Horsemen are devastating and alarming, but they have limits. As the world
becomes alarmed at all the violence, inflation, food shortages and political uncertainty;
God is still holding back (at this point) because God wants people to return
to Him.
THE PURPOSE OF FAMINE. God promises blessings and safety
when we obey Him, and trials when we don't. In the Bible, famine is frequently
mentioned as a form of judgment. Famine was intended to bring people to their
knees in prayer and repentance.
Sometimes God warned people ahead of time when famine was
coming. And that's what God is doing with the Black Horseman of Revelation: hard
times are coming, so be prudent in the decisions you make. Be forewarned.
IMAGE CREDIT: The Horse Tamer sculpture is a statue in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photographer is Walter Smith from Seattle, WA, USA. The original photo is used under the Creative Commons 2.0 license. Photo has been significantly revised by C.A. Stevens.