3rd Seal, Hunger and Plenty

Seal 3

Revelation 6: 5-6

“5. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

The common interpretation of this passage speaks generally to world hunger while luxuries abound. It is therefore arguable that in Asia, Africa, and parts of North and South America, hunger and want abound often in the midst of plenty.

Today our world is home to 6.6 billion people. The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world is well-fed, one-third is under-fed and one-third is starving. Further information is available on the websites of the W.H.O., Unesco, World Vision, and other organizations which confirms this information

According to the World Food Program, high food and fuel prices affect over 1 billion people.

In many countries, poor urban residents see food in shops and markets but can no longer afford it. In others, governments are struggling to import enough to feed their people.

Targeted regions to fight hunger include Latin and South America, the Middle East, Central and East Asia, Southern, Eastern, Western and Central Africa.

And, remember, once a Seal is open it is not closed

But, when was the 3rd Seal opened?

Famines have occurred over many centuries. The Asia and the Asian subcontinent have had many famines. While there have been many annual famines, there are some really big ones that we know about.

For instance

In Russia during 1601-1603, 2 million people died from famine.

In India, from 1630 to 1632 another 2 million people died from famine.

The Ming Dynasty in China collapsed in 1644 largely due to famine

In 1693 and 1694 France suffered famine with another 2 million dead

India suffered a number of famines in the 1700’s with as many as 10 million dead between 1769 and 1773, and again another 11 million dead in 1783 to 1784.

China suffered 45 million dead during the 1800’s.

So, when did the 3^rd Seal open?

The Seal says "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

That means that food becomes unaffordable. It also means that there is plenty for the wealthy and even luxuries for many while others starve.

We know that affordability for food is linked to not only famine, and war, but also the cost of fuel to produce and transport food.

With the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the 1800’s new found prosperity came to the working people. A middle class was created which was more affluent.

In many parts of the world, fortunes were created from industry and resource management. Oil production, mining, and manufacturing created wealth. Disparity between those who are in need and those who are prospering became a world wide issue. This came to a head as the industrial age developed.

But, let us be fair here. The 3^rd seal does not criticize either group. It simply points out the circumstance created.

We see that while famines continued to occur, the advent of the creation of a prosperous society created a disparity. The increase in the costs to produce and distribute food aggravated the situation.

So what is the evidence to indicate when the 3^rd seal was opened?

Most notable to me is the advent of the Great Depression. It led to world wide hunger due to a lack of money to buy food. The Dust Bowl in America, the migration of broken families across the midwest, and the continued suffering from the outset of the Depression right through World War II is notable. Not because of famine, but because while the suffering was happening, many people were growing rich and prosperous at the same time. It can be argued that this Seal may have been opened on or before 1929, but it also can be argued that it could have been opened in 1939 or any intervening years prior to World War II.

The issue is a complicated one. There are a whole plethora of problems in world food production

It is reported 9 million people including 5 million children die worldwide each year because of hunger and malnutrition.

Approximately 1.2 billion people suffer from hunger

2 to 3.5 billion people have nutritional deficiency

However while this goes on 1.2 billion suffer from obesity

Food wastage is also a huge issue:

In the United Kingdom, “a shocking 30-40% of all food is never eaten;”

In the US 40-50% of all crops never get eaten

Of the food that does eventually reach households, some 14% is wasted,

Wastage from supermarkets, restaurants and cafeterias brings that figure, up to 27%.

Many countries in Europe have similar wastage figures.

In many parts of Africa over 1/4 of their crops go bad. Insect infestations and crop diseases heavily impact food production

These circumstances are accompanied by unparalleled wealth and prosperity all over the world. Economies like China are prospering. Russia is prospering. Continental Europe and North America continue to experience prosperity. All the while people continue to suffer from starvation and malnutrition across many countries.

Taking into account the food shortages in various parts of the Globe in the 20th Century, and the poverty preventing citizens from buying food vs the extreme wealth of dictators governing impoverished nations, as well as the prosperity of many countries, I conclude that the evidence supports the belief that the 3rd Seal is open.

It likely opened after the start of the Industrial Revolution most likely during the early 1900’s as prosperity grew for some but bypassed others.

Taking into account the food shortages in various parts of the Globe in the 20th Century, and the poverty preventing citizens from buying food vs the extreme wealth of dictators governing impoverished nations, as well as the prosperity of many countries, I conclude that the evidence supports the belief that the 3rd Seal is open.

We have 2 podcasts covering this important topic. They each are about 10 minutes long.