At the time of the third seal, across the world, there will be inflation, and certain types of food will be extremely expensive.
Until a few months ago, I had thought Revelation 6:5-6 speaks only of Mystery Babylon, and consumer price inflation over there.
It is becoming increasingly clear that prices in general are rising everywhere. There is inflation in many parts of the world because of America’s Modern Monetary Theory – all that quantitative easing and Keynesian fiscal stimulus. But the round after round of QE that have created all that excess money is only the half of it.
Now and again in various parts of the world, due to unusual weather, there have also been shortages of certain foods. When something become scarce, all things being equal, its price inevitably rises.
In June until recently, Australia had a shortage of lettuce, because of heavy rains that flooded farmland in Queensland and northern NSW. This made lettuce extraordinarily expensive for a short while (ref. 1).
One month later, it was reported that supply-chain disruptions and cold weather have contributed to a shortage of eggs in Australian supermarkets (ref. 2).
In America, due to an ongoing drought there, which has made grass scarce and hay expensive, American farmers have been selling off their cattle, more than ever. Consequently, from next year onwards, there will be a shortage of beef in American supermarkets, and so beef prices will rise (ref. 3).
Even this year’s harvest of rice in China is at risk because of a surprising drought over there (ref. 4).
Apart from unusual weather, there have been numerous inexplicable accidents at food processing plants and the like. I gave some examples the last time. Here is one more: Three days ago, fire somehow erupted at a bakery in Moorebank, Sydney. That bakery happens to supply many of Australia’s well-known brands of bread. Because of this fire, there will be a shortage of bread in supermarket aisles for a week or so (ref. 5).
As you can see, from time to time, there are shortages of certain foods. Consequently, those foods become more expensive.
Concerning prices generally, which is a separate phenomenon, yesterday, it was reported that inflation in the UK has reached double digits, 10.1% (ref. 6). Soaring food prices made the biggest contribution to the increase, despite exorbitant energy bills. The UK is the first among the west to reach double digits. In the USA, inflation is currently at 8.5%. In the Eurozone, 8.9% (ref. 7). In Australia, 6.1%.
When the rate of inflation exceeds 50%, that is hyperinflation.
In Sri Lanka, for instance, inflation is expected to reach 70% over the next two months. Food inflation there is now at an astonishing 80.1% (ref. 8). The pandemic of Covid-19 crushed Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. Tourism used to account for a substantial portion of Sri Lanka’s Gross Domestic Product, and was the third largest source of foreign exchange reserves. Consequently, Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt, and has been unable to import sufficient fuel and food. Facing starvation, angry protesters rioted and stormed the presidential palace. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled out of the country for his life. It was almost a let-them-eat-cake type situation.
In Argentina, by the end of this year, inflation is expected to reach 90% (ref. 9). Unsurprisingly, protesters over there have also taken to the streets. To combat inflation, the central bank of Argentina has raised interest rates to an astonishing 69.5%.
In Sierra Leone, days ago, protests in several locations across the country, over the cost of living, turned violent. Eight police officers were killed by protesters, and twenty-one protesters were killed by police (ref. 10).
Of course, there is also Turkey, which I previously covered.
In my last post about the third seal, I made an important point that the voice in the midst of the four beasts is that of God himself, and furthermore the command not to hurt the oil and the wine means hurt everyone else.
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 6:6
This revelation means the shortages are happening because of angels of God, and because it is the will of God.
While general price inflation in Babylon is of the Devil, because hyperinflation over there is necessary to bring about a new currency, the mark of the beast (ref. Revelation 13:16-17), it seems to me that the third seal, which is about the price of food, is ultimately a kind of chastisement from God, or at least a foreshadowing of things to come regarding Genesis 12:2-3.
What I mean is, when the kingdom of God begins, after the day of the LORD, which is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, all nations that worship and obey Jesus Christ, and join the commonwealth of Israel, and pay tribute or tithe to the kingdom of God (ref. Psalms 72:10), will be blessed by God, and conversely, all nations that do not do these things will be cursed by God. This is the essence of Genesis 12:2-3.
And I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 12:2-3
Those that think they can carry on with the ways and values of Mystery Babylon – freedom of religion, LGBTQ, abortion, voodoo, witchcraft, the deception of climate change, etc – will be cursed by God.
This curse and chastisement will come in part in the form of extraordinary and terrible weather events.
And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zechariah 14:17-19
Food shortage and food price inflation will be the inevitable result of these punishing weather events.
Remember, God is “longsuffering” and “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (ref. 2 Peter 3:9): God would that all of the living repented of evil and sought righteousness.
Now, in the Bible there are references to Jesus Christ and his born-again servants wielding a “rod of iron” (ref. Psalms 2:9, Revelation 2:27, 12:5, 19:15, 2:26-28).
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Revelation 12:5
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 2:26-29
This rod of iron is not something such as a crowbar or a wrench that will be used to bludgeon someone to death.
Rather, the rod is the proverbial “rod of correction”.
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Proverbs 23:13-14
About iron, the Bible also equates the power of demons, or fallen angels, to that iron, and by comparison the power of humans to that clay (ref. Daniel 2:33-45).
Of course, when iron and clay clash, it is the clay that breaks. That is to say, angels can hurt and even kill humans, but humans cannot kill or hurt angels.
For a human to survive the attack of an angel, he must pray for the help of another angel, or for the help of God himself. Something along these lines happens during an exorcism.
So, humans are lower beings when compared to angels (ref. Hebrews 2:9).
… we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Hebrews 2:9
There is also the fact that humans must sleep, whereas angels do not sleep.
And above all, humans must eat food to survive, but the same does not apply to angels.
The human body needs water, calories, fibre, proteins, fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals to function. Without these, the body deteriorates and eventually dies.
This need for food means nations can be gradually punished, and convinced to repent, by a lack of food.
It is said, the human body can survive without water for three days, and without food for one or sometimes two months.
So, the curse will be a gradual thing, and the ones being punished will have every opportunity to repent.
If it comes down to a few troublemakers, then presumably those individuals will be dealt with instead.
In due course, all will repent. Accordingly, at some stage during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ, who is to be the King of kings, the entire world will become Christian!
Psalms 22:27-29, which is something I have only just now noticed, speaks of food and nations during the Millennial Reign. Notice, “All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship”.
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship…
Psalms 22:27-29
In these last days before the kingdom of God, the Devil will also use the need for food to persuade people, but he will tempt individuals rather than nations, and his objective is to cause souls to be lost. At the time of the false prophet, many in Mystery Babylon will take the mark of the beast in order to buy food. In so doing, they might live “deliciously” for a short while (ref. Revelation 18:7) but afterwards they will be condemned to the lake of fire (ref. Revelation 14:9-11).
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Revelation 13:16-17
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mark 8:35-36
To defeat the Devil in these last days, one must have faith in Jesus Christ and one must remain loyal to God.
When he was here on earth, on one occasion in the wilderness, the Son of man himself ate nothing for forty days (ref. Luke 4:2). During that time, Jesus was tempted by the Devil.
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Luke 4:1-4
To those who find themselves behind enemy lines, if you love your life and the world as it is now, the chances are, you are on the wrong side.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
John 12:25
You must escape and evade the enemy, or else look forward to the resurrection on the day of the LORD.
Now, returning to the matter of a human’s need to eat food, did you know that the need for food is actually a curse from God?
This is a curse that began in Genesis, when Eve, tempted by the Devil, disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. Eve then convinced Adam to also sin against God, and to also eat of the tree in the midst of the garden of Eden (ref. Genesis 3).
For this transgression, Adam and Eve, and their descendants, were cursed to be mortal, and to have to gather food or hunt for food to eat that food to live.
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Genesis 3:17-19
So, I think, one of the purposes of the third seal is to remind humanity of this curse, and that it is no small matter to transgress a commandment of God.
Besides this curse of having to labour for food and to eat food to live, God also sent Adam and Eve out of Eden, away from the tree of life.
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Genesis 3:22-24
This means, the only way for a human to live forever is to be born again through Jesus Christ, who is the Saviour of the world.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withereth, and the flower fadeth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
1 Peter 1:23-25
This is why Jesus Christ says he is the bread of life.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Revelation 7:16-17
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst… And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:35-40
References:
1. Cait Kelly (3 June 2022), “Why does this iceberg lettuce cost $11.99 and how long will Australia’s high vegetable prices last?”, theguardian.com
2. Natasha May (2 August 2022), “Egg shortage hits Australia as supermarket shelves go empty”, theguardian.com
3. “Droughts across America are forcing farmers to do the unthinkable”, youtube.com/watch?v=AK3XhXLjMlY
4. Tiffany May and Joy Dong (18 August 2022), “Factory Shutdowns, Showers for Pigs: China’s Heat Wave Strains Economy”, nytimes.com
5. Peter Vincent (16 August 2022), “Why Aussies are facing a BREAD shortage: Manufacturer behind Helga’s, Mighty Soft and Wonder White issues warning after near-disaster”, dailymail.co.uk
6. Andrew Atkinson and Celia Bergin (17 August 2022), “UK inflation hits double digits for first time in 40 years”, afr.com
7. Jorge Liboreiro (29 July 2022), “Inflation across the eurozone reaches new all-time high of 8.9%”, euronews.com
8. Ravi Buddhavarapu (21 July 2022), “Inflation in Sri Lanka will hit 70%, says central banker”, cnbc.com
9. Peter Hoskins (13 August 2022), “Argentina rate hiked to 69.5% as inflation hits 20-year high”, bbc.com
10. Nimi Princewill and Stephanie Busari (11 August 2022), “At least 21 protesters killed during anti-government protests in Sierra Leone, sources say”, cnn.com