290    The Bible and the Future of the World 

The second Seal and the second horseman is the civil disorder and civil 

violence within  many nations which results, in part, from the war. This 

horse is red representing bloodshed. 

The third Seal and the third horseman is a great famine that will afflict much 

of the world. It will be especially severe in Europe and parts of Africa, but it 

will also affect the U.S. The horse is black, representing privation. The rider 

offers a quart of wheat for a day's wages,  but three quarts of barley for a 

day's wages.  Wheat was much more expensive than barley  in the first 

century A.D. This passage means that the famine will be more severe within 

wealthy developed nations and less severe in poorer agricultural nations 

because the more  expensive wheat is more strictly rationed. The rider says 

 do no harm to oil and wine  because  oil and wine were luxury items. 

During the famine, wealthy nations will have luxury items  such as 

electronics, but they will lack basic necessities, especially food. 

The fourth Seal and the fourth horseman is the death that results from the 

war and the civil unrest and the famine and various other causes. The horse 

is pale like a dead body. 

The time frame for the four horsemen is as follows: 

The first horseman   World War III begins about 2010 or 2011 and extends 

through most or all of the A.D. 2010's 

The second horseman   Civil violence and disorder begins not long after the 

Arab nations have  some success in battle and in capturing territory. Fear 

strikes the western nations and disorder results.  This event begins after 

World War III begins, but it coincides with the general time frame of the 

war and its aftermath. 

The third horseman    The Great Famine begins  in 2013 and reaches its 

height in 2015 and continues unabated until all Christians are united in one 

holy Catholic Church in the early 2020's. Nothing can stop the famine and 

nothing can relieve it until the unification of all Christians in the  Catholic 

Church. Then there will be feasting and rejoicing. 

The fourth horseman   Death from various causes follows closely after the 

first three sets of events.  

These are the first four Seals and the first four horsemen of the Apocalypse.