The Third Seal is Opened

Rev 6:5-6

Rev 6:5) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6) 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. (The Spirit of Greed and Selfishness)

When the third seal is opened, it releases the black horse as an economic horse, perhaps the one that is now controlling our Federal Reserve system. As the wealthy become possessed by the desire for more money, the middle class weakens and a two class system develops. Jesus spoke much about money, especially the dangers of it.  "It is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle", "You cannot serve both God and Mammon", etc. With the advent of Christ, the drive of those serving money to achieve even more, became stronger.

By the Old Testament writings, it appears the population was relatively diverse.  There were rich and poor, but there were also those of mediocre status. Also in Old Testament times, bartering was common as was helping your neighbors. A poor man could sell himself as an indentured servant, and after serving his contract, would leave with enough to get a new start on life. Jacob indentured himself for a wife, and ended up working 3 terms for two wives and his own herd of sheep.

During the past two thousand years since the first seal is opened, most nations have developed into a two class system, the rich and the poor. We do not see in America the trend of most countries, however those with money in America are becoming more and more arrogant and stuck to themselves and their own wants, while the middle and lower class jobs are being shipped off to the nation with the cheapest labor force, and the middle class is melting away into a two party system just like the rest of the world. Remember the Titanic? Two classes, the rich and the steerage, and when the ship sank, most of the steerage got locked up in the lower quarters of the ship, while most of the rich boarded life boats. If money is the tool of the devil, it sure shined it's ugly face there, where money proves of more worth than human life.

What the verse explains is that for most of the people, a days wages for a loaf of bread, while the wealthy, (the oil & wine), will not be hurt or effected by the separation of the classes. The rich maintain their status, while the rest will struggle. This again has been true for most of the world during the last 2,000 years.  America is the exception to the rule, and we do not see it as clearly as the rest of the world experiences it, but even America is heading down that same economic trail.

When the third seal is broken, the devil hits full force with wants, and the desire for money and self indulgence becomes much stronger.