Bible Discussion Thread

A great FAMINE of food worldwide will exist during the Great Tribulation. The normal food producing cycle of planting, cultivation and harvesting will be totally disrupted because of worldwide wars and fighting. And yet the Word of God says, "Hurt not the oil and the wine.". What does this mean? There are two possible interpretations: (1. the oil and the wine represent the wealth and provisions of the RICH during the Tribulation who will provide for themselves from the dwindling resources of the earth in the Tribulation, or, it represents (2. God's provision of the OIL and WINE of His Holy Spirit to those who call out to Him for MERCY in the midst of the HELL and persecution unfolding all around them during the terrible persecution of the Tribulation. Remember Jesus's parable of the Good Samaritan? What did the Good Samaritan pour into the wounds of the man he found dying on the Jericho Road? OIL and WINE. I believe #2 is the correct interpretation of this passage in Revelation 6.

While both your positions are plausible, I lean more toward 1), there will be many more poor people and widespread economic hardship during the Tribulation period, yet a few rich will be able to enjoy the luxury goods, the wine and oil. The "Penny" in the KJV is the Roman silver denarius, which was a day's wage for a soldier or common laborer, as illustrated in Christ's parable of the laborers in Matthew Ch. 20. This may be describing a scenario where for many an entire day's earnings will purchase only a bare minimum of necessary food. The concentration of excessive wealth in a tiny percentage of the population and the gradual erosion of the middle class that we see today may be the beginning of this. For the first time in several generations, our children will not be as well off as we were.