“And when He opened the “THIRD SEAL”I heard the “Third Beast” say, Come. And I beheld, and lo a BLACK HORSE: and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 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 wine.

When the “THIRD SEAL” was broken John heard the third or “Man-like Living Creature” say – “Come, and a “BLACK HORSE” appeared and went forth, whose rider held in his hand a pair of balances” and John heard the voice of an invisible person in the midst of the “Four Living Craeture” say – “A measure of
wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and see that thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” The “BLACK HORSE” sign famine, and the Rider the conserver of Food.” When all able bodied men
are drafted for war, and no one left to sow and harvest the crops, then famine is sure to follow. So great
will be the famine, that it will take a “denarius’ a day’s wages, to buy 2 pints of wheat,” the daily ration of a slave. What is meant by not hurting the oiland wine may be, that as the Olive tree and grapevine do not bear their fruit until some months after the wheat and barley harvest, and grow without much attention, their crops would not be so much affected by war, and therefore the Olive tree and grapevines were
not to be ruthlessly destroyed by invaders for they were reeded for medicinal purposes.