Causes of Premature Death

The third horseman of the Apocalypse pictures famine. He rides with “a pair of scales in his hand,” and a voice calls out: “A whole day’s wage for a loaf of bread.” (Revelation 6:6, Weymouth). Ahead of him gallops a horseman picturing war​—war so widespread and prolonged that he is said “to take peace away from the earth.” These horsemen show the close connection between famine and war.​—Revelation 6:3-6.

As to this connection, the book Historical Catastrophes: Famines comments: “Often food production is reduced because of a shortage of manpower . . . The fighting may cause the destruction of valuable crops. Trees and other plants that take many years to replace may be destroyed. Transportation and trade may be disrupted so that one region starves while another nearby region has surpluses of food.” This was the tragic experience of millions during World Wars I and II, as well as between those wars, and it continues to affect millions today.

The two horsemen described above are followed by another named “Death.” He pictures the premature deaths that have struck millions since the critical year 1914. War and “food shortage” top the list of foretold causes. (Revelation 6:7, 8) Wars have claimed over 100,000,000 victims since 1914 and “food shortage” even more. “More people have died of hunger in the past five years than have been killed in all wars, revolutions and murders in the past 150 years,” states the book The Hunger Primer.

[Picture on page 9]

Famine, the third horseman of Revelation, rides today in much of Africa