Britt Gillette asked:


This generation will witness the greatest technological breakthrough in human history, the development of molecular manufacturing and personal nanofactories. Molecular manufacturing (MM) refers to a process that builds complicated machines out of precisely designed molecules. This emerging technology will allow us to guide the molecular assembly of objects by mechanically positioning reactive molecules.

This new manufacturing process, sometimes referred to as molecular nanotechnology (MNT), should not be confused with “structural nanotechnology” which refers to the present-day and near-future incorporation of nano-scale elements in modern industrial products. Nano-scale components are already present in many products, such as fabrics, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

But molecular manufacturing harbors far greater abilities. Promising to deliver a monumental impact on human society, molecular manufacturing will provide us the means to manufacture products from the bottom up and enable us to rearrange matter with atomic precision. Once molecular manufacturing is developed, it will provide us with a thorough and inexpensive system for controlling the structure of matter. In a relatively short time period following the development of the first nanofactory, mankind will appear to have complete dominion over the physical universe.

How Molecular Manufacturing Works

The central, but not the only, component necessary to achieve molecular manufacturing is a fabricator, or assembler. A fabricator will be nano-scale device capable of precisely positioning molecules. Using current computer technology, we could then direct fabricators to secure and position compounds at the precise locations where chemical reactions occur. Using this method, a network of fabricators working in tandem (such as a nanofactory) can construct atomically perfect objects of any size by initiating multiple sequences of controlled chemical reactions.

A simplified way to visualize this concept is to think of a fabricator as an atomic magnet able to attract and repel molecules.

How Molecular Manufacturing Might Be Developed

Molecular manufacturing will most likely be developed under the auspices of a massive governmental defense project for a major world power. Likely candidates are the United States, the European Union, Japan, India, Israel, or China – although most nations in the world community have developed limited nanotechnology initiatives. In all likelihood, the events of September 11th provided the necessary incentive for the United States (and other world powers) to undertake organized and concerted efforts to accelerate the development of molecular manufacturing. Given the enormous benefits, as well as the unacceptable national security consequences of losing this new arms race to an unfriendly power, it appears most capable nations have instituted such projects and are fervently racing toward the construction of the world’s first self-contained molecular manufacturing system.

Just as December 7th ushered the world into the Nuclear Age, September 11th will catapult us into the Nanotech Age. This gives ample cause for concern, because this might well lead to the premature development of molecular manufacturing, unleashing enormous power on a world unprepared.

Why Molecular Manufacturing Will Be Developed

National security concerns will constitute the initial driving force to develop molecular manufacturing and reach the assembler breakthrough as soon as possible. As Eric Drexler states in Chapter 11 (“Engines of Destruction”) of Engines of Creation, “a state that makes the assembler breakthrough could rapidly create a decisive military force – if not literally overnight, then at least with unprecedented speed.” Able to replicate swiftly, assemblers can become abundant in a very short period (if the self-replication period for an assembler is 15 minutes, then a single assembler can replicate into two to the ninety-fifth power assemblers in the first 24 hour period). Those assemblers can then be used to create weapons pre-designed in anticipation of the future development of molecular manufacturing, weapons capable of enormous destructive power – weapons that most people would find difficult to imagine. The leading force will hold unprecedented power over the nations of the earth. How it chooses to exercise that power should be humanity’s greatest concern.

In addition to its national security implications, molecular manufacturing promises to change every aspect of human life. Molecular manufacturing will also yield the following:

1) A cleaner environment

2) A reversal in the aging process

3) The eradication of disease

4) The elimination of poverty

5) Safer, inexpensive space travel

6) Acceleration in the development of advanced Artificial Intelligence

These changes will not occur in a vacuum. Literally overnight, the world political, social, and economic order will be thrown into a transition period marked by great upheaval. Dealing with the unintended consequences of molecular manufacturing, creating an immune system to protect ourselves from perceived threats, and establishing an entirely new international order that protects the sovereignty of free states and the liberties of free people will culminate in humanity’s greatest challenge. Many reasons exist to develop molecular manufacturing, but foremost among them is the idea that a totalitarian government could develop it first and decide these great questions for us. Winning this new arms race must be the number one priority of the Western Democracies, because to lose may well mean that free nations cease to exist.

The Dangers of Molecular Manufacturing

We must remain alert and vigilant to a number of potential dangers as we develop molecular manufacturing. One of the more commonly perpetuated concerns is the danger of a massive accident that may reduce the biosphere to “gray goo”. Many within the field of nanotechnology have expressed concern that a lab may accidentally set loose a runaway replicator in the environment. Using the earth’s biomass as a ready-made source of components, such a device could uncontrollably self-replicate across the globe like a mutant form of crabgrass, turning the planet into a sphere of “gray goo”. However, engineering such a replicator (if it’s even possible) will be quite difficult, and it’s highly unlikely to be the result of an accident. Such an accident is more likely to arise from the escape of a replicator consciously built for such a purpose. Such a replicator, in a controlled state, constitutes a new class of weapons of mass destruction. And the construction of such weapons raises speculation of a more serious concern than mere accidents and that is the threat of the deliberate abuse.

The most serious danger to arise from the development of molecular manufacturing will be deliberate abuse, abuse that could spring forth from many areas of society simultaneously. Our initial pressing concern will be the prospect of despotic governments or terrorist organizations possessing an unrestricted molecular manufacturing capability. This will remain a threat, but probably one with which we can deal. Despotic governments, such as communist China or the theocracy of Iran, can be quickly defeated (if we develop molecular manufacturing first) by the Western Democracies without loss of life on either side of the conflict and at little financial cost once molecular manufacturing comes to fruition. Advanced nanotechnologies will also provide us with new tools for tracking and capturing individual terrorists, and the defeat of state sponsors of terror will remove the effective safe havens terrorist groups rely upon for protection.

However, the diminished threat of nano-terrorism should not be confused with the death of terrorism. The conventional terrorist airliner hijackings of the 1970′s and 1980′s were effectively eradicated by the measures western governments adopted to combat them, but in its place, a new form of hijacking emerged – culminating in the attacks of September 11th. We can not afford to be asleep at the wheel when terrorists launch a nanotechnic September 11th. That is why development of an effective immune system to repel perceived threats must be a high priority.

The threat of terrorists and despotic governments wielding nanoweapons is formidable, but must not blind us to a more traditional danger. Our own democratic governments also pose an imminent threat to freedom and liberty. Two specific dangers seem to stand out – the danger of demagogues/mob rule and the danger of the ever-expanding power of federal government.

The development of molecular manufacturing will usher in a period of massive societal change and upheaval. Some people predict the ability of molecular manufacturing to create products absent of human labor will lead to initial unemployment of 40% or more. Such conditions make democracies ripe for the rise of demagogues, and the ability of molecular manufacturing to create a massive welfare state overnight without placing a considerable burden on that state’s resources will aid in that demagoguery. If the Western Democracies become the leading force, we must remain on guard against a modern day incarnation of Huey Long, or even a figure like Adolph Hitler, who may use class warfare to exploit weaknesses in our democratic institutions, chief among them a propensity for mob rule. Today’s nanotechnology advocates may be capable of creating a brilliant framework for an active shield and a new world order, but tomorrow’s politicians will have to implement it. Today’s nanotechnology advocates will most likely not wield this political power, and history does not favor our chances for electing benevolent rulers.

Assuming our leaders are just in their intentions and sincere in their motivations, we must develop a system that keeps in check the ever-expanding power of federal government. The past Century has experienced a trend toward decentralization via the spread of democratic institutions, free trade, outsourcing, the Internet, and any number of innovations. But for America, this Century has also witnessed an increase in federal power. Our tax burden is larger, and entitlement programs that didn’t exist prior to the 1930s threaten to bankrupt the nation. Why has federal power bucked the trend toward decentralization? Is it the result of an increase in wealth? Is it the result of class warfare? Could it be an inherent trait of developing technological societies?

The survival of freedom will depend on our ability to curtail the power of the federal government. In the Nanotech Age, a single terrorist will, in theory, be capable of constructing an overwhelming force and conquering the earth. Such an unprecedented threat to world security will call for unprecedented measures. With the power to regulate molecular manufacturing, a world government will have the ability to spy on every human on earth. The means to monitor every transaction will be available. Already “nano dust” has been created. Once it can be manufactured at low cost, billions of microscopic particles will be capable of listening to every conversation, recording every movement, and reading the correspondence of every human on earth. Once molecular manufacturing is developed, this “smart dust” will become cheap and plentiful. Citizens must then weigh the costs and benefits of instituting a society reminiscent of Orwell’s dystopian 1984 and one that elects for greater privacy, not only for themselves but for terrorists as well. A dire consequence of molecular manufacturing may be that free societies slowly devolve into totalitarian police states in an effort to combat both real and imagined terrorist threats.

This is a serious threat. In the present day, America practices a policy of risk management in regard to terrorism. Although a nuclear attack on New York City would be devastating, it would not signal the end of human life or liberty. However, a terrorist attack utilizing the full capabilities of molecular manufacturing is a different matter. Given its unacceptable consequences, America may see its policy transform from one of risk management to one of risk avoidance. And history illustrates that the only societies capable of combating terrorism with near 100% effectiveness are totalitarian in nature.

Precautions for the Safe Development of Molecular Manufacturing

A number of organizations and individuals are working diligently to insure the safe development of molecular nanotechnology. The Foresight Institute is the most prominent organization actively working toward this goal. Founded by K. Eric Drexler, author of Engines of Creation, the Foresight Institute has published an evolving set of guidelines titled Foresight Guidelines on Molecular Nanotechnology. These guidelines address specific design features as well as principles of development. However, much is left undone.

Nanotechnology advocates have yet to introduce a specific set of policy initiatives to be undertaken following the development of molecular manufacturing. Specific policies must be developed to deal with the implications of molecular manufacturing on the framework of international order and security, the world economic order, and safeguards must be put in place to protect our environment. In the end, no one will realize the benefits of molecular manufacturing if we fail to preserve human life and liberty. We need to start thinking in terms of the present, because I believe September 11th has greatly accelerated the timetable for molecular manufacturing development.

We must ask ourselves the following question: “If America were to develop a molecular manufacturing capability tomorrow, what measures should be taken to establish a new world order that preserves human life and liberty?” Should we allow other nations to develop a molecular manufacturing capability? If so, how do we guard against the possibility of an unstable arms race or destructive war? How do we build a meaningful immune system to guard humanity against existential risk? Dealing with the myriad number of questions raised by the ascendance of molecular manufacturing will constitute humanity’s greatest challenge to date.

The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology is currently engaged in answering many of these policy questions. Distancing itself from many of the broader issues under the umbrella of The Foresight Institute, The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology focuses its efforts on studying, clarifying, and researching the policy issues involved in molecular nanotechnology’s development – political, economic, humanitarian, and security issues. I encourage others to visit and contribute to their site.

In addition, Eric Drexler has provided two starting points for further research and debate. Chapter 12 of his book Engines of Creation, titled “Strategies and Survival,” and part of a 1988 Foresight document titled “A Dialogue on Dangers.” Ultimately, there are no guarantees that the transition from the industrial age to the information age will be safe and comfortable, nor are we guaranteed it’s a transition we will survive. Only our present-day efforts and our efforts following development of molecular manufacturing can insure that this era of the human experience is one to be celebrated.

When This Will Occur

Projections range from 5 years to 100 years, but the most probable projections are 5 to 20 years. Despite the evidence in our daily lives, most people remain unaware of the accelerating rate of technological development taking place in the world. Ray Kurzweil points out that this is due to the intuitive linear view, and that a more apt view of our world incorporates the exponential world view. Due to the Law of Accelerating Returns, molecular manufacturing will be feasible a lot sooner than even most scientists and engineers believe. According to The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology, molecular manufacturing “might be a reality by 2010, likely will by 2015, and almost certainly will by 2020.” The latest news from the UK seems to confirm this assessment.

Caffeinated Content

Suzann Kale asked:


Geeks know how things work. Geeks are our engineers, our computer scientists, our physicists, our chemists – and you, our new do-it-yourself computer heroes.

The Geeks among us never stop learning, even if they teach themselves. And indeed, many sophisticated computer-proficient people are self-taught. They read, they stay up to date on their niches of interest, they’re not afraid to try new approaches to old problems.

And it’s easier than ever now for you, too, to become a Geek. Why not? There’s tech information out there on the web, free, for anyone to read and learn. For instance, many people are forgoing the cost of a website developer and creating their own sites From scratch! Free step-by-step instructions, like the ones at Website – Do It Yourself, W3 Schools, Wikipedia, HTML Goodies, HTML Code Tutorial, and many others, are there for the taking.

And here’s something that goes against stereotype: Geeks are creative. You can become a Geek, use your right-brained artistic functions, and make your website – or whatever technical project you choose – beautiful, functional, helpful, clever, and even lucrative. Geeks are people who know how to build things – from bridges to nanofactories, from super computers to high-tech toys, from a global Internet business to a personal website. Geeks are the new heroes.

An engineer we know got an email from a satisfied client saying, “You’re a genius!” The engineer was happy his client was pleased, but he turned and said, “I’m not really a genius. I solve problems, that’s all.” Anyone who is creative can solve problems. It’s easy being Geek.

To a Geek, few things are impossible. You just have to think, and try, and research, and try again, and mind-map, and see how things connect.

How can you be a Geek?

Have confidence in yourself, and your ability to learn new things. Know that you are creative and can solve problems. Do it – build your own website!Live life with curiosity. That’s a Geek prerequisite.Read a lot. Don’t get left behind. A true Geek is an up-to-the-minute guy or gal.Know in your heart that: well, WE NEED YOU! We want you. The word Geek is a good word. It means competent person who keeps the world running.

Why should you be a Geek?

To be self-reliant. To be a part of the global community. Who knows, if you get good at building websites you could make money at it.

It doesn’t matter if you go to night school after your day job, or if learn new skills from a computer course. If being a hero appeals to you, and you have a curiosity about this physical world, you’ve got the goods!

And – you’ll always be loved!

Caffeinated Content for WordPress

Britt Gillette asked:


According to the bible, in the last days, a unified global government will rule the world. The head of this global government, the Antichrist, is one of the more infamous figures in human history, and not a single individual on the face of the earth will lie outside of his jurisdiction:

“And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.” Revelation 13:7 (NLT)

This global government will emerge in our generation because current technological trends will soon make it inevitable. The catalyst for this consolidation of global political power will be the development of molecular manufacturing (MM), a revolutionary technology of unprecedented capability and strength. It’s a technology that could arrive as soon as tomorrow and almost certainly will arrive within the next decade.

Molecular Manufacturing and Geopolitical Instability

International relations since World War II have largely been shaped by the existence of nuclear weapons. Likewise, the era to come will largely be shaped by the existence of molecular manufacturing. The development of MM will have a much more significant impact than the development of atomic weapons, and the stakes will be much higher. This is because world domination could easily be achieved with the creation of molecular manufacturing.

MM is the ability to manufacture products from the bottom up, one molecule at a time, with atomic precision. The development of MM will lead to the creation of the personal nanofactory, a desktop appliance capable of creating everyday products from basic feedstock (molecules). The consequences of such a technology are so profound, they are probably beyond the ability of a single individual to comprehend.

Since a nanofactory is capable of self-replication, the first could manufacture a duplicate copy of itself. Those two then become four, become eight, and so on. As a result, this compounding capital base could create a massive and decisive military force within days. As Dr. K. Eric Drexler described in his book, Engines of Creation, “a state that makes the assembler breakthrough could rapidly create a decisive military force – if not literally overnight, then at least with unprecedented speed.”

The Circumvention of MAD

Since the Soviet Union emerged as the world’s second nuclear power in 1949, international stability has been built on the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). The prospect of MAD has successfully prevented the eruption of World War III by making a potential military conflict between nuclear powers equally undesirable to each party involved. This has led many to believe that victory in such a conflict is unattainable. With current technology, this assumption is probably correct. However, once molecular manufacturing emerges, this will no longer be true. A MM-enabled power could easily circumvent MAD.

A nation in possession of nanofactories is capable of rapidly manufacturing and deploying billions of microscopic/macroscopic machines at relatively little cost. These machines could comb the oceans for enemy submarines and quickly disable the nuclear arsenals they carry. Similar acts of sabotage could be carried out simultaneously against land-based nuclear facilities and conventional military forces in a matter of hours, if not minutes. Rendering its enemies utterly defenseless, the MM-enabled nation could conquer at will without fear of nuclear retaliation.

The Race Toward Molecular Manufacturing

The development of molecular manufacturing opens the door for its initial user to completely dominate world affairs. A nation equipped with contemporary technology attempting to defend itself against a MM-enabled nation is akin to a small band of cavemen armed with rocks and spears attempting to overpower a modern day army.Given the stakes involved, it’s reasonable to believe multiple nations are currently in pursuit of a molecular manufacturing capability – just as Germany, Japan, and the United States covertly and simultaneously pursued the creation of an atomic bomb.

If Germany had been the first to succeed in the development of atomic weaponry, it’s almost certain that Hitler would’ve used this advantage to drive the Allied Forces from the European Continent, perhaps totally defeating the United States in the process. In contrast, the United States, as the world’s first nuclear power, could’ve used its position to prevent rival nations from acquiring the same capability. In fact, the United States could’ve used its position to create an impregnable world empire.

In similar fashion, the leading MM-enabled nation can create its own empire if it uses its initial advantage to prevent competing nation states from developing a molecular manufacturing capability of their own. However, in all probability, this is not just one of several options, but the only option. Unlike, the nuclear era, the prospect of MM proliferation is simply intolerable.

This is because of the inherent instability of an arms race between competing MM-enabled nation states. This nightmarish prospect is identified by The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology as one of the foremost dangers posed by molecular manufacturing:

“The nuclear arms race was stable for several reasons. In virtually every way, the nano-arms race will be the opposite. Nuclear weapons are hard to design, hard to build, require easily monitored testing, do indiscriminate and lasting damage, do not rapidly become obsolete, have almost no peaceful use, and are universally abhorred. Nano capability will be easy to build (given a nanofactory), will allow easily concealable testing, will be relatively easy to control and deactivate, would become obsolete very rapidly, almost every design is dual-use, and peaceful and non-lethal (police) use will be common. Nukes are easier to stockpile than to use; nano weapons are the opposite.”

CRN also agrees that a molecular manufacturing monopoly will be an attractive policy option for the nation that first develops molecular manufacturing:

“Each nation will see only a few possibilities: 1) an arms race that will probably be unwinnable since it will develop into a disastrous war; 2) developing ahead of everyone else and establishing dominance; 3) some other nation developing earlier and establishing dominance; 4) international cooperation and trust sufficient to ensure safety; 5) a multinational organization willing and able to keep the peace.”

“Option 1 is undesirable; Option 3 is probably unthinkable for any of the current large powers; Option 5 is probably unacceptable to the U.S., as the world’s sole superpower; Option 4 may be seen as unfeasible. Only one nation can succeed at Option 2. This implies that a preemptive strike option (whether military attack, or sabotage or derailment of nanotech development efforts) will appear very attractive to a number of powerful nations.”

If Option 4 were feasible, then we would have world peace now. Option 5 is only feasible if the multinational organization in question is given sufficient authority and military power to disarm and regulate the nations of the world. By definition, this would be a global government.

So, essentially, once molecular manufacturing is developed, the developing nation has two options:

1) Conquer competing nations so as to prevent them from constructing a rival MM capability.

2) Given the available options, it should come as no surprise that world domination will win out.

The Inevitability of Global Government

Once the leading MM-enabled power uses its advantage to destroy the potential molecular manufacturing capability of suspected rivals, it will then face a much tougher decision: how to go about governing the world. The leading nation will need to institute some form of a global regulatory body to insure that molecular manufacturing does not fall into the wrong hands. Only two choices seem viable:

1) Federalism – a centralized governing authority that oversees the entire world population.

2) Confederation – a loosely associated collection of states who work together to administer world government.

Option 2 would still require a leading authority to maintain a monopoly on molecular manufacturing and extinguish any attempts to create a rival power – whether that power be a nation, a group, or an individual. As a result, both options inevitably lead to a centralized global government – a global government that must maintain constant vigilance toward the possible threat of an emerging power. This constant vigilance will require continuous global surveillance.

A Surveillance Society

Imagine a scenario in which a single individual in possession of unrestricted technology and resources could conquer the entire world. This will be our world in the era of molecular manufacturing. With such high stakes and an almost infinite number of potential threats, the world population will require some means of defense. And that defense will require around-the-clock, ever-present surveillance of the world at large.

A system of safeguards will have to be constructed in order to prevent emerging nation states, terrorist groups, and individuals from breaching the peace. A single global government will go a long way toward eliminating military conflict, as there will be only one military power with a unified purpose. However, in the era of molecular manufacturing, competing militaries could rise quickly, and to prevent a loss of its governing monopoly, a global government will have to deploy unprecedented measures.

This surveillance could be “god-like” in scope – seeing everything, hearing everything, and knowing everything. Imagine “nanodust” – nanoscale cameras and listening devices as plentiful and as difficult to remove as common, everyday dust. MM will enable the construction of trillions of these sophisticated devices at negligible cost.

Outfitted with advanced artificial intelligence software, these devices could sift through continuous video and audio feeds, searching for predetermined patterns indicative of what the state believes to be “aberrant” behavior. This isn’t difficult to imagine. Similar pattern recognition technologies are already in widespread use. MM can simply extend these applications to encompass all speech and actions on the face of the earth.

With the need for constant vigilance against any potential emerging MM powers, global surveillance will have to be administered on some sort global level, meaning that a final global authority for resolving and enforcing international disputes must emerge. This is why global government is inevitable.

Why All This Is Relevant

Okay, so global government is imminent and inevitable. What’s the big deal, you ask? The reason this is such a big deal is revealed in the bible. Centuries ago, the bible predicted that a global government would arise in the last days, just prior to . And this global government will only appear on the world scene in parallel with the Antichrist, so we can’t speculate that it will exist for an undetermined time period before he appears:

“His ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power; they will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. They will all agree to give their power and authority to him.” Revelation 17:12-13 (NLT)

Global government comes about as a direct result of ten kings freely providing their power and authority to a centralized global government. The establishment of this global government, and the rise of the Antichrist to administer it, is a monumental sign which heralds the soon return of Jesus Christ to establish His Kingdom on Earth.

The apostle Paul cited the appearance of the Antichrist as a necessary precondition for the “day of the Lord”:

“Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed – the one who brings destruction.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 (NLT)

Conclusion

Although the “day of the Lord” (i.e., the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ) will not occur until the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) is revealed, the same is not true for the rapture of the church, an imminent event which can occur at any moment. The short timeframe for the development of molecular manufacturing and the inevitable global government that will follow it reveal that the “day of the Lord” is close at hand.

Since the bible reveals that the rapture of the church will occur at least seven years before the glorious appearing, we can be certain that the rapture is even closer. In fact, just like molecular manufacturing, the rapture is imminent. Therefore, as good servants of Jesus Christ, we should be ever watchful, faithfully tending to our duties here on earth. For our Lord will return at a moment when He’s least expected, and that moment will occur in our generation.

May He find us abundant with joy and overflowing with the Holy Spirit when He returns.

Caffeinated Content

Britt Gillette asked:

This article continues our study of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. In Parts 1 and 2, we examined the riders of the white horse and the red horse respectively. We will now study the one who follows them, the rider on the black horse.

This third horse appears in verses 5 and 6:

“When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, ‘Come!’ And I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And a voice from among the four living beings said, ‘A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley for a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.’” Revelation 6:5-6 (NLT)

What does the symbolic language of this verse tell us about the rider on the black horse? We can identify several points:

1) He rides a black horse. The color black is a symbol of famine.

2) He holds a pair of scales in his hand. The rider (the Antichrist) will be in full control of the world. The scales in his hand indicate a need for him to carefully measure and ration the food supply. We know this because the next verse indicates a scarcity of food.

3) “A loaf of wheat bread or 3 loaves of barley for a day’s pay”. Three loaves of barley equal approximately one pint. This is generally regarded as a minimum sustenance diet. Therefore, this verse foreshadows a time when an entire day’s wage will barely yield enough food to survive.

4) “Don’t waste the olive oil and wine”. “Olive oil and wine” symbolize luxury items that were exclusive domains of the rich during the time the Book of Revelation was written. From this verse, we learn that the famine referenced in the preceding sentence does not affect the wealthy.

(more…)