Why a focus on cold climate agriculture?

Maine, The land of the Frozen Chosen, is my home and agriculture is a passion of mine. I am a full time fish farmer and part time vegetable farmer selling produce at a farmer’s market during the summer. Besides my own challenges of farming in the cold climate of Maine, I believe that many farmers will be increasingly challenged with colder temperatures in years to come. Chapter 6 of the book of Revelation with the opening of the third seal, which has been interpreted as a period of time in which a day’s ration of food (wheat and Barley) costs a day’s wage, is something that everyone in the United States should be concerned about as we are one of the largest producers of grain in the world. What could cause a dramatic reduction in supply of grains or a significant increase in the cost of grains? Although a number of conditions could cause food to become expensive, two possibilities strike me as being the most likely; one is that of skyrocketing oil prices from peak oil or war in the middle east and the second is global cooling from decreased solar activity, volcanic activity blocking out the sun, and possibly even nuclear winter. Current price hikes we are seeing in food is directly related to the higher energy prices which then as a result increases the cost of fertilizer, farming, harvesting, processing, and transport of food.

Certainly higher energy costs are coming and it will have major impacts on the cost of food, but not enough to cause food to be a day’s wage or to cause a famine that kills a quarter of the earth’s population. However if oil and gas supplies were suddenly unavailable for a good part of a year, major economic collapse and famine would result. Global warming could not cause such a rise in food prices as changes would be slow and people would have time to adapt. Although global warming could decrease yields in some areas from increased heat and drought, other areas would see more favorable conditions for farming. Global cooling, on the other hand, is not very easy to adapt to and historically has been associated with previous famines and higher grain prices over the past several hundreds of years. Given the extent to which our food supply is dependent on corn, a warm weather crop, a sudden decrease in global temperatures with late spring/early summer frosts and earlier fall snows could be devastating. Such temperature drops have occurred before due to volcanic eruptions and has resulted in entire regions experiencing summers with killing frosts. Such an event in the 1800’s caused significant emigration out of New England. When such sudden cooling occurs after a period marked by unusually warmer temperatures, the result can be even more devastating as the oceans will still be warmer and cranking out moisture to collide with cold polar air to yield heavy snow falls in winter and record breaking rains in the summer.

Although higher oil prices will contribute to food prices going higher, my bet is on global cooling causing a crisis in world food production. Other than just relying on historical records showing major climate changing volcanoes erupting every 200 years or so, or the recent decline in sunspot activity over the past couple of year that rivals the time era in the 1400s known as the little ice age, I also rely on the Bible. In Red are a few verses that jumped out at me:

“Immediately after the distress of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken: “(Mathew24:29). Note that verses 30-31 then describes the rapture. Also note that in preceding verses Jesus speaks of war, pestilence, and famine.

“I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.” (Revelation 6:12-14). Note that in Revelation 7:9-14 then describes the rapture. Comment: Every mountain and Island being moved from its place! Could it be that this is a description of the tectonic plates shifting? Such an event would certainly cause much volcanic activity, cause steam to rise into the air where magma contacts water, and cause phenomenon like the sky rolling up like a scroll as the rising heat and moisture clashes with cold air above. Volcanic chunks of magma flying thru the air would certainly look like stars falling from the sky. Torrential rain and hail would also result.

“In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare at that time that there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble, and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones, and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.” Ezekiel 38:19-22. Note that the earthquake is felt globally and that it is not just the troops amassed against Israel that is struck, but also Gog and the many nations with him. In theory this would put the Battle of Gog and Magog at the opening of the sixth seal in Revelation.

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?” (Job 38:22-23). Sounds as if God has a whole bunch of snow and hail saved up for a time of trouble. End time trouble?

The take home that I want you to get is that although we miss the great tribulation, I believe we don’t miss all of the distress of the end times and that the period of distress we as Christians could experience may be measured in years. We may be around for the opening of the first six seals and experience famine, war, and pestilence that kills a quarter of the earth’s population before the return of Christ and the great tribulation. Furthermore, such a period is likely to be marked by high energy prices, high food prices, and an overall cooler climate that the world is not prepared to handle. Such a period is also a great opportunity for winning souls. When easy times are gone, people have a tendency to look back towards God for hope and help. It may be that having such a period of global distress with Christians still present will result in leading many unbelievers to salvation, getting the fence sitters to put both legs over, and to prepare for the largest possible harvest at the rapture.