Russia Halts Grain Exports

Vladimir Putin, Official Photograph

Russia announced today that it is going to temporarily halt exports of grain:

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told a government meeting on Thursday that a temporary ban on grain exports was needed, with a spokesman later saying this would come into force from August 15 and would apply to contracts that had been already signed. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6742QQ20100805)

This is significant for several reasons.

The first is that this move helped push wheat prices to a new high. And as I reported earlier this week, wheat prices have already risen 50% since late June 2010 (see Wheat Prices Up 50%). Food shortages can lead to massive, massive inflation. So much so, the Bible seems to warn of a time that even gold will be worthless as it cannot be eaten (cf. Ezekiel 7:19).

The second is that this is in response to a drought in Russia, which I warned about last month (Drought: Less Wheat in Russia, Europe, Australia, China, and Argentina).

The third is that Russia will, according to the above report, not honor contracts that had been already signed. Countries value food and their own self-interest. And Russia is not unique in this area, two years ago some Asian nations did the same thing related to rice. And even some American stores restricted rice purchases then (see Rice and the Beginning of Sorrows).

The fourth is that this should warn Americans that once there are food shortages here that they will likely NOT be able to count on getting massive imports of food. Jesus clearly warned of coming famines, and those prior to the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:7-8,21).

And fifth, many have overlooked how dangerous the debt of the Anglo-descended nations really is. In times of food shortages, inflated currencies buy little, if any, imported food. Almost by definition, high debt means an inflated money supply. If the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and/or New Zealand are hit with significant weather, pestilences, or other massive issues with their own food supplies, they will be subject to starvation. And while we are not there yet, we possibly could be in a year or so.

Russia’s stopping of grain exports should be a wake-up call for those who do not believe that things can change dramatically for the worse.

In addition to individual repentance, the presiding evangelist of the Living Church of God (LCG), R.C. Meredith of the Living Church of God publicly has taught:

Put aside some food and store some water…Bad times are coming, have some supplies (Meredith RC. Prophecy Overview. Sermon, July 19, 2008).

Get extra food, dried food, and water…When these things happen, maybe God’s people can survive longer…It’s good to be prudent (Meredith RC. Do you actually live by faith? Sermon, April 25, 2009).

Tougher times are coming.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?