What does 'a measure of wheat for a penny' mean in Revelation 6?
The phrase depicts famine and runaway inflation under the black horse. A worker must labor from sunup to sundown just to earn enough money to buy bread for the next day. Food production collapses, supplies are rationed, and absolute famine follows because goods are scarce.
Les teaches that the black horse indicates famine, and the statement about a measure of wheat for a penny describes its economic effect. If the great food-producing areas are knocked out, the world's food supply is almost annihilated, leaving the rest of the world with no food and absolute famine. The language boils down to an average field worker having to work a full day, from sunup to sundown, just to earn enough money to buy enough bread to work the next day. This is runaway inflation caused by a shortage of goods and a tremendous decrease in food production. Famine also brings disease, as seen in Africa and Somalia.
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 the wine.