Samuel "Sam" Goldberg is a supporting character in the Left Behind: The Kids series and one of the members of The Young Tribulation Force. He was a neighbor of Tsion Ben-Judah until the latter was exiled from Israel. He is the author of the Petra Diaries and the YTF contact in Israel. Through those diaries, Sam would describe his experiences when he was living in Petra during the second half of the Tribulation and give suggestions to people on how to reconcile with God.
Biography[]
Sam made his first appearance in book 7, as a neighbor of Rabbi Tsion Ben-Judah and his family. Sam, known as Samuel back then, lost his mother when she was raptured. Sam's father was devoted to Nicolae Carpathia. In book 7, Sam and his father helped Tsion's stepchildren, Nina and Dan, and their new friend, Judd Thompson Jr., go through a passageway that connected the Ben-Judah house and Goldberg residence.
In book 8, Sam doesn't make a physical appearance, but Nina mentions that Sam and his father stopped helping Nina and Dan leave the Ben-Judah house after Tsion Ben-Judah's public speeches and Sam's whole neighborhood was under suspicion. Judd invited Nina and Dan to America, but they didn't act quickly enough. While Judd Thompson and Ryan Daley were helping Maxwell Stahley and his family, Sam watched as unnamed hooded thugs dragged Mrs. Ben-Judah, Nina, and Dan out of their house and into their street and demanded to know about Tsion Ben-Judah's location. All three of them refused to tell them and were shot to death with automatic weapons as a result, with Dan notably spitting in the leader's face when he took off his mask for a few seconds. Sam's video camera shot the entire scene. When Sam introduced himself to Judd in book 10, Sam showed Judd the videotape. When Mr. Goldberg entered the house and called for Samuel, Sam gave Judd the videotape as Judd left the Goldberg residence. The tape would later be destroyed as the killers of the Ben-Judah family were brought to justice at the hands of Eli and Moishe. Judd later sees Sam after the Meeting of the Witnesses in book 18. Lionel and Sam met each other for the first time then. Sam became a believer after talking with Lionel over the phone.
After Sam became a believer, Sam tried to get his father to believe too. Mr. Goldberg refused to believe and was killed during the sixth trumpet judgment. Sam was very heartbroken about his father's death during the remainder of the series. Sam developed feelings for Naomi Tiberias, but Naomi did not reciprocate those feelings, instead choosing to be in a romantical relationship with Chang Wong. Sam started his own online diary when he was in Petra called the Petra Diaries. Sam was captured by the Global Community in book 35 along with Mitchell Stein and would have been sent to a Jewish extermination camp because of his ancestry and nationality, in addition to his refusal of Carpathia's mark. An angel helped Sam and Mitchell Stein to escape though. Sam helped Lev Taubman and his mother become believers. Sam would later go on to be one of the 12 Young Tribulation Force members to survive to the Glorious Appearing, and was in Petra when it happened.
Appearances[]
- 7. Busted! (first appearance)
- 10. On the Run
- 18. Darkening Skies (becomes a believer)
- 19. Attack of Apollyon
- 20. A Dangerous Plan
- 21. Secrets of New Babylon
- 22. Escape from New Babylon
- 23. Horsemen of Terror
- 24. Uplink from the Underground
- 25. Death at the Gala
- 26. The Beast Arises
- 30. Murder in the Holy Place
- 31. Escape to Masada (first POV)
- 32. War of the Dragon
- 33. Attack on Petra
- 34. Bounty Hunters
- 35. The Rise of False Messiahs
- 36. Ominous Choices
- 37. Heat Wave
- 38. The Perils of Love
- 39. The Road to War
- 40. Triumphant Return
- Desecration (voice only)
Mentions[]
- 8. Death Strike (Sam was not named)
- 29. Breakout!
Trivia[]
- In the dramatic audio presentation, Sam is played by Garrett Sanford.
- Sam's first appearance is in book 7.
- Sam was a neighbor of Tsion Ben-Judah and his family. In addition, Sam was friends with Tsion's stepchildren, Nina and Dan.
- Sam witnessed and videotaped the deaths of Tsion's family.
- Sam was sick and staying home from school the day Tsion Ben-Judah's family was murdered.
- Sam's videotape served as the catalyst for God to bring justice against the people who killed Tsion's family.
- Other than Judd Thompson Jr., Sam was the only Young Tribulation Force member to have been friends with Tsion Ben-Judah's two stepchildren.
- Sam is one of three YTF members to have seen the face of the man that killed Tsion's family. The other two are Judd Thompson Jr. and Ryan Daley.
- Even though Sam was friends with Nina and Dan, he never mentions them again after Darkening Skies, the 18th book in the Left Behind: The Kids series.
- Sam has the opposite initials as his voice actor, Garrett Sanford.
- Sam shares a similar first name to Sam Sorbo, the actress that played Amanda White Steele in Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist.
- Sam's first name was not revealed until book 10.
- Sam's last name was not revealed until book 18.
- Sam's first POV was in book 31.
- Sam is the last Young Tribulation Force member to have his first POV.
- Sam is one of two Young Tribulation Force members to never set foot in the United States, the other one was Nada Ameer.
- Sam is one of three Young Tribulation Force members to have made their first appearance outside the United States, the other two are Carl Meninger and Nada Ameer.
- Sam is one of five Young Tribulation Force members to have a father that did not become a believer, the other four were Ryan Daley, Melinda Bentley, Tanya Spivey, and Shelly Malloy. Out of those five, Sam, Tanya, and Melinda are the only three whose mother became a believer.
- Sam is one of 12 Young Tribulation Force members to be alive at the Glorious Appearing.
- Sam is the only YTF member to have personally met Chaim Rosenzweig.
- Sam was the first non-original Young Tribulation Force member to appear in the adult Left Behind series.
- Sam is one of five Young Tribulation Force members to appear in the adult Left Behind series, the other four being Lionel Washington, Conrad Graham, Darrion Stahley, and Charlie.
- When Sam shouted at Carpathia, "You'll not leave here alive, pretender!" he is overhead by Cameron Williams in Desecration.
- Sam had unrequited feelings for Tribulation Force member Naomi Tiberias.
- Sam's mother apparently became a believer prior to the Rapture, but it remains unknown how this happened.
- Sam was the only Young Tribulation Force member that personally knew Tsion Ben-Judah prior to the Rapture.