The Seventh Vial: A Novel of the Great Tribulation (The Days of Elijah Book 4) Read online

  The Days of Elijah

  Book Four:

  The Seventh Vial

  Mark Goodwin

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  Technical information in the book is included to convey realism. The author shall not have liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or allegedly caused, directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.

  All of the characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 Goodwin America Corp.

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  DEDICATION

  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

  Revelation 21:9

  To the faithful, the true followers of Messiah who have purposed to keep themselves separate from the wicked Babylonian system which has permeated our culture, our news and information channels, our education system, our music and entertainment, and even our apostate churches. This book is dedicated to the true Church of God—the pure, beautiful, holy, loyal, and wise Bride of Christ.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Special thanks to my beautiful wife and faithful companion. Thank you for your love, encouragement, and support.

  I would like to thank my Editor in Chief Catherine Goodwin, as well as the rest of my fantastic editing team, Ken Elswick, Jeff Markland, Frank Shackleford, Kris Van Wagenen, Sherrill Hesler, Paul Davison, and Claudine Allison.

  CHAPTER 1

  And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

  Luke 21: 29-31

  Thursday afternoon, Everett Carroll kissed his wife on the head and gave her a big hug.

  “What time do you think you’ll be home?” Courtney asked.

  He sighed as if he were already exhausted from the task which had yet to begin. “Late, I’m sure. You know how the members of the Knesset are. I’ve never seen people who like to argue and deliberate as much as them. They’re like addicts to controversy.”

  She looked at her husband with compassionate eyes. “When we came to Batumi three years ago, the two rabbis of the Chief Rabbinate Council were going to run everything like a theocracy. Why did they bring back the Knesset?”

  “I guess Rabbi Weismann and Rabbi Herzog got tired of having only each other to bicker with. The Knesset offers them a pool of twelve additional opponents. It’s like oratory chess to them, and no one seems to enjoy it more than the two rabbis.”

  She walked him to the door of their simple cottage nestled along the river in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. “I know the incessant squabbling won’t make your job any easier tonight, but at least you had the good sense not to throw your hat in the ring to be in the Knesset.”

  “They’d have never elected a gentile.”

  “I’ll have to disagree. It seemed like everyone in the valley was begging me to get you to reconsider after you said you weren’t running.”

  “You never told me that.” He turned as he walked toward the door.

  Courtney smiled like the cat who ate the canary. “I wanted you all to myself. I wasn’t about to twist your arm to run for office.”

  He pressed his lips together with a faint grin. “Still, it would have been nice to know.”

  Ali called out from across the road as he walked down the stairs of his cottage. “Everett, Courtney, how are you?”

  Courtney stepped out onto the small porch and waved to Ali. “We’re great. And you?”

  “Wonderful, thank you very much. It is such pleasant weather we are having.”

  Courtney chuckled as Ali sprinted toward their home. “Early August in the Goshen Valley is pretty nice. Temperatures in the mid-seventies aren’t going to help your case.”

  Ali looked at Everett when he arrived. “Yes, but the members of the Knesset are very wise. I am sure they will make the right decision.”

  Everett’s mouth twisted. “After hours of quarreling, speculation, and contemplation, I agree; they’ll eventually do the right thing.”

  Tobias came out the same door Ali had exited moments earlier. “You guys ready to go?”

  “Depends on how flexible you are with your definition of ready.” Everett gave Courtney one last kiss and descended the stairs of his porch to join Tobias.

  Tobias waved to Courtney. “Gideon and Dinah are just up the road if you need anything at all.”

  “Thanks. Have fun!” Courtney waved back.

  “Fun? Didn’t you tell her what we were doing?” Tobias lowered his brow as he turned to Everett.

  “She knows. She’s just rubbing salt in our wounds.” Everett led the way to the small church on the river, which also served as the public transit stop. Since fuel was scarce, horse-drawn wagons served as the primary source of transportation in and around Batumi, Georgia. A series of such wagons made up the transit system and were funded by a five-percent sales tax on all goods and services.

  They waited in front of the church where Gideon and Dinah had tied the knot two years earlier. Everett patted Tobias on the back. “What ever happened to Maya? I thought for sure you guys were going to get married.”

  “And leave Ali on his own?” Tobias tussled Ali’s dark chin-length hair.

  “We could have gotten him hitched also, if you weren’t always around,” Everett joked.

  “Please.” Ali crossed his arms tightly. “None of these Jewish girls would ever marry an Arab, Christian or not.”

  “Yeah, that’s a little sad.” Everett kicked the gravel beneath his feet. “A couple Arab girls live in Batumi. You go to town often enough.”

  Ali held one finger up. “Paul said the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away. But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife.

  “I spent my whole life not knowing who is Jesus. We have only a few short months until we will see Him face to face. So, I will continue to study and do His will until He returns. I am happy, Everett. I do not feel like something is missing in my life.”

  Tobias nodded and stuck out his thumb toward Ali. “Yeah, what he said.”

  “Well!” Everett held his hands up. “If I ever had any doubt about whether you got a full dose of the Spirit, I guess you just put it to rest.”

  A wagon being pulled by a team of two horses stopped in front of the three men. “Hop on, gentl
emen. Where are you headed.”

  Everett, Ali, and Tobias loaded onto the wagon. “The Knesset,” Everett said.

  They arrived at a Batumi government building less than half an hour later.

  “Thank you for the lift.” Everett waved at the man driving the wagon and led the way to the meeting with the Knesset.

  Rabbi Herzog met Everett at the door. “Mr. Carroll. What a pleasure to see you again.”

  “Likewise, Rabbi.” Everett shook hands with the man. “Is everyone here?”

  “Almost. We have your maps and your whiteboard set up near the front. We have hot tea and cold water for you as well. If there is anything else I can get for you, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  “A speedy approval for all of our recommendations would be great.” Everett made his way to the front of the room.

  “Ah, yes. We shall see.” The rabbi laughed.

  Ali and Tobias sat with Everett at the table which was facing the two rabbis and the twelve members of the Knesset.

  Rabbi Weismann opened with the Shema and a quick prayer asking God and His Messiah to bless the meeting and guide it with His Spirit. He removed the tallit from his head and looked up. “Mr. Carroll, you may begin.”

  Everett stood up. “Thank you, Rabbi. As you all know, we have now been in Batumi, Georgia and the area in the surrounding mountains, which has come to be known as the Goshen Valley, since March three years ago. Or, to be more specific, 1,229 days.”

  Saul Stein, a member of the Knesset held up his hand. Saul was in his mid-fifties, tall, with an athletic build. “Mr. Carroll, we’ve heard your reasoning on this point before. We’ve all read Revelation 12:6. In fact, I’m sure most of us can quote the text. Then the woman, which we all believe to be the nation of Israel, fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”

  Everett cut Saul off. “Then you should know you have exactly 31 days remaining.”

  Saul shook his head. “We didn’t all get here on March 24th. We came in waves. You can’t arbitrarily assign the day of your arrival as the day the clock started counting down the 1260 days. Most of the people in this room believe that HaShem will continue to provide for us here until the return of Messiah.”

  “Then you believe that in spite of what HaShem has written in the Holy Scriptures via His prophet, Daniel.” Everett opened his Bible. “In Chapter 12, Daniel wrote, ‘from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.’

  “Angelo Luz put an end to the daily sacrifice and unveiled the Image in the Holy of Holies on March 22nd. In Matthew 24, Messiah instructed all of Israel to flee to the mountains immediately when that event happened. The fact that many of the Jews chose not to follow that directive in a timely fashion doesn’t change the prophetic timeline.”

  Saul leaned back in his chair. “And what happens on the 1290th day?”

  Rabbi Herzog, who was taking Everett’s presentation much more seriously said, “Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. Why don’t we let Mr. Carroll finish his presentation? I’m sure we’ll have much to discuss afterward.”

  “Thank you, Rabbi.” Everett began writing the coming judgments on the whiteboard, numbering the Vials of God’s Wrath, one through seven. He spoke as he worked the dry-erase marker against the surface of the board. “The Vial Judgements begin with an outbreak of sores. This will only affect the worshipers of Luz.

  “Next, the sea will turn to blood. I believe that includes all the seas and oceans on Earth. The smell isn’t going to be very pleasant for those of you living around here, near the coast.”

  “The Third Vial—the rivers and springs turn to blood. This is really going to be a problem. Maybe we can store water and it won’t turn, but the rivers aren’t going to be available to us as a source of drinking water any longer.

  “Fourth Vial.” Everett wrote out the Roman numeral. “The Earth is scorched with searing heat from the sun. I don’t know whether God will shield us from that plague or not.

  “Fifth Vial—the kingdom of the Beast, or what we know as the Holy Luzian Empire, is plunged into darkness.

  “Sixth, the Euphrates dries up and the kings of the east gather in the Valley of Megiddo for battle.”

  Everett paused from writing to face the Knesset and the rabbis. “But let’s say God gets us through all of that. We still have to survive the Seventh Vial.”

  Everett turned back to the board and continued writing. “The final vial will bring the biggest quake in the history of the Earth. Bigger than the Great Quake. Revelation says every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.”

  He turned back to them. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re surrounded by mountains. If they come down, we’ll be crushed and buried beneath the rubble.”

  Everett continued writing. “Then, hailstones weighing a talent. Can anyone help me out on how much that is?”

  Rabbi Weismann replied, “Depending on whether it is a Babylonian, Egyptian, or a Roman talent, it could be anywhere from sixty to seventy pounds.”

  “A gallon of water weighs just over eight pounds.” Everett drew a large circle on the board. “We’re talking about seven-gallon blocks of ice falling out of the sky. So roughly the size of this space on the whiteboard.”

  Everett put the cap on the pen and turned around. All the Knesset members and the two rabbis had grim looks on their faces.

  Saul Stein crossed his legs, then his arms. “So, what do you propose?”

  CHAPTER 2

  And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

  Revelation 15:5-8

  Everett introduced Ali to the Knesset and handed him the dry-erase marker.

  Ali seemed nervous as he took the spotlight. “Yes, thank you for your attention.” Ali looked at Everett as if he might endow him with the gift of confidence and an inherent knack for public speaking.

  Everett offered a reassuring nod and a few simple words instead. “Go ahead. You’ll do fine.”

  “As Everett mentioned. I am from Turkey. Tarsus to be exact, like Apostle Paul.”

  Saul Stein interrupted. “Except Paul wasn’t an Arab.”

  Everett wasn’t about to let that one slide. “Thanks for pointing that out for us, Saul. I’m sure everyone here is impressed by your astute faculty for observation, and we all owe you a great deal of gratitude for bringing such an insignificant factoid to our attention at the expense of the valuable information Ali was presenting.”

  Saul stood up, knocking his chair back with his legs, and pointing his index finger at Everett. “When you address the Knesset, you would be well advised to do so with the decorum expected by this assembly!”

  Everett stood also. “If your behavior is indicative of the standard protocol, I should be well within the boundaries of Knesset etiquette. I might remind you, Mr. Stein, we are here at the request of the Chief Rabbinate Council. My group intends to act on the information we have put together, regardless of the decision made by this assembly. If you don’t want to listen, I’ll be more than content to shake the dust off my feet and move on.”

  “Enough!” Rabbi Weismann stood up. “Both of you!” The old rabbi scowled at Saul Stein. “Please, Saul, don’t interrupt any of our distinguished guests. If you have questions, hold them until they have finished their presentation.

&nb
sp; “Ali, on behalf of the Council and the Knesset, I apologize for the disruption. It won’t happen again. Please proceed.”

  Ali took a deep breath. “Yes, sir.” He nervously sketched out a rough contour of Turkey. “To north of where I am from is region of Cappadocia. One of big tourist attraction in region is underground city. The region has like two hundred underground city, but only few are open to public. Derinkuyu is bigger one. Derinkuyu can hold twenty thousand people. One other city that is open to public is Kaymakli. It can hold thirty-five hundred.

  “My father took me to Derinkuyu when I was small boy. Originally, the city was build around 900 BC. Derinkuyu have many living space, storage space, stable for animal, larger meeting area, everything guys.

  “Christians expanded the city during Roman persecution. They add many church. City continued to be use during Arab-Byzantine War, and by Christian during Ottoman rule.

  “Ten-kilometer tunnel connect Kaymakli to Derinkuyu.” Ali wrote the names of the underground cities that he could remember, listing the capacity of those he was most familiar with. “Ozkonak is maybe like sixty kilometer from Derinkuyu. It is biggest underground city of all. Ozkonak hold sixty thousand people. Also is Mazi, Tatlarin, Gaziemir, other near Ağırnas. And new one just finded near to Kayseri is maybe bigger than Derinkuyu.

  “Easily can be enough room for everyone in Goshen Valley plus room for dry good and many supply. That is all I have to share. Thank you very much.” Ali held the dry-erase marker out for Tobias.

  Tobias stood and took the marker. “Does anyone have questions about the underground cities before I begin my presentation on the logistical and security aspects of the move?”