God’s Grand Finale and the End of the Age

By Gary D. Longbrake

Through the ages many kings and prophets have desired to see the things we see and they did not see them, we are the chosen generation. Many prophecies of scripture are being fulfilled before our eyes and there are many more that are about to come. The rebirth of the state of Israel and the return of the Jews to the Holy Land is prophesied more than any other event in scripture, it is a sign of the times. Theodor Herzl is considered to be the father of the modern state of Israel. In his book, “The Jewish State,” published 1896, it is said that as a child he saw King-Messiah in a dream, who said to him; “Go, declare to the Jews that I shall come soon and perform great wonders and great deeds for My people and for the whole world.” Theodor’s prophetic dream comes to life in the Biblical prophecies presented in this book. There is seen in the prophets a great and awesome SHOW of God’s mighty power that shall take place in the last days. It is a show of God’s power that is greater than anything He has done before, it is God’s Grand Finale! End Time events and the return of Christ will soon follow.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973618980

Gary D. Longbrake

Gary D. Longbrake has been a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ since 1982. He has pursued the heart of God in scripture through much meditation and prayer and it is reflected in the pages of this book. He has been called a walking Bible due to his knowledge of scripture, but it is his communion with the Holy Spirit whom Jesus said, “Will guide you into all truth, teach you all things, and tell you things to come,” that has given birth to the revelations you are about to read. If there be any blessing, any learning, any understanding or wisdom that comes as a result of reading this book the author desires that you give all glory and honor to God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

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Copyright © 2019 Gary D. Longbrake.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-1899-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1900-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1898-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018901621

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/20/2019

Table of Contents

Introduction

Preface

Chapter 1   The Voice of Prophecy

Chapter 2   The Last Day

Chapter 3   The Messianic Cycle

Chapter 4   God’s Blessing to the Nations

Chapter 5   The Judgment of the Gods

Chapter 6   The Plundering

Chapter 7   The Day of the Lord upon the Nations

Chapter 8   God’s Grand Finale

Chapter 9   The End of the Age

Appendix

INTRODUCTION

Although this book is about the end of the age, it also takes a peek through a window at the age about to begin; great things are happening as we transition from one age to the next. As the transition begins, God wants us to know what is happening and the wisdom in His plan; He said, Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times (Isa. 33:6). Knowing God’s plan as it is revealed in the prophets imparts spiritual wisdom and will keep His people stable in a time of upheaval among the nations.

We know through His Word what is happening in the spirit realm; in the world not seen. The birthing of a new age is coming, and we are seeing the birth pangs of it in our world. To this end, He informs us of these things, that we may not be shaken by all we see taking place in our world today. The apostle Paul said, While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). Heavenly things are not seen with the natural eye but through the eye of faith: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).

The most important subject the Bible addresses is eternal life. It speaks of a life in a realm not seen with the natural eye, but it is a life that is without end. Eternal life was at the forefront of my mind when I read the Bible for the first time. If we all must die and be buried, it does not make sense to leave any stone unturned in our search for what happens after we die. We know beyond all shadow of doubt that this natural life has to end, but yet that is not the end of us, we merely transition from the natural realm to the supernatural realm.

The Bible has the most intelligent and reasonable explanation; it teaches that we have three dimensions, we are spirit, soul, and body (1 Thess. 5:23). It teaches that our bodies will die but our spirit will live on. Notice in Genesis, when God spoke to Abraham about his death, He mentions two destinations: Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age (Gen. 15:15). After death, his body was buried, but his spirit went to be with his fathers in the unseen realm. This would refer to Sheol, the Old Testament Hebrew word that means the abode of the dead. Sheol is the equivalent to the New Testament Greek word Hades, which means the unseen world.

The Lord gives us a story that is a window to see beyond the grave, a window where we can view the abode of the departed, where Abraham had been gathered to his fathers. Only through the divine Words of God are we permitted to view this unseen world where the dearly departed had gone in those days. Jesus tells us this story in Luke 16 which I believe is an actual conversation that took place in the unseen realm and He reveals some very interesting facts.

There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’" (Luke 16:19-31)

Notice that Lazarus died but his spirit was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried, but his spirit was in torment in Hades. When Lazarus’s spirit arrived in the unseen abode of the departed, he was gathered to his fathers, he was comforted in what the Lord called, Abraham’s bosom. I don’t know how people could read these words of God that give us eyes to see what happens after death and not be moved to do something about where they will go after they die. The Bible says: It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment (Heb. 9:27). After this life, there is more. The rich man was not concerned about his life, until he was in torment without access to water to cool his tongue. Realizing it was too late for him, he became very concerned about his five brothers, who he knew were on the same path that brought him to that place of torment.

Our bodies will die and be buried, but our spirits have a destiny in the unseen world. We should take note that this testimony comes to us from the One who said, I am the way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). Only Jesus has the words of eternal life, and He speaks the truth about what happens after we die. He said, It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63). He demonstrated the power of His Words when He raised a different Lazarus from the dead by crying with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! (John 11: 43). Later, He was raised from the dead as well to confirm the truth and the power of life in His Word.

God prepared a natural body for Christ to come into this world, so He could give us the words of eternal life. He came in the power of an endless life to impart that life to us: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus, the Word of God, was with God when the world began. (John 1:1-5,14) He came to us from the spirit realm which we cannot see with the natural eye, but He came to give us eyes to see a world that is not visible, which is more real than the world we can see. The world that is not seen is supernatural and eternal while the world that is seen is only natural and is passing away. The new body that God has promised us is supernatural and eternal, while the body we now have is natural and is passing away. As it is written: All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever (1 Pet. 1:24-25).

Some may say they don’t believe in God because they can’t see Him, but unbelief cannot change the truth. If one stands on the edge of a great cliff and declares he does not believe in gravity because he cannot see it, his belief cannot save him after he takes that first step. What he believes is irrelevant; the truth takes authority over his belief. Once he passes the point of no return, it is too late for the fool to change his mind about what he believes, though he may earnestly desire to.

That is the place the rich man found himself in, and at that point, he thought about his five brothers and sought to warn them of that place. But it was beyond his power to help them. We now have Moses, the prophets, and the words of Christ, who was raised from the dead, and they tell us the truth. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Because this book is addressing the end of this age, it is very important that we understand to some degree certain spiritual matters. Death is not the end but the beginning of everlasting life. The spiritual life is not first; the natural life is, then comes the spiritual, supernatural, and eternal life. Being familiar with these things, we know we do not need a body to live forever because we are spirit beings like God, who made us in His image. Our bodies are just our house, our dwelling place in the natural world, until the time of our departure.

After Jesus’s resurrection, the apostle Paul said that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). The body is condemned to death because of sin, but when we accept His Word we are alive forevermore because of Christ. When those who have been born again, born of the Spirit of God, die the natural death, they leave the body and go to heaven, where those who have predeceased them gather to greet them. It is a time of great joy!

But for now, we have a great task. As we consider the many things God has revealed to us through His Word concerning the end of this age, we must not see an end coming but a new beginning. We must not see darkness and gloom but joy and gladness for what is about to come. Remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength; the more joy we have, the more strength we have to stand and not be shaken. Without an understanding of eternal life, we would see only a dark world with no hope.

The wickedness of humanity is becoming great; Christians will be persecuted more and more, but we have been called to rejoice and be strong. We are coming to the pinnacle of evil in this world, but we should be of good cheer; all the evil we see is about to pass away. God has given us the Holy Spirit to comfort us in our time of trouble, but as the persecution increases, angels will also minister to God’s people to encourage and strengthen them.

I will share an experience a friend and I had concerning angelic visitations but not so I can appear better than anyone else; it is so those who don’t know anything about spiritual things can become familiar with how God works. This book will address supernatural and spiritual things, so I want to familiarize you with some of these things first. To those who say, I don’t believe in spiritual or supernatural things, I say that what you believe can be changed in an instant by a single encounter with God, so don’t believe your unbelief. You can see things with your eyes that your mind cannot believe. Remember, unbelief cannot change the truth. Jesus said, You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).

My journey with God has been spiritual and supernatural. Jesus said, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things (John 14:26). I don’t know if you have ever experienced Him teaching you as this scripture says, but I believe I have experienced His teaching many times, and it is awesome! I have to share this with you because that is why He does these things, so we can all learn.

I was first acquainted with the teaching of the Holy Spirit in this manner. I once heard a speaker at a certain church many years ago speaking on the coming of the Lord and some of the signs of His coming. When the service was over, as I got up to leave, I heard these words, That day shall come as a thief in the night. I knew these words were scripture, and I believed the Holy Spirit was speaking them to me, but they didn’t seem to agree with what I had just learned. However, the words were so clear that they stopped me in my tracks; I thought about what I had just heard—Yeah, how could the speaker be telling us things to come if that day will come as a thief in the night? But I realized she had given us many scriptures in line with what she had said, so I dismissed it as nothing.

But the Lord was about to deal with His servant in a supernatural way. In those days, I was working at a truck repair shop in Oakland, California. During my morning break, I would open my little New Testament to wherever it happened to fall and begin to read. That day, I happened to open it to 1 Thessalonians 5:1. The first thing I read was:

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, Peace and safety! then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

The first sentence had my full attention, and when I read the last sentence, a great light went on inside me. I could not contain myself. I busted out in laughter, and those nearby asked, What’s going on? I told them the Lord had just spoken to me through the Bible, and it was awesome! Then I realized the Lord had spoken those words to me the night before to get my attention. God’s people are not in darkness, so that day will not overtake us like a thief in the night. I understood what that scripture said; He didn’t need to show me anything else.

But He wasn’t through. At lunch, I opened my Bible as at first and began to read Hebrews chapter 10 when I came across these words.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24–25)

By that time, I was in the clouds! The glow of His blessed Holy Spirit was upon me, and I was experiencing times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord. I was high without drugs; I was filled with joy without possessions! In His presence, there truly is fullness of joy! Nothing on earth can compare to what God has in store for those who love Him.

I was in great expectation as to what the Lord would do next. During my afternoon break, I opened my Bible by chance to Revelation chapter 3 and read these words,

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. (Revelation 3:2–3)

If He had not spoken those words to me the night before, this would not have made such a great impact on me. I’ll never forget the way He taught me these things. From that day on, I have not believed that the Lord would come out of nowhere like a thief in the night. He was teaching us that if we watch, we would see the day approaching, but that if we did not watch, that day would come as a thief in the night. This was also how the Lord confirmed the call He had on my life. I always studied with this intent, that we might see and know how close we are to the Lord’s coming. I have been watching and recording what I have seen in scripture and in our world, and now it is time to share it.

Another thing the Lord supernaturally showed me was visitations from angels who are telling us the time is short. Sending angels is a wonderful way God has chosen to show His people things in the past and He is still showing His people things in this manner. This story is true and correct to the best of my knowledge; I will not keep silent about it but will speak of the wonderful works of the Lord. Knowing our Lord has given us signs, I thought it seemed good to write an orderly account as an eyewitness of what I have seen and heard. I believe angelic visitations will greatly increase as the time of the end approaches.

It was after an ordinary Sunday service with a good message from the pastor. I was waiting in the car for the kids (I have four) to come out from children’s church when as they were climbing into the minivan, they began to shout, Gabriel’s lips are wet! Gabriel’s lips are wet, Dad! I asked, What in the world are you talking about? They told me the story they had heard from their children’s pastor. It sounded as if God had done something supernatural; I knew I would not have any rest until I heard the complete story from the children’s pastor. I went back into church and asked her what had happened. Apparently, she had a good friend who was a Christian and a trustworthy person who had experienced a very strange phenomenon.

It took place in Los Angeles right after the Northridge earthquake in 1994. Freeways had collapsed, and many people had died in the earthquake. The fires that ensued created a feeling of emergency the day following the quake. In such a setting, this friend of the children’s pastor was driving down a freeway in the LA area after the quake, and she picked up a hitchhiker. She explained later that she did not know why she had picked up this hitchhiker because she never picks up hitchhikers. But she picked him up and was driving along when the guy said, The Bible said this would happen in the last days. There would be earthquakes in different places. This is a sign of the times. She was puzzled why he had said that. Then he said, Gabriel’s lips are wet! and he vanished right before her eyes.

It so traumatized her that she began to get sick. She couldn’t believe her eyes. People don’t vanish before your eyes, she thought. She pulled over to the side of the freeway, got out, and threw up. Just then a police officer pulled up and asked her if she was okay. She told him she was; she also said something very strange had just happened to her.

He asked, What?

She said, You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.

He said, Miss, I’ve already heard some strange things today, so try me.

She told him the whole story all the way up to where he pulled up to her car.

Miss, you’re the fifth person who has told me a similar story today.

It must have been quite an experience for that officer to hear so many testimonies of what the Bible says about earthquakes being a sign of the times and then have it confirmed with a supernatural sign. I believe this hitchhiker was an angel sent to give us a supernatural sign that the Lord’s coming is at hand. A short time for the Lord may be many years for us. Angels announced that Christ was born in Bethlehem, but it was thirty years later that He came.

The scriptures say, Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels (Hebrews 13:2). She might have thought of this scripture when she saw the stranger hitchhiking, but rather than entertaining that angel, he entertained her.

The earthquake was a sign of our times just as the Bible says, and then the angel vanished to demonstrate that this was not a casual conversation but a visitation to emphasize that the Word of God is true. So many earthquakes are occurring all over the world—an unparalleled number in history.

The pastor told me her friend had been in California for only a short time and then had gone back to Oklahoma, so she was not readily available for an interview. However, I knew the Lord our God does things like this, so I wanted to get as much of the story as I could down, but her testimony was all I had.

But again, the Lord wasn’t finished yet. Not long after that, I was at work one day when I overheard my foreman telling a customer a similar story; he said, She doesn’t pick up hitchhikers, nor is she a religious person. He was getting to the part about the man vanishing and how she pulled over and got sick.

He said, Then a police officer pulled over and asked her if she was all right. And she said, ‘Yes, but something weird just happened.’ And again, the officer asked, ‘What?’ And this woman also said, ‘You won’t believe me if I tell you.’ And he said, ‘Try me. I’ve heard some strange things today.’ So she told the officer her story, and he said, ‘Miss, you’re the seventh person to tell me a story like that today.’

Mike! I said to my foreman. I heard a very similar story, and the officer said she was the fifth person!

That set my foreman off; he said, No way! You gotta be kidding me!

I said, No! I tell you the truth! I told him as much of the story as I could remember. He wanted to get the two women together and compare stories, but I said that this other woman was in Oklahoma. The person he had heard his story from was a close friend of his wife’s. We tried for a while to get the two stories from each source but were not successful. To the best of my knowledge, this happened just the way it is told here.

Our Lord does not want us to be ignorant concerning His coming, which will be soon. The message I get from the Lord is that Gabriel’s lips are wet—he’s about to blow the trumpet for the resurrection! Trumpeters always lick their lips to make blowing the trumpet easier. Gabriel is about to blow the trumpet for the resurrection, praise God! This is a sign that the resurrection is very near. Has God not sent angels to His people in times past to prepare them as a great event was approaching? He sent angels to shepherds out in the fields to announce that Christ had been born. They are messengers from heaven to inform and warn us of what is to come.

In the days of Moses, the Lord had the trumpets sound loud and long to announce that He was about to speak.

Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. (Ex. 19:16)

That was God’s trumpet! And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice (Ex. 19:19). The trumpet was used to announce when God was going to speak. In heaven, trumpets are sounded to announce when God is going to speak. The trumpet is also used to announce things that are about to come.

Paul told us by revelation of the Holy Spirit that the trumpet would sound when the time for the resurrection has come: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel [Gabriel], and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise (1 Thess. 4:15–16). Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised (1 Cor. 15:51–52).

An angel has been sent to tell us that the time is short. Gabriel’s lips are wet; he is about to blow the trumpet of God loud and long for the resurrection! The carnal bodies of the saints will be raised at the resurrection. When the flesh dies, it decays and returns to the dust from which it came. For dust it is, and to dust it will return. But when it is raised, it is raised an incorruptible and supernatural body. It is sown in the earth as a mortal body, but it is raised an immortal body. Then the born-again spirit will reunite forever with the new immortal body God has promised. How exciting that will be!

We must not be afraid of what is to come. We must be strong and courageous because the Lord our God is with us. Go and tell your friends and neighbors of the wonderful things the Lord has made known to us. For it is written,

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. (Ps. 145:4–6 NIV)

When the Lord performed this sign—two similar stories of events that took place more than four hundred miles away—came together, I considered that a sign and a wonder. The story itself is a sign that makes us wonder, but I believe it is not a coincidence but a confirmation. It is not the only time the Lord has done something like this to confirm His plan for my life. I have always believed that God would put me in the right place at the right time to fulfill His plan, but it is another level when you actually see it happen.

One divine encounter after another has confirmed what I believe God has called me to do. I see and observe things of a supernatural nature so I may proclaim them. But who will believe our report? And to whom will the arm of the Lord be revealed?

What you will read in these pages has come together over the span of about thirty years. It is not meant to be my work or content but what has come to us by revelation of the Holy Spirit. If we look at it as the work of a human being, we will miss what God is saying. I call Him the coauthor of this book because I know more than anyone else that I can of myself do nothing. It is only in times of prayer, meditation, and worship that revelations of these things come to me, and I write them down. This book is going to be good news concerning the end times—not darkness, gloominess, and horror. The Lord has great things in store for His people, and He wants them to know what they are. He has not given us a