THIS IS JUST TO COMMUNICATE that I am embarking on writing a commentary on Jesus’ deep and extensive teaching on the Mount of Olives (Matthew chapters 24 and 25, with additional relevant input from Mark chapter 13, Luke chapter 17:20-37 and chapter 21). This is a project I have wanted to tackle for some time, for very special reasons: In the mid-1970s, as an afficionado of mysticism (East and West), theosophy, and Alice Bailey’s teachings on the New Age, I used to visit regularly a labyrinthine bookshop called Willshaw’s (now no longer in existence but similar to the modern Waterstone’s bookshops) in John Dalton Street, Manchester, UK. I spent a lot of time in there, sitting on the floor, sampling books of all kinds, some of which I would buy and walk away with. To this day, I vividly remember the profound experience I had the first time I took a Bible off the shelves of the extensive ‘spiritual’ section and it fortuitously fell open in my hands at the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24. I didn’t even realise it was a Bible at first. I was simply attracted to the artwork on the sleeve cover, which was some kind of iconographic design, such as one finds in the Eastern Orthodox churches. When I read the page on which it had fallen open, this was a watershed moment in my life. Suddenly, as I read, a light went on and something at a very deep level began to make sense. Jesus’ words touched something deep within me, especially the phrase “All these are the beginning of birth-pains” (Matthew 24:8), which I was determined to understand, and which actually gave me goose-bumps. In those moments, I kind of fell in love with Bible prophecy. But it was to be more than a further decade of confusion and exploration before I saw the context of the words in Matthew 24 with the whole gamut of what the Bible teaches from “In the beginning…” to its very last words.

That initial encounter with Jesus’ teaching on the Mount of Olives has led inexorably to the point where I am now, more than fifty years later, where I feel ready to explore if I am of the right calibre to do justice to that extraordinary portion of Scripture.

In a way, this project is in similar territory to the Book of Revelation, in the sense that it is prophecy that has been interpreted in different ways, often outlandishly. With both, the so-called preterists have had a whale of a time trying to claim that the content only refers to what has already happened long ago, and the so-called futurists who have put most of the material into the future in the Endtimes. That has been because they both have an agenda and have to make everything fit into that agenda, come what may.

I can honestly say that my agenda (if I have one) has only one item on it: To get to the truth and heart of the matter and try to get to what is the most likely explanation of each phrase and verse. With some verses that is quite simple to do; with others great patience is needed. I remember when I was writing the Book of Revelation commentary that in some instances I had to spend days or, occasionally, even weeks meditating on a phrase or verse, or even just a word — praying about it, determined to try and get to the kernel, nub, essence and nucleus of it, so that it would be exegesis rather than eisegesis. Some parts of this sermon of Jesus are like that too. It is vital to realise that Jesus inevitably uses “prophetic telescoping” in the way He presents His teaching. Once one realises that, a great many difficulties are cleared up. A couple of verses seem at first to present major difficulties for faithful interpretation. But I will not be deterred. I have no intention of simply presenting the various views which have been expounded before by others and then leaving readers to make up their minds. That seems very insipid and ineffectual to me. Pointless too. I would rather not engage in this project at all than leave readers to decide between ideas of various levels of dubiousness!🙄

In view of the above, and of my overawed sense of responsibility in the matter, this project may take a little while. It could be months. But if I get a fair wind under my wings, and nothing else intervenes, it could be a matter of weeks. On verra. We will see. I have a working title for the book, which will be made available as a free eBook online. “Signs, Tribulation and Preparedness: A Commentary on Jesus’ Teaching on the Mount of Olives”. If at any time during this project I come to realise that I am not really ready for such an undertaking, then I will admit defeat, scrap it as an overzealous idea, lay down my pen and button my 🤐. So your prayers would be appreciated.

Anyway, thank you for being part of my readership. You also give me a sense of responsibility, for I am only too aware of the fact that it is people’s souls which lie at the other end of this line of communication.

Blessings from me…

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© Copyright, Alan Morrison, 2026
[The copyright on my works is merely to protect them from any wanton plagiarism which could result in undesirable changes (as has actually happened!). Readers are free to reproduce my work, so long as it is in the same format and with the exact same content and its origin is acknowledged]

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