Hello! I am Jon Paulien and I’m glad you came to this page to check out my work. I am a New Testament scholar and Professor of Religion at Loma Linda University. On this website you will find a collection of my articles, commentary on Revelation, and links to my blog, videos, and other resources. Make sure you check the articles link above regularly to see the latest postings. In my hand above is an exact replica of p52, the earliest extant New Testament manuscript fragment, containing portions of John, chapter 18. Centered above my head is a replica of ancient Greek pottery. At either end above are two sets of books from, and about, my favorite spiritual author, Ellen G. White. I hope you enjoy the site.

Daily Devotional For December 14, 2025

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And the city has no need of sun or moon in order that they might give it light, for the glory of God has illuminated it and its lamp is the Lamb. Rev 21:23.

           Where I live in Michigan, “lake effect” tends to produce grey skies as often as not. You see, Lake Michigan is about 500 miles long and more than 50 miles wide. It is large enough to create its own weather! On otherwise sunny days the prevailing wind picks up moisture over the lake and produces a seamless, gray cloud cover over the landscape to the east. I live in that “landscape.” The first winter I spent in southwest Michigan we saw the sun only twelve days from September 1 to April 1. I didn’t say we had twelve sunny days, I said we “saw” the sun (sometimes only for a few minutes) on only twelve days out of more than 200!
           While things have been a bit brighter in recent years (could global warming be a good thing in some places?), the sky is still a lot grayer in this part of the world than many other places. So when the sun breaks out and the sky is bright blue, Michiganders tend to rejoice more than most people would. Light, frankly, is a most glorious substance, especially when you don’t get enough of it. It is no wonder that when the Bible speaks of light in the context of God, it uses the word “glory.”
           The very last reference in the Bible to the glory of God is found in our text for today. The term “glory” has a number of meanings in the Bible. But when we narrow the focus to manifestations of God, glory designates something quite different than “beauty, ornament, pride, or boasting.”
           In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus says, “Thine is the glory” (Matt 6:13). Glory is not an accidental feature of God’s character, but an essential quality. But this glory is much more than just a radiant brightness. In Exod 34:6-7 the glory of God is defined as His character. God is “slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished. . .” The glory of God expresses the fullness of His character, including both justice and mercy. That character was clearly manifest in the words and the actions of Jesus (John 17:1-5).
           In practical terms, the place where we see the glory of God today is in His Word. It is the Bible that opens up the character of God to us in Jesus Christ . We may be distracted with other claims to glory, but the true glory is found in Jesus Christ through His Word. In the Word, God allows us to experience His glory, a foretaste of our experience in the New Jerusalem. There, what we have taken hold of here by faith, will be visible to our sight.

           Lord, I want to know You more and more. Fill my mind and heart with the glory of Your character today.