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 June 20, 2026

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And the locusts were like horses prepared for war in appearance, and on their heads was something like golden crowns, and their faces were like the faces of men. Their hair was like the hair of women, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And their breastplates were like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. Rev 9:7-9.

           Careful study has unearthed no clear goal or theological purpose in this passage. It is as if one image is piled onto another for the simple purpose of heightening the terror of the overall picture. What, then, is the point? What spiritual lesson can we learn from horrific images like the above? What role can disasters possibly play in our daily walk with Him?
           If nothing else, disasters turn our minds back to God and His Word. As human beings, you and I have been designed by God. The Bible, therefore, is like a software manual. It tells us where we came from, how we were made, how we function the best. The best software manual, of course, is written by the one who designed the software. That’s why the Bible is so important for us. The One Who created us knows what we are like and how we should live.
           Sin is like a “glitch” in the software of our minds and bodies. When your computer’s operating system develops a glitch you call Microsoft and say, “Look, I’m having trouble with Windows.” Wouldn’t it be comforting to hear the following: “I’m sorry to hear that, this is Bill Gates, how can I help you?” As the chairman of Microsoft and one of the inventors of computer operating systems, he would be in a good position to make sure your problem gets solved!
           Now that is very unlikely to happen. Mr. Gates is far too busy to answer computer help lines. But the analogy I have offered may help us understand the value of Scripture. As with software, many hands were involved in creating the Bible, but God was personally involved in every part. When we study the Bible and pray, we are in direct touch with the Designer.
           The judgments of God, in a very down-to-earth way, are attention-getters. They are not vindictive, they are wake-up calls to realign our software to the way it was originally designed. The decision of how we relate to Jesus and His software manual is the most important decision we will ever face. We were designed by God and we function best in relationship to God. The worst possible disaster, therefore, would be to turn our face away from God and try to do things our own way. The trumpets are about the lesser disasters that turn our hearts away from the worst disaster.

           Lord, I thank You for Your presence as we study the challenging images of the seven trumpets. I pray that I might clearly understand the consequences of falling away from Your purpose for my life. I choose to give renewed attention to the Software Manual.