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 August 27, 2026

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And I saw, and behold, the Lamb already standing on Mount Zion, and with him are 144,000 having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of massive thunder. And the sound which I heard was like the sound of harpers harping with their harps. Rev 14:1-2.

           The chief characteristics of the 144,000 in this text is that they are a people who are in close contact with Jesus, like a rock star’s retinue. They follow Him wherever He goes and have His name written on their foreheads, which means that they align their characters with the character of Jesus. They seek to become like Him in every way possible.
           I have a friend who accepted a call to teach practical ministry at the Adventist graduate school in the Philippines. No sooner had he arrived in the Philippines, but he began to take long bike rides through the beautiful countryside. The back roads wind through tropical jungles, open grasslands, and small towns.
           Since the weather is almost always pleasant in the Philippines, He constantly sees the hospitable Filipino people hanging around outdoors, ready to greet anything and everyone that passes by. He imagines that he presents quite a sight to the people he is passing by. After all the appearance of a rather tall white American lumbering up the road is an event to be noticed and remarked upon. Almost everyone he meets will yell out one of two phrases: “Hello Joe!” or “Where are you going?”
           The “Hello Joe!” greeting is a holdover from World War II when the GI “Joes” were in abundance in the Philippines. The “Where are you going?” greeting is far harder to respond to because, unlike most Filipinos, Jim is not biking around to go anywhere in particular, he is biking for the exercise and the fresh air. Since he doesn’t have a map of the area, he ends up taking whatever side road comes along in order to see what adventure it might hold. Since he really doesn’t know where he is going he generally responds to the question by shouting, “I don’t know!”
           Do you know where you are going with your life? Or do you think it doesn’t matter where you are going, so just trust God? Yes, we are certainly called upon to trust God at every step, but this does not preclude us from making careful and concrete plans about our future that God can then bless or redirect. Not knowing where you are going on a bike ride is one thing. Leaving life to chance is another.

           Lord, I‘m grateful that You have provided a map for my life in the Bible. Help me to pay it much closer attention, beginning today.