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 January 16, 2026

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I, John, your brother and companion in the affliction and kingdom and patient endurance which is in Jesus, came to be on the island which is called Patmos, on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Rev 1:9.

           I was born on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, when it was poor. I grew up in a nearby suburb and attended church in Manhattan. If you can drive in New York City, you can drive anywhere, I always thought. I found it rather amusing to have people visit from other parts of the country and be frozen in horror as I drove them at breakneck pace, weaving in and out of traffic. I was sure that my driving abilities were superior to anyone who had learned how to drive in less interesting parts of the world.
           But as I grew older God provided me with opportunities to travel and find out that my confidence as a driver was based on fairly limited experience. While the drivers in New York City are fast and often reckless, they don’t hold a candle to those of Paris or Rome. And for sheer recklessness, no one can compare with the cab drivers of Caracas, Venezuela!
           But for me the most challenging places to drive in are the British countries of the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Not only do they drive on the left there, the driver sits in the right-hand seat and shifts gears with the left hand! And imagine figuring out how to drive on the left and then discovering the marvelous British legacy known as the roundabout. Instead of having everyone stop at an intersection, in British countries the cars enter rapidly into a free for all merry go round which sucks you in and then spits you out somewhere else, sometimes in the right direction! While I thought driving in these places was great fun, I made plenty of foolish moves along the way, humbling my New York confidence.
           When John received the vision on Patmos, he was not in his usual environment. He was far away from the comfortable routines of his past. And the changes in his life included experiences he called “affliction.” But as difficult as life on Patmos was for him, he knew that God had brought him there.
           When life is routine it is easy to feel as if we are in control, as if we can handle whatever may come. It is easy to lose our sense of need for God. So sometimes God moves us away from our usual round of activities and puts us in places where we have to depend more fully on Him. As we approach the end of time, followers of God will find themselves placed in new and challenging circumstances. As a result they will come to rely on God more consistently and completely than ever before.

           Lord, help me to remember you in the prosperous and easy times. Bring me experiences that will prepare me for whatever may come, yet keep me humble in my need for You.