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 April 3, 2026

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After these things I saw, and behold a door was standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, like a trumpet (cf. Rev 1:10), said to me, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Rev 4:1.

           After writing out the letters to the seven churches, John moves on to describe a scene he is invited to observe in heaven. From here on in the book the primary focus is on things that are future from John’s point of view (perhaps AD 95). Why a book on future events? Because God wants us to know that we can trust Him to get us where we need to go. We don’t need to know everything He knows, as long as we stay close to Him and follow Him.
           In 1992 I had the opportunity to visit Disneyland in Southern California with my extended family. My greatest fear on that occasion was that the group would somehow get split up. I was particularly concerned about my children, for they were 10-, 6- and 4-years old at the time. I explained to the children that if any of them lost track of us, they should “freeze” at that spot and wait for us to come back looking for them. If after an hour or so no one had come back, their backup plan was to go to the entrance of the park and wait there.
           Everything went fine until 9:30 that night. In the confusion right after the electrical parade, we lost our 10-year old girl near the castle at the center of the park. I immediately told everyone else to stay where they were while I went back through the crowd to the place where we stood during the parade. Back and forth I went, calling her name, but no response. Panic began to set in almost immediately. Where could she be? How could I find her in the crowd? When it was clear that she was no longer in that area, I took the group to the Tiki Birds, the next attraction on our agenda, and asked them to wait there while I checked the entrance of the park. In agony I prayed the whole way, with my mind spinning, “What if she’s not there? Then what? Who do I talk to? How will we find her?” I walked down “Main Street” in fear and trembling.
           When I got to the entrance I did not see her. But I noticed a darkened area nearby and decided to see if she was “hiding out” there. I had just started in that direction when a feeble voice squeaked, “Daddy?” My head snapped around to see her on a bench in the dark. With inexplicable joy I hugged her. Not a word of rebuke came out of my mouth.
           She had forgotten the “freeze” part of the instructions and had gone directly to Plan B, causing much anguish for her family. But we rejoiced that everything had worked out in the end. The Book of Revelation was given to us in order to spare us similar anguish. Remembering its instructions will keep us from getting lost as the future unfolds.

           Lord, thank You for giving us clear evidence that You know the future and can safely guide us home. Give us listening ears and understanding hearts.