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 23, 2026

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And in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man, . . . his face is like the sun shining in its strength. Rev 1:13-16.

           The appearance of Jesus on Patmos was dazzling. At the sight of Him John essentially collapsed from astonishment (Rev 1:17). Jesus wasn’t anything like the ordinary-seeming human being John had known in Galilee. What was the significance of this stunning description?
           In this passage Jesus is as dazzling and impressive as the angel of Daniel 10. But He is even more than that. He also bears the characteristics of God. The hair like wool, the comparison with snow, and the flaming fire are characteristics of the Ancient of Days Himself in Dan 7:9. When He calls Himself the first and the last (1:17-18), there is no question that Jesus comes to John as the God of the Old Testament (Isa 44:6; 48:12). Jesus is truly a “star” in every sense of the word.
           I am reminded of Ben Stein’s last column. He got tired of reporting on Hollywood stars when it seemed there were more important things to be excited about. Here are his own words: “I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But . . . how can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today’s world, if by a “star” we mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines . . . while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails. They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer.
           “A real star . . . is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded . . . . There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament . . . the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central (Los Angeles) and have no idea if they will return alive. The orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery, the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into caring for autistic children, the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards. Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse.
           “Now you have my idea of a real hero. . . . God is real, not a fiction . . . we make ourselves sane when we fire ourselves as the directors of the movie of our lives and turn the power over to Him. I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters. This is my highest and best use as a human.”¹

           Lord, I appoint Jesus as the Director of my life. He is my ultimate action hero.

¹ Email from Dan Millen, October 27, 2004.