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 23, 2026

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The first woe has gone away. Behold, two more woes are coming after this. Rev 9:12.

           Rev 8:13 announced that three woes were to fall on those who live on the earth. The fifth trumpet followed. Now in Rev 9:12 we learn that the first woe has “gone away,” it is now past. Since a similar announcement occurs in 11:14, after the sixth trumpet, it seems clear that the three woes of Rev 8:13 are the fifth, sixth and seventh trumpets.
           I received a major reality check about fifteen years ago. I heard a particular preacher for the first time. He had an incredible impact on me. Whenever he spoke, my heart would burn within me. It was as if he could read my soul. But he was neither a prophet nor a mind reader. He made that very, very clear. He was just an ordinary Christian speaking from the heart. And yet his words had prophetic power.
           What was it that made his preaching so powerful? Ninety percent of his illustrations were from his own personal experience. And when he offered illustrations from his own experience, he almost always talked about his failures and not his successes. That led me to think about my own sermons. When I gave illustrations from my own personal experience, I always talked about my successes. I almost never talked about my failures. It was a real reality check. I came to realize that I was using the pulpit to polish my image.
           The church I serve received a major reality check some time ago. We were trying to understand better how to reach the lost. We learned that Hispanic churches in Southern California were doubling in numbers every three years or so. We thought they must be doing something the rest of us weren’t doing. We wanted to apply those strategies to the broader situation in the United States. After investigation, a startling discovery was made. Over a ten-year period not a single third or fourth generation (in America) Hispanic was baptized. Growth was there, but only immigrants and their children were being baptized. It was clear that the success among Hispanics was not transferrable to the mainstream situation in the United States.
           Each part of the Bible is useful for teaching (2 Tim 3:16), but different passages are useful for different circumstances. Passages like the fifth and sixth trumpets are not particularly helpful for comforting the bereaved or encouraging the lonely. But they are quite useful for shaking people out of their complacency. These trumpets provide a reality check. They summon us to face the illusions that relative prosperity can bring. We can all benefit from a reality check.¹

           Lord, I find that I fall so easily into the trap of complacency. Although I prefer for life to be peaceful, I need a serious reality check every so often. When it comes, give me the courage to learn and not to resist.

¹ Based on Keener, 274.