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 November 4, 2026

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In her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all who were slaughtered upon the earth.Rev 18:24.

           One day I found myself in court, sitting in the gallery with a church member who had gotten himself in a bit of trouble. We were waiting for his case to come up. In the meantime we were observing a “drunk driving” case playing out in front of us. There were four main players in the scene. There was the judge, a policeman (the accuser in the case), the defendant, and the defendant’s lawyer.
           It seems that the policeman discovered the man, “drunk as a skunk,” pinned behind the wheel of a car and asleep. The front of the car was embedded into the concrete abutment of a bridge. Behind the car, tracks in the snow indicated the car had been driven along the sidewalk for about 40 meters before its impact with the bridge.
           The outcome of the trial seemed obvious. The defendant clearly (as far as I could see) was driving under the influence of alcohol when he wandered through town, barely missing shops and entryways before coming to a jarring stop upon impact with the bridge. The defendant, unable to extricate himself from the car, fell asleep (it was about two o’clock in the morning) behind the wheel. This is where the policeman found him and wrote up his summons.
           The defense lawyer, however, was not intimidated by the apparent facts in the case. Pacing back and forth he argued, to the thinly veiled amusement of the judge, that his client was not the driver of the car, but had wandered upon the scene after the accident. Finding no one in the car, he climbed into the driver’s seat and fell asleep!
           The judge wasted little time on deliberation. He pointed out how difficult it had been for the policeman to extricate the man, proving that he had been in the driver’s seat at the time of impact. He pointed to the tracks in the snow as evidence that the driver was not in normal control of his faculties. He levied a stiff fine and a six month revocation of license as a penalty.
           The defense lawyer then jumped up and cried out, “We appeal the decision!” The judge responded immediately with a time and place for the appeal hearing.
           Although justice was probably already done in this case, a healthy court system includes the concept of a higher court. Injustice at one level can be corrected at another. According to Revelation 18, all earthly tribunals, including the Supreme Court, can be appealed to the higher court of God’s end-time judgment. There God will reverse all the injustices of this life. Saints who have been treated as criminals by earthly courts will then be vindicated.

           Lord, thank You for the assurance that the unfairness of life will be reversed when You finally take full control. Give me the patience to await Your final verdict.