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 August 5, 2026

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And the serpent spewed water like a flooding river out of its mouth as it pursued the woman, in order that he might cause her to be swept away by the flood. And the earth helped the woman. It opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. Rev 12:15-16.

           The story of the woman of Revelation 12 would have been familiar to many readers in the ancient Roman world. The ancient Greek writer Homer told the story of Leto, the bride of Zeus, king of all the Greek gods. Hera, queen of the Greek gods, was jealous and angry when she heard that Leto was soon to bear twins to Zeus. In her anger, Hera forbade all the lands of the earth to give shelter to Leto, so Leto, heavy with twins, was forced to wander from place to place with nowhere to rest.
           Python, a huge dragon that spat black venom, was warned that Leto’s son would one day destroy him. So Python chased after Leto, as she wandered the earth, in the hopes of destroying her before the fateful child was born. Poseidon intervened, raising the island of Delos from the sea. Delos floated on top of the ocean, with only a single palm tree as its vegetation. Since Delos was free from the land, it was also free from Hera’s bidding, so Leto was able to rest in the shade of the palm tree. When the dragon came seeking her there, Poseidon submerged the island temporarily to hide her from Python.
           After Python left Delos, Hera was angry that Leto had found shelter. She ordered that Illithyia, the goddess of childbirth, remain in Olympus and not allow Leto’s twins to be born. As a result Leto suffered horribly in labor for nine days until Hera relented. First born was Artemis, goddess of Asia Minor, next came Apollo. Zeus blessed the twins with strong bows and magical arrows. Apollo came to the slopes of Mount Parnassus and slew Python with a thousand golden arrows.
           In the first century, coins reveal that some emperors linked themselves with Apollo. In Asia Minor Roman propaganda equated Leto with the goddess Roma. She became the mother goddess and the Roman emperor was her child, the savior of the world.
           In the vision of Revelation, Jesus is the one who slays the dragon and its related beasts. In the person of Herod, the dragon of Rome sought to destroy Jesus at His birth. Jesus’ escape from Herod was a foretaste of His deliverance of the woman in this text and of the remnant in the text that follows. The vision takes over one of the great myths of the time to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus to all other claims to divinity.

           Lord, help me not to be distracted by modern claims to greatness and stardom. You are the true source of meaning for my life.