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 July 1, 2026

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And I saw another mighty angel coming down out of heaven dressed in a cloud, and there was a rainbow upon his head, his face was like the sun, his feet were like pillars of fire. Rev 10:1.

           For me, Revelation 10 and 11 have been as difficult to understand as any part of Revelation. The seventh trumpet (Rev 11:15-18) is separated from the horrors of the sixth (Rev 9:13-21) by a long interlude. This section is of a different character than the trumpet vision proper. Instead of horrific judgments, natural catastrophies, and the fate of the wicked; there is prophecy, preaching, and the experience of God’s people.
           Is the interlude of Revelation 10-11 connected in some way to the trumpets or do the two visions have nothing to do with each other? We can answer that question with certainty. You may remember that Rev 8:13 described three woes that would be coming in the sounding of the last three trumpets. Then Rev 9:12 (NIV) said, “The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.” So the first woe clearly is the fifth trumpet (Rev 9:1-11) and the second woe clearly begins when the sixth trumpet begins (Rev 9:13). But when does the second woe end?
           “The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon” (Rev 11:14, NIV). The ending of the second woe (the sixth trumpet) does not come in Rev 9:21, it comes in Rev 11:14. That means that Revelation 10 and 11 are not something separate from the sixth trumpet. Revelation 10 and 11 deals with the same events as chapter 9, but from a different perspective. This is also the time of the sealing (Rev 7:1-4) and the gathering for the battle of Armageddon (Rev 16:13-16). The core of the sixth trumpet is just before the close of probation (Rev 10:7).
           You have, perhaps, heard the story of the six blind men who sought to understand what an elephant is like. One of the blind men embraced one of the elephant’s legs and declared that it reminded him of a tree. Another grasped one of the tusks and declared that the elephant was like a spear. The blind man who grabbed the elephant’s trunk thought the creature must be like a giant fire hose. And so it went. What each blind man determined about the elephant depended on which part he had experienced.
           So in the sixth trumpet the same events are described from two different perspectives. Chapter 9 concerns the activities and fate of the wicked toward the End, and Rev 10 and 11 offer a view of the righteous and their experience in the same period. While Satan’s forces are preparing for the final conflict (Revelation 9:13-21), God is preparing a people to counteract that threat (Revelation 10-11:13).

           Lord, help me to clearly discern the difference between Your ways and the actions of the Enemy as we approach the End.