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 April 5, 2026

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Immediately I became in the Spirit, and behold a throne was there in heaven, and there was One sitting on the throne. The One sitting there was like in appearance as a jasper and sardius stone. A rainbow, like an emerald in appearance, was all around the throne. Rev 4:2-3.

           What kind of scene are we looking at here? Is it a general description of the heavenly throne room or a specific point in time? From careful study it seems clear to me that chapter 4 is not describing a specific event, but is rather a general description of the throne room in heaven and what goes on in it on a regular basis.
           In our text, for example, it doesn’t say that the throne was being set up, it simply says that “a throne was there in heaven.” When John comes on the scene, the throne is already there. There is nothing new taking place, what is new is that John is observing the scene. This scene looks a lot like the one in Daniel 7, but there is a difference. In Daniel 7 thrones “were being set up” (Dan 7:9). There is a specific event in view. This is not the case in Revelation 4.
           The general nature of this scene is even more obvious in Rev 4:9. There it tells us that “Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. . .” The Greek grammar behind “Whenever the living creatures. . . the twenty-four elders fall down. . .” is a description of repetitive action, it is something that happens over and over again, it is not a specific time or event in either earth or heaven.
           I think this is a fun observation. We can, if we will, train ourselves to be much more observant of the Scriptures so that insights like this start popping up everywhere. It reminds me of a photography class I took. The first assignment was to photograph “trees”–single trees, multiple trees, a forest, branches, twigs, flowers on the trees. The teacher said, “Shoot a roll of film that features only trees in all types of places and circumstances.”
           At first this seemed like an impossible task. But after a while I started looking at my world in ways I had never looked at it before. I found driftwood on the beach, stands of pines, trees that were losing their leaves, trees in color, branches on the ground, etc. The point of the project was to teach me how to observe my environment and notice things I had failed to see before. Careful study of the Bible has the same effect. We become more and more aware of God’s will and His ways, and our lives are never the same.

           Lord, give me new eyes, that I may see Your Word in ways I have never seen It before, ways that mirror what You see.