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 5, 2026

View in the Daily Devotional Index

After these things I heard, as it were, the sound of a great crowd of many people in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and righteous because He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her fornications, and avenged the blood of his slaves out of her hand.Rev 19:1-2.

           Hollywood loves a good revenge story, like the Count of Monte Cristo. In that story the Count suffers injustice at the hands of an evil antagonist, but in the end he gets even and comes out on top. Many people must like stories like that, as the movie industry keeps producing them. Revenge stories conclude when the hero rides off into the sunset, having brought justice into an unjust world. It is human nature to want to see the tables turned on those who have taken advantage of others.
           Well that is exactly what the Book of Revelation is all about. Babylon has unjustly judged the people of God (Rev 18:4-8), and at the end of the book she receives the same kind of punishment that she meted out on them. In Revelation the hero doesn’t ride off into the sunset, He rides off to the New Jerusalem, where justice and peace will reign for all eternity.
           But gaining the upper hand on Babylon is not a pretty picture in the Apocalypse. It requires great earthquakes and giant hailstones. There are battles and flaming fire. There is a great sword that comes out of the mouth of the One who died for the human race. He now returns as an avenger against those who refused to repent, but instead have tormented others.
           The greater the strength of evil, the greater the force that will be needed to destroy its power and undo the damage it has caused. I have visited places in Africa and South America where people live in cardboard and tin shacks, where gangs roam and pillage at will. There are places where rebel armies sweep back and forth, destroying the very people they claim to be fighting for.
           I’m not sure what kind of rating Revelation would get if it were a movie, there is certainly plenty of violence and illicit sex in it. The Bible does not mince words when it describes the cesspool of sin that our world has fallen into. God wants us to know just how bad it has been since Satan took over this world. He also wants us to know that He is not going to allow things to go on like this forever. There is an end in sight. Yes, the Book of Revelation is all about turning the tables and evening the score. Soon evil will be banished from the universe. Soon the prayers for justice will all be answered. What a relief!¹

           Lord, thank You for going out of Your way to speak our language so we can know that our troubles will soon be over. Give us courage to endure until that day.

¹ Based on E. Lonnie Melashenko, “Revelation: The Book of the End,” Adventist Review, October 16, 2003, 14-15.