Willow Journey Willow Creek Community Church

NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT JOY FROM YOU.
There’s a song that says, “If you receive and you believe, testify.” I don’t really like to talk about myself, but I think it’s important to do so when we go through certain things in life and experience certain things, and whenever God’s presence is in someone’s life, it’s encouraging to share with others.
My name is Nives, and I grew up in Croatia. I was born in Yugoslavia, and I was a child from a mixed marriage between a Croatian and a Serb. This didn’t really matter when we had Yugoslavia, but when the civil war in Croatia started in 1991, that seemed to be all that mattered. On top of being from a mixed marriage, I had the last name of a Serbian president so I couldn’t hide. I belonged nowhere on either side. I’m from a town that had a lot of military presence and my town was a border town. Those were the unlucky ones in the war because for four years, there was always some kind of a fighting and shooting and bombing until the war ended in 1995.
The first year was the worst. I never knew when it was going to happen. I could be playing tennis and suddenly there’s an alarm. I’m running home and there are bombs flying, falling down, and planes are above my head. And I’d think, “All right, I’m almost home, maybe I’ll make it, maybe not.” And that’s where faith comes in, when you have no influence, no power, no control. That’s when we can say, “Okay, God, come on, step in. I just can’t do this on my own. If I make it through, if I survive, just show me the way. What’s my purpose? Why am I doing this? Why am I the lucky one? What do I do with this experience? It can’t be for nothing.”


In high school, I was an okay tennis player, and I was invited to play tennis in Germany. I told my parents, “I’m 17. I want to go. I don’t want to be here in the middle of the war. I’m done with this.” I was young and didn’t know how hard it was going to be. That was the first time in my life when I really felt like I couldn’t do this. It was just too hard. I was so attached to my mom. My life goal was to get a job in the same building with her, but it just felt like a wind behind my back. Like, you’ve got to go do this, you’ve got to go do this. Have faith that it’s going to be okay. It wasn’t even so much that I was adventurous or brave. Not at all. It was just how the whole thing happened. Even how they invited me out of nowhere, even though they never saw me play. So I went to Germany, and played one year for them. Then I came home to finish high school and while I was preparing to finish and graduate, I got an offer to come to Chicago and play tennis for DePaul University. I was 18.
I had taken a little English in school, but you can’t compare that to the college level. I didn’t even know what the SAT exam was. I got a book, studied for a month, and took the exam. Now that I have kids living here in the US, I realize what a process it is and how important it is. I didn’t know then, which was a blessing at the time. I passed the exam by five points to get in. But that’s when the real work began for me. I had to play tennis every day, travel to tournaments every weekend, along with studying and going to school as well. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about what I’m capable of doing and also just the culture here. I didn’t know much about America. I did not have an American Dream.
It just happened. When I came here, it was very different from what I was used to, and it took me many years to assimilate. I was very fortunate that I was always around people who were loving and supportive, who didn’t care that my English was broken, that I spoke funny and was missing a lot of words. I was surrounded by student athletes and over time, I got better, and the professors understood and supported me.
But of course there are people who assume that if you don’t speak perfect English, that means that you are not sm

COMMENTARY
Daniel 12 concludes the final vision and brings the book of Daniel to a stunning close. In the first half of the vision, we read about a series of kings who would “arise” to their thrones and oppress the people of God (Daniel 11:2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 16, 20, 21, 31). We were told that each king would meet their just “end” similar to the way previous kings in the book were humbled because of their pride (Daniel 11:27, 35, 40, 45). But somewhat surprisingly, we also read that some people who remained loyal to God would meet a similar fate; they would “fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered” (Daniel 11:33).
The death of God’s faithful in Daniel 11 stands out given that in so many previous stories and visions, God rescued and raised His people to victory. God rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace and raised them to positions of power. God rescued Daniel from the lions and raised him to the second-highest throne in Persia. God rescued the Son of Man and those He represented, giving them a kingdom that would never be destroyed. But now it seems that the furnace has burned God’s followers. It seems that the lions have devoured them. It seems that the enemies of the people of God have caused their demise. So what does it mean for God to be sovereign and just if this is the end for many innocent people who courageously stayed faithful to Him?
Chapter 12 presents the resolution. If God’s justice is to be ultimately realized in the world, the end for the faithful who have died won’t be death but will be one last great work of rescue and raising. Daniel 12:2-3 says, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Here we read the clearest Old Testament reference to bodily resurrection. The promise of the vision is that those who remain loyal to God will be rescued from death and raised to rule and reign with Him, filling the royal role that God gave humans from the very beginning (Genesis 1:26-28). This is what it means to say that the resurrected would “shine” like “stars.” In the Bible, shining stars are symbols of royalty as in Numbers 24:17, which says, “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” To be a star is to have a position of power in God’s kingdom. So as we’ve seen throughout the book of Daniel, tyrants may oppress others in their pursuit of power, but in the end, seats of authority in God’s kingdom are reserved for the humble and faithful.
This is the promise for us today if we stay faithful to God. In a society that is not so different from Babylon, Persia, and Greece, many things may tempt us to ignore, abandon, or even live in direct contradiction to our faith. Our own cultural idols and comforts may draw us away from the justice that God desires for our communities. Like Daniel, we must have the eyes to see these forces for what they are and the courage to resist them no matter the cost. God has in a sense already rescued and raised those of us who have pledged allegiance to Jesus the King. So with the power He’s invested in us, our mission is to join Him in bringing the good news of the kingdom of God on earth.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 12
THE END TIMES
1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

COMMENTARY
Yesterday, we read the introduction to the final vision of Daniel. Today’s reading reveals the message of the vision, which was “written in the book of truth” (Daniel 10:21; 11:2). This message reads like a history book. It recounts the rise and fall of various kings and kingdoms in the ancient Near East. These kings are not referred to by their names but are easily identified by the activities attributed to them. For example, the “mighty king” of Greece whose kingdom is “broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven” is undoubtedly Alexander the Great, the Greek emperor whose kingdom was divided between four generals after his sudden and early death in 323 BC (Daniel 11:3-4). Likewise, the “king of the North” who abolishes daily sacrifices, installs “the abomination that causes desolation” in the temple, and murders those who remain faithful to God is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Greek-Syrian tyrant who terrorized Judeans before his death in 164 BC (Daniel 11:28, 31, 33).
A good study Bible or commentary will help readers make these connections, but you don’t need to know exactly who each king is in this chapter in order to understand the point. Repetitious words and themes drive home the big idea. King after king will “arise” to power (Daniel 11:2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 16, 20, 21, 31). They will do whatever “pleases” them without concern for others (Daniel 11:3, 16, 36). But no matter how invincible they seem, each will meet their own “end” (Daniel 11:27, 35, 40, 45). These repetitions emphasize the fact that human history tends to follow certain patterns. Just as Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius were all humbled in their own ways after they arrogantly afflicted Daniel and his contemporaries, many other violent kings would arise and fall.
For Judeans who faced the prospect of being “burned,” “captured,” or “plundered” by these kings, this survey of history must have served as a source of hope (Daniel 11:33). God saw their suffering, and He would bring down their oppressors at His “appointed time” (Daniel 11:27, 29, 35). This message continues to be “truth” for us today (Daniel 11:2). Those with power might do what pleases them for the time being, but the seemingly unstoppable empires of the world are really just transient to God. He will bring victory to His people, in this life or the next.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 11:2–45
THE KINGS OF THE SOUTH AND THE NORTH
2 “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.
7 “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8 He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10 H

COMMENTARY
Today’s reading includes an extended introduction to the final and longest vision in the book of Daniel. It begins with Daniel seeking a message from God through the practices of prayer, mourning, and fasting. As we’ve seen God do so many times in this book, He responds to Daniel by sending an angelic messenger. But this time, the messenger is delayed by three weeks and for a strange reason. In Daniel 10:12-13, the angel says, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.”
Here, the messenger reveals an important but difficult to understand part of reality. He reveals that beyond the material dimension stands a supernatural realm where spiritual beings fight on behalf of the nations they represent. The idea that spiritual beings represent different nations was common in the ancient Near East and is reflected in other parts of Scripture. For example, Deuteronomy 32:8 (MSG) says, “When the High God gave the nations their stake, gave them their place on Earth, He put each of the peoples within boundaries under the care of divine guardians.” In this circumstance, a spirit fought to delay Daniel’s angel because the message the angel brought was about the impending fall of Persia to the Greeks (Daniel 10:20; 11:2-3).
In our modern culture, we don’t talk much about the spiritual realm. It’s clear though that biblical authors and spiritual leaders like Daniel, Paul, and Jesus often talk about this reality. So how do we live knowing this truth? We do not live by assigning mysterious spiritual causes to every event; the Bible warns us about this. Instead, we live and pray, knowing that not everything is explainable by physical realities that we can see. This should not produce fear in us but confidence in the God we serve and the truth that Jesus has conquered the principalities and powers of the world. God’s ultimate victory and supremacy in all things is already assured.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 10–11:1
DANIEL’S VISION OF A MAN
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.
2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the p

COMMENTARY
Today’s reading continues the occasion of Daniel 9. We’ve seen Daniel praying to God after reflecting on Jeremiah’s prophecy about the seventy years of captivity. Now, Daniel receives a vision from the angel Gabriel, which reveals more about the exile of the people of God. In Daniel 9:24, Gabriel says, “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.” In other words, exile was not entirely over for the people of God. They would return to the land of Judah, but even there, their suffering would continue for “seventy ‘sevens’.”
The phrase “seventy ‘sevens’” has been the subject of endless debate. Most scholars agree that the phrase means seventy “seven-year intervals” or 490 years. They draw this conclusion by comparison with Leviticus 25:8, which talks about how an event known as the Year of Jubilee should occur after seven “seven-year intervals” or 49 years. Beyond that, scholars have offered endless interpretations about when this 490-year period might begin and end. Verses 25-27 complicate things even more. Those verses subdivide the 490 years into periods of 49 years, 434 years, and 7 years. No matter when this 490-year period is thought to begin or end, it is virtually impossible to line up all these time frames with dates of significance in Jewish and Christian history, if that is even the correct understanding in the first place.
Instead of trying to force the numbers to add up, it is probably best to interpret Daniel’s seventy “sevens” as theological math, a common phenomenon in the Bible where the significance of a number is not in its numerical value, but in what it symbolically conveys. A good example of this is in Matthew 18:21-22, which uses the same numbers as Daniel 9. When Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive someone up to seven times, Jesus responds, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22 NLT). The point isn’t that Peter should forgive someone precisely 490 times and that would be enough. Given that the number seven often conveys ideas of completion or perfection in the Bible (and much more the number 490), the point is that Peter should forgive as many times as is necessary. In a similar way, Daniel 9 seems to be expressing that at the complete and perfect time, God would act on behalf of His powerless people. This is certainly how Jesus and the New Testament writers understood the mission of Jesus. As Paul writes in Romans 5:6, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (cf. Mark 1:15; Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:10). So rather than spending our time attempting to calculate exactly when certain events did or may yet take place, we should instead spend our energies creating communities that demonstrate the qualities that God has required of His people since the beginning: justice, righteousness, and self-giving love.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 9:20–27
THE SEVENTY “SEVENS”
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill—21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:
24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
25 “K

COMMENTARY
Daniel 9 contains another vision, but unlike the previous visions, it begins with a reflection on Scripture and a prayer. The historical and biblical background for this occasion is significant. Verses 1-2 tell us that “in the first year of Darius,” Daniel meditated on a message “given to Jeremiah the prophet,” which concerned “seventy years” of desolation for Jerusalem. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet talked about how the people of Judah would be exiled in Babylon as a result of their sins but would return to their land after seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10). Now in 539 BC, nearly seventy years after Daniel’s deportation to Babylon, Daniel is meditating on these passages and wondering if the return to Jerusalem is imminent.
After reflecting on this passage, Daniel turns to God in prayer regarding the things on his mind. The prayer he prays follows a model outlined in 1 Kings 8:46-51. He starts by pleading with God to show love to God’s people. Then, Daniel makes a confession of corporate sin: “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws” (Daniel 9:5).
What’s noteworthy about this prayer is that Daniel admits his own part in the sin of his people even though he has repeatedly been vindicated as innocent by God. In the book of Daniel, there are no accounts of any wrongdoing by Daniel. He has proven to be without corruption as an individual, but he recognizes that he was a participant in a community that was guilty of wrongdoing and sin.
Daniel’s humble posture in prayer should challenge us as Christians in America today. In our individualistic society, we tend to think of sin as the crime of individuals, not communities. When we see evil pervading the walls of governments, workplaces, schools, or churches, we blame others, never ourselves. The truth is, sin can be committed by individuals and by communities, and we can be held at fault for both. It is the action or inaction of individuals that allows corporate sin to continue and systemic wrongs to go on. Thankfully, we have a merciful God who forgives those who confess their complicity and work to bring change.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 9:1–19
DANIEL’S PRAYER
1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our