Book of Daniel a summary

Overview

Born during the reign of Jehoiakim.  Jesus refers to his prophecy of ch 9 in Matthew 24.

Ch 1 King Nebuchadnezzar finds Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah 10X better than all his magicians and astrologers.
Ch 2 Daniel tells the king his dream and its interpretation: the current kingdom and those to follow: Babylonian -> Medo-Persian -> Greek -> Roman and until finally at the bottom, the 10 toes which likely represent a still yet-to-be seen 10-part kingdom
Ch 3 Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
Ch 4 The king has a dream of a great tree that represents his kingdom and a watcher from heaven comes down to cut down the tree, yet the stump remains.
Ch 5 The king's son sees a finger writing a message on a wall.  Daniel interprets the writing.  MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN, translated you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.  Darius the Mede soon takes over the Babylonian kingdom.
Ch 6 Daniel in the lion's den.  Daniel's accusers end up being thrown into the lion's den along with their wives and children.
Ch 7 Daniel has a vision of 4 winds, the sea, 4 beasts and saints. Ancient of days. A lion (Nebuchadnezzar), a bear, a leopard, and a dreadful 4th beast with teeth of iron. This 4th beast has 10 horns which are 10 kings that will arise out of this 4th kingdom. Then there is yet another king that comes after the 10 that is diverse from the rest, who will speak great things against God. This king will wear out the saints until a time, times and a dividing of time (see ch 9) which will be 3 ½ years or 1260 days.
Ch 8 Daniel has a vision while at Sushan by the river Ulai, which the angel Gabriel helps him to understand.  A ram w/2 horns (Medo-Persia) and a he-goat (Greece) w/1 horn.  The sanctuary and the host are trodden under foot. The goat overtakes the ram but the goats horn is broken (Alexander the great) and 4 little horns come up in its place.  From history we know the kingdom was given to Alexanders 4 generals. The sacrifices were stopped when Antiochus Ephines sacked the temple in about 168 or 170 BC after making deals with the Hellenistic Jews.
Ch 9 During the reign of Darius.  He was reading the book of Jeremiah and understood the 70 years of desolation and mentions the words of Moses from Deut 29 & 30. Daniel asked the Lord to forgive his people. Then Gabriel touched him and tells him he is greatly beloved. Gabriel tells Daniel of the 70 weeks.  Restore and rebuild Jerusalem to Messiah 69 weeks, After 62 weeks, Messiah is cut off.  The people of the prince that comes will destroy during a war.  The prince confirms the covenant for 1 week, but in the middle, causes the sacrifices to cease. We know from history, the temple was destroyed in 70 AD during the 1st Jewish-Roman war from 66-73 AD. The people and the prince are the Romans. This is also a foreshadowing of a time to come when another antichrist will rise.  Other scriptures that refer to a week being 7 years, or 1 day being one year:  Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6, Leviticus 25:8-17, Nehemiah 6:15, Deut 16:9, Gen 29:18-30, Deut 31:10, Ex 20:8-11, Leviticus 23 & 25:8-17
Ch 10 An angel is sent to help Daniel understand the vision of what will happen to his people in the latter days. The angel mentions the prince of Persia fighting him but Michael one of the chief princes came to help this angel. These princes are not the kings, but are demons working behind the scenes. The vision is yet for many days = wont happen for a long time from then. The angel is to return and fight the prince of Persia and when he is done the prince of Greecia will come.
Ch 11 Under Darius the Mede.  Lots of back-and-forth between the various kings and kingdoms of Persia and Greece. Four kings of Persia rise up with the 4th being the richest and he stirs up all against Grecia.  A mighty king of Grecia stands up, who we know from history to be Alexander the Great.  This king falls and his kingdom is divided among those not of his family, and we know from history the Greek empire was divided among Alexander’s 4 generals. Among these, begins a struggle between the king of the north vs south.  One king rises up among these referred to as a “vile person”, who worships a strange god not of his fathers, causes the sacrifices to cease and makes deals with the “robbers of thy people”. This ruler is likely referring to Antiochus Epiphanes, which you can read plenty of history about. This is also a foreshadowing of the antichrist and how he will come to power in the last days.
Ch 12 A time of trouble and tribulation (see Matt 24, Joel 2).  Two resurrections - one to everlasting life (see Matt 24) and one to shame (see Rev 20 and Job 19:25-27.  Those who are written in the book are delivered. Michael the great prince stands up for believers. Daniel told to seal up the book until the time of the end. Knowledge will be great at this time. Two angels on either side of a river.  One tells the other how long until the end of these things - it shall be a time, times and have a time, or 3 ½ years, which is half of the 70th week period mentioned earlier in ch 9.  The wise shall understand (not all the saved) and none of the wicked. From the time the desolation, there will be 1290 days (last half of 70th week period), but blessed is he that cometh to the 1335 days.  Daniel is to rest and stand in his lot at the end of the days, the same 1335 days just mentioned.  This is a little (53%) past the ½ way point of the 70th week.  We won't know when this time starts however.  The tribulation begins with a battle in heaven between the devil and michael the archangel. Daniel’s 70th week starts with the antichrist confirming the covenant with many for one week.