Chronological Order of Events in Book of Daniel

The Book of Daniel, a significant prophetic and historical work, presents a chronological arrangement that is not always strictly linear, particularly in its latter half. The book is divided into two main parts: the first six chapters are primarily historical, while the remaining six are chiefly prophetic ^[2].

The historical section of Daniel covers events during the period of the Babylonian Captivity ^[2]. Daniel himself was taken to Babylon in the third year of Jehoiakim, around 604 BCE, and was of noble or royal descent ^{[3, 4]}. The book begins with an introduction in Hebrew (Daniel 1-2:4a), then switches to Aramaic (Chaldee) from Daniel 2:4b to the end of chapter 7, before returning to Hebrew for the remainder of the book (Daniel 8-12) ^[1].

The narrative in the first part of Daniel generally follows a chronological sequence of events in Daniel's life and the reigns of the kings he served:

Chapter 1 describes Daniel and his companions being brought to Babylon and their resolve to abstain from the king's rich food ^[3].
Chapter 2 recounts Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great image and Daniel's interpretation of it, which foretells the succession of world kingdoms ^[6].
Chapter 3 details the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
Chapter 4 presents Nebuchadnezzar's second dream and Daniel's interpretation, leading to the king's temporary madness and restoration.
Chapter 5 describes Belshazzar's feast, the writing on the wall, and the fall of Babylon.
Chapter 6 narrates Daniel in the lions' den during the reign of Darius the Mede.

While the first six chapters largely maintain a historical sequence, the prophetic visions in the latter part of the book sometimes revisit earlier periods or present visions that chronologically precede events described in earlier chapters. For instance, the vision of the four beasts in Daniel 7, though appearing after the historical accounts of chapters 1-6, returns to a period prior to the transactions recorded in chapter 6 ^[7]. This vision, like Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter 2, outlines the historical unfolding of four great world-kingdoms and their eventual overthrow by God's kingdom ^[6]. The fourth kingdom, often identified with Rome, receives particular emphasis in prophecy due to its significance in the consummation of events ^[10]. Augustine of Hippo noted that Daniel's prophecy of the four beasts signifies four kingdoms, with the fourth being conquered by a king recognized as Antichrist, followed by the eternal kingdom of the Son of Man ^[11].

Daniel's visions continue with specific prophecies:

Chapter 8 describes the vision of the ram and the goat, which concerns the Medo-Persian and Greek empires.
Chapter 9 contains Daniel's prayer and the prophecy of the seventy weeks, which speaks of the coming of the Messiah and the future of Jerusalem ^{[5, 8]}. Daniel observed in scrolls the seventy years of devastation for Jerusalem prophesied by Jeremiah ^[5]. Hippolytus connected the seventy years of desolation to the period of captivity under Nebuchadnezzar, after which the people would return ^[12].
Chapters 10-12 present a detailed prophecy concerning future conflicts and the end times, including the general resurrection ^{[9, 13]}. Daniel is instructed to seal the book until the time of the end, when its contents will be better understood ^{[9, 13]}.

The arrangement of the Book of Daniel, therefore, moves from historical narratives to prophetic visions, with some of the visions providing a broader overview of history that encompasses or re-contextualizes earlier events. This structure allows the book to present both the personal experiences of Daniel during the Captivity and the sweeping scope of God's plan for history ^[2].

Sources

Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Daniel, The Book Of — stands at the head of a series of writings in which the deepest thoughts of the Jewish people found expression after their close of the prophetic era. Daniel is composed partly in the vernacular Aramaic (Chaldee) and partly in the sacred Hebrew. The introduction, Dan. 1-2:4 a, is written in Hebrew. On the occasion of the "Syriac" (i.e. Aramaic) answer of the Chaldeans, the language changes to Aramaic, and this is retained till the close of the seventh chapter (2:4 b-7). The personal introduction of Daniel as the writer of the text, 8:1, is marked”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Daniel, Book of — Is ranked by the Jews in that division of their Bible called the Hagiographa (Heb. Khethubim). (See [144]BIBLE.) It consists of two distinct parts. The first part, consisting of the first six chapters, is chiefly historical; and the second part, consisting of the remaining six chapters, is chiefly prophetical. The historical part of the book treats of the period of the Captivity. Daniel is "the historian of the Captivity, the writer who alone furnishes any series of events for that dark and dismal period during which the harp of Israel hung on the t”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Daniel — (judgment of God). + The second son of David, by Abigail the Carmelitess. (1 Chronicles 3:1) In (2 Samuel 3:3) he is called Chileab. (B.C. about 1051.) + The fourth of 'the greater prophets." Nothing is known of his parentage or family. He appears, however, to have been of royal or noble descent, (Daniel 1:3) and to have possessed considerable personal endowments. (Daniel 1:4) He was taken to Babylon in "the third year of Jehoiakim" (B.C. 604), and trained for the king's service. He was divinely supported in his resolve to abstain from the "king's meat" for f”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Daniel — God is my judge, or judge of God. (1.) David's second son, "born unto him in Hebron, of Abigail the Carmelitess" (1 Chr. 3:1). He is called also Chileab (2 Sam. 3:3). (2.) One of the four great prophets, although he is not once spoken of in the Old Testament as a prophet. His life and prophecies are recorded in the Book of Daniel. He was descended from one of the noble families of Judah (Dan. 1:3), and was probably born in Jerusalem about B.C. 623, during the reign of Josiah. At the first deportation of the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar (the kingdom of Israel had c”
Daniel “Daniel 9:2 (LEB) — in the first year of his kingship I, Daniel, observed in the scrolls the number of the years that it was that were to be fulfilled according to the word of Yahweh to Jeremiah the prophet for the devastation of Jerusalem—seventy years.”
Daniel (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Daniel 2 (introduction): Part First - The Development of the World-Power - Daniel 2-7 This Part contains in six chapters as many reports regarding the successive forms and the natural character of the world-power. It begins (Daniel 2) and ends (Daniel 7) with a revelation from God regarding its historical unfolding in four great world-kingdoms following each other, and their final overthrow by the kingdom of God, which shall continue for ever. Between these chapters (Daniel 2 and 7) there are inserted four events belonging to the times of the first and second world-kingdom,”
Daniel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Daniel 7 (introduction): The prophet having, in the preceding chapters of this book, related some remarkable events concerning himself and his brethren in the captivity, and given proof of his being enabled, by Divine assistance, to interpret the dreams of others, enters now into a detail of his own visions, returning to a period prior to the transactions recorded in the last chapter. The first in order of the prophet's visions is that of the four beasts, which arose out of a very tempestuous ocean, Dan 7:1-9; and of one like the Son of man who annihilated the dominion of the fo”
Daniel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Daniel 9:25: from the going forth of the commandment--namely the command from God, whence originated the command of the Persian king (Ezr 6:14). AUBERLEN remarks, there is but one Apocalypse in each Testament. Its purpose in each is to sum up all the preceding prophecies, previous to the "troublous times" of the Gentiles, in which there was to be no revelation. Daniel sums up all the previous Messianic prophecy, separating into its individual phases what the prophets had seen in one and the same perspective, the temporary deliverance from captivity and the antitypi”
Daniel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Daniel 12 (introduction): The proper conclusion to the great revolutions predicted in this and the following chapters is the general resurrection, of which the beginning of this chapter (to be literally understood) gives some intimation, Dan 12:1-3. Daniel is then commanded to shut up the words and to seal the book to the time of the end, Dan 12:4; and is informed of the three grand symbolical periods of a time, times, and a half, twelve hundred and ninety days and thirteen hundred and thirty-five days, Dan 12:4-12; at the end of the last of which Daniel shall rest and stand in ”
Daniel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Daniel 7:7: As Daniel lived under the kingdom of the first beast, and therefore needed not to describe it, and as the second and third are described fully in the second part of the book, the chief emphasis falls on the fourth. Also prophecy most dwells on the end, which is the consummation of the preceding series of events. It is in the fourth that the world power manifests fully its God-opposing nature. Whereas the three former kingdoms were designated respectively, as a lion, bear, and leopard, no particular beast is specified as the image of the fourth; for Rome”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 23.--WHAT DANIEL PREDICTED REGARDING THE PERSECUTION OF ANTICHRIST, THE JUDGMENT OF GOD, AND THE KINGDOM OF THE SAINTS. (part 1): Daniel prophesies of the last judgment in such a way as to indicate that Antichrist shall first come, and to carry on his description to the eternal reign of the saints. For when in prophetic vision he had seen four beasts, signifying four kingdoms, and the fourth conquered by a certain king, who is recognized as Antichrist, and after this the eternal kingdom of the Son of man, that is to say, of Chris”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — ON JEREMIAH AND EZEKIEL.(2) (part 9): Prince shall be seven weeks," which make forty-nine years. It was in the twenty-first year that Daniel saw these things in Babylon. Hence, the forty-nine years added to the twenty-one, make up the seventy years, of which the blessed Jeremiah spake: "The sanctuary shall be desolate seventy years from the captivity that befell them under Nebuchadnezzar; and after these things the people will return, and sacrifice and offering will be presented, when Christ is their Prince."(2) 14. Now of what Christ does he s”
Daniel (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Daniel 12 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 12 This chapter begins with an account of a time of exceeding great trouble to the people of God, who are comforted with the consideration of Michael the great Prince being on their side, and with a promise of deliverance, with the resurrection of the dead, and the glorious state of wise and good men upon that, Dan 12:1, and Daniel is ordered to shut up and seal the book of the prophecy, until a time when it should be better understood, Dan 12:4, next follows a question put by an angel to Christ, and his answer to it, with respect”

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