Exiled to Babylon in 605 b.c., Daniel was one of several young men chosen to serve in Nebuchadnezzar's court. When Persia conquered Babylon in 539, Daniel was again given a position of power. He remained faithful to God in both of these hostile environments. From the interpretation of dreams, to the familiar stories of the fiery furnace, the lions' den, and the handwriting on the wall, to the prophetic visions, the recurrent theme is God's sovereignty over human affairs. In the historical sections (chs. 1-6) God supernaturally rescued Daniel and his friends. The rest of the book consists of visions of future judgment and deliverance by the Messiah. Some of Daniel's prophetic themes are echoed in the New Testament, especially in Revelation.

This is by far the most controversal aspect to the book.  Skeptics and crtics will not allow for a 6th BC authorship because of the accuracy of the prophecies of Daniel 7,8, and 11. Any time you see reference to Daniel being written in the 2nd BC, namely 165 BC, understand that is coming from a critic who rejects the possibility of predictive prophecy.

A. Nebuchadnezzar's 1st Dream (Ch 2) 

B. Fiery Trial (Ch 3) 

C. Nebuchandezzar's 2nd Dream (Ch 4) 

D. Fall of Babylon (Ch 5) 

E. Daniel in the Lions' Den (Ch 6) 

F. Vision of the 4 Beasts (Ch 7) 

A. Vision of Ram & He-Goat (Ch 8) 

B. 70 Weeks Prophecy (Ch 9) 

C. The Glorius One (Ch 10) 

D. Israel's Future (Ch 11-12)

626 BC - Rebelled against the Assyrian Empire 

612 BC - Overthrew Ninevah (Assyrian capitol) 

605 BC - Battle of Carchemish (Egyptians defeated) 

605 BC - 1st Siege (Daniel's deportated) 

601 BC - King Johoiakim rejects Jeremiah’s warning 

597 BC - 2nd Siege (Jerusalem captured) 

587 BC - 3rd Siege (Jerusalem & Temple destroyed) 

539 BC - Fall of Babylon