If you are giving a go at the book of Daniel, here is a tip. The book is not in order for some reason. Here is the right order, in my understanding, based on the timeline mentioned in the book itself.
The order is
King Nebuchadnezzar: Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4.
King Belshazzar: Chapters 7, 8, and 5.
King Darius: Chapters 5:31, 9, and 6.
King Cyrus: Chapters 10, 11, and 12.
Why is this the order?
With regards to King Nebuchadnezzar, the timeline is
straightforward.
Chapter 1:1, In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim
king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and
besieged it.
So, it must be the beginning of his rule over Judah.
Chapter 2:1, And in the second year of the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled,
and his sleep went from him.
That’s for sure the 2nd year. Then, when we continue
reading, it’s all in sequence ending in chapter 4 with words of Nebuchadnezzar
himself professing that the Father is God in Chapter 4:34 and 35.
With regards to King Belshazzar.
Chapter 7:1, In the first year of Belshazzar king of
Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he
wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.
Chapter 8:1, In the third year of the reign of king
Belshazzar, a vision appeared unto me, even unto me, Daniel, after that
which appeared unto me at the first.
Chapter 5:1 Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast to a
thousand of his lords and drank wine before the thousand.
Chapter 5:30, In that night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king
was slain.
As you can see that King Belshazzar ruled in chapters 7 and
8, but he died in chapter 5. This takes us to Darius, who took over the kingdom
in the same chapter.
With regards to King Darius.
Chapter 5:31, And Darius the Mede received the kingdom,
being about threescore and two years old.
Chapter 9:1, In the first year of Darius the son of
Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of
the Chaldeans, 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the
books the number of the years whereof the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the
prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy
years.
Chapter 6, It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a
hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and
over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might
give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage.
As you can see, he received the kingdom in chapter 5, and
then in 9, it says that he was ruling. Without being a king, Darius can not
assign satraps, which he did in chapter 6. Hence, this is the sequence.
With regards to Cyrus.
It's in sequence already. Chapter 10, 11, and 12.
I hope this will help you understand the visions and its
explanation with respect to the events of the kings’ timelines.
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