Chapter

Hebrew   A. Introduction

     1      1. Judean captives (vv. 1-7)

B           2. Perseverance in food laws (vv. 8-21)

Aramaic  B. First Apocalyptic Section

A    2      1. Nebuchadnezzar's dream

B    3      2. Three friends of Daniel in the Fiery Furnace

C    4      3. Nebuchadnezzar's madness

               NOTE: The 3 chapters above all end with

                     Nebuchadnezzar praising God

C    5      4. Belshazzar and the handwriting on the wall

B    6      5. Daniel in the lions' den

A    7      6. Daniel's dream of four beasts

Hebrew   C. Second Apocalyptic Section

D    8      1. Daniel's vision of the ram and he-goat

A    9      2. The seventy weeks prophecy

D           3. The detailed vision of coming things

    10         a. Daniel's vision of an angel

    11         b. A revelation of coming events

A   12         c. The final things and sealing of prophecy


In the outline above I have tried to show the chiastic nature of
the structure of the book.  The key to the chiastic themes is as
follows:
A - Prophecy of distant event
B - Encouragement to Perseverance
C - Prophecy of immediate event
D - Prophecy of intermediate event