1. The prophecies fulfilled (2-4)

God's prophecies about Persia and Greece were so accurate that it seemed as if it were written after the incidents. As God foretold, the fourth king of Persia was mighty and tried to invade Greece. But a mighty king, Alexander the Great of Greece defeated Persia. He tried to do as he pleased, but he died at the peak of his power. None of his descendants became king. Instead his four generals divided his empire. God is in control over kingdoms and kings as the sovereign Lord. His will prevail, and not the great kings.

2. The king of the South and the North (5-27)

Here the detailed prophecies about the two powerful kings of the South and of the North, Egypt and Syria reveal the characters of the earthly kingdoms of the past and the present: The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, sit at the same table. They lie to each other, deceive, betray, attack and retaliate to achieve their selfish desires, but to no avail, because an end will still come at God's appointed time.