The book of Daniel provides an overview of world events from the days of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon all the way to Christ's crucifixion, resurrection and subsequent millennial reign.
Daniel forms the framework for the book of Revelation and for the understanding of biblical prophecy.
Daniel's 70 "sevens" prophecy encompasses the chronological framework for the history of the Jews from now until eternity. Again, the book of Revelation fits into this framework.
It's really impossible to understand what's going on in Revelation without understanding the book of Daniel.
Daniel's generalized overview occurs in Daniel chapter 9. Daniel was reading the book of Jeremiah when he realized that the 70 years of Jewish Babylonian captivity was coming to an end. Daniel wondered what would happen next--exactly what many Christians today are also wondering about our own times.
Understanding these prophecies can help us understand what God has revealed to us about His plan for the End of the Age. Along with asking God to tell him what came next for Israel, Daniel spent time in prayer, confessing the sins of Israel and pleading God's forgiveness for those sins.
Daniel's overview begins with Nebuchadnezzar's dream-vision in Daniel 2.