The book of Zechariah begins with a practical mission: motivating the discouraged people of Jerusalem to finish rebuilding God's temple. Through a series of eight strange and wonderful night visions, God gives Zechariah glimpses of His power to cleanse, restore, and empower His people for the task. The book then shifts dramatically, moving from the present to the distant future. In two sweeping oracles, Zechariah foretells the coming of a humble, donkey-riding king who will be rejected by His own people. He looks ahead to a final, great battle for Jerusalem, culminating in the Day of the Lord, when God himself will intervene to save His people, cleanse them from sin, and establish His reign over all the earth.