God gave eight visions to Zechariah to encourage and strengthen His people who were powerless and discouraged. The exiles had few weapons, many enemies, and an enormous task. They were focused on problems and could not see how they would ever rebuild the temple with so many obstacles and problems. But Zechariah's visions pulled back the veil and showed them how God was working to accomplish His purposes. His prophecies gave hope and strength to God's people.