 The sefer describes the eschatological struggle between the Antichrist Armilus, who is the leader of Rome and Christianity, and the Messiah ben Joseph, who fails in battle but paves the way for the Davidic Messiah and the ultimate triumph of righteousness.The original author expected the Messiah would come in the immediate future; subsequent editors substituted later dates.Set after Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem, the book begins with Zerubbabel, whose name was associated with the first restoration, receiving a vision after praying for "knowledge of the form of the eternal house."