At sunset on Sunday, January 18th on the Gregorian calendar we enter the time of Rosh Chodesh Shevat 2026, or the month of Shevat in the year of 5786 on the Hebraic calendar.
As soon as two witnesses spot that first sliver of the new moon, the new month of Shevat will begin. This first day of Shevat will last through sunset on Monday, January 19th on the Gregorian calendar. Shevat is the eleventh religious month, and the fifth civil month of the Hebraic calendar.
Rosh Chodesh Shevat 2026!
PONDERING THE MEANING OF SHEVAT 2026
For many, Shevat is a wonderful month. Some of us will feel like we are just waking up from a long winter nap. This month is known for being a time of walking into God’s rich provision. Historically, this was the month before Moses died. He realized his death was coming. Moses loved his people and he had loved his mission from God. Still, because of things he now regrets, He realized he was not going to enter the Promised Land with his beloved people. So, Moses spent this month of Shevat preparing the children for their great inheritance.
Are you prepared for your inheritance? Though inheritance is a wonderful gift, it is also a great responsibility. Along with new blessings come a lot of new responsibilities. The people were used to life in the wilderness. Being poor and dependent upon God for everything was all they had ever known. These once former slaves longed to live in a land of richness, fruitfulness and abundance. Yet they were not equipped to handle such a life, especially without the leadership of Moses.
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR YOUR INHERITANCE?
However, God always makes a way, even when there seems to be no way. God had given Moses the instruction book they needed to live in such abundance. Moses wanted to be sure they understood all they would need to know and do when they finally came into this new way of life. He would no longer be with them in a physical way, so he tried to teach them all that he knew before he left them.
You know I can’t consider this thought without giving God glory for how Jesus taught us through His life, the disciples and the messages in the scriptures. He wanted us to know the ways to live, even if He could no longer be physically with us.
THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE
Of course the very first thing the children of Israel needed to do was to acknowledge their great God and thank Him for what He had promised to do for them. The way they did this was to bring their firstfruits to the altar and offer praises of thanksgiving. They worshipped God and thanked Him for continuing to dwell with them. He was keeping His promises to Abraham and leading them to a new home. God was going to bless the people, their families and their time.
God offered all of these blessing as a free gift. Yet, once they came to live inside this gift He was giving, they would need to become much more responsible. Each person and tribe would have their own part to play in the whole picture. Their own individual actions and the actions they chose as a nation would be very important for the future of the world.
So, they started with the instruction book called the Torah and recited the Shema which clearly acknowledged that God is One. It was a good first step.
BETTER WAYS IN A NEW PLACE
The people would be losing Moses. They would be following new leaders. There would need to be a type of government established which would divide all of the blessings appropriately among them. Once they stepped foot on their new land, the manna was destined to stop. From that moment on, they would be making the decisions which would either help them to grow in this new Kingdom, or allow them to fall and perish. God was giving them free-will. He never forces Himself on anyone.
Each person would have to carry their weight now. Tribes would have to work together. They would need to make good decisions and plan wisely for the future generations. Now they would become a nation. Not just any nation, but a nation for the whole world to admire and pattern themselves after.
GOD SHARES THE KINGDOM
This historical event for Israel is very similar to the pattern set for us in the month of Shevat. God is giving us a Kingdom too. Jesus came to prepare us for such a time as this. He, like Moses, spent His last days on this earth trying to teach us all we would need to know to be ready for this soon coming Kingdom.
Yeshua gave us salvation as a free gift. That was only the beginning. Now we are living through the costly season of preparation called sanctification. This is where we learn the practical aspects of being born again. Our actions and decisions as we learn how to live into our purpose and destiny truly matter. Shevat is a time to be realizing this.
Every year we come to this place of examination. It is once again that time to be asking ourselves, are we ready for the Kingdom? Are we prepared? Did we listen to all our great leader taught us? Are we doing what needs to be done to grow and flourish in what God is going to provide?
ARE WE READY?
When Moses passed and the people entered the land, there were wars to be fought. It wasn’t just a matter of stepping into their new place and living happily ever after. The Kingdom of Heaven is not a fairy tale. They had to learn how to take the land. This was part of what God was requiring from them.
So, as we approach this new month of Shevat, those who are ever-mindful of what God has blessed us with will take joy and celebrate our new lives. We will be keenly aware of the fact that we are coming into our inheritance. However, there are thieves and robbers in the land. There are those who will try to claim what God has given to us. They will kill and steal and try to overcome all that God has taught us so far. We must be careful to follow that instruction book which Yeshua left for us to use. It is time to learn how to take the land for God’s Kingdom.
TAKING THE LAND
As we celebrate this great new beginning, we must remember to be giving back a portion of whatever God has provided. Do you realize this principal yet? Many will tell you that this is no longer necessary. They might say this is an Old Testament rule that has passed. No, the old Levitical priesthood which required the animal sacrifices has passed. There is a new order now that operates under The Order of Melchizedek and its High Priest is Yeshua.
We no longer need to bring animal sacrifices, so what do we need to bring in order to be a pure part of this Kingdom? It is ourselves that we now need to offer. All of ourselves including our possessions, our thoughts, deeds and actions, even our bodies. Not our bodies on the altar, but our bodies carrying out whatever actions are required from the talents God has given us. These actions will multiply and help The Kingdom of Heaven to flourish. This is what is now required of us.
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
Yeshua used a parable to explain. You can read it in Matthew 15: 14-30. This section of our bibles is typically called The Parable of the Talents. If you are planning to live your life in The Kingdom of Heaven, you must learn how to live your life according to The Parable of the Talents.
One day we may be amazed to look back and see what our little portion has been able to accomplish. However, if we forget, or we are not paying attention or even using our time in a wasteful way that doesn’t benefit God’s Kingdom, we will see our blessings given away to others who know how to handle them with more responsibility.
Shevat is a reminder to be waking up to our responsibilities. Living in God’s Kingdom and God’s ways isn’t about holding on to what we have, it is about giving to others in a way that will multiply the Gospel of Jesus Christ out to the whole earth.
WALKING OUT OUR VISION FROM GOD
So, it is very important for each of us to be walking out the purpose and vision God has given to us. Shevat is our time of reminder. This vision of our purpose for God’s Kingdom (something which God gives to each of us) has everything to do with our heavenly inheritance. We are making investments in the future of eternity. We are taking what God gives us now and multiplying it into future generations. Shevat is a month full of long-term investments.
If you are still wondering what your purpose is, don’t forget to pray. Most of us ask for clarity on this subject at the beginning of each sacred year. It is a very helpful thing to do. Ask God to reveal your purpose to you. He will. He has a purpose for each of us. For example, he had a purpose for Zachariah to be a prophet. We are still heeding his advice today.
ZACHARIAH’S VISIONS
In Shevat we often think about Zechariah. We like to remember his purpose as a prophet of God. It was during this month of Shevat that Zachariah was allowed to see visions of the future. These same visions given to ancient Israel also apply to us today.
Part of celebrating Shevat is about stopping to remember how God gave this vision to Zechariah. We need to understand why he received this vision, and what it should mean to us today. As we study Zechariah’s experiences, we also want to think about what we must be doing in our own times to line our lives up with the meanings of these visions.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR 2026?
Most likely you will find out that the purpose God has shown you will somehow line up with the final fulfillment of this vision He gave to Zechariah so long ago. Zechariah did his part. Now we need to be doing our part. We all have a part to play in eternity. Each part of the Body of Christ which now makes up the Church brings their part into the act of gathering and becoming the living, breathing Temple of God today. In the end, all of the parts of The Living Body of Christ will fit together perfectly. However, if just one tiny piece is missing, it will matter.
God has a way of dealing with those missing pieces. It often comes through crushing. Like olives in a press He is always making more oil for the Kingdom. If you find yourself in the middle of the crushing just hold on to His truths. You will make it through the crushing process. In the end you will become part of that glorious light from that city on a hill. Overcoming will show you the way to God’s Kingdom.
The 24th day of Shevat is mentioned with particular attention in the bible passage we read which is found in Zachariah 1:7-8. I’ve always found this scripture to be mysterious and fascinating. Today I am curious to rediscover its meaning for this particular month of Shevat. Let’s explore that part of Shevat’s meaning together.
THE VISION OF ZACHARIAH IN SHEVAT
ZACHARIAH 1:7-8, “On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shevat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo. During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. he was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.”
So in Zachariah’s vision, which happened during the month of Shevat, he sees a man on a red horse standing among some myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. What could this mean to us today?
ONE INTERPRETATION
I once heard someone interpret this vision as seeing the man on the red horse to be Jesus on a white horse who had been through a bloody battle. This battle is described in another passage of the book of Zechariah. It appears that particular battle left Yeshua’s originally white horse colored red. This happened from the blood that ran up to the horses bridles as Yeshua battled God’s enemies in the valley.
Jesus’s robes also looked red. They were covered in red because he is returning from a battle where his robes have been dipped in blood from these horrible battles. The robes are completely covered in blood. In other words, some see this man on the red horse as Jesus is coming back from fighting for us in the Apocalypse.
TWO MEANINGS FROM ONE PICTURE
Another symbolic picture would be possible from the times when He rose from the dead after battling death on the cross and coming into Resurrection. In either scene, Yeshua, Our Beloved is covered in blood. This is a pattern He repeats. Each time it is for us. He is always victorious and He is still riding valiantly on his loyal and trusted white horse.
Thinking of the rest of this part of Zechariah’s vision, Yeshua is possibly resting at a place where people are celebrating Sukkot. Their location is somewhere close to a ravine. Could this be the crevasse left in the ground after an earthquake at The Mount of Olives? Is this the time that the Mount splits into?
If you go back and reread the whole Book of Zachariah, you will catch a deeper understanding of The Feast of Tabernacles. All of this interpretation, which I heard from a very studious person, could be correct. It seems to make perfect sense.
THE MYRTLE TREES
Also, I’ve come to believe that the people following Jesus are the myrtle trees of this vision. Yeshua is standing among His followers. Of course He would return to them after doing battle for them. It makes sense. The Mount of Olives is famous for its olive trees, not its myrtle trees. Yeshua is the center of this picture, the followers are in the background. So, how are we to interpret this? Don’t depend on my opinion, but pray to God for your own interpretations. I’m simply describing what He has shown to me.
We’ve determined that this place is at The Mount of Olives. There are olive trees in this garden that are thousands of years old. One particular tree is said to be the oldest tree on earth. This tree is guessed to be at least 2,000 years old.
GENEOLOGY THAT REPEATS ITSELF
There is one fact about olive trees which fascinates me. It is the fact that when olive trees are destroyed, their roots can re-grow another tree of the same genealogy. This should mean something to those who have been excited about discovering their Hebrew roots. Even science is pointing the way for people to return to the original ways of Yeshua when He walked the earth. He IS the way. It is Him that we must follow.
Men have often been called “trees” in the scriptures. Myrtle is a flower usually worn in the hair of a Hebraic Bride. Of course, this flower is the first fruits of the myrtle trees in the land. This speaks to me of the fact that the “myrtle trees” were located in the place of waiting on His return. The fact that the oldest Jewish cemetery is located in this same spot doesn’t surprise me. Wouldn’t Yeshua return there to greet his old friends after their resurrection from the dead?
Myrtle trees are often linked to Sukkot (because their branches are used on the roofs of the sukkahs (booths) during these festivals.) One amazing fact about this statement is that there is a grove of myrtle of trees on The Mount of Olives which is located in The Garden of Gethsemane. This grove is at the foot of the mountain, just outside Old Jerusalem.
LINK OF SUKKOT TO MILLENIAL REIGN OF CHRIST
This link to Sukkot tells us a lot. Most of us already understand that Sukkot speaks symbolically of the millennial reign of Christ. Thinking of this whole picture, we can visualize Jesus returning. Our imagination can picture Him doing battle in the Valley of Jehoshaphat where the whole 200 miles of the valley is left full of blood from the slaughter. Here is the great crushing. The enemies of God are being destroyed forever.
This place is where the blood that ran through the streets now covers Jesus and his horse. It is also splattered on the speckled horses following him. I take these speckled horses following Him to be those saints who have gone on before us. Also, He is followed by the newly resurrected believers who make up his heavenly army. They are watching and waiting on Him to go on to Bozrah.
There Yeshua will rescue those faithful ones who have been in hiding during the tribulation. Following the instructions of Jesus they would have left the land as soon as they saw the Beast standing in the Holy Place. So, those in Christ who had not died in the tribulation, probably fled to the desert and/or a wilderness place. Now Yeshua has returned for them. He is coming to gather them together and take them with Him to set up His reign as The King of Kings for His 1,000 year millennial reign over the earth.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO GOD’S CHURCH TODAY?
Well, what would all of that mean to us living in the present time? It means we better get ready! We need to be obedient, listening, and doing God’s will. It is time to be watching and ready and prepared to follow Yeshua’s instructions whenever and where ever He decides they are ready to unfold.
In other words, if He has shown you your purpose and given you something to do, begin! Don’t wait. Never question the vision that God has put on your heart. Move in your purpose. That is one of the things we are remembering in this present month of Shevat.
A huge part of being ready, watching, listening and doing is being faithful to live out the purposes God has called us to perform in this last amount of time while we are passing through this earth. One day we will face Jesus. We will become like those horses among the myrtle. He will remind us of the blessings He has given us in this life and ask us what we did to multiply them out to others. What will we be be able to say during that day?
REWARD MEANS INCREASED RESPONSIBILITY
If we have been faithful, He will place us over cities which He has appointed for us to rule. We will implement His ways within those cities.
Should that not be the case, and we have wasted our talents, He will take what he once appointed and designated for us and put it into the hands of someone who has proven themselves capable of such a responsibility.
Should we meet with that sad fate, would we still be saved? Yes, but those who haven’t used their gifts from The Holy Spirit will simply be the ordinary citizens living within the cities that other, more trust-worthy rulers have been given to rule. Those who have wasted their talents will be given 1,000 more years to prove that they can be useful to God’s Kingdom. Our God is always graceful, merciful, loving and kind. Here is a second chance that will last for one thousand years. He never seems to give up on us.
ARE YOU USING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT?
So how does this play into our thinking about the month of Shevat? Each month of the religious year seems to remind us of a new way to be fruitful for God’s Kingdom. Shevat is emphasizing how important it is for all of us to be disciplined in the use of the fruit of the Spirit.
Do you realize this “fruit of the spirit” is holy fruit? It comes to us from themes that make up The Tree of Life. God doesn’t give these fruits to everyone. It cannot be wasted or taken for granted. Such holiness must always be honored and respected. Perhaps that is why the month of Shevat has been designated as The New Year of The Trees. God is using His amazing creation of trees to help us to learn how to live.
NEW YEAR OF THE TREES
So we see that Shevat is known as the month for The New Year For Trees. It is also known as the month of claiming your inheritance. Salvation is free. Eternal life is a precious gift from Our Father. He made this gift possible through Yeshua and His love for us. However, sanctification comes at a cost.
Good trees require the work of a good gardener. A good gardener counts the cost involved in the growing of his trees. There are years that the trees will remain unfruitful. They need to mature first. However, when that maturity comes, it is time for performance. A good tree must produce good fruit for the Kingdom or it will be cut down and cast into the fire. Let us take this message of Shevat seriously. We must continue to mature in Christ and to become healthy and fruitful trees for God’s Kingdom.
THINKING FURTHER
Remember that further vision that reaches all the way into the time of eternity. It is coming. To live a royal life as sons and daughters of The King of All Kings, we must be ready for our royal responsibilities. That readiness comes through self-discipline which always increases the fruit of God’s Spirit within our lives.
Are you a true heir of The Kingdom? Think of how a branch can be grafted into the limbs of a tree. Because of the love of Yeshua, even we gentile nations have been adopted in. He will use us to bring even more maturity to His original branches. One day they will be ready too.
Also because of our love for Jesus, we want to become healthy producers of the peaceful fruit of righteousness. This means living into our purposes. This means following Torah. Not because it is the law, but because Yeshua did so, and we want to be like Yeshua.
If you are a true heir of the Kingdom, your main goal in this life will be to follow Yeshua.
In this amazing month of Shevat, we should be giving of our best to The Lord. He will take what we bring forth and multiply it for God’s Kingdom. When we stand before Him on that day that He returns from the victorious battle, our inheritance will be fulfilled. We will be granted even more responsibilities if we have been responsible and faithful with our time on this earth.
SUMMARY
There are so many more things to say about this month of Shevat. The subjects seem to be never-ending and full of delightful insights. Perhaps we will say more in some further lessons during the upcoming days. We would like to cover the subjects concerning the tribe of Asher who is the designated tribe for the month of Shevat.
The gemstone on the breastplate of the High Priest called agate also has its lessons. If time allows we will explore these too.
Again, we could speak of the endless and helpful stories concerning the constellation of Aquarius which God has placed in the Mazzaroth which tells His stories. Aquarius contains a wealth of stories for Shevat. It is all so much! We will try to explore these subjects on another day. Each year has its own depth. Today we have shared what God has shown us for this year.
In the meantime; be careful of your calling and your purpose. Live into that destiny that only God can give you. He has created you to contribute to His Kingdom. Whatever He shows you in Shevat of 2026 will be important and unique, even if you are the only one who knows and sees why. Stay the course. Greater things are coming!
PRAYER FOR SHEVAT 2026
Lord, thank you for the lessons of Shevat. Thank you for numbering our days and mapping out our time for your Kingdom. Thank you for letting us join in with you by using the unique talents which you have granted to each of us. Forgive us if we ever take them for granted. Please take back the little we have to offer Lord. We pray that you multiply it among the nations of the world so that Your story will be known and loved throughout the universe. Amen