The Hebrew Month of Tevet | Releasing Divine Strategy and Vision
The Hebrew month of Tevet is a month of divine strategy and vision. It is an opportunity to hear from the Lord, ask for His vision for the season ahead, and set aside time for reflection. It is a time to speak with authority to lead and direct others to the Lord and for His Kingdom purposes.
In the Hebrew month of Tevet, prepare to recognize and confront challenges, build resilience, and set foundations for future success by adhering to biblical principles. Understand God’s timing and trust His plans while writing down and committing to His revelations.
Bless and Sanctify the New Month…
You can bless and sanctify the month ahead with a prayer, setting your heart on potential new opportunities. Create a moment to pause and bless the coming days with gratitude and expectation.
You can use this traditional prayer or make it your own!
- May it be Your will, Lord, our God and God of our fathers, that You begin for us this month for good and for blessing. May You give us a long life, a life of peace, a life of goodness, a life of blessing, a life of sustenance, a life of physical health, a life in which there is fear of heaven and fear of sin, a life in which there is no shame or humiliation; a life of wealth and honor, a life in which we love Torah and fear God; a life in which the Lord fulfills the requests of our hearts for good. Amen. Selah.
The Hebrew Month of Tevet and the Tribes of Dan and Judah
The month of Tevet is connected to the tribe of Dan. Like all humanity, the tribe of Dan has both negative and positive character traits. They are remembered as the first tribe recorded to have worshiped idols (1 Kings 12:26-30), which reminds us to be careful of where we place our worship–not only in the Hebrew month of Tevet but every month.
When Jacob blessed the tribes in Genesis 49, he said of Dan:
- “Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a viper on the road, a horned snake in the path that bites the horse’s heels so its rider falls off backward.”—Genesis 49:16,17 (emphasis added)
Being described as a “viper” may sound negative, but this could demonstrate the tribe of Dan’s authority in their mouth and gifting with strategy in battle. Dan would kill the enemy without ever touching him simply by striking the heel of his enemy’s horse.
Samson, whose father was a Danite and whose mother was from the tribe of Judah, killed the Philistines by toppling Dagon’s temple in Gaza. At that moment, it is believed that Samson killed more than 3,000 Philistines without ever laying his hands upon them.
Judah and Dan: The Head and the Tail
There are multiple connections throughout scripture between the two most populous tribes: Dan and Judah.
Bezalel, from the tribe of Judah, and Aholiab, from the tribe of Dan, were artisans God chose to construct the Tabernacle, as described in Exodus 31:1-6.
These two tribes also played key roles in Israel’s wilderness journey.
- Judah, whose name means “praise,” led at the front of the nation, symbolizing leadership and worship (the head)
- Dan, whose name means “judge” and represents justice, guarded the rear, ensuring protection and order during their travels (the tail).
“Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies…”—Numbers 10:25
Battle Strategy: Judah’s Praise and Dan’s Protection
Each generation, like Samson in Gaza, faces its own “Philistines”—adversaries seeking to eliminate the Jewish people, a struggle first referenced in Genesis 48:22. Similarly, as Believers, we recognize that Satan seeks to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).
To withstand these attacks, the tribes of Israel relied on the complementary qualities of Judah and Dan:
- Judah led with praise and prayer.
- Dan provided protection, vengeance, and strategic authority as the rear guard.
These attributes were vital for Israel’s survival and symbolically “flanked” the nation. As One New Man Believers in Yeshua, we must embrace this principle of leading with worship and safeguarding with wisdom and justice.
Tevet and the Hebrew Letter Ayin and Number 70
The Hebrew month of Tevet is connected to the Hebrew letter ayin.
Ayin can be translated as “eye” and has a numerical value of 70.
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,”—Psalm 33:18
The Number 70
The number seventy is made of two perfect numbers: the number 7, representing perfection, and the number 10, representing completeness and the law of God. Therefore, the number 70 often symbolizes spiritual order, wholeness, and judgment.
More Numbers…
Rosh Chodesh Tevet (the first day of the Hebrew month of Tevet) falls on the sixth day of Hanukkah. In biblical numerology, the number 6 represents humanity.
Can you see the connection between ayin (the eye) and the perceived light that dispels the darkness for mankind?
The tribe of Dan protected and supported Israel, and the lights of Hanukkah illuminated and dispelled the darkness.
Tevet: The Month to Train Your Eyes to See in the Spirit
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”—Revelation 1:7
In Judaism, the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) is regarded as the ultimate source of wisdom, revelation, and guidance, described as “the eye for every eye, the light for every light, the wisdom for every wisdom.” It serves as the ultimate lens through which we should interpret everything we perceive.
For example, two people could observe the same situation side by side, yet their perceptions will differ. They are shaped by personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Our physical sight triggers unique cognitive interpretations, making it essential to align our perspectives with spiritual wisdom from the Word of God.
In Judaism, this alignment is referred to as Torah’s hashkafah—a worldview or perspective shaped by biblical principles.
The Hebrew month of Tevet is for training the “mental eye” to see through the lens of scriptural instruction. Our spiritual vision enables us to discern truth deeply, guiding us to respond thoughtfully rather than reacting impulsively to what we observe. This practice cultivates clarity and wisdom in navigating life’s challenges.
Our “mental/spiritual eyes” are connected to having the mind of Yeshua.
- “For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”—1 Corinthians 2:16
- “As it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’”—1 Corinthians 2:9
God’s instruction, His Word, is the lens through which we perceive the world.
And as we are still in Hanukkah, we are in a time of illumination and great faith despite opposition.
Hope and Expectation in Tevet
During the Hebrew month of Tevet, we must place our hope, faith, and trust in the Lord. The Midrash teaches that the Tabernacle was completed on the 25th of Kislev, the day before the first day of Tevat, and the first day of Hanukkah. This moment is described in Exodus 39:32-43. Following this completion, the tribal leaders began preparing their offerings in anticipation of the Tent of Meeting’s erection, which didn’t occur until the first of Nisan, the month of Passover (Exodus 40).
Tevet marks the beginning of a season of preparation and expectation. Just as Hanukkah represents a time of rededication, we, as Believers, can dedicate ourselves as temples of the Lord, ready for His work and the expansion of His Kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:19).
This month invites us to embrace the empowerment that comes from aligning with God’s instructions and preparing to walk in obedience.
Let us start preparing our hearts for the deliverance and renewal celebrated during Passover. We anticipate the blessings and promises ahead, glimpsing the mountain peaks of God’s provision and purpose for our lives.
Something New and Prayer
Genesis 8:5 references Noah and his family on the ark, “In the tenth month (Tevet) on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountain were seen.”
For Noah, Tevet represented something new—new hope and new life after the flood.
Every Hanukkah Shabbat, the religious Jewish world reads its haftorah portion (a selection of readings from the prophets), and the annual reading begins with these words:
- “’Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,’ says the Lord. ‘Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.’”—Zechariah 2:10-12
So then, let us lift up these words in prayer…
May the Lord dwell in our midst and may we reject all forms of idolatry—anything that would attempt to elevate itself in my heart or mind.
May the Lord give us vision and divine strategy, and may our days be flanked with praise and justice. Let the words of our mouths be in alignment with Word and the authority of the Lord, and may we know Him as our Rear Guard.
We pray that we will see with divine inspiration, wisdom, and vision as we filter all things through the Word, God’s instruction. May our temples be transformed as we behold the Lord and reject any thoughts that are not rooted in our Father.
May we embrace this season of preparation and anticipation for all that is to come and experience the power of yearning to follow God’s instruction. Like Noah, may we begin to see the peaks of the mountains we have yet to claim. May our hearts be filled with hope and our lives illuminated by the Light of the World, Yeshua, our Messiah.
In Tevet, it is our prayer that our eyes are open to see.
Takeaways in the Hebrew Month of Tevet
Gleaning from the tribe of Dan, if we align our minds with God’s divine timing in the Hebrew month of Tevet, we will discover…
- The gift of strategy
- The authority in our mouths to lead and direct
- The Lord Himself is our Rear Garud, protecting us from what we cannot see (Isaiah 52:12)
The Hebrew month of Tevet is the time to…
- See the Lord as your Rear Guard.
- Ask Him to protect you from what you cannot see.
- Seek divine guidance, embrace humility, and rely on the Holy Spirit for direction.
- Be aware of any idols in your heart.
- Embrace this principle of leading with worship and safeguarding with wisdom and justice.
- Train the “mental eye” to see through the lens of scriptural instruction to discern truth deeply, guiding us to respond.
Ask the Lord to align your heart with His divine strategy in the Hebrew month of Tevet!