Biblical Significance of the Month of Shevat (5786)

The Month of Shevat is the eleventh month in the biblical calendar. One of the central observances connected to Shevat is Tu Bishvat, known as the New Year of the Trees. Rabbinic tradition teaches that by the fifteenth of Shevat, most of the winter rain has fallen and the land of Israel begins to show signs of renewal.

The almond tree is the first to blossom in Israel, yet it is the last to bear fruit. Often blossoms appear while fruit from the previous season still remains, creating an image of continuous fruitfulness and prophetic continuity.

Jeremiah’s Vision of the Almond Branch

Jeremiah 1:11–12 ESV

“And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’

And I said, ‘I see an almond branch.’

Then the LORD said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.’”

In Hebrew, the word for almond, shaqed, and the word for watching, shoqed, share the same root. This divine wordplay reveals that God is actively watching to fulfill His word. The almond branch becomes a prophetic sign that God’s promises will not fail.

God Watches Over His Word

Jeremiah 31:28 ESV

“And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD.”

God declares that restoration will be executed with the same faithfulness as judgment. Every promise made to Israel remains intact and will be fulfilled.

Shevat is a season of new beginnings, signaling renewal, restoration, and prophetic movement.

The Seven Species and Israel’s Prophetic Identity

Jewish tradition encourages the consumption of the seven species during Shevat, each representing the land and the covenantal identity of Israel:

• Wheat

• Barley

• Grapes

• Figs

• Pomegranates

• Olives

• Dates

The vine, the olive tree, the fig tree, and the pomegranate are repeatedly used in Scripture as images of Israel, emphasizing that the trees and fruits of the land are covenantal signs.

The Fig Tree and the Words of Yeshua

Yeshua used the fig tree as a prophetic sign of the end times, teaching that when its branches become tender and its leaves appear, the coming of the Lord is near. The blossoming and fruitfulness of Israel signal prophetic readiness and awakening.

Transition from Winter to Spring

Shevat marks a transition from winter to spring, symbolizing hope, renewal, transition, and fresh beginnings in both the natural and spiritual realms.

Where the Bible Mentions the Month of Shevat

The eleventh month is explicitly mentioned in two places in Scripture.

Deuteronomy: A New Beginning After the Wilderness

Deuteronomy 1:1–3 ESV

“These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness…

It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.

In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them.”

This moment marks the end of forty years in the wilderness and the threshold of promise. Moses re taught and clarified the Torah for a new generation, making Deuteronomy a renewal of revelation before entering the Promised Land.

A Fresh Word After a Long Dry Season

Shevat carries the same prophetic message: after dryness comes life, after wandering comes clarity, and after delay comes movement.

You Have Stayed Long Enough at This Mountain

Deuteronomy 1:6–7 ESV

“The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey…’”

This declaration marks a divine call to movement, transition, and trust in what lies ahead.

Israel was about to enter cities, houses, and vineyards they did not build. This illustrates inheritance by grace rather than achievement.

The Olive Tree as a Picture of Eternal Life

The olive tree never sheds its leaves and continually renews itself. It is an image of Israel and of those grafted into the olive tree as described in Romans 11, symbolizing enduring covenant life.

A Call Back to the Word of God

Shevat is traditionally associated with renewed Torah study, reflecting the month when Moses re taught the law. It calls for deeper engagement with Scripture and the Hebraic roots of faith.

The Jewish context of Scripture was diminished after Nicaea. Shevat calls for reconnection with biblical foundations, language, and worldview.

A Season of New Beginnings

Shevat is a new beginning for the trees, for Israel, and for individuals, yet it is also a season of preparation and emerging challenges.

Zechariah also references the eleventh month, associating it with transition and restoration.

Zechariah 1:7–11 ESV

“On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah…

I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.”

Zechariah 1:11 ESV

“And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’”

Heaven’s response is not celebration, revealing that global calm can delay divine restoration.

Zechariah 1:12–17 ESV

“Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah…’

‘I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion… I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it.’”

This passage reveals God’s passionate commitment to Jerusalem and His redemptive purposes for Israel.

Scripture and history demonstrate that restoration frequently follows turmoil. God does not cause evil but redeems it for His purposes.

Victory requires battle, and spiritual advancement often follows hardship. Shevat is a season of renewal and battle, with assurance of divine victory.

Shevat calls for reconnection with the olive tree, Jewish roots, and covenantal Scripture context, emphasizing reconnection rather than replacement.

Shevat carries dimensions of personal renewal, corporate restoration, and prophetic advancement, often accompanied by cost and opposition.

A Prophetic Song for the Month of Shevat

Song of Songs 2:10–11 ESV

“My beloved speaks and says to me:

‘Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,

for behold, the winter is past;

the rain is over and gone.’”

Shevat proclaims the end of winter and the arrival of a new season. It is a call to arise, to move forward, and to enter into renewal, restoration, and prophetic fulfillment.