Tevet 5785

Tevet 2025: Doors Open Wide

Like train tracks that have just been switched before our very eyes, the beginning of Tevet and 2025 are hurling us in a direction of no compromise. Although the track has switched, the danger lies in our eyes remaining fixed in the same direction as before, expecting to remain on the same tracks and doing the same things as before. Whether we like it, realize it, or want it or not, Tevet represents a shift in gear—not to bring fear, but to make the direction of this new year abundantly clear so that we may rededicate our hearts individually, as well as all that He has given us stewardship over, to Yahweh once again.

As we enter this month, still celebrating Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, as well as entering into 2025, we build upon 2024 and Psalm 24, focusing on a generation with clean hands and a pure heart, welcoming the King of Glory to come in. Now we face the daunting next chapter where God is calling us, even those with unclean hands and impure hearts, to come before the altar of fire, standing with ragged clothes and unclean lips to be purified (Isaiah 6:6-7) and adorned afresh with clean garments (Zechariah 3:1-6), becoming fitting witnesses of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach.

While we remember the besieging of Jerusalem during Tevet by King Nebuchadnezzar II, which led to the destruction of the First Temple, we also recall the miraculous victory against the Greeks and the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. As we enter Tevet, we are likewise confronted and besieged by enemies who want us to stay in a state of fear and defensiveness, while God calls us into victory, regardless of what or who comes against us in this season.

What burdens you? What impossible obstacles seem to block your path forward? What habits rob you of the joy of the Lord and His overwhelming peace? What enemies are at the gates of your temple seeking to overwhelm you? As we enter this new month and year, it is time to strike these challenges with the full force of God’s promises over your life and the authority granted to you by the blood of Yeshua. Refuse to yield even an inch to the enemy, so you may walk boldly and bravely into the fullness of your inheritance and destiny as written in the books of heaven. May God’s speed, might, strength, and boldness of faith launch you into this new season in Yeshua’s mighty name!

Psalm 44: Open Doors

This new Gregorian year will be one of uprooting and re-establishing according to God’s blueprint, opening new doors as described in Psalm 44, which promises breakthrough as long as we remain grounded in the foundation of victory that forces those doors open. When Israel took possession of Canaan, it was not the strength of their army that was celebrated, nor the strategies of Joshua and his generals. The same applies to us today as we move forward under the leadership of the King of Glory and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

This is the key to the open doors of 2025. We must begin this month by giving credit where it is due—thanking God for all He has done for us in the past and placing our full faith in Him for the season ahead. Psalm 44:3-8 provides the perfect posture for walking through the open doors of this new season:

“For our fathers did not possess the land [of Canaan] by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them, but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, because You favored and delighted in them. You are my King, O God; command victories and deliverance for Jacob (Israel). Through You we will gore our enemies [like a bull]; through Your name we will trample those who rise against us. For I will not trust in my bow, nor will my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and You have put them to shame and humiliated those who hate us. In God, we have boasted all the day long, and we will praise and give thanks to Your name forever. Selah.”

In whom do you boast? On whom do you rely for victory—whether over enemies, your old self, or current circumstances? Israel acknowledged it was not by their strength or swords that they triumphed, and the same is true for us this Tevet. Strive through God, as Israel declared: “Through You, we will gore our enemies like a bull.” Give credit where it is due, and instead of peering through the keyhole of the future, you will walk boldly through the doors, giving all glory to the Lord of Lords.

“Then he said to me, ‘This [continuous supply of oil] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [prince of Judah], saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of whom the oil is a symbol],” says the Lord of hosts. “What are you, O great mountain [of obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who will rebuild the temple], you will become a plain [insignificant]! And he will bring out the capstone [of the new temple] with loud shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”’” (Zechariah 4:6-7).

Isaiah 22: Changing of the Guard

Most of us are familiar with Isaiah 22:22 and the key of David, but have you read the entire chapter? This passage is vital for the season to come, challenging us to look inward and determine whether we resemble the negligent steward at the beginning of the chapter or Eliakim, the faithful servant at the end. One is sent into exile for disobedience and arrogance; the other is entrusted with the key of David and authority over Jerusalem in its time of need.

What is your current post and position, given by the Great I Am? Are you manning it diligently or taking it for granted? Have you grown weary or lost hope, or are you operating according to God’s purpose and blueprint? Like Israel in Isaiah 22, our spiritual defenses are being tested, and our trust in God is being shaken to determine whether we will awaken or remain in slumber.

The key of David is conditional upon our obedience and diligence to God’s call. Only when we live up to that call, trusting Him for victory and performing our duties with excellence, can we expect to receive this key for the new season: “Then I will set on his shoulder the key of the house of David; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open” (Isaiah 22:22).

The King’s Favor

In the tenth month, Tevet, Esther entered the King’s court, found favor, and became queen. From obscurity to royalty, Esther gained the king’s favor at the perfect time, ultimately saving the Jewish people. She became a shield of protection for her people, positioned perfectly to expose and thwart evil from within.

As we pray into the beginning of this Biblical month, Esther and Nehemiah stand out as blueprints for this season. They recognized the urgent needs of their people. Nehemiah, especially, understood that Jerusalem without walls could not stand, even as exiles returned. Likewise, you are positioned as a modern Nehemiah or Esther, seeing the needs around you—for yourself, your family, congregation, business, city, or nation. You are a son or daughter of the Most High God, an ambassador of Christ, and a carrier of His authority wherever you go. The transition is coming, and it is up to you to embrace your role and operate from it, just as Esther and Nehemiah did.

The walls must rise to surround the temple! You are the temple, and your defenses must be strong. As you repair and rebuild, it is with a hammer in one hand and a sword in the other, assured that God has ordained, blessed, and approved your work. This is the year of the King’s favor over your life if you are willing to receive it in full and walk out His promises, even in the face of jeering enemies. The year of the King’s favor is here—will you listen and let His Word guide your steps? Be bold in your requests to the King of Kings, aligning your prayers with His perfect love.

The Fiery Ones: Shaken and Awakened

As we witness the current shakings in the Middle East—Syria forming a government dominated by terrorists, Hezbollah brought low, Hamas in shambles, Iran losing influence, and Turkey waiting to strike—we see Israel at an impasse. Decisions with historical ramifications loom as millions remain in limbo, including believers in Yeshua in Syria. Major players like Russia and Iran are withdrawing, leaving a vacuum Turkey seeks to fill, while the United States remains indecisive. In the meantime, Christians in Syria face immense persecution, with Islamists poised to strike against them at any moment.

Amidst this chaos, God is raising up His fiery ones—eagles on mountaintops and watchmen on the walls. Though events in the natural are messy and disturbing, they awaken those who have been sleeping. These fiery ones, like coals kindled by the breath of God, will blaze brightly, igniting others in the Middle East who do not yet know Yeshua as Messiah. While darkness consumes in the natural, light breaks forth in the Spirit, confounding the enemies of Almighty God.

As this unfolds, pray for Yahweh’s supernatural covering—a cloud of protection over Israel, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and all believers in the region who face these unprecedented challenges. At the same time, God’s whirlwinds and storms confuse His enemies and fulfill His purposes (Psalm 83:15; Isaiah 17:13; Jeremiah 30:23-24). We are witnessing the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, drawing closer to the unveiling of the antichrist and, most excitingly, the rise of the John 17 generation in the Middle East for the glory of God.

Conclusion

Psalm 44 and open doors align as Moedim converge during Hanukkah and the Gregorian New Year. The tracks have shifted, and as we enter Tevet, the choice is clear: derailment or rededication. We must rededicate ourselves and everything we have been entrusted with to Yahweh for His glory and His kingdom. The coals of fire before God’s throne await those who are ready to say “yes” and “amen,” stepping into the full stature of their relationship with Him. Open doors lie ahead for those who walk in faith and humility, knowing that victory comes not by might or power, but by the Spirit of Yahweh.

Will you continue as before, or will you become a true watchman on the walls, receiving the key of David? The King’s favor is available this month to those who dare to ask and commit to seeing it through, despite the challenges. Amidst the chaos in the Middle East and heightened persecution, one thing remains certain: God is awakening His fiery ones and providing His protection. Pray for their covering and for the confusion of God’s enemies as they seek to wreak havoc.

Gird yourselves, mighty people of God. The stage is set for a profound journey, not just for Tevet but for all of 2025. God is for you and with you! Yahweh bless you and keep you!