Friends, I heard something very interesting a couple days ago and wanted to confirm it before sharing it. From everything I have researched, I believe it is accurate…but I am no expert on Muslim dates. Here is what I believe to be true:

• Muslims use an Islamic lunar calendar (called the Hijri), consisting of 12 months.
• They are in the year 1447 (since the birth of Islam).
• Ramadan is the ninth month, and perhaps the one most heard of by non-Muslims. It is known for fasting, prayer, and reflection. (The Islamic new year obviously does not line up with ours.)
• Muslims consider Ramadan their “holy month,” yet often will attack or provoke during that month.
• This year, Ramadan started on February 18.

Now, let’s do some math. The Israeli-American airstrikes on Iran took place on Saturday, February 28. It was thought to be an odd day and time to attack because Saturday is Shabbat (day of rest) in Israel, and preemptive strikes typically occur at night to gain the advantage of surprise and greater difficulty in defense. So why not wait until the prime early morning hours to attack?

One reason for sure, and another reason for the sake of discussion.

Almost assuredly, one reason for the daytime strike was that dozens of Iranian leaders were gathered together in a single place. Because of that, Israel took out at least 40 high-ranking officials within the first 30 seconds of firing the first shots!

But for the sake of discussion, if they waited until the next day, it would have been March 1 rather than February 28. Why does that matter? Let’s think together…

If Ramadan began on February 18 and the initial airstrike took place on February 28, what day of the month would it have been? (If you said the 11th, you are correct!) Now, what month is Ramadan? (If you said the 9th, you are correct.) Now, write out the month/day as we do in America.

Friends, was it coincidental that Israel and the US struck Iran on 9/11 of the Islamic calendar? True…Iran did not strike the US on 9/11, but Islam did. We vowed to “never forget,” but we seemed to have forgotten. We even allow a Muslim mayor to rule the very city that was attacked!

We might say it is coincidence, but there are no coincidences in God’s plans.

Though it is highly unlikely 9/11 was chosen long ago as the date of attack, I wonder if and when it came into view? The situation was fluid…negotiations were ongoing for weeks, and who knows when that meeting of high-level Iranian leaders was planned. Was President Trump aware of the date? Did Netanyahu use it as a carrot to urge President Trump to act? Did it happen at the last minute, as if a confirmation from God?

Who knows, but knowingly or unknowingly, the pieces certainly fell into place on that particular date. Furthermore, the ayatollah was the modern-day Haman, and Purim was just around the corner. Could things have lined up any better?

We may never know whether or not 9/11 or Purim had anything to do with the strikes on Iran. However, what becomes very obvious is the fact that God can do whatever He pleases, whenever He pleases. He doesn’t need man’s help or ingenuity. Until I know differently, I’m willing to slap this one on the “Way to go, God” side of the ledger and give Him all the glory and praise for showing His indescribable creativity in dealing with Israel and the nations. We serve a mighty God who is fully in control of everything…even calendars and war plans!

PS: Here is a chart that helped me understand the timing of this event: