In the Bible all names have a meaning that speaks to their life. Elijah Cummings' name is significant, and the timing of his death must be significant: at Sukkot.
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; (Jeremiah 1:5)
Elijah Cummings (January 18, 1951 - October 17, 2019) name was associated with him being as a prophet. No less that Washington Post said so: “When the word of the Lord came to Elijah.” In his hospital. At an election night watch party this year, he quoted a Garth Brooks song (“This ain’t comin’ from no prophet, just an ordinary man”)They speak of Cumming's prophecy to Trump, if he worked with Cummings, As Cummings recalls, he offered the president advice: If you stop trying to divide the country and work on issues that can unite them, then you could go down in history as a great president. He honestly believed it. www.washingtonpost.com
We only comment on how matters relate to God's word not human partisan politics. The point is that Prophecy was associated with Elijah Cummings. In passing, no Christian considers the outward appearance, and all are of 'one blood.'
Cummings life was one where he overcame obstacles, and was blessed in succeeding to rise to be the national eye, to be called a prophet. He came from a place of thanking God. Many do not do that today. He learned his moral code in the pews and, perhaps equally important for someone going into politics, he learned the art of public speaking there, too. The first testimony he remembers giving in front of the congregation was thanking God for the integration of a local pool.www.washingtonpost.com
Elijah Cummings is also associated with Israel. Marc Terrill, told JNS. “He supported countless initiatives on behalf of The Associated’s network of agencies and was a powerful advocate for our work. His largest imprint on Jewish Baltimore is the creation of the Elijah Cummings Youth Project in Israel, a program of our agency, the Baltimore Jewish Council,” jns.org/
Elijah is born on the day they “Plan to Establish American Village in Israel Presented at Parley of U.S. Jewish Farmers” jta.org/1951/ More than 30 applicants have registered for the first American village which will be established in Israel.
Elijah then dies 68 years later, 6 is the number of man and 8 the number of fullness. Thus marking the Fullness of the Era of human rule. He dies on the day “Thousands of pro-Israel marchers from dozens of countries gather in Jerusalem . 64th annual parade.. to mark the Sukkot holiday” timesofisrael.com
Regarding Sukkot, the leader of Christians for Israel writes, “Because it is celebrated at the time of the harvest, the Feast of Tabernacles is also prophetic of the future restoration of the Jews to the land, and the ingathering of the gentiles. The prophet Zechariah predicts the time when the Jews will have been restored (at least partially) to the land, and the nations will gather against Jerusalem. But the Messiah will come to destroy those nations that seek to destroy Jerusalem. Then those nations that survive will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty.” int.icej.org
Of the ingathering it is written by Malachi:
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:1-6)
Y'shua (Jesus) said
Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. (Matt 17:11-12)
Some have thought this means Elijah isn't to come, but in fact Y'shua said he was to come, but look first at John the Baptist who came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but they killed him as they had sought to kill Elijah, so before Elijah would come he Y'shua himself must die as John had been killed. Y'shua said Elijah will surely still come to restore all things.
So we see Elijah Cummings die as a sign of Elijah Comming, wherever American flags were flown at half mast, wherever news of his death reached. Whether as saintly as eulogised or not, he was and is a sign.
Some Christians are reported as having noted God took him away for standing for abortion, corruption and against Trump. But perhaps it may be to allow further slide to immorality as Elijah's parents were sharecroppers from South Carolina who moved to Baltimore and became preachers, and he had that strong heritage of religious instruction. Our life is forever in the Hand of God and the timing of our death, if not at the hand of others such as Cain, is in God's hands. In the case of all when our time is up, it is up, let us all seek our own salvation. However while the timing of the death may do two things at once, the confusing of a partisan enquiry is clearly not as important as the redemption remembered at Sukkot.
That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 23:43)
Being taken out of Egypt, was to be taken out of Bondage (Ex 13:3), to be taken to be the People of God(Ex 6:7).
Elijah Cummings-Coming is about redemption, the redemption of Israel, because in their redemption we all have eternal redemption to dwell in God's presence with God alone as our roof.
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. (Romans 11:1-4)
