Just a Cult

Just a Cult

By Richard P. Joseph

Is there any one thing that you can say that would eliminate nearly all cults from being justified as legitimate?  People often ask me “what difference does it make if you are a preterist or not”?  I have given many answers in other articles but I would like to address another aspect of the benefits of understanding fulfilled theology and that is to explain why cults are illegitimate religions.  

In Daniel 9 we read this from Gabriel's prophecy:

“Seventy weeks[a] are determined

For your people and for your holy city,

To finish the transgression,

To make an end of[b] sins,

To make reconciliation for iniquity,

To bring in everlasting righteousness,

To seal up vision and prophecy,

And to anoint the Most Holy.

In Daniel’s writings we find in a couple of places the idea that once his 70 weeks are completed that “vision and prophecy” would be completed and the Messiah would be anointed as everlasting king.  

If you are a futurist then all of these items are still open for business.  In other words a cult leader can arise and declare that his writings are scripture.  Muhammad, Charles Taze Russell, Mary Baker Eddy, Joseph Smith Jr., Vernon Howell etc would all have legitimate right to claim that they speak under the power of inspiration.  We can easily shoot their theology down by using sound scripture against them but I prefer using the easy way and that is by simply being a preterist.  Islam, for example was not invented until the 7th century AD.  By applying fulfilled theology, Islam is automatically eliminated as a legitimate voice for God.   All scripture has a continuity from Adam to Revelation.  All spoke of the same God, building on the law of Moses and the prophets.  No one book in the bible contradicts another.  However, when cults arise, they have no consistency with canonized scripture.  They don’t because they are not inspired by God plain and simple.  They cannot be inspired because that would make Gabriel a liar.  

Being a preterist, we can understand this as we know that Jesus was the anointed one who fulfilled his mission at his second coming by AD 70.  Our faith is cut and dry; there are no scriptures after AD70, period.  We have clarity while others struggle, we have a mission where others have anxiety, we have boldness while others have uncertainty, no one can mock us while others can be mocked concerning the parousia.  Being a full preterist covers a multitude of insecurities.