Daily text, Thursday, February 25. 2016

[Queen Esther]

From among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.—Acts 20:30.

Sadly, the original Christian congregation gradually became corrupted. (Acts 20:29; 2 Pet. 2:2, 3; Jude 3, 4) As indicated by Jesus, such apostasy, promoted by “the wicked one,” Satan, would grow and obscure true Christianity until “the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 13:37-43) Then Jehovah would enthrone Jesus as King over the world of mankind. That happened in October 1914, marking the beginning of “the last days” of Satan’s wicked system. (2 Tim. 3:1) Modern-day anointed Christians pointed in advance to October 1914 as a significant date. They based this on Daniel’s prophecy about a large tree that was cut down and would grow again after “seven times.” (Dan. 4:16) Jesus referred to this same period as “the appointed times of the nations” in his prophecy about his future presence and “the conclusion of the system of things.”—Luke 21:24; Matt. 24:3. w14 7/15 4:9, 10