April 28, 2026 – Cockatrice Webs – Evangelist Pastor Barbara
OH, WHAT TANGLED WEBS WE WEAVE, WHEN FIRST WE PRACTICE TO DECEIVE. My children do not be one of those who weave webs of lies that destroy others’ lives. Your actions are those of greed and pride. You think I will allow this to continue! All things, and I mean all things, eventually come to the forefront and are exposed for exactly what they are, cockatrice webs.
When you partake of the weaving of lies, you are turning yourself over to a reprobate mind. A mind that no longer houses Christ. Do you think that I will let this sin go unattended? The fires of judgment have already fallen upon your heads, and damnation is your lot. I gave you time to repent, but you continued weaving lies. NOW, judgment is at the door.
‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive‘ means that when you lie or act dishonestly, you initiate problems and a domino effect of complications that eventually run out of control.
- Isaiah 11:8: “The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest.” In this passage, the Berean Standard Bible uses “cobra” and “viper” instead of “cockatrice,” reflecting a more accurate translation of the Hebrew word “צִפְעֹנִי” (tsiphoni), which refers to a venomous serpent. The imagery here is part of a prophetic vision of peace and harmony in the Messianic age, where natural enemies coexist without harm.
- Isaiah 14:29: “Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken, for a viper will spring from the root of a snake, and its fruit will be a flying serpent.” The Berean Standard Bible translates the Hebrew word as “viper” and “flying serpent,” emphasizing the continuation of danger and threat despite apparent relief. The “flying serpent” is sometimes associated with the cockatrice in older translations.
- Isaiah 59:5: “They hatch viper’s eggs and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.” This verse uses the imagery of vipers to describe the wickedness and deceit of the people, with the cockatrice being a traditional interpretation of the deadly offspring.
- Jeremiah 8:17: “For behold, I will send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you, declares the LORD.” The Berean Standard Bible uses “vipers” to convey the sense of unavoidable judgment and punishment, which older translations might have rendered as “cockatrice.”
Symbolism and Interpretation:
In biblical literature, the cockatrice symbolizes evil, danger, and divine judgment. Its mythical nature underscores the severity of the threat it represents. The creature’s lethal gaze or venom is often interpreted as a metaphor for sin and its destructive consequences. The use of serpentine imagery in these passages aligns with the broader biblical theme of the serpent as a symbol of Satan and sin, beginning with the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3