Rockey's Thoughts

Area Indoctrination Briefing

Part 11 of 34

Rockey Jackson, April 24, 2011

APPENDIX D – Basilisk, Personified by Haman

Introduction (Motivation, Mission, and Method of Operation):

When Satan said, “I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north,” he was expressing his motivation to rule over God’s people (redeemed mankind). The Basilisk metaphorically represents Satan in his desire to fulfill this motivation, and Haman personifies the spirit of the Basilisk in the Bible. The people of Babel are the archetype for Haman and separation is the curse that empowers the Basilisk. The root sins that feed this motivation are gossip, lies, and all other forms of impure speech that might be referred to as the poison of the mouth. The Basilisk badmouths (accuses) God’s saints in an effort to get permission to test (rule over) and destroy them.

To fulfill his desire to rule over redeemed mankind, Satan has created an organization of evil spirits under the command of his lieutenant the Prince of Greece. The principality of Greece has been given the power of ethnocentrism and has been assigned the mission to rule over the darkness in relationships. These spiritual hosts of wickedness use their weapons of lies and violence to divide mankind into as many bickering groups as possible. This is expressed in the world through all forms of racism including: cliques, denominations, ethnic groups, and even nations. Notable among this alignment of evil spirits is the deaf and dumb spirit that causes miscommunication. This has brought Greece into conflict with the kingdom of God and particularly God’s pastors who desire to maintain harmony among God’s people. It is the conflict of unity versus division.

The Basilisk/Haman spirits of Greece commonly use the following method of operation when they make war upon redeemed mankind. God’s true saints are loyal to God alone and they refuse to pay homage to any other. This infuriates those who belong to the principality of Greece. First this evil alignment of spirits uses its root sin of gossip and the power of ethnocentrism to destroy the reputation of redeemed mankind and to demonize God’s people. Next it uses its weapons of violence and lies to try to kill, or at least marginalize and emasculate the saints. God does not allow Basilisk to kill all of His people, but this alignment of evil spirits continues to pick off the weak and those on the fringes. When they’re successful, they steal the saint’s material wealth as the spoil of battle.

I Will Statement: Isa 14:13d “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”

“The congregation” was a colloquialism used by the Jews to refer to themselves as the chosen people of God. When Satan declares, “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north,” he is stating his intent to rule over the people of God. This is a negative association with the Basilisk spirit and Haman because when God’s people refuse to honor him he turns on them and tries to destroy them.

Reptile: Basilisk. (For all of the scripture references see Addendum 9 – Basilisk.)

A basilisk is a poisonous lizard with an erect crest on its head and back. It is closely associated with the cockatrice of mythology. The cockatrice was a monster, half chicken and half lizard, which a serpent hatched from a cock’s egg. In mythology the cockatrice was deadly poisonous, able to kill with its breath or even its glance. The Basilisk and cockatrice are cross defined with the adder, the asp, the cerastes, the cobra, and the viper. The trait they all have in common is the poison of their mouths, and many of these poisonous reptiles also display an erect crest or hood, which is associated with the crowns of royalty. The other four reptiles that represent Satan are all large and relatively few in number, but the Basilisk is small and numerous. It does not depend on its size but on the poison of its mouth to kill its prey.

Isaiah 59:1-8

1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

The Basilisk is equated with the Serpent, the lion, and the Dragon.

Adder = Serpent Psalms140:1-3

1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah. (See also: Gen. 49:17, Ps. 58:3-5, and Pr. 23:31-32.)

Adder = Lion = Dragon Psalms 91:11-13

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Asp = Dragon Deuteronomy 32:33

33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.

Cockatrice = Serpent = Dragon Isaiah 14:29

29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

Viper = Lion = Dragon Isaiah 30:5-6

5 They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

6 The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

Archetype: The People of Babel. (For all of the scripture references see Addendum 14 – Haman.)

After the flood of Noah, all of the people spoke the same language. When they chose a place to settle, they affronted God by trying to make a tower that would reach into heaven. In their pride they sought to make a name for themselves so that they would not be scattered over the whole earth.

Genesis 11:1-6

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Empowering Curse: Separation.

In response to the sin of the people of Babel, God made it impossible for them to work together by confusing their language and scattering them over the face of the earth.

Genesis 11:7-9

7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

This empowering curse provides a legal right for the forces of the Basilisk to bedevil unredeemed mankind. It has the following attributes:

1. People cannot understand one another because their language is confused (Genesis 11:7).

2. People cannot work together because they are scattered all over the earth (Genesis 11:8).

Taken together, this is a curse of separation by language and geography.

Personification: Haman. (For all of the scripture references see Addendum 14 – Haman.)

Haman was a vizier (prince) serving in the court of the Medio-Persian king Ahasuerus. He was an Amelikite descended from the line of king Agag. This was the same king Agag who opposed king Saul of Israel. Also the Amelikites were the first people to oppose the Israelites when God brought them out of Egypt.

Exodus 17:8-16

8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

After their defeat, the Amalekites continue to harass the Israelites and they kill the weak and those who lag behind.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19

17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

18 How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

When Saul becomes the king of Israel, he is given the commission to destroy Amalek.

1Samuel 15:1-35

1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.

32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

We are introduced to Haman when he is promoted by king Ahasuerus over all the other princes of the Medio-Persian Empire and made Grand Vizier (Prime Minister) of the royal court.

Esther 3:1

1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

Mordecai, a Jew, refuses to honor Haman.

Esther 3:2-4

2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?

4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

Mordecai’s refusal to honor Haman injures his pride and makes him angry. But in true racist fashion, it is not enough for Haman to take his anger out on just Mordecai. Haman projects his anger onto the entire Jewish race and seeks to destroy them.

Esther 3:5-6

5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

Haman devises a plot to kill all of the Jews. Without specifically naming them, Haman tells lies to king Ahasuerus about God’s chosen people and destroys their reputation. Then he asks the king for a decree to kill all of them, and the king agrees.

Esther 3:7-11

7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.

11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.

The death warrant for the Jews is written under Haman’s direction and sent to all of the provinces of the Medio-Persian Empire. The entire Jewish race is to be killed on the same day and those who kill them may take their goods as spoil.

Esther 3:12-15

12 Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.

15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

Queen Esther is a Jewess but her race has not yet been revealed. Her uncle Mordecai informs her about Haman’s plot to kill all of the Jews and the royal decree that enables it. She decides to take her life in her hands, go before the king, and invite the king and Haman to a series of banquets where she plans to plead for her life and the lives of her people.

Esther 5:1-8

1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is;

8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.

Haman believes that he has obtained all of his goals and even the favor of the queen. He boasts about all of his accomplishments to his friends and he builds a gallows to hang Mordecai on.

Esther 5:9-14

9 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.

10 Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.

11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

12 Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.

13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

14 Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

That very night, the king is unable to sleep. He calls for the royal chronicles to be read to him. A story is read of how Mordecai saved the king’s life. The king asks if Mordecai has ever been honored for saving his life. When the answer is no, the king determines to honor Mordecai. He gives Haman the task of honoring Mordecai.

Esther 6:1-14

1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.

2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.

3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.

4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.

6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?

7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,

8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:

9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.

10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.

11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.

12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.

13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.

14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.

At the second banquet, queen Esther petitions king Ahaseurus for her life and the life of all the Jews.

Esther 7:1-4

1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.

The king asks who threatens her life and queen Esther denounces Haman.

Esther 7:5-7

5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

Then Haman is hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai.

Esther 7:8-10

8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

Queen Esther is given Haman’s estate and Mordecai is given his office.

Esther 8:1-2

1 On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.

2 And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Then queen Esther pleads with the king to reverse Haman’s mischief against the Jews and save her people. The king approves Esther’s request and empowers her and Mordecai to write the decree in his name.

Esther 8:3-8

3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

4 Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,

5 And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:

6 For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

7 Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

8 Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.

On the appointed day, the Jews destroy their enemies including the ten sons of Haman.

Esther 9:7-14

7 And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

8 And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

9 And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,

10 The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.

11 On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.

12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.

The feast of Purim is inaugurated to commemorate the salvation of the Jews from the plot of Haman.

Esther 9:23-28

23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;

24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;

25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

26 Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,

27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;

28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.

Aliases: Adder, Asp, Cerastes, Cobra, Cockatrice, and Viper. The Basilisk is also the party spirit, the spirit of competition, and the deaf and dumb spirit.

Root Sin: Gossip.

Gossip and lies are poisons that come out of the mouth. Either one could have been chosen for Basilisk’s root sin. I chose gossip because of its more insidious nature. The poison in Basilisk’s mouth is clearly seen in the following scriptures.

Job 20:12-18

12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;

13 Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.

17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

Esther 3:8

8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

Psalms 140:1-3

1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

Romans 3:10-18

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Other Roots: Lying, murder, blasphemy, wrath, stealing, and pride.

Lying, Isaiah 59:3-5

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. (See also Esther 3:8 and Psalms 58:3-5.)

Murder, Matthew 23:29-35

29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. (See also: Esther 3:9,13, 5:14, 6:4, 7:9,10, 8:3-8, Isaiah 59:5-7, and Romans 3:10-18.)

Blasphemy, Matthew 12:31-37

31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Wrath, Esther 3:5

5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

Stealing, Esther 3:13

13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

Pride, Esther 6:6

6. So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? (See also Esther 5:9-12.)

Principality: Greece.

Greece was divided into many bickering city-states. The Greek people also viewed only those who spoke Greek as civilized. All others were viewed as barbarians. So, Greece was associated with Basilisk and ethnic division.

Power: Ethnocentrism.

Ethnocentrism is the emotional attitude that one’s own ethnic group, nation, or culture is superior to all others. The power of ethnocentrism fueled the bickering between the city-states of ancient Greece and their attitude of superiority over all other cultures.

Rules Over Darkness In: Relationships.

It is easy to see that the root sin of gossip and the power of ethnocentrism come together to rule over the destruction of relationships.

Manifests In The World As: Racism and all division including denominations and cliques.

It is not enough for the Basilisk/Haman spirit to just destroy individual relationships, for it also endeavors to project its hatred to an entire people group.

Esther 3:2-6

2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?

4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

Weapons: Iniquity, violence, evil, wasting, destruction, persecution, deception, misery, and lies.

Lies, Esther 3:8

8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

Iniquity, Violence, Evil, Wasting, and Destruction, Isaiah 59:5-8

5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

Persecution, Matthew 23:33-34

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

Deception, Destruction, and Misery, Romans 3:10-18

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Steals, Kills, and Destroys: The Basilisk/Haman spirit destroys the reputation (good name) of a people group, then it seeks to kill them so it can steal their spoil (material wealth).

This spirit’s method of operation can be seen in Haman’s plot to eliminate all of the Jews from the Medio-Persian Empire.

Destroys Reputation, Esther 3:8

8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

Kills the People Group and Steals the Spoil, Esther 3:13

13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

God does not allow the Basilisk/Haman spirit to kill all of His people, but this alignment of spirits continues to pick off the weak and those on the fringes.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19

17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

18 How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: Belly and thighs of bronze.

In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the belly and thighs of bronze represented the Greek Empire that conquered and succeeded the Persian Empire. Greece was divided into many bickering city-states. The Greek people also viewed only those who spoke Greek as civilized. All others were viewed as barbarians. So, Greece was associated with Basilisk and ethnic division.

Daniel’s Dream: Four-headed leopard.

In Daniel’s dream, the four-headed leopard represented the Greek Empire that conquered and succeeded the Persian Empire, and then divided into four kingdoms. Greece, itself, was divided into many bickering city-states. The Greek people viewed only those who spoke Greek as civilized. All others were viewed as barbarians. So, Greece was associated with Basilisk and ethnic division.

Canaanite People Group: Perizzite.

Perizzite means open country, rustic village, or unwalled town. So the Perizzites are associated with the Basilisk/Haman class of spirits and their root sin of gossip, which knows neither bounds nor propriety.

Midianite Prince: Rekem.

Rekem means versi-color, embroiderer, to fabricate. He was associated with the Basilisk/Haman class of spirits because of their fabrication of lies, their two faced nature, and the intricate embroidery of their gossip.

Amorite King: Hoham, king of Hebron.

The word Hoham is of uncertain derivation and Hebron means associations or relationships. Basilisk is responsible for destroying relationships, so he was paired with Hoham, king of Hebron.

Philistine City: Ashdod.

Ashdod means ravager and seemed to be a good fit with Basilisk and racism.

Giant: Saph.

Saph means gate or threshold and also a bowl, cup, or other container. Saph represents all of the things that divide mankind and was therefore associated with the Basilisk.

Opposes: Pastors.

Basilisk tries to kill by division, so he opposes pastors who have the job of keeping the flock. This is the battle of division versus unity.