553. And on their heads as it were crowns like gold.- That this signifies, that they appear to themselves, when they reason, to be wise and conquerors, is evident from the signification of head, which denotes wisdom and intelligence, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of a crown of gold, as denoting a reward of victory (see above, n. 358). A crown like gold signifies the reward of victory, because kings, in ancient times, when in combats with their enemies, wore crowns of gold upon their heads, besides various other insignia which were then the mark of kings. The reason was, that kings represented the Lord as to Divine Truth, and Divine Truth fights from Divine Good; this therefore was represented by a crown of gold, while wisdom itself and intelligence were represented by the head upon which the crown was. Hence crowns were assigned to martyrs, for they fought from Divine Truth against falsities from evil, which are from hell, and came off conquerors, because they maintained the combat even unto death which they feared not. From these things it is evident, that by [the locusts] having upon their heads as it were crowns like gold, is signified, that those who are sensual men, from the persuasion of falsity in which they are, appear to themselves to be wise and conquerors.
[2] Since the locusts are described as to their heads, their faces, and their breasts, upon which were breast-plates, and as to their tails, their hair and teeth, it is important that the signification of their heads and the rest should be known.
The head, in the Word, signifies wisdom and intelligence, because these reside in it; but when those are treated of who are not in any wisdom and intelligence, because in falsities from evil, then the head signifies folly and insanity, because falsities and evils are therein and therefrom. In the present case, however, as those who are sensual and in the persuasion of falsity are treated of, the head properly signifies folly and insanity, for they see falsities as truths, and evils as goods, being perpetually in visions from fallacies. It is therefore said of them, that "on their heads as it were crowns like gold, and their faces as the faces of men," and many things that follow, all of which were appearances originating in their fantasy, wherefore, it is said, "as it were crowns," and "like gold." It is evident, from this that those appearances were not real, but fallacious appearances. For all the appearances which exist in the heavens are real, because they are correspondences. For the interior things pertaining to the affections and thence thoughts of the angels, when they pass to the sight of their eyes, are clothed in forms such as appear in the heavens, and because they are visible, they are called appearances, and are said to be correspondences, and they are real because from creation. But the case is otherwise in regard to the appearances in some of the hells, where are those who are in persuasions of falsity from evil; from these persuasions fantastic visions exist, in which there is inwardly nothing real, therefore they also vanish away upon the influx of only a single ray from the light of heaven. Of such a nature are the appearances here related concerning the locusts. But concerning appearances in the spiritual world, as well real as not real, see Heaven and Hell (n. 170-176); as also above in the explanation (n. 369, 395).
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