433. And their faces were like the faces of men. This symbolically means that they seemed to themselves to be wise.

A human being in the Word symbolizes someone who is wise and intelligent (no. 243), and his face symbolizes wisdom and intelligence. It is because of this that the locusts' faces being like the faces of men means, symbolically, that they seemed to themselves to be wise. They are also called wise, educated and learned, even though they are among the "foolish virgins" who had no oil in their lamps (Matthew 25:1-3). Oil symbolizes love and charity. They are also among the foolish who hear what the Lord says, that is, who read the Word, and do not do it (Matthew 7:26).