408. And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch. This symbolizes the appearance of their personal intelligence owing to a conceit arising from a hellish love.

A great star falling from heaven symbolizes the appearance of their personal intelligence owing to a conceit arising from a hellish love, because it appeared to burn like a torch, and because its name was Wormwood, as we are told in the next verse. Both a star and a torch symbolize intelligence, here the people's personal intelligence, because it appeared to burn, and everyone's personal intelligence burns with conceit, a conceit that arises from a hellish love, a love symbolized by the mountain burning with fire (no. 403). Wormwood symbolizes hellish falsity, which gives rise to and composes that intelligence.

To be shown that a star symbolizes intelligence, see nos. 151, 954, and that a torch or lamp does also, no. 796.