851. And with Him a hundred forty-four thousand, signifies according to truths in the whole complex. This is evident from the signification of a "hundred forty-four thousand," as being truths in the whole complex (See above n. 430. These words of the Lord to His twelve disciples have a like signification:

Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye that have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28).

This does not mean that the twelve disciples were to sit upon twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel, but it means that the Lord is to judge all according to truths from good, which are from Him, for "the twelve disciples" signify all who are of the church, and in an abstract sense all things of the church, which are truths from good. (But this may be seen explained above, n. 9, 206, 253, 270, 297, 430).

[2] "Elders and princes" have a like signification in Isaiah:

Jehovah hath stood up to plead, and standeth to judge the peoples. Jehovah will come to judgment with the elders of His people and the princes thereof (Isaiah 3:13, 14).

"The elders of the people and the princes thereof" have a similar signification as the twelve disciples, namely, all belonging to the church who are in its truths and goods, and in an abstract sense the truths and goods of the church in the whole complex. (That this is the signification of "elders" see above, n. 270; also of "princes," n. 29, 408).

[3] "A hundred forty-four thousand" means truths in the whole complex, because that number has a similar signification as the number "twelve" and "twelve" signifies truths and goods in the whole complex. "A hundred forty-four thousand" has a similar signification as twelve because composite numbers have a similar signification as the simple numbers from which they arise by multiplication; and the number one hundred forty-four arises from the multiplication of twelve by twelve. Again, one hundred forty-four thousand has a similar signification as one hundred forty-four. But on this see many things that were said in the explanation of the seventh chapter, which treats of the twelve thousand sealed out of each tribe, and the one hundred forty-four thousand sealed out of all the tribes together.

553. And upon their heads as it were crowns like gold, signifies that they seem to themselves, when they reason, as if they were wise and victorious. This is evident from the signification of "head" as being wisdom and intelligence (of which presently); and from the signification of "a crown of gold," as being a reward of victory (of which above, n. 358. "A crown like gold," signifies the reward of victory, because kings in ancient times, when they were in combats with their enemies wore crowns of gold upon their heads, besides various insignia that then belonged to kings. This was because kings represented the Lord in relation to Divine truth, and Divine truth combats from Divine good; so this was represented by "a crown of gold," and wisdom and intelligence itself by the head upon which was the crown. This is why the martyrs had crowns, for they fought from Divine truth against the falsities from evil that are from hell, and came off victors, because they fought even unto death, which they did not fear. From this it can be seen that "upon their heads as it were crowns like gold" signifies that those who are sensual men seem to themselves, from the persuasion of the falsity in which they are, to be wise and victorious.

[2] As the locusts are described in respect to their heads, their faces, their breasts upon which were breast plates, and as to their tails, and hair, and teeth, it is important to know what their heads signify, and afterwards what the other things signify. The "head" signifies in the Word wisdom and intelligence, because these have their seat in the head; but when those who are in no wisdom or intelligence because they are in falsities from evil are treated of, the "head" signifies folly and insanity, because falsities and evils are therein and therefrom. So here, where those who are sensual and in the persuasion of falsity are treated of, the "head" properly signifies folly and insanity, for such see falsities as truths and evils as goods, for they constantly see what they see from fallacies. Of such, therefore, it is said that "upon their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces as men's faces," and other things follow, all of which were appearances from the fantasy with them, therefore it is said "as it were" crowns, and "like" gold, which shows that these appearances were not real but fallacious. For in the heavens all appearances that exist are real, because they are correspondences; for the interiors belonging to the affections and thoughts therefrom of the angels, when they pass to the sight of their eyes, are clothed in such forms as are manifest in the heavens; they are called appearances because they are visible, and they are said to be correspondences and are real because they spring from creation. But it is otherwise with the appearances in some of the hells, where those are who are in the persuasions of falsity from evil; from these persuasions fantastic visions spring, in which there is inwardly nothing real, and for this reason they also vanish if a single ray from the light of heaven flows in. Such are the appearances that are here described in reference to the "locusts." (But of appearances in the spiritual world, both those that are real and those that are not real, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 170-176; and above, in the explanation, n. 369, 395)