885. The symbolism of a leaf as truth is established by numerous passages in the Word comparing us to, or actually calling us, trees. In those places, fruit symbolizes the good espoused by charity and a leaf the truth to which it leads (and charity and truth also function the same way fruit and leaves do). In Ezekiel, for example:

Beside the river, on its bank, on this side and that, grows every food tree, whose leaf does not fall and whose fruit is not used up; month by month it is reborn, because its waters are going out from the sanctuary. And its fruit will serve as food, and its leaf, as medicine. (Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 22:2)

The tree stands for the people of a church that embodies the Lord's kingdom. The fruit stands for the good that results from love and charity, and the leaf, for the truth that develops out of it. That truth is used for the instruction and regeneration of the human race, which is why the leaf is said to serve as medicine. In the same author:

Will he not tear out its roots and cut down its fruit, and it will wither? All the torn-off [leaves] ¹ of its new growth will wither. (Ezekiel 17:9)

This is about a devastated grapevine (church), of which the fruit (goodness) and what is torn off the new growth (truth) will wither in this way.

[2] In Jeremiah:

Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah. He will be like a tree planted by the water. His leaf will be green; in a year of shortage, he will not worry. And he will not leave off making fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

The green leaf stands for the truth that composes faith and so for the faith itself that springs from charity. David has similar words in Psalms 1:3. In the same prophet:

There are no grapes on the grapevine and no figs on the fig tree, and the leaf has fallen off. (Jeremiah 8:13)

Grapes on the vine stand for spiritual goodness, and figs on the fig tree for earthly goodness. The leaf stands for truth, which falls off in this way. Isaiah 34:4 is parallel. Something similar is meant by the fig tree that Jesus saw and on which he found nothing but leaves, so that it withered (Matthew 21: [19,] 20; Mark 11:13-14). The fig tree in this case specifically refers to the Jewish church, in which there was no longer any earthly goodness. The doctrinal precepts of faith (or truth) preserved among them are the leaves. A church that has been devastated is such that it knows the truth but does not want to understand it. The same applies to people who say they know the truth, or the tenets of religion, yet possess none of charity's goodness. They are only fig leaves, and they wither.

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