AR 936 - The Leaves of the Tree Are Rational Truths that Heal

AR 936 [1, 2-3]

The leaves of the tree 
were for the healing of the nations.
(Revelation 22:2)

. . . Nations . . . symbolize people caught up 
in evils and the accompanying falsities, 
because we are told 
that the leaves were for healing them, 
and people caught up in evils 
and the accompanying falsities 
cannot be healed by the Word, 
because they do not read it. 
However, if they have the judgment, 
they can be healed by rational truths.

That leaves symbolize rational truths 
is clearly apparent 
from things seen in the spiritual world. 
For trees are also seen there, 
with leaves and fruits. 
Gardens and parks are found there 
that consist of trees.
In the case of people possessing goods of love 
and at the same time truths of wisdom, 
fruit trees are seen 
with an abundance of beautiful leaves. 
But in the case of people 
who possess the truths of some wisdom, 
and who speak in accordance with reason, 
but lack goods of love, 
the trees appear full of leaves, 
but without any fruits. 
And in the case of people 
without any goods or truths of wisdom, 
the only trees seen are bare of any leaves, 
like trees in winter in the world. 
An irrational person is just such a tree.

Rational truths are truths 
which most readily welcome spiritual truths, 
for a person's rational mind 
is the first receptacle of spiritual truths. 
Indeed, seated in a person's rational mind 
is his perception of truth 
in a form that the person does not himself see 
by deliberation, as he does the ideas 
that reside beneath his rational mind 
in a lower level of thought 
that is connected with his outer sight.