613. Verses 8-10. And the voice which I heard from heaven again spake with me, and said, Go, take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take and eat it up; and it shall make bitter thy belly, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the hand of the angel and ate it up; and it was in my mouth like honey, sweet. And when I had eaten it my belly was made bitter.

8. "And the voice which I heard from heaven again spake with me, and said," signifies exploration of the men of the church as to what understanding of the Word yet remained with them n. 614; "Go, take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth," signifies the Word laid open by the Lord to heaven and the church (n. 615).

9. "And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book," signifies the faculty to perceive from the Lord of what quality the Word is n. 616; "And he said unto me, Take and eat it up," signifies that he should read, perceive, and explore the Word, of what quality it is within and of what it is without n. 617; "and it shall make bitter thy belly" signifies that inwardly it was undelightful because adulterated n. 618; "but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey" signifies that outwardly it was delightful n. 619.

10. "And I took the little book out of the hand of the angel, and ate it up," signifies exploration (n. 620); "and it was in my mouth like honey, sweet," signifies that the Word in respect to its external or in respect to the sense of its letter was still perceived to be delightful, but only for the reason that it served to confirm the principles of falsity arising from love of self and of the world (n. 621); "and when I had eaten it my belly was made bitter," signifies that it was perceived and ascertained that the Word was inwardly undelightful, because of the adulterated truth of the sense of its letter n. 622.