482. Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey. (10:10) But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. This symbolically means that so it came to pass, and thus it was shown, how this doctrine would be received before those people meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet were removed.

Because this follows as a consequence from the aforesaid, it needs no further exposition.

We read that the prophet Ezekiel, too, was commanded to eat the scroll of a book, and that it was in his mouth as sweet as honey (Ezekiel 2:8-10; 3:1-3).

In Exodus 3:8, this signifies heaven, where good of charity and truth of faith prevail. (Arcana Coelestia 6856, 4482)

In Revelation 20:9, this signifies doctrine of the church, here laid waste or spurned. (Arcana Coelestia 2418, Apocalypse Revealed 861)