What Does It Mean in Rev 3:16 Where the Lord Talks About Spewing Out of His Mouth?
1) Direct Answer
It means the Lord rejects the lukewarm church condition and removes it from being His mouthpiece. He will not speak through, endorse, or own that mixed, complacent state. He casts it out of His fellowship as a body, while still calling individuals to repent and overcome.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- “Because thou art lukewarm… I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). Lukewarm is neither hot (on fire of the Spirit) nor cold (openly unbelieving), but a safe, self-satisfied mixture.
- He describes them as saying, “I am rich… and have need of nothing,” yet He says they are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).
- He counsels, “buy of me gold tried in the fire… white raiment… and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve” (Revelation 3:18)—true faith, His righteousness, and spiritual sight.
- He stands outside, knocking: “If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20). The system is rejected, but individuals are invited.
- Overcomers are promised to sit with Him in His throne (Revelation 3:21).
The “mouth” in Scripture is the place of His Word and confession (Revelation 1:16; 2:16; Jeremiah 1:9; Romans 10:9-10). Being in His “mouth” pictures being the instrument He uses to speak and testify.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- The church is to be His Body on earth; the “mouth” is the part that speaks His Word.
- When a church becomes lukewarm—mixing truth with worldliness, boasting in wealth and programs while lacking the fire of the Spirit—He cannot let that represent Him. Like lukewarm water, it is nauseating, so He spews it out—He separates from it.
- Yet He loves and rebukes: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19). Those who hear His voice and open to Him personally will dine with Him now and reign with Him as overcomers.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, He rejects the lukewarm system, but He is calling out a people who will be hot with His life, clothed in His righteousness, and fit to speak His Word. Be zealous, repent, and let Him back inside.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-48
We are going to look at this carefully. It says that this Laodicean church age group is lukewarm. This lukewarmness demands a penalty from God. The penalty is that they will be spued out of His mouth. Here is where we don't want to go astray as a lot of folks do. They very unwisely say that God can spue you out of His mouth and that proves that there is no such thing as any truth to the doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints. I want to correct your thinking right now. This verse is not given to an individual. I...
Why?
60-0401M §28
Give them ... bless our Brother Williams, both of them, senior and junior. Bless this missionary going into the field, the associating pastors, and different ones from different churches. Our most gracious Brother Tommy Osborn, Lord, be with him as he travels from place to place around the world. Give him souls. Keep this little church---as it is written---a shelter in the time of storm, that we might run in, and out of the mission fields, and have our souls charged, have the refreshments, O Lord, to sit down in th...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-49
The Baptists have their creeds and dogmas based on the Word and you can't shake them. They say the apostolic days of miracles are over and there is no Baptism with the Holy Ghost, subsequent to believing. The Methodists say (based on the Word) there is no water baptism (sprinkling is not baptism) and that sanctification is the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. The Church of Christ majors in regenerational baptism and in all too many cases they go down dry sinners and come up wet ones. Yet they claim their doctrine is Wo...
Watchman, what of the night?
60-0722 §82
Now, just be reverent. Don't doubt; believe all things. Now, just a word, because I've been preaching. Wasn't aiming to do it this way; I was just going to pray for the sick. But when I seen a bunch of people that hadn't been in the meetings before, I thought it would be a good thing if I did it. I'm talking to you just like our Lord talked to the woman at the well. The Father sent Him up there; He knowed He went up there, but He didn't know what to do. The woman come out, so He begin to talk to her. Then when He c...
What was the Holy Ghost given for?
59-1217 §46
Now, He said, "These works that I do shall you also." (John 14:12.) Now, the same works! Oh, they say, "The church does a greater work today." In what manner? He said, "The works that I do." They say, "Well, we got missionaries all over the world; that's a greater work." But He said, "The works that I do." Now, do them; do them first, then talk about missionaries. Speaking here some time ago about a Mohammedan, he said, "Mohammed is dead, that's right. He's in the grave, but someday he will rise." He said, "If he r...