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.
Revelation, Chapter 4c Throne of mercy and judgement
61-0108 §33
Then we find out here after these things, he heard a voice that was speaking to him. What was it? The Spirit left the earth. "After these things," starts out the first chapter, or the first verse: After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:... Revelation 4:1, after the Church is gone, then a door was opened. And we've went through all of that, and found that that was... Christ was the door. And the same voice that was walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks also was the same voice h...
Revelation, Chapter 4c Throne of mercy and judgement
61-0108 §104
Why, when Moses come out from his presence, he had to put something over his face, so the people couldn't even look at him. Is that right? He was full of the power of God. Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost---trying to stop him, why, it was like trying to put out a house on a windy day in a fire... put the fire out in a house on fire on a windy day. Oh, the more they blowed it, the worse it got. Why, you couldn't stop him. Directly when they put him before the Sanhedrin Court, the Bible said he stood there, look...
Future home of the heavenly Bridegroom and the earthly Bride
64-0802 §88
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Believest thou this?
50-0716 §81
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Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
58-0207 §48
Lord Jesus, somehow I'm looking forward, Lord, to something real tonight. Oh, it'll be such a wonderful thing here tonight if You would just unfold Yourself, Lord, to these people and every heart would be open. And let them know, Lord, that Your servant, a very poor, and very unqualified for the job, but, Lord, who is qualified? What mortal being would there be, what creature of time? But, Lord, it would not be us, it would be the Holy Spirit to do those things, to manifest. Now, Lord, there are many sitting here t...