What does Revelation 3:14–21

[Nat11]

What does Jesus mean in Revelation 3:14–21? It says “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” I find this a bit alarming. Does this mean that lukewarm Christian’s will be thrown into hell? What exactly is a lukewarm christian?

-Natalie

 

[Dan_Defender]

Laodicea was a rich city but the message highlights the fact that it was spiritually poor. So then like today, material wealth has a dark side of people becoming worldly and neglecting their spiritual well being.

 

[Francis]

Love of God and neighbor have become cold in us,Jesus said to st John who was going through a tough times, as he was persecuted and put on an island patmos Revelation 2:2 “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.

Does this mean that lukewarm Christian’s will be thrown into hell? What exactly is a lukewarm christian?

yes, Revelation 2:4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

 

[Vico]

What does Jesus mean in Revelation 3:14–21? It says “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” I find this a bit alarming. Does this mean that lukewarm Christian’s will be thrown into hell? What exactly is a lukewarm christian?

-Natalie

A little from the Haydock Commentary on Apoacalypse 3 Ver. 14-22:

— To the lukewarm it is said, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth; i.e. if thou continue in that state, I will permit thee to run on and be lost in thy sins. Thou blindly sayest within thyself, I am rich, &c. A false conscience generally attends a lukewarm soul and those who serve God by halves; they flatter themselves that all goes well enough with them, when they see they are not so vicious, as many others: but here the spirit of God, who penetrates the secret folds and windings of slothful souls, admonisheth them of their dangerous mistakes, that they are wretched, poor, blind, and naked, when God, by his grace, does not inhabit their souls, though they may have millions of gold and silver in this world. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, the love of God purified by trials and troubles in this life, to recover thy lost innocence, to be clothed with the habit of grace, to anoint thy eyes with eye-salve , by a serious reflection on what regards thy eternal salvation.
— I chastise those whom I love. He concludes all the former admonitions by telling them: first, that to be under trials and troubles, is a mark of God’s favour and his paternal care; secondly, to hearken to the voice of God, when he knocks at the door of their heart; and thirdly, he promises them the reward of eternal happiness—he that overcomes, shall sit with me on my throne : though this does not imply an equality of happiness, not even to all the saints, much less with God himself, but only that the elect shall be in the throne as it were of heaven, and partakers of heavenly happiness according to their past good works.

https://www.ecatholic2000.com/haydock/ntcomment269.shtml

 

[ricmat]

The way I’ve heard it explained is that:

A person who is “hot”, is in good shape, and preaching to him/her is basically “preaching to the choir.”

A person who is “cold”, is in really bad shape. So bad, in fact that preaching to them might awaken a desire in them to become more holy. This is the “if only I had know about this earlier!” situation.

A person who is “lukewarm”, unlike the cold person has some good points. But his attitude is “well, I know I’m not perfect, but I’m good enough.” There is no desire to improve, to become as close to perfect as possible because “I’m good enough, no change is required.” This is the attitude you hear about – “I’m much better than Hitler.” This is the most dangerous phase to be in.

We should be comparing ourselves to BVM or Christ, and desire to be more holy/perfect, always. We are never perfect, but we should have that desire nonetheless.

 

[guanophore]

What exactly is a lukewarm christian?

I think it is what we call a “nominal” Christian (in name only). One who claims to belong to Christ but does not live the life of a disciple.

 

[Mintaka]

There is a story behind this, like most of the city references. Laodicea has hot springs with high sulfur content. The really hot ones were good for bathing, and I guess the cold water was just a bit sulfurish. But the lukewarm springs are supposedly pretty nasty in smell and taste, so people do not drink them. I can believe this, as sulfur/ hydrogen sulfide in water tastes and smells like rotten eggs.

Do not know this about Laodicea firsthand! But I have seen it in several reputable sources.

There was also a fair amount of emetics use in Roman and Greek medicine, or at least in health fads of the time. I could readily believe that certain foolish people might have purposefully used the lukewarm springs as some kind of emetic… Ew.

But again, I do not know this; I.am speculating.

If you are okay with the smell, sulfur hot springs are supposed to be good for the skin. (As the Saratoga Hot Springs webpage will tell you.)

But drinking too much sulfur water – it is well known that it will give you diarrhea and “clean you out,” even if the taste does not bother you. Basically, it has a laxative effect.

(I have drunk cold sulfur spring water myself, from a spring, and it tasted okay to me. Did not drink enough to get the laxative part. But I have a high tolerance for mineral tastes, and the sulfur content was not high.)

 

[EvangAlived]

What does Jesus mean in Revelation 3:14–21?..

-Natalie

Luk_6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Claiming two worlds. Professing Christ, but living as the world.

Claiming the benefits of the inheritance but not living according to the commandments of God:

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

They will give excuses on why they disobey God in His explicit commandment (John 14:15; Exodus 20:6), and they will even try to justify their disobedient position through wresting of the scripture, as Peter said they would, 2 Peter 3:16.

Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

notice the word “wretched”, which was Paul’s condition before true conversion to Jesus Christ:

Rom_7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Indeed, notice the connection of “rich” Laodicea with the “rich man” of Luke 16 and of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18) who would not give up his mammon/self to wholly follow Jesus. They are not rich towards God in loving obedient service to Him, nor to their neighbours. They have robbed God of themselves, of the talents bestowed, and robbed God of return in righteousness (right-doing, obedience through love).

The “lukewarm” attempt to claim the reward of both places, Heaven and this present world.

Yet, they say they “have need of nothing”, and that includes Christ Jesus himself the true gold. That is why Jesus is outside knocking and calling, see also 2 Peter 1:19. The “dark place” is the heart. Without Jesus (the Sun of righteousness) inside, it is darkness.

Nakedness is symbolic of sin, see Genesis 3. See also Jesus upon the cross. Without the robe of Christ’s righteousness, as they claim their own ‘righteousness’ (which is not righteousness).

As the Pharisees were blind spiritually, yet they claimed to be able to see and guide others to Heaven. Jesus told them that they were blind, but they refused His offer to heal that blindness, and since they stated in opposition to Jesus that they could in fact see and lead others, their sin remained, and all whom they led would fall into the pit with them. There are those in Laodicea following the same pattern.