Revelation 2:16

Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.

The admonition here is that, "The church as a whole must repent of its too tolerant attitude to the errorists."[69] As Graham noted, "They had taken no corrective action and had applied no discipline."[70] Such a "broadminded" indifferent attitude toward gross sins would have to be repented of.

I will come unto thee quickly ... "The one thing clear is that, when John speaks of an imminent coming of Christ, he is not necessarily thinking of the Parousia (the Second Advent)."[71] What is meant is that a divine judgment against them will be speedily enforced. This may be understood in either of two ways, or both: (1) Their effectiveness as a true church would soon disappear unless they repented. (2) A supernatural, divine visitation against them would be executed, as upon Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10). Moffatt understood it to be the latter, "some physical malady or mortal sickness."[72] If Moffatt is correct in this, as would seem to be indicated by the more specific reference to Jezebel (Revelation 2:20-23, below), then the very fact of such judgments, associated with the earliest years of the church, being threatened here would indicate an early date for Revelation.

Make war against them with the sword of my mouth ... This is a symbolical reference to the word of God as the principal weapon employed in the destruction of error.

[69] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 357.

[70] Billy Graham, op. cit., p. 21.

[71] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 41.

[72] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 357.