This city had a major disadvantage. Unlike the nearby city of Hierapolis, with its hot springs famed for their healing properties, and Colossae, with its refreshing cold water, Laodicea had no permanent water supply. From a considerable distance away, water had to be piped to Laodicea and likely was lukewarm on reaching the city. For the initial part of the distance the water was conveyed by means of an aqueduct and then, closer to the city, through cubical stone blocks that were bored through the middle and cemented together.

It needed to become stimulatingly hot (compare Ps 69:9; 2Co 9:2; Tit 2:14) or refreshingly cold (compare Pr 25:13, 25), but not to stay lukewarm.​—Re 3:14-22.