745. 17:15 Then he said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues." This symbolically means that under papal dominion, but caught up in various ways in that religion's adulterated and profaned truths of the Word, are peoples of a varying doctrine and discipline, and of a varying religion and confession of it.

The waters that John saw where the harlot sits are the waters mentioned in verse 1 of this chapter, where we are told, "I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters." The waters there symbolize the Word's truths adulterated and profaned, as may be seen in no. 719 above.

This verse says that the waters are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues, because these symbolize all those peoples of various doctrines and disciplines, and of various religions and confessions, who are under papal dominion. For peoples symbolize people concerned with doctrine (no. 483); multitudes, people concerned with discipline; nations, people concerned with religion (no. 483); and tongues, people concerned with confession (nos. 282, 483).

These are now mentioned, because we are earlier told of the reception and understanding of the Word by people in the Roman Catholic religion itself (verses 8-11); and after that of the reception and understanding of the Word by the noble French nation (verses 12-14). Here then we are told about the reception and understanding of the Word among all the rest of the people under papal dominion. This is afterward followed by verses 16 and 17 regarding Protestants. Thus in due order is everything foretold.

That there are peoples under papal dominion of various doctrines and disciplines, and of various religions and confessions, is something people know; for that religion is not revered in the same way in the different kingdoms.