787. 'The flood' means the falsities which continued to inundate the Church. This too follows on from what has been pointed out above, for the flood or deluge was nothing else than a flood of falsities. Previously, in verse 6 'a flood of waters' meant temptation, as was shown at that point, and that deluge also is one of falsities which evil spirits at that time activate with man. The present verse refers to something similar, but temptation is not involved. Hence simply 'a flood' is mentioned and not a flood of waters.