1035. 'And never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth' means that such deadly and stifling persuasion will never manifest itself again. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the flood' in reference to the people before the Flood who perished, dealt with already, also from their dreadful persuasions, dealt with in 310, 563, 570, 581, 586, as well as from details concerning the Church called Noah that followed, and further still from what is mentioned below concerning the rainbow.