XIV THE OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH AND THE DESCENT OF THE NEW (Chapter 21) (1) A preliminary vision of the new heaven and earth and of the new Jerusalem and the Tabernacle--21:1-7. Here the apocalypse had reached a natural climax, a fitting close of all that had been envisioned, by the description of the nature and blessedness of the new state. The enemies of Christ and his church had been judged; the dragon-beast who was Satan personified had been overthrown. The last and highest object of the apocalypse in the culmination of the visions was about to be reached in the fulfillment of the promise made to the seven churches at the beginning by Jesus Christ himself. The glory of God had been exalted over the heathen idols and the triumph of Christianity over heathen philosophy had been demonstrated. The wicked minions of the heathen world had been cast into the lake of oblivion, to their rightful diabolical abode--all of this, as a prelude to the description of the new heaven and earth and the new Jerusalem.