"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, your God reigns." (Isaiah 52:7)
There is more than one preacher of this class, for when the Apostle Paul quotes this scripture, he uses the plural, saying, "It is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, that bring glad tidings of good things!" (Romans 10:15)
It is true that the text speaks only of the feet of these preachers, calling them beautiful, while we are talking about God's beautiful preachers; but since the feet are the most humble members of the body, it necessarily follows that if the feet are beautiful, the whole body must be beautiful also.
May we know who these beautiful preachers are? Certainly, or else we cannot know the message that they bear. Let us see what the Scriptures have to say about them, and we shall learn something valuable about preaching the Gospel, as well as something of the glory of the Gospel. In Romans, we have the statement that "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Isaiah 52:13)
Then follow some questions, designed to emphasize the fact that all have had an opportunity to know the Lord, and to call upon Him. Thus: "How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" (Isaiah 52:14-15)
All these questions suggest their own answer. But some have been sent, as is shown by what follows: "As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Romans 10:15)
So since some have been sent, it is evident that there are preachers; and since there are preachers, it follows that people have heard; and since they have heard, they have had a chance to believe, and to call upon the name of the Lord. Passing by the statement that "They have not all obeyed the Gospel," (Romans 10:16) and that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God," (Romans 10:17) we come to the question, "But I say, Have they not all heard?" (Romans 10:18) Heard what? The Word of the Gospel, of course, for that is the only thing under consideration. "Yes, verily," (Romans 10:18) they have all heard the Gospel, but they have not all believed it. Now for the proof that all have heard it: "Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." (Romans 10:18)
Whose words went unto the ends of the world? The words of the beautiful preachers of whom the Apostle has just spoken as preaching the Gospel of peace, and bringing glad tidings of good things.
So far it is all very clear. Now who are these beautiful preachers of the Gospel, whose words have gone unto the ends of the world? The answer is found in the scripture from which the Apostle has quoted. It is Psalm 19:4. It is the bodies which God created to be in the firmament of the heavens, to give light upon the earth: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handywork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." (Psalm 19:1-4)
The sun, moon, and stars, and the firmament itself, are the preachers whose feet are so beautiful upon the mountains, as they come preaching the Gospel of peace. And truly their feet are beautiful. Who has not been filled with ecstasy as he has seen the sun lighting up the hilltops, or the soft light of the moon upon the mountains? Beautiful preachers they are indeed.
Glory is power: "Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father." (Romans 6:4)
We also read in Ephesians that the resurrection of Christ was a manifestation of the working of the mighty power of God: "According to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead." (Ephesians 1:19-20)
Therefore the heavens, in declaring the glory of God, are proclaiming His power. And the power of God is salvation, for "the Gospel ... is the power of God unto salvation," (Romans 1:16) and "His Divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3)
So the heavens proclaim the salvation of the Lord. Thus, as rendered in the best translations: "Jehovah has made bare His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." (Isaiah 52:10)
Take notice that this statement directly follows the verse first quoted, about the beautiful messengers of good tidings, publishing salvation. So the heavenly bodies are God's model preachers. They preach by simply shining. That is the way that Jesus himself preached. He was the light of the world. It was the shining of His life that taught men. "[He is the] Light, which lights every man that comes into the world." (John 1:9) "[Whosoever] follows Him shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12) even of His life. Would you be one of God's beautiful preachers? You do not need to be eloquent. It is not actually necessary that you be able to speak at all. You have only to let Christ shine upon you, and to allow God to make your heart His sanctuary, and then He "that sits between the cherubim [will] shine forth." (Psalm 80:1,RV) "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 13:43) "It is God which works in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)
The one thing that the world needs is to see God in His works, that they may learn His ways. Then, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)--Present Truth, October 27, 1898.