By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #236 ~
Just recently, Marvin Rosenthal, a servant of God, and my friend, went to heaven to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Marv served the Lord for over 60 years. For the first part of that time, Marv was pastoring churches. Then he began leading ministries that proclaimed the gospel, especially to the Jewish people, and that taught about our hope, the glorious future God has in store for every Christian. There’s no doubt that Marv, by the grace of God, affected and impacted countless numbers of people all over the world, and I was one of them. Let me tell you what happened.
In the summer of 1993, a friend gave me a book written by Marv Rosenthal, the Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. I had always been interested in Biblical prophecy, and so I read it with great interest – and it made sense, particularly Marv’s view on Christ’s coming and the rapture, which I now know is God’s view. What struck me and my wife the most was the first chapter, which showed Marv’s love for the truth, and his willingness and courage to teach it no matter the cost.
In the summer of 1994, my wife Marsha and I heard that Marv was doing a three-day prophecy conference at Sandy Cove, Maryland, not far from where we lived. We were excited to go and hear him speak, and his subject just happened to be the book of Revelation. Marv never made it through all 22 chapters, but I tell you, I was not disappointed. I loved his teaching, and his history lessons and stories, and that he patiently answered all my questions. In October of 1995, we were thrilled to be able to go back to Sandy Cove and again hear Marv teach on prophecy – and we learned so much.
My wife and I were so thankful that God wanted us to cross paths with Marv. And it was obvious that God had given us a love for Bible prophecy, and that he was using Marv to help us learn key truths about Christ’s coming, and the rapture of the church. Then we started receiving Zion’s Fire, the magazine Marv and His staff put together. It contained important information about end-times’ prophecy as well as truths about the gospel of Christ and the glory of God, along with encouraging stories about their mission work in Jerusalem.
Thanks to God, and to Marv’s example, I was extremely motivated to study Bible prophecy. Much of my free time in the mid to late 1990’s was spent carefully going over Daniel, Matt. 24, Luke 21, 1-2 Thess., and Revelation – I was learning about the end of the age, the 70 weeks of Daniel, great tribulation, the rapture, the Day of the Lord, and the Antichrist. I was growing in my understanding of our God-planned, God-prophesied future, and even taught a weekly Bible study at my church – and it was on the book of Revelation.
One of the biggest highlights of my life was when Marsha and I went on a Zion’s Hope sponsored tour of Israel in the spring of 1998, one led by Marv and his son David. What a phenomenal time, seeing and walking where Jesus lived, taught, and performed miracles. Of course, Marv was the main speaker, and a great speaker and teacher he was, helping us understand the Biblical significance of the places we visited. Then there was that time when we were sitting together with Marv and David on the roof top of our hotel in Petra, Jordan – we will never forget the specialness of that time.
In 1989, Marv, his wife Marbeth, and David moved to Orlando, Florida where they set up their ministry, Zion’s Hope. Lo and behold, ten years later I was transferred to a church in nearby Tampa. How wise and good of God, for now we saw Marv more often, went to the Holy Land Experience, and attended prophecy conferences. Not only that, but the new church I was helping pastor (Hope Bible Church), began supporting their mission work in Israel. What a blessing that we could support a church located in Jerusalem that was reaching out to Jewish people.
Since Marv lived so close to Tampa, we started having him come to our church to teach an annual prophecy conference, which went on for nearly ten years. Our little church loved Marv and hearing him teach on prophecy. One thing Marsha and I looked forward to was going out to eat and having fellowship with Marv and Marbeth the night before the conference began. Marv was so loving and kind, for he would always ask how we, our children, and our small church were doing. He genuinely cared about us, which meant a lot to us. We also talked about what was happening in the world as it related to prophecy – Marv had so much insight and discernment, and we were thankful that we knew him personally, and could learn from him.
At a couple of those Sunday morning sessions at our church, he talked about being a servant of God, and truly, that was not just how he thought of himself, but how he lived his life. Over the years, I have witnessed it myself. Ever since he was saved, he has sacrificially served the Lord, used his talents and time to advance the cause of Christ, proclaimed the truths of Christ’s 1st coming and 2nd coming, gave glory to God, and helped men like myself.
More than anyone else, Marv motivated me to serve the Lord by teaching on prophecy. About 12 years ago, I started a prophecy Bible study at our church – it was on the first Wednesday of every month, and it continues on today. I was glad to be in a position where I could keep studying prophecy and keep teaching it – it was good for me, and I am sure for all the people who have come to it over the years. And it was exactly five years ago, January of 2017, that I began this blog site, ChristsKingdom.org. Like Marv, my desire is for people to know what the Bible says about Christ’s coming and His kingdom on earth. I am absolutely convinced that we are living in the end-times, and I want people to be excited about living for God in these last years before Christ’s return and the rapture of the church.
I am very thankful that God wanted me to meet Marv so I could learn from him, have him as a mentor, be encouraged by him, and know him as a friend, and as a fellow servant of God! What an immense blessing he has been to me – what a precious gift from God! And yes, it wasn’t Marv alone, but God working through Marv, for he saw himself as a weak and humble vessel, and yet one who was filled, empowered, and led by the Holy Spirit.
Just last week, it was time for Marv’s departure from this earth, for the days God had ordained for him came to an end (31,497 days). His work was finished, and so he went home to be with His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How happy and excited Marv must have been to suddenly leave this earth and immediately be in heaven. “How precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones” (Ps. 116:15). I am sure Jesus was glad to meet Marv, and upon his arrival, tell him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master.” Matthew 25:23
Just think, on January 8th, 2022, the truth of Heb. 12:22-24 became a life-changing reality for Marv – “You have come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.” It is so encouraging to know that Marv is literally in heaven, with Jesus who loves him so, so much, with all those angels, and with all the saints who have gone on before him.
Marv is undoubtedly filled with love, joy, and peace, and the satisfaction of knowing that he lived a meaningful and God-glorifying life, that he fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). And it won’t be long before we will all be in heaven with Jesus, Marv, and all the saints. Those great rapture verses tell us what will happen – “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:16-18). “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”… “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.” Revelation 19:5-6
P.S. I would encourage you to check out Zion’s Hope, the ministry Marv began – you will find it most instructive and encouraging. Let me also mention three articles I have written that focus on our hope, our wonderful and glorious future – “You Have to Have Hope”, “Being in Heaven with Jesus, and the Believers, and in a New Glorified Body” and “Why Do Believers Die?”