Marvin Jerald Rosenthal (October 14, 1935 â January 8, 2022) was a Baptist pastor, author, missionary, and founder of ZionâÂÂs Hope and The Holy Land Experience, a Bible-themed park in Orlando, Florida. A Jewish convert to Christianity, he was active in evangelical missions to Jewish communities but was also a vocal opponent of the Messianic Jewish movement.
Rosenthal was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Yetta Rosenthal, a single mother who raised three sons in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of the city. His grandparents were Jewish immigrants who fled Russia to escape antisemitic pogroms. Raised in an observant Jewish environment, Rosenthal was bar mitzvahed and attended a Conservative synagogue.
His mother converted to Christianity after encountering a Christian missionary, which led to estrangement from the local Jewish community. Rosenthal himself converted to Christianity at age 15. He later served in the United States Marine Corps, worked briefly as a dance instructor, and pursued religious training at the Philadelphia College of the Bible and Dallas Theological Seminary.
Rosenthal was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1968 and became pastor of a Baptist church in Pemberton, New Jersey. He then joined the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, where he was executive director and edited the organizationâÂÂs magazine, Israel My Glory, for over 16 years.
Rosenthal was known for his opposition to Messianic Judaism. In 1975, he helped draft a resolution for the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews (FCTJ), denouncing Messianic congregations that mimicked synagogues and included Jewish ritual as âÂÂpseudo-cultural pride.â He maintained that Jewish converts should worship alongside Gentile Christians in local churches.
In 1989, following a theological dispute over his view of the timing of the Rapture, which he co-developed with Robert Van Kampen, Rosenthal was dismissed from the Friends of Israel. He founded ZionâÂÂs Hope, a missionary organization based in Florida, and began publishing ZionâÂÂs Fire magazine.
RosenthalâÂÂs vision culminated in the creation of The Holy Land Experience, a 15-acre biblical theme park in Orlando. Developed by ZionâÂÂs Hope, the park opened in 2001 and featured reconstructions of ancient Jerusalem, the Qumran Caves, HerodâÂÂs Temple, and the Garden Tomb.
Although the park was praised by some Christian leaders, it drew criticism from Jewish organizations who viewed it as a tool for proselytizing Jews. The Jewish Defense League protested its opening, and the parkâÂÂs multimedia exhibitsâÂÂsuch as a presentation at the Wilderness Tabernacle ending with images of Jesus and MaryâÂÂwere accused of blending Christian theology with Jewish history.
Rosenthal denied these accusations, stating, âÂÂMy goal is to share the truth of the word of God to all people, including Jewish people.âÂÂ
Despite initial controversy, the park attracted widespread media attention and exceeded projected attendance figures. Rosenthal acknowledged that the protests helped boost publicity: âÂÂThe storm of publicity has done more for us than millions of dollars in advertising could have accomplished.âÂÂ
Rosenthal authored several books on Christian theology and prophecy, including:
Rosenthal was married to Marbeth Rosenthal and had one son, David, who succeeded him as the leader of ZionâÂÂs Hope.
Rosenthal died on January 8, 2022, in Winter Garden, Florida, at the age of 86.
Rosenthal was a controversial figure in Christian missions to Jewish audiences. His theological positions, particularly his opposition to Messianic Judaism, and his development of the Holy Land Experience, made him a notable figure in American evangelicalism.