Marvin Moore was born in Lima, Peru, the son of Seventh-day Adventist missionary parents. He spent 14 years in Peru, Argentina, and Cuba (plus two years of furlough), returning to the United States at age 16 to complete his education. In 1959 he graduated from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska with a BA in theology. He received a Master of Arts degree in church history in 1961 from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. In 1970 he received a Master of Divinity degree, also from Andrews University, and in 1975 he completed a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Dallas in Texas.

He entered pastoral ministry in the Southern California Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1961. He has spent 15 years in pastoral ministry in California and Texas. While in Texas he also spent 6 years as a free-lance writer.

In December 1985 he joined Pacific Press in Nampa, Idaho (near Boise), as an associate book editor, and in August 1994 he became editor of Signs of the Times magazine, also published by Pacific Press. He is the author of 30 books, including The Crisis of the End Time, The Coming Great Calamity, Conquering the Dragon Within, and How to Think About the End Time. His most recent book, Forever His: How to have joyful and unbroken relationship with Jesus, was published in January 2004 by Pacific Press.