The Chosen Shows the Apparitions of  Saints in Private Revelation Scenes...

In the last episode of season five, during the Last Supper and in the Garden of Gethsemane, the writers of The Chosen took the liberty to add extra-biblical scenes which include the apparitions of five biblical Saints!

Three Saints appear to Jesus from the Old Testament (Abraham, Isaac and Ezekiel) and serve as a reminder of both Christological typology and messianic prophecy. Two Saints from the New Testament appear to Jesus from the beyond the grave (St. John the Baptist and St. Joseph). They all serve as a source of spiritual strength for Jesus and as intercessors on his behalf as he begins to drink from the cup of suffering. 

Are Apparitions Biblical?

Many who are already suspicious of the Catholic content in The Chosen might have been caught off guard by the extra-biblical appartitions and private revelation. They must remember though that apparitions (of angels) are actually common in the Bible...

An angel found Hagar by a spring and told her to return to her mistress. Abraham welcomed three visitors, two of whom were angels who informed him of the birth of his son Isaac. Two angels warned Lot of Sodom's destruction and guided him and his family out of the city. Jacob saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder in a dream and later encountered a "host of God" encamped near him. An angel visited Gideon while he was hiding, assuring him of God's presence. An angel appeared to Moses at the burning bush. Isaiah and Ezekiel both had visions of seraphim and "living creatures," which are actually angels. This list is not including the angels that appeared to New Testament figures like Mary, Peter and Paul. 

But what about Saints, human souls from heaven making contact with us? Is there a biblical precedent for this?

Yes. During Jesus's transfiguration in the Bible, he and his disciples (Peter, James and John) see the apparition of two Old Testament Saints. Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus on top of a mountain. 

Four Saints Featured in The Chosen Finale...

St. John the Baptist: During the Last Supper scene, which started out as a Jewish Passover Meal, Jesus, alone, saw John the Baptist sitting at the seat which is customarily left open for the coming of Elijah. This Passover custom stems from the tradition that Elijah will announce the Messiah's arrival. Jesus sees his cousin John in that seat. John the Baptist was not the literal reincarnation of Elijah, but he came in the "spirit and power of Elijah" to prepare the way for Jesus. John was an Elijah-like figure. Both the prophet Elijah and the prophet John gave a fierce call for repentance, had a rustic appearance and condemned corruption.

Abraham and Isaac: Once in the Gethsemane, after telling the disciples to stay awake, Jesus goes further into the garden. He hears voices and sees two people emerge in a foggy distance. As he goes to investigate he sees Abraham and Isaac on their way up Mount Moriah to carry out the binding and sacrifice of Isaac.  Taken from Genesis 22:7-8, their terrible yet prophetic dialogue follows…

Isaac: "My father?" 

Abraham: "Yes, my son?" 

Isaac: "The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham: "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son".

Isaac is a type of Christ since he is being offered by his father in sacrifice and like Jesus carrying the cross up to Golgotha, he carries the wood for his own sacrifice up a slope. Abraham, perhaps unwittingly, makes a messianic prophecy when he declares that the Lord would provide the Lamb for the sacrifice as Jesus is the Lamb of God.

The Prophet Ezekiel: In the biblical story of Ezekiel, the vision of the valley of dry bones symbolizes the restoration of the Israelite people, who were spiritually dead and hopeless while in Babylonian exile. God instructs Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, and as he does, they come together, are covered in flesh and skin, and are filled with life, forming a "vast army". 

The Chosen’s Jesus, after his vision of Abraham and Isaac, walks seemingly aimlessly through a dusty valley littered with human skeletons, skulls and ‘dry bones’. He sees in the distance the prophet Ezekiel. As he approaches he asks Ezekiel, "Son of man, can these bones live?" to which Ezekiel replies, "O LORD God, only you know". This dialogue connects the prophecy of Ezekiel to the defeat of death that Jesus will bring about in his impending death and resurrection. Those bones, and the bones of all the righteous may live because Jesus is the source of new, eternal life. 

St. Joseph: Finally, Jesus is comforted by an angel. In Luke 22:43, "an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him". "In the Garden of Gethsemane, the angel was not sent to deliver Christ from his anguish, but to minister to him in his suffering, that he might endure all for our sake." - St. Cyril of Alexandria. 

In the Chosen's version of events, it’s not an angel that comforts him but his earthly father St. Joseph.  Chosen viewers were introduced to the Joseph character earlier in the series when Mary and Jesus had memory flashbacks. Joseph tells Jesus,  "your Father is so proud of you. You will not be alone" in the ordeal to come. As he reaches out to touch Jesus and before he fades away, he says, "I will see you soon”. 

In my opinion, probably because I am Catholic, I loved the Gethsemane scene and all the prophecy and typology that came out. I appreciated the Chosen's affirmation of extra-biblical private revelation, the communion of saints (the love and care the Saints have for us while we are on earth especially when we are suffering for the sake of the Kingdom) and the interpretation of scripture which sees that the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.