We started the series on how fantasy links to the real world, and then discussed how found family and kingdom fantasy harken to our longing for something beyond this world. Next up are two more reasons–one a little more controversial.

3. The Chosen One

Every fantasy lover knows this trope. The lowly stable boy, the orphan girl, the underdog who no one knows becomes the prophesied savior. I don’t know how many fantasy stories include this in some way. And yet, what if it had its beginnings at the beginning of time?

Genesis chapter three tells of the fall of man, but God doesn’t just punish Adam and Eve for doing what they weren’t supposed to do, he gives a promise! One day, there will come one who will crush the serpent’s head. A Savior would come from the woman.

How many women through the ages wondered if their child would be the chosen one? How many young boys dreamed of being the savior their people longed for?

Then one day, an angel spoke to a young woman betrothed to a righteous man and told her she would bear a child who would be the Savior.

But the chosen one trope doesn’t end with Jesus as the Savior of the world. It goes on. Jesus chose twelve men to travel with him, and many others followed.

Ephesians chapter one verses three and four state:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love (English Standard Version, emphasis mine)

Did you catch that? If we are believers in Christ, then we are chosen. The longing of every fantasy reader to be that chosen hero can be true.

4. Magic

I can just hear Christians ready to cry, “Heresy!” Doesn’t the Bible forbid magic? Put down your stones—okay, at least hold them for a moment and listen.

Magic by its very definition is a supernatural ability. There are two sources to supernatural abilities in this world—from God or from the Devil (Enemy, Satan.)

God gave his Old Testament servants the ability to perform miracles which would very much appear as magic. Moses turning his staff into a snake for instance. The Egyptian magicians did the same thing through their dark arts. There were several signs that Moses did that the Egyptians were able to duplicate, but eventually, they could no longer keep up with God’s power.

In the New Testament, again, God gave signs to help people come to a saving faith in Jesus.

But there is a definite dark magic that the Bible forbids and with good reason. Its source is from the enemy, and he only wants to entangle us in his grasp.

So, as believers we must be careful where our magic system comes from in a fantasy book. There are definite dark fantasy books out there that dig into magic on an evil front.

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As you go about your week, remember the chosen one. Are you one of them? Do you know any? But even more importantly, are you living life as a chosen one?