‘The Chosen’ Says Emotional Goodbye to the ‘Miracle’ Set Where God Opened the Door

Some places become more than a backdrop to a story. For the team behind The Chosen, its sprawling Utah set became a place where biblical history was recreated, thousands gathered, and, according to those behind the series, they witnessed God’s faithfulness firsthand.

Now, that chapter is coming to an end.

As The Chosen films its seventh and final season, creator Dallas Jenkins and members of the cast and crew are saying an emotional goodbye to the Goshen, Utah, set that has played an integral role in the series since Season 2.

“This is our last time filming in Utah,” Jenkins says in footage from the new behind-the-scenes video compilation.

Yet the story of how the production arrived there in the first place makes the farewell even more significant.

Jenkins recalled that before Season 2, securing the location seemed nearly impossible. After visiting the set, however, he immediately recognized its potential.

“I felt like I was transported to the first century,” Jenkins recalled. “Like this is what it feels like, this is what it looks like.”

Still, the answer initially appeared to be no.

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Amid the uncertainty, Jenkins texted his wife, Amanda, whose response put the situation into a spiritual perspective.

“God’s taking you to the edge of the Red Sea so that when the waters part, you’ll know it’s him,” she told him.

Jenkins ultimately approached the stewards of the property with a simple proposition: “I’m not going to presume upon the Lord what God would want me to do, but you are stewards of this set; I’m [a] steward of a story. I’m just wondering if God wants us to work together.”

The following morning, the call came: “Goshen set is a go.”

“It was a miracle that we got this place,” Jenkins says.

That miracle helped transform the scope of The Chosen. The Utah set has given the production expansive exterior locations that can recreate Jerusalem and other settings from first-century Judea. Jenkins has described the location as invaluable as the series reaches its final season.

What began at the edge of a proverbial Red Sea has now come full circle.

The walls may have been built for filmmaking, but for The Chosen, the testimony attached to them became something much greater: a reminder that sometimes the doors that appear firmly closed are the very ones God can open.

Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].