Coincidence or Fate by DaKlenke

This is a very brief theory that takes another look at the character John Locke. I have written two other theories in the recent past also about Locke, and I recommend that you read those two first. "Musings on John Locke" and "Further Muings on John Locke."

In my hiatus rewatch, I am now on the third disk of Season 2. The tail section survivors have been reunited with the middle section and Locke and Mr. Eko have met.

In the episode "What Kate Did", there are two conversations between the aforementioned that I would like to reexamine now that Jacob and MIB have been introduced.

The first conversation comes after Locke shows Michael and Eko the Swan Orientation video. Locke asks Eko what his opinions are on the subject, and instead of answering, he walks away. Later, Eko returns with a package and then proceeds to tell John a story.

Eko explains that before Jesus Christ, there was a King named Josiah. He goes on to explain that before Josiah's reign, the temple in which the people worshipped God had been destroyed, the land was in disarray, and the people had reverted to paganism. Eko explains that this benevolent king sends his ambassador of the treasury to go and retrieve all the gold that the kingdom has, and then to give that gold to the workers so that the temple could be rebuilt.

The ambassador returns to his King empty handed, and when Josiah asks why, the treasurer responds by saying "we found a book". That book, referred to as the Book of Law, was in fact the Old Testament. Eko tells John that Josiah rebuilt his temple, but not with gold. He rebuilt it with this book. Eko then gives Locke the version of the Holy Bible that he found in the Arrow Station on the other side of the Island. In this book, the spliced scenes from the Swan Orientation video lay dormant.

Later, while Locke and Eko are editing the orientation video to put the missing pieces back in, Locke asks Eko, "What are the chances?" Locke goes on to explain that someone made this video, and then someone else came along and edited it. That same someone then took the edited pieces and hid them on the opposite side of the Island. Locke then asks, what are the chances that one plane then comes along, splits apart, and crashes on this very Island. On one side, Locke finds the video and on the other side, Eko finds the missing pieces. Then, they are reunited. Again, Locke asks, "What are the chances?"

Eko's response: "Don't confuse coincidence with fate John."

Now if you consider that in Richard's test during Locke's childhood, how instead of picking the Book of Law (with Richard smiling) John picks the knife, causing Richard to leave in a fit of rage. I wonder if Locke was meant to pick the Book of Laws so that he might rebuild the Temple on the Island. Whether or not the rebuilding is literal or a metaphor, i cannot say, as we have not seen the Temple. But I think that Locke was chosen to restore order to the Island, but instead, Locke was manipulated by MIB to stray away from this path... by confusing coincidence with fate.
Short, sweet, and I hope to hear back from all of you.