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Of course, everyone has to posit the underlying structures beneath Lost. Who are Jacob and the Man In Black? What’s up with the temple, the glowing wheel, etc. I adore Lost for being brave enough to introduce challenging concepts into mainstream television; evidently I’m not the only one. So let’s go for it: my humble theory on the enigma driving the story.

(As I wrote this, I had a revelation, so I’ll edit to fit)

The Man In Black

The Man in Black is an ancient deity, lording over and terrorizing a civilization similar to Egypt; possibly a precursor? He seems to be trapped on the island in spite of his powers, such as becoming Smokey.

Jacob

Originally I believed Jacob to be another deity — and perhaps he is — but he is the only one who utilizes actual physical aspects of the island in his efforts (Lighthouse, cave, the balance, the circle of black ash). Because he can travel out of body throughout space and time, he can recruit help to accomplish that which he must to prevent the Man in Black’s intentions. I speculate that Jacob is a high priest or pharaoh who committed himself to protecting the world from the Man in Black.

The Temple, the Glowing Wheel, the Four Toed Statue, The Pool:

All measures taken to monitor and restrain the deities from leaving the island and wreaking havoc, as they must have done before.

The Numbers, Jacob’s Cave & the Lighthouse:

Okay, so I’m an idiot. People magazine (on Google search) informed me that the numbers corresponded to the main characters. I suppose that’s now a big “duh.” On the other hand, Jacob had been searching for a “team” to perform a mission. A quick glimpse of the cavern ceiling showed a few names of dead characters (forgive me, I forget which). Additionally, the settings on the lighthouse correspond to locations in their own lives, meaning Jacob had been monitoring them all along, in order to plant the seeds that would bring them to the island.

Smokey:

One aspect of Smokey always intrigued me: the howling, mechanical noise. I loved it from the get-go, and now I think I know why it accompanies Smokey’s appearances: he’s drawing on the energy source and the stone mechanics that act upon the island in a way we don’t understand.

Richard:

A former slave who has been serving Jacob all these centuries. Richard is either immortal (or long lived) or cast forward in time. He does seem to have a way with ingratiating himself into cultures. Lately he has seemed befuddled, as if he never expected the endgame to take place.

The Energy Source:

That which powers the island to do whatever it is it does. I am guessing the island’s energy source serves as a cage for Jacob and the Man in Black. It’s notable that the giant wheel that Ben had to turn was made out of the same sort of stonework as the Temple.

Ilana

She’s exotic! She knows too much! Must be a priestess. I speculate that she’s Richard’s age, fighting against the Man In Black as well.

Final Thoughts

In closing, I would like to remind Lost viewers of a somewhat silly old Star Trek episode, “The Alternative Factor,” where:

The crew meets two nearly-identical men named Lazarus, one from their universe and one from an antimatter universe with the potential to destroy both universes should they come together. Kirk must work with the Lazarus not of his own universe to trap the other, a madman, in a void between the universes with his twin, thus keeping everyone else safe.

In spite of the ridiculousness of this particular episode, the denouement creeped out young Steve: stuck in between universes with a madman forever (why they wouldn’t die is not explained). I believe that Jacob has assumed the role of brave protector. Most speculation is that Jacob wants to get off the island, or find a new protector. I believe that Jacob has found a way to kill the Man in Black, and he needs 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 to do it.