First - the O'Connor book:
"Everything That Rises Must Converge" — from a phrase coined by an egghead and fellow Catholic provocateur named Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who concocted a theory of evolution called “Omega Point.” Basically, it’s the idea that there is some kind of transcendent entity or consciousness that is guiding everyone and everything toward greater complexity and enlightenment, until everyone and everything becomes transcendent, too.
Which is not unlike what Jacob seems to be trying to do - bringing all these people to the Island and exposing them to its power, trying out different permutations with a goal of total transcendence. It's possible the two Adversaries are even caught in some kind of time loop, and Jacob hopes to resolve it somehow, escaping this wheel and reaching Nirvana. Or something.
Then, he writes:
CONCLUSION
Jacob was “quibbling” during his flashbacks; he was building loopholes and failsafe devices into each castaway’s life that will allow them to cheat death by Jughead. By physically touching each of them, he marked them in a magical way. And now, he’s going to draw them to himself, i.e., the Island, just like the electromagnetic anomaly at the Swan site started drawing anything metal into is powerful singularity. Perhaps they will all be immediately beamed to the Island in reincarnated bodies. (The promo for next season seemed to imply as much, what with Jack’s eye shooting open and reflecting back the jungle.) Or maybe it will be like this: the souls of the annihilated castaways will migrate into their bodies at the point in time that Jacob touched them. And more, I’ll bet you that they will retain all the memories of their past lives. Which means, for example, that Young James Ford will have knowledge of his fate — and can choose to try to change it, if he wishes. This is part of the great gift Jacob has given them: Not only new life, but the capacity to create their own destinies — a destiny which could include, if they wish, to go to the Island of their own free will. And they will. Remember Jacob’s last, bloody sputter: “They’re coming.”
Now, I think that might be taking it a bit far. For instance, yeah Sawyer would get all this time to shape his future, but Jacob appeared to Hurley in 2007/2008 just before boarding Ajira 316. He'd already been stranded on the Island once - why doesn't Hurley get a new life? Though it really does seem like those visit changed or shaped things, somehow. And it really does seem like Jacob was building his dream team, so he could call upon them later, and I agree they're probably the ones who are "coming".
I really don't like the idea that our heroes will significantly change the past they know, and that Season 6 will be an alternate timeline as they resolve what's been changed and why. One of things that is so troubling about time travel stories is the number of temporal issues and potential paradoxes involved. The "What happened, happened" theory of time travel assures that even if you go back to try and change things, all that will happen is you causing the event you're trying to change.
Now, the writers have also been stacking the deck with predetermination paradox after predetermination paradox. I'm hopeful that is more meaningful than people's suggestion that the Losties will change the Incident and alter their own lives. What we'll see is that it was all set up by time travelers, and Jacob has assured that by being involved in the Incident, his chosen group is able to travel to 2007 and end this war for good.
On the other hand, I have to agree with Doc Jensen when he points out that
despite his sensitive, soothing demeanor, I find myself nagged by the prospect that Jacob could be playing with the dark pieces in this cosmic game. The final moments of the opening sequence may have offered a clue that Jacob is more charismatic Lucifer Morningstar than feel-good sexy Jesus.
It's quite possible that there's something to the Red Herring theory as it's just the sort of wink the writers love to throw in (see: Flannery O'Connor's "Everything Rises").Is Jacob "the good guy" or is it possible that the Smoke Monster is the true defender of the Island, appearing in human form as Jacob's Nemesis? And everyone knows, Smokey eats the souls of "bad" people, not herring!
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