The fixation with The Numbers came down to names attached to bearing points on Jacob's light house compass. It was within the light house where Jacob used the looking glass to spy upon his candidates throughout their lives, especially their childhoods.
One could imagine that Jacob as a magician would give sad children one last adventure before going on to the after life; a Willy Wonka of the Spiritual World.
But we never got a charitable sense from Jacob or how he operated. He seemed very detached and solemn.
A compass is an instrument containing a magnetized pointer that shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it. The use of the compass for navigation at sea was reported from China c. 1100, western Europe 1187, Arabia c. 1220, and Scandinavia c. 1300, although it probably dates from much earlier. Since the early 20th century the magnetic compass has been superseded by the gyrocompass as primary equipment for ships and aircraft.
A bearing has several different meanings:
1 [ in sing. ] a person's way of standing or moving or the way one behaves or conducts oneself;
2 relation or relevance;
3 the level to which something bad can be tolerated;
4 a part of a machine that bears friction, esp. between a rotating part and its housing;
5 Architecture a structural part that supports weight, such as a wall that supports a beam;
6 the direction or position of something, or the direction of movement, relative to a fixed point. It is typically measured in degrees, usually with magnetic north as zero: the Point is on a bearing of 015°.
There are 360 bearing points on the compass which means that there could be only 360 maximum candidates. From lostpedia's records, there appear to be 220 empty bearing points (with no names). 360 minus 220 equals 140 candidates on the island after Flight 815 crash landed.
Under what iteration were the 815 candidates?
We know that Jacob allegedly brought numerous candidates to the island. We assume centuries past based upon the relics and architectural features of a temple and hieroglyphs. Jacob himself was a shipwrecked Roman from at least 400 AD (based upon his travelers' dress). So, under Jacob's reign, he lasted approximately 1600 years as island guardian.
If the Numbers influence the way humans were captured for the island rituals of Jacob, let us suppose it followed the pattern:
1st group was 4
2nd group was 8
3rd group was 15
4th group was 16
5th group was 23
6th group 42.
At the end of the 6th group, a total of 108 candidates would have arrived on the island.
Which means the 815 manifest list came ashore in either the 9th (135 candidates) or 10th visitor group (151).
We can go back in time to try to figure out who the groups were:
Last group: 815ers
Next to last: Danielle's science boat
Prior to that: Dharma
Prior to that: U.S. Military
Prior to that: The Others
Prior to that: Jacob's boat
Prior to that: Crazy Mom's arrival (?)
So we have been shown at least 7 of the 9/10 groups who came to the island. One group that made an impression was the ancient Egyptians and another group could have been the ancient Greeks (based on Jacob's tapestry).
So throughout time, there were many candidates summoned to the island. Many more creative, scientifically inclined, stronger or spiritual than Jack. So why did Jack become the key to unlock the cycle of island visitors from the greatest civilizations known to mankind? Despite all the attention to detail, lists, candidate names, etc., was Jack's emergence just a random event that changed the course of island history?
In the story, there were three bearing references. Ben told Michael to use bearing 325 to leave the island waters to salvation. Daniel told Frank to use the bearing of 305 to find the island. And finally, Jacob told Hurley to move the lighthouse mirrors to 108 degrees (which was the sum of the 815 candidates). The rescue or salvation number would then appear to be the sum of the current candidate group. It would also imply that in order to reach salvation, the new leader must draw strength or the will from his other candidates in order to succeed.
If that is the formula Jack had to complete, then did it work? What strength did Jack gain from Locke, Sayid, Sawyer, Hurley, or Jin? In his depressed mountain man state, Jack admitted to himself that Locke was right; he had to return to the island - - - but we don't know if it was the drugs or a true revelation inside Jack (since once Jack returned he turned into a complacent worker bee). Jack may have admired Sayid's cold blooded skills to make life and death decisions without hesitation. Jack may have admired how easily Hurley made friends with his fellow castaways. Jack had a true rival in Sawyer, but Jack never seemed to inherit any of Sawyer's good or bad traits. And Jack was never close to Jin to have a strong relationship. So the concept that all the candidates had to empower one candidate to victory seems to have slim to no evidence of support. By the time Jack took command of the island, Sayid and Jin were dead, Hurley was a scared wreck, and Sawyer was fleeing the island as fast as he could. The "live together or die alone" mantra seems to be a nullity.
Jack, as Number 23, would point almost due north. North is the direction where all bearings come from. It is the natural point in the sky for astronomy and observation of the heavens. The brightest star is called The North Star. Was Jack's death the focal point to show the other candidates and 815 passengers the way not off the island, but the way to the sideways after life world?
