Jacob Likes To Play Games by yellowlab

I think Jacob has been playing a big game with people’s lives for hundreds of years. I think that MIB is the smoke monster and an island deity. Jacob was the first man to discover the island. I think the MIB gave him some mystical powers as a gift without knowing Jacob would abuse them. He gave Jacob immortality. Later Jacob made Richard immortal and turned him into his servant rather than a friend. He needed someone to do his dirty work. Jacob was supposed to revere the MIB smoke monster as depicted in the hieroglyphics drawing in the Temple. When we first see Jacob he automatically cooks two pieces of fish and offers MIB one.

Although this implies he is still honouring the MIB I think he has clearly already started to rebel against the deity’s rules by bringing other people to the island. MIB knows that most people would not be able to deal with the supernatural aspects in play on the island without going c! razy and turning violent. He is sure that there are few people who could encounter his powers and remain good-hearted, calm and not be afraid. He wants to protect mankind be keeping them away from the island.He also knows that Jacob will corrupt them. But Jacob likes to watch the drama unfold and enjoys seeing pain and conflict. It is like a game to him and he also influences events to cause more conflict and fear. He wants people living on the island to be brutal. When he tells MIB that it ‘only ends once’ he is referring to the deaths of those fighting each other on the island and is dismissive of human life. He also calls learning to be violent “progress”.

Jacob touched the 815ers to make sure they ended up in his ‘game’ of violence. He helped Kate escape justice for stealing, setting up a pattern of criminal behaviour in her. He helped James to finish his letter threatening to murder the real Sawyer. He told Hurley what he wanted to hear – that he was sane. He killed Nadia so that Sayid had no purpose in life and would return to the island. He forced the Others to follow his commands by giving them instructions and lists which supported hurting people and violence. He encouraged leaders like Widmore and Ben to use violence against others whilst pretending to be an influence of good.

MIB destroys anyone who he feels would support Jacob's evil cause and hurt more people - like Eko who said he did not regret murder.
I think ‘what lies in the shadow of the statue’ is not Jacob but the Temple and home of the MIB – he lives in the shadow of the statue when it is whole and not just a foot!