Kingfish

At the end of the show they were all dead, but they were definitely alive when they were on the island. You have to listen to what Jack?s dad told him namely that time no longer exists when you?re dead. That?s why Hurly said to Ben (outside the church) you were a great number 2. Ben and Hurly apparently lived for sometime after Jack died in the last episode. When Hurly took over for Jack as the next Jacob he asked Ben to help him and Ben became Hurly?s Richard Alpert. (his number 2) As the people died that lived on the island either on or off the island they all entered an artificial construct (where they believed they were alive) as they waited for all the others to die. Once they all died they awoke and gathered at the church, the chuch doors opened and they prepared to enter the afterlife together.