I was thinking, Richard was the revelation to Jacob that MIB had figured out the "loophole" on how to kill him. Get someone else to do it. So he made Richard the one to interact with everyone. In giving Richard the ability to live forever he in turn sealed his fate, because Richard was the only one on the island who knew where Jacob was. If you remember the look on the MIB in Locke's body when they came upon the foot statue and Richard told him that's where Jacob lived. It was like, he's been there all this time. The MIB took Sawyer to the cave and showed the names on the wall, he also destroyed the cabin. I think Jacob has been appearing in various places to throw the MIB off his path, but has remained in the same place since day one all this time. I don't think MIB knows about the lighthouse and those names. Kate is crossed out in the cave that the MIB saw but not in the lighthouse..Who is going to replace Jacob? Maybe more than one?
Re: More thoughts on LOST.
I have been obsessing over this since the episode. Have you seen this website?
https://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Candidates
Pinterest
Oh, and it says this about Kate's name in the cave.
Very likely Kate Austen, who met Jacob as a child when she was caught trying to shoplift a lunchbox. Jacob helped her, paying for the lunchbox, and touched her on the nose. The name "Austen" was not seen in the cave, but was later seen in the Lighthouse, not crossed out. Carlton Cuse said in an interview that Kate's name was on the cave wall and crossed out, but regrettably did not make the final edit.
It also mentions that KWON could actually be the daughter of Sun and Jin, and not actually them. Also read this about SHEPARD which I never caught:
Could also refer to Christian Shephard who has often been seen in Jacob's cabin. In the episode Lighthouse the mirrors in the lighthouse displayed Christian Shephard's house, where Jack once lived as a youngster. On the wheel in Jacob's Lighthouse, Shephard's name is written in a darker black ink and different handwriting than the names surrounding his. There are also several small punctures in the surface around his name and a few of those below it.