As for cabin. Thinks
1) Was used to hold MIB and Ilana was to bring the 2 bodies together.
2) Ricky told Ben it was Jacob’s digs.
3) Ben IS told ‘by the island’ (like Locke) what to do and attributes to Jacob.
4) MIB/Smokie somewhat same – Ben tossed around cabin using Smokie’s M.O. pattern of ‘sparkles’.

Problems/Questions:
1) By the time Locke sees cabin, Smokie’s been out, and I think Christian.
2) Does Ben get some of his ‘to do’ list from Jacob/island and others from MIB OR can he not hear MIB.
3) If MIB, did Ricky set him up (from the start)?
4) Why didn’t the cabin burn down when Locke there since one started?
5) Are there dead pairs in the cabin? Locke-Invisi, Locke-Christian, Christian-Clare?

“In the May 21, 2008 Official Lost Podcast/May 21, 2008, producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse confirmed that Yemi, the spider which bit and paralyzed Nikki, and some versions of Walt are manifestations of the Monster.”

And from the Official Lost Podcast transcript/March 26, 2007:

“Damon Lindelof: I think that Ben quite clearly says, “let me put this into terms that *you* can understand, John,” which in, in, in knowing that they have some sort of file on Locke, and they, they refer to having kn- kn- knowledge of the fact that he worked in a box company. Then maybe this is just, some sort of, uh, metpahor that Ben is using to explain, uh, whatever this box construct is on the island. Because I think it would be sort of silly to walk to the middle of the island and there was like, kind of a big large refrigerator box sitting there, and Kate’s horse comes tromping out, and Sayid’s little cat, and Jack’s Dad, and you know, I don’t know, that would kind of be the worst idea in the history of ideas.”

This is pretty open for interpretation I guess – pretty far from a confirmation that Kate’s horse and Christian are Smokie.

My understanding is that e.g. the horse that Kate saw has been confirmed to be Smokey in a podcast. But I haven’t heard it myself. I don’t even know where to find those podcasts. And I thought I had some weak memory of someone stating that also Christian has been confirmed to be Smokey, but perhaps I’m mistaken.

I don’t think Ben would just accept that – hey Jacob lives here, you can’t see him unless he wants to see you.

Ben is smarter then that, he must have had an experience in the cabin that leads him to believe it is special.

We still have Ben-centric & Richard=centric episodes to come, they better be about the past and not some alt timeline crap.

I beleve Richard showed ben where the cabin was and told hi
Jacob lived their to stop him asking to see him all the time

That remains a mystery!

We agree that Hurley definitely broke the ring and that Christian Shephard was in The Cabin with another person when Hurley looked inside.

I like your point about Horace, it does not make much sense for him to have built The Cabin, he may have found and fixed it up!

The Cabin seems so old and Horace was around in the early 70′s, what could he possibly have to do with Jacob and MIB? Horace dies in the purge so we know he has nothing to do with the others.

The only thing I can’t seem to agree with you on is that second person in The Cabin, and I am not talking about Claire!

look at the photos I have posted in my theory, THAT GLIMPSE – who does that look like?

and when Hurley looks inside and see’s Christian in the rocking chair, I would bet one of my kidneys that is John Locke’s face looking out!