Why would a God of love make it last so long? Why would humans even question his sovereignty if He actually stepped in and started straightening things up in this world?
Good question. The answer is: So YOU could be born. Realize it or not, it has taken this long to produce you, specifically YOU. YOU wouldn't have been born in ancient times. YOU wouldn't have been born in the Roman times or the Middle Ages, not in Colonial times. Only now. You are the product of your wonderful mom and dad who got to get together to make YOU, specifically YOU. So maybe God thought: Hmmmm, that's quite a long wait, close to 6000 years. But now that you're here he might have been thinking that long wait was worth it. Until maybe yesterday?
At any rate, here's another way to look at it. The only way to save mankind was to let them be born in an imperfect world. The longer God allowed the more potential people could be born. Now everyone is not going to get eternal life, obviously, perhaps only two-thirds of the entire population of the world who has ever lived, but the longer god waits before starting the millennium the more choices we will have on Judgment Day.
I read somewhere recently, maybe here, that Satan took 1/3 of the angels with him from heaven. One third is quite a lot. Of perfect beings. Who have seen and witnessed many aspects of creation? Why would that many be 'fooled'? Even that many imperfect humans wouldn't be fooled if God was love and showed himself to be caring and perfect as the bible says. If the imperfect humans had witnessed everything written in the bible and how Jehovah dealt with the situations.
Also, good observation. When you think of the rebel angels, think of them as someone with the philosophy of some "skin heads." Think of them as similar to the white community that came out en masse to protest the first black girl entering an all-white college. If you had so much hatred for someone you considered so beneath you, so unsophisticated and insulting to you, then you might decide you'd rather not live at all. A couple of movies carry that explanation, amazingly, like "Constantine" and the "Prophecy" series, where basically the angels are upset that God created man in his image and ultimately will make some of them, the "Bride Class" who will marry Christ, more glorious beings than the current angels themselves. Certainly that's a consideration.
Another example would be found in the parable of the prodigal son, where God, so happy to see his errant son returns, makes him the heir of the household. He gives him a new robe, "the best one," (Luke 15:22), meaning better than his older brother's. What is the older brother's reaction? They can't stand it. They don't understand it! How could God put this younger brother who threw away everything ahead of him. So he refuses to enter into the house.
Or the parable about the vineyard workers where the 1st-hour workers agreed to a day's wage which they earn over 11 hours, but workers coming in later are paid the same. The 1st-hour workers are upset because they were expecting "more." But God did them no harm by giving the other workers what he wished so that he would seem a generous man. But you understand how some of those 1st-hour workers felt. Someone else in this situation might have angrily refused to accept anything rather than be insulted like that.
Thus SOVEREIGNTY is very much part of it. You hit the nail on the head. God's right to knock on your door and give you a million bucks! You're soooo delighted. And you're so happy. You go on a cruise, quick your boring job, etc. All while your house is being sold because you have a newer one now. But when you get back you find out that everybody on your block was visited by God too and each of them got $10 million each. You were the only one that got just $1 million. Where did that joy go? You see, happiness is subjective. In this case, it has to do with being too nosy perhaps because if you were not so intrested in what God was doing with the neighbors, which is God's own business, then you would have thought God was the most generous and wonderful God ever! So that's a sovereignty issue. God can do what he wants to with what is HIS to give. He didn't harm you by giving you only one million. You're still upset until you perhaps dig a little deeper and find out it was all a test to see if you'd appreciate your own gift.
So the angels that rebel against God are not "fooled" they are just angelists! They don't like the idea that man were created so similar to them and they have to share the universe with them, be respected and loved, because they think humans are so uncultured. Thus some people don't want to live if they can't live in an all-angelic community. They'd rather not live at all and move out once God lets humans into the neighborhood. Of course, God feels like 'Good riddins!" they were bringing down the neighborhood anyway.
So it's not up to Satan or the other angels to be all up into God's business. If he wants to make the least the greatest, then that's HIS sovereign choice. Persons who are humble and meek are not really that concerned about comparing what God does for them compared to what God does for someone else.
And where in the hell are you God? If you're there, make things right. And if I die and I can book a five minute interview with you, I'm going to let you know how pissed off I am at you and that I feel ok with being pissed at you, because I'm human and you've supposedly given us these holy texts that are so open to misuse and interpretation and let all this suffering happen.
Interesting, but I guess you haven't read your Bible. Ever hear of JUDGMENT DAY? It's just for YOU. Everybody gets to come back and compare notes. All those unanswered questions you have you get to ask. Once you hear all the explanations then you might see things God's way.
As far as "where" is God. He's around. I've spoken with him personally myself. He even arranged a miracle so I could show people what the promised "sign of the son of man" in the heavens looked like for the anointed whom it appeared to. So God is around, especially now, for those who actually believe the Bible and are concerned about pleasing him. Otherwise, he hides out from the wicked, big time.
So it boils down to being whether you're a "rich man" or not. Some people who are rich love it and wouldn't have it any other way. If they had to be an everyday person and dust and mow their lawns, they would rather die. All that is totally beneath them. So the kingdom is not for them. But if you're a surfer guy, then the kingdom is for you because you get to just live off the cocanuts and surf all day with your buddies. That big 14-bedroom house you own up on the hill you never see that much anyway, so you're not that concerned if it falls off those stilks and slides down the hill...
Here's the "sign of the son of man", created by angels in the clouds, in case you were wondering where God was.
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/clouddove.jpg
He's definitely around, but more directly with the anointed, especially these days since 1947.
JCanon