[willkill4food]

But we are forgetting about the 3rd possibility, that it was Eru, not the Valar that harkened to Amandil's prayers and saved the faithful from the downfall of numenor, and I think this one is more likely. Because I always somehow got the picture that the Valar had forsaken Middle-Earth after the War of Wrath, for Sauron's rise was the fault of the elves and men in ME. But Eru on the other hand would have a reason to save the faithful, so that they could defeat Sauron the Valar really cared about defeating Sauron...

-willkill