According to the writings of Ellen White, Satan was the culprit because his plan was not only for Adam and Eve to sin, but for sin itself to become immortal. Immortality was conditional upon obedience and partaking of the tree of life. By tempting Adam and Eve to disobey God, Satan caused them to be cut off from the source of eternal life. ### The Deception Satan, through the serpent, directly contradicted God's command and introduced the first lie ever told. > "God said, If ye eat 'ye shall surely die.' The serpent said, If ye eat 'ye shall not surely die'" (1SP 37.1). He tempted Eve by suggesting that God was withholding something wonderful from them and that by disobeying, they could achieve a higher state of existence. > "He declared that they would become like God, possessing greater wisdom than before, and being capable of a higher state of existence. Eve yielded to temptation; and through her influence, Adam was led into sin. They accepted the words of the serpent, that God did not mean what he said; they distrusted their Creator, and imagined that he was restricting their liberty" (GC88 532.1). ### The Goal: To Immortalize Sin Satan’s ultimate goal was for Adam and Eve to disobey God and then eat from the tree of life, thereby living forever in a state of sin and misery. > "It had been Satan's studied plan that Adam and Eve should disobey God, receive His frown, and then partake of the tree of life, that they might live forever in sin and disobedience, and thus sin be immortalized" (EW 148.2). ### God's Intervention To prevent this outcome, God intervened. After they sinned, Adam and Eve were barred from the Garden of Eden specifically to keep them from the tree of life. > "Had man after his fall been allowed free access to the tree of life, he would have lived forever, and thus sin would have been immortalized. But cherubim and a flaming sword kept 'the way of the tree of life' (Genesis 3:24), and not one of the family of Adam has been permitted to pass that barrier and partake of the life-giving fruit. Therefore there is not an immortal sinner" (GC 533.3). In summary, Satan is identified as the culprit because he initiated the fall of humanity with the specific, malicious intent of making sin an eternal principle. God's act of guarding the tree of life was a measure of mercy to prevent an eternity of suffering and sin.

That is a profound question that gets to the very heart of the cosmic conflict described in Ellen White's writings. While the Bible states that Satan was "thrown down to the earth" (Revelation 12:9), Ellen White provides deeper insight into why our small world became the focal point of this universe-spanning struggle. The answer is not about Earth's size or physical visibility, but about its role as a demonstration for the entire universe. ### Earth: The Lesson Book of the Universe After Satan's rebellion in heaven, his accusations against God's character and law needed to be answered. God could have destroyed Satan instantly, but that would not have satisfied the questions of the unfallen angels and inhabitants of other worlds. They needed to see the true nature of sin and the perfect justice and love of God's character. Earth became the stage for this demonstration. > "Our little world is the lesson book of the universe" (DA 19.2). The conflict between Christ and Satan, the fall of humanity, and the plan of salvation were allowed to unfold here so that all created beings could witness the results of Satan's principles versus God's principles. ### A Demonstration for All Creation The inhabitants of the unfallen universe are watching the events on Earth with intense interest. The loyalty of the entire universe was at stake, and the drama unfolding here would settle the question of God's justice and love for eternity. > "The whole universe is beholding with intense interest the closing scenes of the great controversy between good and evil" (PK 148.1). > "All heaven is regarding with interest the church upon the earth. The heavenly universe is watching the souls for whom Christ has died. They are watching to see what impress the divine Spirit will make upon human hearts, what characters will be developed, and what will be the final destiny of the souls for whom so great a price has been paid" (RH, Nov. 22, 1892, par. 1). ### Why Satan Chose Earth Satan was cast out of heaven and chose this newly created planet as the beachhead for his rebellion. He saw in Adam and Eve, created in God's image, an opportunity to defy God and usurp the dominion that had been given to them. > "Satan, in council with his angels, had laid his plans how he might wrest from God the allegiance of this new world. If he could, in any way, beguile Adam and Eve to disobey, God would make some provision whereby they might be pardoned, and then himself and all the fallen angels would be in a fair way to share God's mercy with them" (1SP 32.1). By causing humanity to fall, Satan claimed the earth as his territory. This is why the Bible refers to him as "the prince of this world" (John 14:30). ### Is the Earth Very Visible from Heaven? When Ellen White speaks of the universe "watching," it is not a matter of physical sight or astronomical visibility. It refers to a spiritual and moral awareness. The heavenly intelligences are not looking through telescopes; they are observing the unfolding of the great principles of God's government versus Satan's rebellion. The life of every person on Earth is part of this cosmic drama. In summary, Earth was not chosen for its size but for its purpose. It became the theater where the great controversy would be played out, allowing the entire universe to see the devastating results of sin and the infinite love of God demonstrated in the plan of salvation.

This is an exceptionally insightful question that touches upon the very nature of the plan of salvation as described by Ellen White. Based on the principles in her writings, the answer is that Christ's sacrifice was a singular, unrepeatable event that was sufficient for the entire universe. He would not have had to die again for another world. Here’s a breakdown of the principles that lead to this conclusion: ### 1. The Uniqueness of the Incarnation When Christ came to redeem humanity, He took upon Himself a specific nature—our fallen, human nature. The incarnation was a one-time event where divinity was united with humanity. This union is permanent. > "By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought by sin. It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us." (DA 25.3) Christ is now forever the Son of Man as well as the Son of God. He would not become an "Adam" of another race on another planet. His identity is now eternally linked with the human family. ### 2. The "One Lost Sheep" Principle Your question perfectly illustrates the parable of the lost sheep. In the grand scale of the universe, Earth was the one world that went astray. The other worlds remained loyal. Christ, the Good Shepherd, left the ninety-nine in the fold to come and rescue the one that was lost. > "The worlds unfallen and the heavenly angels had watched with intense interest as the conflict drew to its close. Satan and his confederate hosts, the whole army of apostates, were witnessing the struggle. ... The controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation." (GC 678.2) This implies that Earth was the *only* fallen world. The plan of salvation was executed here because this is where the rebellion took root after Satan was cast out of heaven. ### 3. The Cross Had Universal Implications While the crucifixion took place on our small planet, its impact was felt throughout the universe. The cross was not just for humanity; it was a demonstration that vindicated the character of God before all created beings and secured the universe from sin forever. > "But the cross of Calvary, while it declares the law to be immutable, proclaims to the universe that the wages of sin is death. ... The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is an unanswerable argument. ... The whole universe will see the nature and the results of sin. And the utter extermination of sin, which in the beginning would have brought fear to angels and dishonor to God, will now vindicate His love and establish His honor before the universe of beings..." (GC 503.1) The cross answered all of Satan's accusations. It proved that God's law was just and that God Himself was love. Once this demonstration was made, it never needed to be made again. It settled the controversy for all time and for all worlds. ### 4. The Plan Was Laid from Eternity The plan of salvation was not a reaction to an unexpected event. It was a covenant made between the Father and the Son before the world was even created. > "The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of 'the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.' Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God's throne." (DA 22.2) This suggests that God, in His foreknowledge, knew that the test of loyalty for the universe would center on this planet. The plan was tailor-made for the specific crisis that would unfold on Earth. In summary, had Satan succeeded in causing another world to fall *before* the cross, the plan of salvation would have still been sufficient. However, the writings of Ellen White present the fall of man on Earth as a singular event, making our world the unique battleground. **Christ's one sacrifice on Calvary was infinitely sufficient to redeem this one lost world and, in doing so, to secure the loyalty and safety of all other worlds for eternity.** There would be no need for another Gethsemane or another Calvary.