Berean Quest: Nickel

A key to the Babylon code.

Author: W R Jenkins

Chapter 1 Contact

It is a moderately sized airport. The lobby is busy with late morning travelers.

Public address messages ring out, “Act of boarding is delayed for flight 16 bound for Bithynia at gates 7 through 10.” - “Attention please. Would Mr. Nickel please meet his party in the main lobby.”

Meandering in the crowd is a tall, lean, elderly man.

Near the center of the lobby he abruptly stops and stares transfixed ahead for several minutes.

People scurry past, taking no notice.

Eventually he takes a step back, turns around and meanders on down a concourse.

His path intercersects the path of a 35-year-old brunet, formally attired, and traveling with her 10-year-old daughter.

Rather than stepping to the side he stops directly in front of her and says, with a congenial smile, "I have a message - Seek God - Come with me and listen."

The woman hesitates, then replies, "Excuse me, sir! We have a flight to catch."

The old man reiterates softly, "Seek God. Come with me and listen."

The woman responds, "What do you mean, where? Oh, please let us pass!"

The daughter, sensing the consternation in her moms voice tugs at her arm impatiently and interjects, with a worried look on her face, "Let's go mom".

They step to the side and brusquely bypass the man, then move on toward their destination.

He turns, expressionless, his gaze following them as they walk away.

Ten or fifteen paces away, both mom and daughter glance back to see if he is following. They make eye contact for an instant, and he proceeds to follow, but not at a rate to overtake them. Sensing this, they proceed with normal haste.

But then the old man comes into the path of three boisterous young men dressed in black baggy clothing and unconventional hairstyles.

They are bantering loudly and jostling one another about as they walk, inconsiderate of others.

Other travelers move to the side, yielding to their spirited behavior, but the man stops dead in their path.

The middle young man practically runs into the old man, and recoils dramatically before stooping. He intimidates, "Hey dude, what's up with you, old man."

The old man slowly and intentionally appraises each one until their attention and gaze is fixed on him. Then he fixes his attention to the middle one, but by the volume of his voice, addresses all three, "I have a message. Seek God. Come with me and listen."

The young man chuckles, "Yaw dude, right on" and displays the peace sign in a mocking gesture perceiving that the man is a 60's hippie holdover.

The old man replies adamantly, "I have a message for each of you. Seek God. Come with me and listen."

Another young man breaks the tension and interjects in a sympathetic manner, "Hey old man, we would but we got a plane to catch. Go talk to some one else." He immediately moves onward and the others follow as they bypass the old man.

He turns and watches expectantly as they walk down the concourse.

As they walk away, they each, at different times, steal a glance back at the old man, and each makes momentary eye contact.

And then he follows them at their own leisurely pace, until he walks into the path of a businessman with an Asian appearance.

The old man smiles warmly and stands with an attitude as if greeting an expected acquaintance.

The businessman smiles back cordially, unsure if he should recognize this stranger.

The old man greets in the native language of the businessman, "For you, I have a message - Seek God - With me, come and listen."

The businessman, quite astonished by the language and the message replies, "what," in English.

The old man repeats in English, "I have a message for you. Seek God. Come with me and listen."

The businessman contemplates for a few seconds, then replies, "Where?”

The old man elaborates, "Just over here," and nods toward a vacant area in the center of the terminal.

The businessman looks perplexed but says, "Okay, but I soon have a meeting."

Together they move toward the space. When they enter it they both stop and stare in a transfixed manner at nothing in particular, for several minutes.

Eventually they each turn about and walk away in separate directions, never looking back at one another.

Chapter 2

Alarm

A message is heard, from the public address system, “2 Chronicles Chapter 9.”

In the airport security office, an uniformed man is diligently monitoring numerous surveillance displays.

While dutifully making his routine rounds, the security supervisor comes into the room and they greet cordially.

The supervisor asks routinely, "Any unusual activity?"

The security man replies formally, "Nothing unusual, every thing appears normal."

The supervisor encourages, "Great. I know it is a tedious job, but keep up the good work. You never know when something strange is going to happen."

The security man, picking up on the word, strange, decides to elaborate, "Well there is something a little strange I have noticed in the last hour or so, but I don't think it is anything to be alarmed about."

The supervisor replies curiously, "Well. What do you have?"

The security man, in an inquisitive manner, elaborates, "There is just this space in the center of the lobby that no one appears to walk through. There is no reason for them to avoid it. It is like we have some barriers set up there, but we don't."

The supervisor replies, "That's curious.” After a second of contemplation he adds, “Let me see the tapes."

The tapes rewind and display in fast motion on the monitor, revealing a 10' diameter space that everyone moves past but not through. There are many people but their paths do not intersect the space, except for one person near the start of the tape, and again several minutes later, with another man.

The supervisor orders, “Wait! Stop there.”

The security man relates, "Well, I did notice them, but that is what brought my attention to the space in the first place. They just stood there for awhile and then turned around and walked away. I thought, perhaps they were looking for someone else to meet, there in the center. But when they moved away, no one else moved through the area."

The supervisor investigated, "Is this normal on other days or at other hours?"

The security officer replied, "Not as far as I know of. I never noticed it before."

The supervisor instructed him to review some old tapes and report the findings. And then added, "Can I get a copy of this tape? I want to review it with administration and see if they have changed anything like placement of ticket counters or baggage check points, things like that, that might effect the way travelers move about the lobby."

Chapter 2 Alarm

A message is heard, from the public address system, “2 Chronicles Chapter 9.”

In the airport security office, an uniformed man is diligently monitoring numerous surveillance displays.

While dutyfully making his routine rounds, the security supervisor comes into the room and they greet cordially.

The supervisor asks routinely, "Any unusual activity?"

The security man replies formally, "Nothing unusual, every thing appears normal."

The supervisor encourages, "Great. I know it is a tedious job, but keep up the good work. You never know when something strange is going to happen."

The supervisor replies curiously, "Well. What do you have?"

The supervisor replies, "That's curious.” After a second of contemplation he adds, “Let me see the tapes."

The supervisor orders, “Wait! Stop there.”

The supervisor investigated, "Is this normal on other days or at other hours?"

The security officer replied, "Not as far as I know of. I never noticed it before."

Chapter 3

Response

Another message is heard, from the public address system, “2 Corinthians Chapter 9.”

The uniformed security monitor glances at the display showing the airport lobby, ticket counter.

The security supervisor and an airport administrator are conversing with the woman ticket clerk.

They are studying the display of a laptop computer and the security tapes.

The administrator, obviously unconcerned with security matters, comments, "If there is an area that no one uses, then we can put a kiosk or advertisement there, and make use of the space." He asks of the clerk, "Have you noticed any reason why people would avoid that area over there, motioning the center of the lobby?"

As their attention moves, they see the old man standing in the space. "What's going on here," asks the administrator?

The clerk contemplates audibly, "Hmm, I think I remember that man from earlier this morning, but he should have departed by now."

"I think you are right," the supervisor adds. "Let me run this tape back some more. Yes, right here, this morning at 8:42. He walked from your booth, over to that spot and stopped, just like he is standing right now. Bring up the records from this morning. Who is he, where was he supposed to go? While your doing that I'm going to have a word with this man."

The supervisor walked over toward the space, but for some inexplicable reason stopped short of entering the area. He spoke to the old man and greeted, “Hello there sir. What are you doing? Find something interesting?”

The old man replied casually "I have a message. Seek God. Come here and listen."

"Yaw, yaw," the supervisor agreed, "later perhaps. But why don't you come with me and we can find out where you are supposed to be right now," suspecting that some mental incapacity had afflicted the old man.

But the space phenomenon still bothered him, and he looked about the area seeking clews.

The old man graciously complied and walked over to the ticket counter with the supervisor.

The supervisor casually asked for the old mans ID. "Can I have a look at your ID for a minute sir?"

The old man retrieved his ID card and the supervisor studied at it in puzzlement. In the space for his name it had the nickel symbol followed by some illegible scratching. The rest of the card was blank, no address, no city, but the photo matched perfectly.

"There has to be something wrong here," interjected the clerk. "That appears to be the ID he showed me this morning, but that is not the information it contained, and obviously it does not match his ticket information or I would not have issued a boarding pass."

Their attention is turned to the empty space, as they follow the gaze of old man.

The uniformed security monitor adjusts the zoom of the camera to reveal the four people standing together at the ticket counter, and staring at the space in the center of the lobby, where the Asian businessman now stood, staring at nothing.

End.

Chapter 4 Investigation:

Questions:

Significance of the message, "Act of boarding is delayed for flight 16 bound for Bithynia at gates 7 through 10."

Significance of the message, "Attention please. Would Mr. Nickel please meet his party in the main lobby."

What does the Nickel symbol look like?

Significance of the message, "2 Corinthians Chapter 9."

Significance of the message, "2 Chronicles Chapter 9."

Significance of the old man’s messages.

Who is the old man?

What is the vacant space in the lobby about?

Why is there no ID information?

What is the significance, if any, of the other people?

What is the significance of the location, the airport?

Clues:

Considered collectively, they appear to point to God, except for one. The nickel symbol is a mystery.

A dictionary defines nickel as: Ger. Kupfernickel, copper devil, demon, rascal from the deceptive copper-like ore that contains no copper. St Nicholas’s (Old Nick’s) copper.

A hard, silver-white metallic chemical element, symbol Ni; Atomic number 28; atomic weight 58.6934; melting point 1455°C, 2651°F; boiling point 2913°C, 4275°F; specific gravity 8.902; valence 0, 1, 2, 3. Ferromagnetic, hard, ductile, malleable metal used for alloys, plating, batteries and as a catalyst.

As a catalyst it is used to convert low quality vegetable oil into hydrogenated margarine and frying fats.

Nickel catalyst is made by Grace – literally the Grace company.

Processed as an alloy with steel if forms stainless steel for food processing and armor plating.

Occurs in pentlandite and noccolite ore, usually as the result of large meteor impacts.

Comprises about 15% of Earth core at a temperature hotter than the surface of the Sun.

According to Encarta Encyclopedia, Nickel was used as coinage in nickel-copper alloys for several thousand years, but was not recognized as an elemental substance until 1751 when the Swedish chemist Baron Axel Frederic Cronstedt isolated the metal from niccolite ore.

US and Canadian 5-cent coins are made of an alloy of copper and nickel – up to 20%, with their nickname being Nickel.

One of the largest Nickel mines is in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

The five-sided figure is a pentagon. The US Pentagon is the central office of the military. The first five books of the Bible are the Pentateuch. The pentacle is a five pointed star used in magic and the dark arts. Note the relationship to pentandite ore.

This information does confirm that Nickel has a relationship to the Bible, like the other clues.

This brings up questions about the interpretation of the story. Was the old man speaking for God or for the Devil?

Puzzle pieces:

Act of boarding is delayed for flight 16 bound for Bithynia at gates 7 through 10:

Bithynia is an ancient Kingdom along the southern shore of the Black Sea.

In Bithynia there were two cities, Nicomedia, and Nicaea (not Nicaea Italy/France, present day Nice).

In the Ottoman empire they were renamed Izmit and Iznik. They are near Istanbul, in Turkey.

In the Bible, Acts 16 refers to Bithynia.

Attention please. Would Mr. Nickel please meet his party in the main lobby:

This message appears to be directed to the old man with the Ni ID.

He appears to look for someone / something in the main lobby.

Both "2 Chronicles Chapter 9" and "2 Corinthians Chapter 9" deal with money or wealth.

In the word Chronicles, 'nicles' sounds like nickel.

2 Chronicles Chapter 9 is about King Solomon.

It talks about the Queen of Sheba, Solomon's wisdom and his wealth of silver and gold, then his death.

King Hiram of Tyre brought Gold from Ophir. Tyre is on the Mediterranean coast, part of Phoenicia.

The weight of the Gold that Solomon received annually was 666 talents (about 25 tons).

We recognize that this Chapter is about Solomon’s secular / worldly kingdom, not like the first seven chapters about the temple and Godly matters.

Keywords: King Solomon, Queen of Sheba, King Hiram, Tyre, Ophir, wisdom, wealth, silver, gold, death, 666.

2 Corinthians Chapter 9 is a letter sent to the Church of Corinth by the Apostle Paul.

Sometime after Paul’s second visit to Corinth and while he was in Macedonia (Presently Northern Greece), probably Thessalonika, he sent the letter. The subject of Chapter 9 was encouragement and generous benevolence to the ministry.

There was much wealth in Corinth, Greece near Athens.

Macedonia at that time was immediately South of the present country of Macedonia.

Keywords: Paul, Travel, Corinth, Macedonia, Thessalonika, encourage, benevolence, money.

The old man’s messages:

He is a non-threatening character.

His message began simply "I have a message."

The message does not directly indicate its source, nor does it appear to be directed to particular people.

"Seek God," is a command.

"Come with me," is a request.

"Listen" requires an active response by the person.

The old man does not have the final message. He only delivers the invitation.

That he follows people, only when they look back, indicates that he would make himself available, but not force himself upon them.

Who is the old man?

It appears that his real ID is unimportant.

What is the vacant space in the lobby about?

It is where the old man and the Asian went to hear something.

We have to presume that the old man at least heard instructions on how to greet people and what to say to them. And he frequented the space at least three times.

He could communicate with others (the Security Supervisor) while in the space, so it was not mystically separated from normal space.

From the security tapes it was apparent that everyone’s path took them to somewhere other than the space.

Why is there no ID information?

The only ID is the Nickel symbol forcing attention to that alone.

What is the significance, if any, of the other people?

They may represent people in general.

They may represent particular groups, mothers, children, troubled, busy.

What is the significance of the location, the airport?

Where people of all nations gather, temporarily.

A departure point.

An arrival point.

Not a place to remain.

Thesis:

We are probably dealing with the secular nature of the church and its wealth in the area of the Aegean Sea. Probably has modern relevance because the old man was speaking in present tense and in a modern setting.

Probably has historical relevance.

Probably dealing with a large segment of population and people of all walks.

May be relative to the devil.

The Nickel symbol Ni or derived words may be instrumental.

Puzzle Picture:

Recognizing that Nicomedia, and Nicaea in Bithynia have a relationship to the word Nickel.

With knowledge that the Apostle Paul tried to enter Bithynia before going to Macedonia (Acts 16:7-10) around AD 50-54.

Discovery:

Under the Greek empire Four kings ruled in Mesopotamia with the name of Nicomedes.

The second king of Bithynia after his father Zipoetes I, Nicomedes I ruled from 278 BC to c. 255 BC.

Succeeded by Etazeta, then by Prusias II.

Nicomedes II Epiphanes was fifth king and ruled from 149 to c. 127 BC.

Nicomedes III Euergetes was sixth king and ruled from c. 127 BC to c. 94 BC.

Nicomedes IV Philopator was the seventh king and ruled from c. 94 BC to 74 BC.

After this, the Roman Empire’s hold began to dominate.

Diocletian made the Nicomedia the capital of the eastern part of the Roman Empire in AD 286.

After defeating Licinius in 324, Constantine used Nicomedia as his interim capital, also where he was baptized and died in AD 337.

Nicea was chosen as the site of what became the First Ecumenical Council. AD 325 because it was near Constantine’s residence at Nicomedia.

Both Nicea and Nicomedia are in the vicinity of the Seven Churches in Revelation 2-3.

Smyrna and Pergamum were not cities that Paul visited, nor is it recorded that he visited Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, or Laodicia. Of the seven he only visited Ephesus.

Paul and his companions traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia they tried to enter Bithania, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. (Acts 16:6-7)

The Roman Province of Asia at that time was not the whole peninsula known as Asia Minor south of the Black Sea. It was a small section in the north west corner encompassing the cities of Smyrna (Izmir) and Pergamum.

Significance: The early Hittite peoples in Mesopotamia were advanced in copper, bronze, and iron. Ores containing nickel are found with copper.

The production of bronze alloy requires copper and tin. Tin is not abundant in the region of the Hittites, however there was trade with Persians and Celtic regions for tin and where nickel is also found.

The Galatians in the south of Mesopotamia were a people of Celtic origin, which would corroborate the possibility of importing tin and nickel from the northwest. The Celts at the time controlled an empire that stretched from France to Bosphorus Straight and founded Galatia in 277 BC.

Tyre did trade with the same areas as the ministry of the apostle Paul, like the area of Antioch and the whole Aegean Sea.

Paul did not go into Bithynia Nicomedia, and Nicaea

Acts 16:6 Paul and his companions traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. The province of Asia at that time was not the whole peninsula known as Asia Minor south of the Black Sea. It was a small section in the north west corner encompassing the cities of Smyrna(Izmir) and Pergamum.

Acts 16:7 When they came to the border of Mysia they tried to enter Bithania, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. (Bithynia is the province where Nicomedia, and Nicaea are located.)

Revelation 2:6 To the angel of the Church in Ephesus... 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Revelation 2:8 To the angel of the Church in Smyrna... 13 I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan.

Revelation 2:12 To the angel of the Church in Pergamum... 13 I know where you live - where Satan has his throne. ...where Satan lives. 15...you also have those who hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans.

17 I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it.

Please read Revelation 2 and dwell on the words.

Pergamum is very near the province of Bithynia. In the Sea of Marmora near Nicaea and the Bosphors straight lie several islands known for their white marble.

You can find Ephesus on the West coast - left, with Smyrna and Sardis nearby. Pergamum is North of them. Laodicea is at the bottom, North of Aradus with Antioch just above.