How is the Body of Messiah related to the Testimony of Yeshua? 

In the torah the Ark is referred to the Ark of the Testimony.  In it was placed the tablets of stone written by the finger of YHWH, the five books of Moses, the Jar of Manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded.  The tablets and the 5 books of Moses, otherwise known as the Torah, are pretty much self explanatory.  This is the expressions of the image of YHWH given to the Nation of Israel from the mountain on the day of Pentecost.  Israel covenanted with YHWH that they would do whatever He said for them to do.  That is how much they wanted to be with Him.  This covenant is a marriage contract between the People of Israel and YHWH.  The books of Moses are the terms of the marriage contract, the law of the land and the people.

Aaron’s rod that budded almonds shows the promise that YHWH made with Aaron’s descendants to serve as Priests before YHWH.  The rest of the tribe of Levi would also serve as the priests of YHWH forever.

Numbers 17:.  2Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.  3And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.  4And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.  5And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.  6And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.  7And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.  8And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.  9And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.  10And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

Remember Aaron is a prophetic type of Yeshua as Spokesman for YHWH and High Priest, chosen by YHWH Himself.  This is the same Aaron that Korah and 250 of the leaders of Israel try to usurp the High Priesthood from in Numbers 16.  This is prophetic that the nation of Israel would reject Yeshua as their High Priest when he came to earth many centuries later.  Notice Aaron’s role and the supporting role of his sons, bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary and the priesthood for the people.

Numbers 18: 1And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.  2And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.  3And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.  4And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.  5And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.  6And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.  7Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.  8And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.

This is an ordinance that is to last forever.  Let’s not underestimate the importance of this statement.  YHWH didn’t mean forever until 2,000 years goes by.  He said forever.  This rod was a symbol of YHWH’s choice of who would intercede on behalf of the people and who would ensure the environment was as YHWH decreed so that fallen flesh might dwell with YHWH and not die.  Anyone who is a stranger and enters in is killed, without exception.  To enter in the presence of YHWH we can no longer be considered strangers, we must become family.  Let’s again not rush over that important point.  To dwell with YHWH in an unprepared state and at the wrong time brings death.  Doing exactly what YHWH commands brings life.

Deuteronomy 30:16In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. 17But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;  18I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.  19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:  20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Notice the language here is to “cleave” as we are instructed in Genesis when referring to becoming husband and wife.  We must become one flesh with YHWH in order to come into His presence and live.

Aaron’s sons attempted to draw near unto YHWH in an unprepared state.  They did not do as YHWH commanded and death resulted.  Let us not assume that these were drunken and careless men, but reverent men attempting to do the right thing.  They could have been full of good intentions and desire to be close to YHWH.  But because they did not do what YHWH said, they died.

Numbers 3:  2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.  3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.  4And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.

Notice both Nadab and Abihu leave no seed.  YHWH instructs us to obey his commands that we and our seed may live.  To enter into the presence of YHWH and draw near without proper sacrifice means death regardless of our intentions.  Why is it necessary to have proper sacrifice and why is it so often stated in the Torah that the sacrifice needs to be without blemish, that we need to be clean, and all the steps required to become clean?

The condition of the High Priest and how he must be qualified to enter the Holy of Holies is a prospect of great import and consequence.  He is approaching YHWH on behalf of the people for the purpose of obtaining forgiveness of sin and restoring right relationship between the people and YHWH. 

It could be that Aaron’s Rod has a much longer history than just this current story.  Could Aaron’s rod have connections to the Tree of Life? Could it be the Staff of the Patriarchs?  Could it be the rod that gave David comfort when he was escaping from Absalom?  Ultimately could this rod have been the tree upon which Yeshua was hung?  There are so many interesting ties between Yeshua, the first of the first-fruits, and being hung on a limb that could have grown from the tree of life.  You may want to do a study on the staff of Moses in the Book of Jasher.

Acts 10: 38How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.  39And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:  40Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

Acts 13: 28And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.  29And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.  30But God raised him from the dead:

Now what was the last item placed in front of the Ark of the Testimony?

Hebrews 9: 3And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;  4Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;  5And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

The bowl of Manna is in front of the Ark of the Testimony.  How fitting.  Where else would we expect the Bread of Life, but before the throne of YHWH?

Exodus 16: 31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. [d] It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.' "  33 So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come."  34 As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

Here we see YHWH instructing that an omer of manna be kept before the Ark of the Testimony for generations of the future.  Aaron personally places the bowl of manna before the Ark of the Testimony.  Aaron is a prophetic type of Yeshua.  The bread of heaven sustained Israel in a place of death for forty years.  Yeshua had much to say about the bread of life.

John 6:26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.  27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.  28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.  30They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?  31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven…48I am that bread of life.  49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die… 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.  58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.  59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

Why is it important that we eat of Yeshua, the Bread of Life?  He makes it clear if we don’t do this we will die.  He exhorts us to seek after the flesh that leads to everlasting life and to forget about worrying about flesh that becomes corrupted.  Many of his listeners took great issue with Yeshua’s instruction that we must consume Him in order to have everlasting life.

John 6:51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.  52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?  53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.  58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.  59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

It would appear that this was a most basic issue for those who justified turning against him and following Him no longer.  Those who could not accept that His flesh is the Manna from Heaven, unleavened (keep in mind this discussion took place at Passover), uncorrupted, not fallen, and without sin.  He is telling us we must consume His sacrifice in order to have everlasting life.  He does not consume us, we consume Him.  He does not put on our identity, we put on His identity.  We become one flesh with the bridegroom, His flesh, not ours. 

John 6:60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?  61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?  62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?  63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

Many times when testimony is mentioned in the Brit Chadasha (New Testament) it is about someone going to the priests to show them their FLESH is whole and healed.  Only Yeshua has YHWH's flesh.  There are no others.  He is the Only Begotten son, the first born of many brethren.  So how can he have our fallen flesh?  It is not possible.  Protestants and Catholics still believe that Yeshua is Mary’s genetic son, that he carries her fallen flesh, that His bread is leavened with Mary’s DNA.  “A little leaven, leavens the whole lump.”  Yeshua is YHWH’s flesh only.  It is uncorrupted by our fallen flesh and cannot be combined with it.  YHWH provided both the seed and the egg, and it grew within Mary’s womb.  Both sides came from YHWH and were conceived within Mary, and she gave birth to in-corruptible flesh that was not her own.

We must believe on the ONLY BEGOTTEN son in order to be saved.  Immediately after this discussion with Nicodemus the scripture shows Yeshua baptizing people (symbolically putting His new flesh on those who have believed). 

John 3: 1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:  2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.  3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.  9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?  10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

Immediately after this discussion with Nicodemus the scripture shows Yeshua baptizing people (symbolically putting His new flesh on those who have believed).

John 3: 22After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.  23And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

The mikva is symbolic of the womb in which we are immersed with Yeshua and the Ruach Hakdoesh (Holy Spirit) so that we might take on YHWH’s image and be reborn to life immortal.  We take on Yeshua’s image, YHWH’s name, and Yeshua incorruptible and unfallen flesh. We are cleansed by consuming Yeshua's image, His flesh and blood.

John the Baptist shows he understands that Yeshua is from above and the nature of his flesh is from above.

John 3: 25Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.  26And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.  27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.  8Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.  29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.  30He must increase, but I must decrease.  31He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.  32And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.  33He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.  34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.  35The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.  36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Why would he start talking about Yeshua's nature/flesh if this wasn't the core issue discussed in the earlier part of John 3? This is a core issue throughout the gospels and we have been blind to it for 2 millennia.

The testimony of the Apostles is all about Yeshua's flesh/image/body not being corrupted. 

Acts 13:32And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. 35Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. 38Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

And the gospel preached was about the restoration of the Kingdom and wherever the gospel was preached and believed there was all manner of healing, the restoration of diseased flesh to healthy flesh.  The hope of healing corruptible flesh is prophesied by the torah rituals and requirements for cleansing after birth, emission, menstruation, cleansing of the leper, anointing of the priests, preparation for Yom Kippur. 

Diseased and unclean flesh is being made whole, clean, and incorruptible.  This is likely why the High priest brought incense with him into the Holy of Holies to cover the stench of his fallen flesh before the throne of YHWH.  YHWH loved the scent of the offerings off the altar, perhaps he had less of a liking for fallen flesh in His presence without the covering of a sacrifice (Yeshua's blood and identity placed upon us).  This sacrifice makes us able to come before YHWH.  We become one flesh with the sacrifice, hence the need for marriage to Yeshua.  We become one with Yeshua in identity.  We speak with YHWH via prayers in this relationship, which is symbolized by incense.

Luke 4:15He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.  16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:  18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,  because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.   He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."[e]  20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.  23Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' "

Yeshua appears before the Mercy Seat seeking forgiveness for His people, freeing the prisoner, giving wealth to the poor, sight to the blind, release to the oppressed.  How does he do all this by appearing before the Mercy Seat on our behalf?  By serving as the sacrifice.  By giving us His flesh.  When declaring this in the synagogue, everyone immediately tries to identify whose flesh is standing before them.  “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”  No it wasn’t, it was YHWH’s son, YHWH’s flesh, the Unleavened and Uncorrupted flesh of YHWH.  To be someone’s son, is to be that person’s flesh or image.

The flesh of Yeshua is in the image of YHWH as Adam's originally was before He fell and his seed was corrupted. It is by this Bread of Heaven that we will be restored.