The New and Better Covenant

The New & Better Covenant (Heb 8:5-9:1)
Intro
Greater sacrifice offered in greater sanctuary made Old Covenant system obsolete. Working backwards, from more to less clear:

1. Old Covenant had inferior sacrifice & sanctuary which could not atone for sin or cleanse conscience of people (9:1)
2. Old Covenant w/its sacrifices & services of earthly sanctuary are obsolete (8:13a)
3. Sacrifices & earthly sanctuary were therefore abolished in 70 AD bringing to an end the obsolete Old Covenant (8:13b)

Two implications:
a. No rebuilt temple authorized by God
b. OT has continued relevance to us in 'moral law'

Specific blessings of New Covenant
People will continue in his covenant & will not be disregarded by God (9). They will:

1. obey God (10a)
2. be God's people indeed (10b)
3. have the knowledge of God (11)
4. have God's permanent mercy & forgiveness (12)

Although I can't say explicitly how the spiritual experience of, say, David is to us, I can say that history of Old Covenant people was disaster; history of New Covenant people, while not ideal, is history of worldwide success.

Final Question: Who is 'House of Israel & House of Judah' w/whom new covenant is made?
a. Premillennial answer: Jews in millennium, us in the meantime
b. Amillennial answer: All the elect after Christ (i.e. the gospel church is prefigured)
c. Postmillennial answer: See Rom 11, the Jewish people (though now only a remnant) through the believing Gentiles who have received their mercy