Paul's pronouncement that glory, honor, peace, tribulation and distress would come "to the Jew first" has profound implications for understanding biblical prophecy about the final judgment of national Israel.
• The concept of "to the Jew first" applies to both salvation and judgment, as Christ came first to Israel before the Gentiles
• Old Testament prophecies throughout Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Amos, Malachi etc. repeatedly warned Israel of a coming "Day of Yahweh"
• First-century Jews rejected their Messiah despite prophecies predicting his arrival and the consequences of rejecting him
• The "Great Tribulation" described in Matthew 24 refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD
• John the Baptist fulfilled Malachi's prophecy as the "Elijah" who would come before the day of judgment
• The destruction of Jerusalem marked the complete end of the Old Covenant system, with genealogical records destroyed
• Prophetic language about darkened sun and falling stars represented the fall of governing authorities, not literal cosmic events
• The "Day of Yahweh" fulfilled all written prophecies, closing the biblical canon with the destruction of Jerusalem
Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/058-tribulation-for-the-jew-first-romans-2-9-11/
