John 2:16

And to them that sold the doves he said, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.

The doves, in cages, could not be driven out, hence the Lord's command that they be carried out.

House of merchandise ... Among the differences in this cleansing and the second is this order of the Lord for them to cease and desist from such practices. At the second cleansing, it was too late to command them to cease, and they were at that time denounced as "thieves and robbers." Their day of grace had passed.

My Father's house ... "My" indicates the unique sonship of Jesus. and focuses on the Messianic import of this event of cleansing. As Hunter noted, "The cleansing is far more than a Jewish reformer's act; it is a sign of the advent of the Messiah."[16] In Malachi 3:1f, it is written: "The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple ... but who may abide the day of his coming? ... and he shall purify the sons of Levi." Also, in Zechariah 14:1, we have, "And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day" (RSV). Thus, very early in his ministry, Jesus laid claim by these bold deeds to his rightful position as the long-awaited Messiah of Israel and head of the Theocracy.