He resolved their ten commandments into two, dismissed the woman without being stoned according to the law, forgave sins without the legal sacrifices, healed without requiring to offer according to law, and that even on the Sabbath day; and yet declared that he came not to destroy the law, but to ful it. Again, when he had healed a leper, he charged him to go and show himself to the Priest and offer for his cleansing those things which Moses commanded. He also ate the Passover according to law.
Both he and his apostles, on some occasions excluded, and on others admitted the Gentiles to privileges, which according to the law could be enjoyed only by the Jews. Thus they recognized the presence and claims of both dispensations at the same time; one entering and displacing the other, not instantly, but gradually, by a succession of events, each distinct in itself, but all connected in harmony, transpiring in fulfillment of prophecy, and forming the circumstances of the Advent, which was one distinct event, and the nucleus of all the rest. A little before his crucifixion Jesus came as King to Jerusalem, the Metropolis and Capitol of that Dis.; the City was under his absolute authority for a time; he had declared its house desolate and now entered and cleansed the temple.
As then, so now, according to the Scriptures, a series of events constitute the circumstances of our Lord's appearing, and form the crisis of the two Dispensations. In that period his crucifixion and resurrection were the principle events to which all others are subservient. But there are other events connected with these, and which must of necessity precede them.
One of these event as we have already seen is the cleansing of the Sanctuary.