3) Taking the sword: The future

According to John, Yahshua returns to his comments on taking the sword in his revelation:

And it was given unto him (the beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:... And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:7-10)

Again we have a situation where the servants of Yahshua are in danger from the sword and are overcome. He reminds his servants, “if any kill with the sword, must be killed with the sword”. This is consistent with what Yahshua told Peter. This is both advice and comfort. The comfort to the servants is that retribution by the sword will eventually come.

And the retribution in the future will be Yahshua himself with a two edged sword in his mouth!

And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Rev 19:13-15 KJV)

That the sword comes from the mouth indicates that it is by his Word the nations will be ruled. The idea of the mouth being like a sharp sword is not new. Yahshua would have known Isaiah's prophecy of the Messiah where he has a two edged sword going from his mouth very well.

The LORD has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name. And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me, .... And he said, It is a light thing that thou should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou may be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:1-6)

Yahshua commands his followers to carry a sword, but he tells us that taking a sword, even in dire situations, will result in our death by it. He does not say his followers will never fight. Perhaps that's because he valued and knew the Hebrew scriptures and they say in song:

Let the saints be joyful in glory:..Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand; ...To execute upon them the judgement written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD. (Psalm 149:5-9)

The Yahshua's advice is a two edged sword. Paul's clarifies it as,

the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)