How long did people live in the bible? Is it true that people used to live for hundreds of years over 6000 years ago? Are you surprised people used to live longer than in modern times? One would think people would eventually learn to live longer than our ancestors. It has not happened yet though.

Part 1: How long did God originally create people to live?

Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man (Adam), saying, “You may eat from every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day that you eat of it you will die.

Question 1: What was the consequence of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?

Genesis 3:17 & 19
Then to Adam He said, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice, and ate from the tree that I commanded you, saying, ‘do not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground because of you; You will work hard to eat of it your entire life…By sweat on your face you will eat bread, Until you return to the ground you came from, because you were made from dust and to dust you will return,

Question 2: Since the man Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, where is he going to return?

Genesis 3:22-23
The LORD God said, “The man has become like one of Us, he knows good and evil. Before he puts out his hand and takes also of the tree of life, and eats, and lives forever” – the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden…

Question 3: How long was God going to let people live before the tree of knowledge of good and evil was eaten from?

Part 2:  How long did people live in the bible after they stopped living forever?

Genesis 5:5
All of the days Adam lived were 930 years; then he died.

Genesis 5:27
All of the days Methuselah lived were 969 years; then he died.

Genesis 5:30-31
After he begot Noah, Lamech lived 595 years, and had sons and daughters. All of the days Lamech lived were 777 years; then he died.

Question 1: Since people were no longer living forever, how long were people living after Adam was sent out of the garden?

Part 3:  God shortens our lifespan one last time!

Genesis 6:3, 5 & 6
The LORD said, “My Spirit shall not struggle with man forever, because they are flesh; from now on they will only live for 120 years…Then the LORD saw that man’s wickedness was great in the earth, and that every intention and thought of his heart was constantly evil. The LORD was sorry and grieved in His heart that He had made man on the earth.

Question 1: God shortened the life span of man again.  How many years did God shorten man’s life span to?

Question 2: Why was the life span shortened to 120 years?

Question 3: Are you more surprised that human life spans are currently so short compared to forever (Genesis 3:22-23) or that humans used to live for hundreds of years? Please explain your answer…

Part 4: Conclusion

Philippians 3:20-21
For our citizenship is in heaven, where the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ lives, who will transform our mortal bodies to be like His glorious body, according to the working power by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Question 1: How long do you think a new glorious body will last in heaven?

Question 2: If God can make bodies last forever in the future, do you think it is possible God could make bodies last for hundreds of years in the past?

Question 3: Did people live for 100’s of years in the Bible?

Optional question:  If you don’t think there is any way possible for people to live for hundreds of years in the past, explain why it is not possible.

We hope you search our website, Christian Fellowshipping, for more encouraging ways to fellowship with God and other believes. To learn about salvation and what it means read What is Salvation and God’s Promise of Salvation, it will guide you through this with scripture.